Super Saiyan

This article is about the transformation. For the manga chapter, see Super Saiyan?. For the anime volume, see Super Saiyan?! (Volume). For Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 level, see Super Saiyan?! (Level).

Super Saiyan

Anime
Manga

超サイヤ人

Sūpā Saiya-jin

Alternate names

SSJ
SSJ1
SS
SS1
Super Saiyan 1^[1]
Super Saiyajin
Super Saiyan Level 1
Super Saiyan Grade I^[2]
Super Saiyan (C type)^[3]
Raging Super Saiyan
Super Warrior (AB Group dub)
Super Guerreiro (Portuguese dub)
Superguerrer (Catalan dub)
Super Saiya Person (Speedy dub)

Debut

Manga: "Life or Death"
Anime: "Transformed at Last"

Color

      or
      (w/ restraining mind control device)
     ^[8]^[9] (Legendary version)
      (under dark magic)
      (Tsufruization and Mira)

Class

Transformation

Similar Techniques

Super Mr. Satan

"How? How can you possibly have attained such power? No, don't tell me. No please, not that!"
— Frieza realizing Goku's ascension into the Super Saiyan in The Angry Super Saiyan! Goku Throws Down the Gauntlet!

Super Saiyan (超サイヤ人, Sūpā Saiya-jin) is an advanced transformation assumed by extraordinarily powerful members and hybrids of the Saiyan race in the Dragon Ball franchise, though there have also been occurrences of other races or individuals taking on their own versions of the form. Humans (of Saiyan heritage) in Dragon Ball Online can also assume the transformation by wishing to have their dormant Saiyan powers unlocked.

The Super Saiyan form first premiered in April 1991, within chapter 317 of the Dragon Ball manga, entitled "Life or Death". It also made its anime debut in 1991, first appearing in Dragon Ball Z episode 95, "Transformed at Last". Within Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball GT, two further transformations, the second^[10] and third,^[11] succeed Super Saiyan, while the premier form also has two additional grade states, which include two forms^[12] that focus on power. There are also two states that are mastered^[13] versions of the basic Super Saiyan form.

Legend

OriginalSuupaSaiyan — The depiction of the original Super Saiyan on the Saiyans' original homeworld

The ability to become a Super Saiyan was once considered to be nothing but a legend, as it had not been performed for over one-thousand years.^[14] Vegeta stated that a Super Saiyan has achieved a level of power so overwhelming that it could only be maintained in a transformed state. Despite only being told through legend, Frieza, who has Saiyans in his army, became paranoid over the possibility of truth behind the legend due to the constantly growing power of the Saiyan race. Because of this fear, Frieza came to the conclusion that he must annihilate the Saiyan race by destroying Planet Vegeta,^[15] thus apparently sparking the end of the Super Saiyan legend. However, twenty-five years later, the Super Saiyan legend was proven to be true when Goku accomplished the feat during his titanic battle against the evil tyrant, Frieza.^[16]

Environment — After Bardock transforming into a Super Saiyan, the environment keeps changing constantly

The Super Saiyan transformation comes in response to a need, not a desire.^[17] In all known cases, the form has been initially triggered by either desperation or indignation. Any other conditions are unknown, and motivation tends to differ; for example, Goku achieves the form out of anger over the murder of his best-friend Krillin and Bardock achieves the form out of anger after Chilled attacked a Plant child called Berry, while Vegeta achieves the form through sheer frustration at his original inability to achieve it, especially when Goku already had.^[18] While training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, Goku informs Gohan that becoming a Super Saiyan is powered by rage and told him to imagine Cell and then Frieza (after Gohan stated he had never seen Cell) killing all his friends in order for him to transform into a Super Saiyan. As the Saiyans train during Dragon Ball Z, they discover uncharted levels beyond the first Super Saiyan level. The power increases of subsequent Super Saiyan forms are so high that by the Buu Saga, the original transformation has been literally reduced to that of a "child's plaything" (as stated by Vegeta; as both Goten and Trunks can transform and harness the power adeptly at such a young age).^[19]

Goku59 — Super Saiyan Goku unleashes an intense rage as he prepares to assault Frieza

In the main series, all living Saiyan-blooded males after the Frieza Saga manage to reach at least the first level of Super Saiyan. No female Super Saiyans are ever seen in the Dragon Ball manga or animes. However, the Dragon Ball GT Perfect Files implies that Pan has the potential to transform and might have become a type of Super Saiyan never seen before. Female Super Saiyans have since appeared in video games, including Dragon Ball Online, Dragon Ball Heroes and Dragon Ball: Xenoverse.

Overview

The Super Saiyan form

"The power comes in response to a need, not a desire"
— Goku in "Bow to the Prince"

VegetaSSIvsSemiPerfectCell — Vegeta as a Super Saiyan

The first Super Saiyan transformation occurs when a Saiyan who has reached a very high level of power loses himself in a fit of rage.^[20] However, the transformation must be triggered in response to a great need, an example being in Goku's case to defeat Frieza. While physical change is not too drastic apart from a slight increase in muscle mass,^[21]^[22] the power output increase is colossal; it was stated by Akira Toriyama that the form was meant to be 10x what Goku had previously accomplished (his previous max being the Kaio-ken x20, presumably making Super Saiyan's multiplier 200x Base), however he went on to state that it actually seemed to be a 50x boost, In Daizenshuu 7 the form is said to multiply the Saiyan's power level by 50x times its normal amount.^[20] In the Dragon Ball Z: The Anime Adventure Game, the multiplier for the form is 2.5x the user's normal amount of power). The form's multiplier seems to have changed in Dragon Ball GT, When Goku utilizes the Super Saiyan form against General Rilldo in Dragon Ball GT, Rilldo states that Goku's power has increased to just over double his base form (in the English dub he states that it has increased a hundredfold).^[23]

The transformation has a noticeable effect on the Saiyan's personality. Any Saiyan that has turned to the side of good initially becomes ruthless and overcome with rage, and any Saiyan that was already ruthless to begin with has his ruthlessness amplified. This is first demonstrated when Goku turned Super Saiyan, when he went from a calm, collected fighter to becoming a vengeful warrior, hellbent on avenging his fallen friend, Krillin, even at his own peril. Later on, when Vegeta became a Super Saiyan, he became even more rash and belligerent, and became obsessed with defeating the Androids by himself, a drastic change from his smart, covert style he demonstrated in the Vegeta and Namek Sagas. Gohan becomes a Super Saiyan, while training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, but manages to regain control of his emotions prior to leaving the Chamber. However, the amplified anger that a Super Saiyan experiences returned when he became a Super Saiyan 2. The personality alterations are also on display in Dragon Ball GT: A Hero's Legacy when Goku Jr., a timid boy with no will to fight even in self-defense, saw Lord Yao terrorize the forest and became a Super Saiyan, his personality came full circle, accordingly.

DBZ group pic — The Super Saiyans who appear in the original manga series featuring Goku, Gohan, Goten, Vegeta, Future Trunks, Kid Trunks, Vegito, and Gotenks (Tadayoshi Yamamuro)

The most noticeable physical change is that the Saiyan's hair becomes golden blonde in color and seems to stand on end, giving it a rising, flame-like appearance. This applies to all of the Saiyan's hair, including scalp hair, eyebrows, and the fur on their tails and as Golden Great Apes. Natural eye color temporarily changes to a greenish-blue, muscle tone becomes more defined, and the skin tone (and clothing) becomes lighter mainly due to the energy and light output of the golden aura. As the natural floodgates of the body are opened with the transformation, excess energy is radiated from the body in the form of a pulsing, flame-like aura. There is also a marked personality alteration, where the Saiyan becomes unusually aggressive and more prone to acting on impulse.

The Super Saiyan transformation also has an interesting, unique effect on Goku's family in addition to its normal effects: the way their eyes are drawn changes slightly. Normally, the outline around the eye is not fully drawn and it circles around about 3/4 of the way the eyeball. When in Super Saiyan, their eyes are fully surrounded by an outline, the same way that all villains are drawn; this is mainly due to Akira Toriyama wanting to show the anger and hatred that must be present for a Super Saiyan transformation. Though, this is not the case for the Full-Power Super Saiyan state, as shown with Goku and Gohan during the Cell Games Saga.

It is theorized by Krillin that the Super Saiyan transformation prevents Goku from performing his Spirit Bomb technique.^[24] One must be pure of heart to perform the Spirit Bomb technique, and as a Super Saiyan, Goku's heart is full of rage, although not necessarily contaminated by evil. In the film Dragon Ball Z: Super Android 13!, when Goku becomes a Super Saiyan after gathering power for his Spirit Bomb, he loses control of the energy and instead absorbs it into his own body. During the Kid Buu Saga, Goku assumes the transformation only after successfully creating and throwing the Spirit Bomb, although it could just be that anger no longer filled his heart when he transformed since this took place after he mastered the Super Saiyan form during the Cell Games Saga or that anyone can wield the Spirit Bomb after it has been formed.

Super Saiyans from evil hybrid races will sometimes exhibit white hair.

Usage and power

GokuVsFriezaEp102 — Super Saiyan Goku battles Frieza in his 100% form

The Super Saiyan form multiplies the Saiyan's power level by 50x times its normal amount.^[25] The form was achieved by Goku after witnessing his best friend Krillin's death at the hands of Frieza. In this form, Goku's power grossly outclasses the evil tyrant's, a feat made more impressive by the fact that, prior to the transformation, Goku was no match for him, even with the Kaio-ken multiplying his power 20-fold. In order to combat Goku's sudden burst of strength and power, Frieza released all natural bodily inhibitions and utilized 100% of his power, only half of which he used to stop Goku's Kaio-ken x20 Kamehameha attack. Though he seemed to gain the upper hand while Goku holds back, he loses faith when he realizes that his attacks are no longer debilitating, with Goku merely shrugging off his most forceful blows. This is evident, because in his 100% final state, Frieza had gained power and speed, but also gained increased energy consumption to the point where his damaged body could no longer handle the amount of power he was controlling.

TrunksFutureVsKingColdWBG — Super Saiyan Future Trunks dominates King Cold

Two years following the titanic battle on Namek, Future Trunks would arrive from the future already possessing the ability to transform, much to the astonishment of Vegeta and other present company, and effortlessly disposed of the synthetically restored Frieza, and his father, King Cold.^[26]

Vegeta vs 18 — Super Saiyan Vegeta battles Android 18

Some time later, Vegeta also achieves the Super Saiyan transformation, mainly due to his belief that he had pushed himself to his utmost limits without actually transforming and due to seeing that Goku had achieved the form whilst he did not. By his own admission, it was anger at himself that triggered the intense emotion required to transform. He also noted, that he too possessed a pure heart, only one of pure evil as opposed to Goku's good. With this new power under his belt, Vegeta confronts and overcomes Android 19 and Dr. Gero, blithely killing #19 with the powerful Big Bang Attack.^[27] However, the Super Saiyan form truly put to the test when the true Androids of Future Trunks' grim prediction, Android 17 and Android 18, arrive. Super Saiyan Vegeta does battle with Android 18 until he is eventually overpowered and even has his arm-snapped by a fierce kick from the deadly beauty.^[28] Future Trunks jumps in on the battle, prompting #17 to intervene. The Androids easily defeat both Vegeta and Future Trunks' in their Super Saiyan forms along with the other Z Fighters; Future Trunks in particular being felled by a single blow from #17, as opposed to the trained Vegeta who withstood a much longer and abashing beating, signifying his superior strength.^[29] This power is noted by Kami as he brings up the topic of how Vegeta is now more powerful than Future Trunks, who "killed Frieza and his father in an instant."

File:Wdwd.jpg

Gohan transforms into a Super Saiyan for the first time

The limits of the Super Saiyan transformation were pushed even further with the introduction of Cell. With the basic Super Saiyan form now unable to combat the power of the Androids, Goku advises training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber because he believes that there is a way to ascend past the normal limitations of an untrained Super Saiyan, and in doing so would make them strong enough to take down the Androids. By the time Cell had reached his Perfect Form after absorbing both the Androids, Vegeta, Future Trunks, Goku, and Gohan had all spent time in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, advancing to new Super Saiyan forms. The Super Saiyan's standard output of power would be outclassed by the second and third stages. Unlike Vegeta and Future Trunks who made use of these stages (which either consumes one's energy rapidly and produce an increasingly higher level of strain, or reduce the Saiyan's speed to nil, with the latter doing both), Goku and Gohan work to perfect the initial transformation after deciding that it was the best form to use overall, prompting their transition into Super Saiyan Full Power, the concept of making the Super Saiyan form no different in energy output and strain than the basic form of the user's body. The initial transformation and its advanced grades are later rendered obsolete by the introduction of a far more powerful level, Super Saiyan 2 (which is the form used by Gohan to defeat Cell), followed by Goku's introduction of Super Saiyan 3 during the Majin Buu Saga, and finally, Super Saiyan 4, introduced in Dragon Ball GT. Super Saiyan 2 and Super Saiyan 3 are nothing more than powered-up variations of Super Saiyan.^[30] If the normal state and regular Super Saiyan form were to be fully mastered, it would increase its user's level more than the Super Saiyan 2 and Super Saiyan 3 forms, and would sap less energy.^[30]

SuperSaiyanFutureGohan3 — Future Gohan as a Super Saiyan

In the special chapter "Trunks The History - The Lone Warrior" and the television special Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks, Future Gohan is shown to have gained the Super Saiyan transformation long ago, most likely after witnessing the Z Fighters being slaughtered by the Androids. Therefore, Future Gohan may have assumed his transformation before his present timeline counterpart (by technically a matter of days), although he was far weaker because he was never trained by his father in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber and never mastered the Super Saiyan form. After he is killed, we see Future Trunks transform for the first time (only in the anime, for Trunks seemed to already have attained the transformation rather recently in the original manga), thus showing his original transformation.

GotenTrunksInFusionReborn — Super Saiyan Goten and Super Saiyan Trunks in *Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn*

Goten and Trunks, sons of Goku and Vegeta respectively, attain the ability to transform at a remarkably young age, again to widespread surprise from the main cast. (Goten, who was about a year younger than Trunks' age of eight, stated that his transformation was so long ago that he was unable to even remember it occurring.) Though their reasons for so easily transforming are never officially stated, the common theory is that it could have been the DNA inherited from their fathers' ability to transform already during their conception, supported by the fact that it took Gohan, who was also a child when he made his transformation, unbearable hardship to achieve (Gohan was born prior to the start of Dragon Ball Z, thus before his father's transformation). However, it is unknown if Vegeta achieved the ability to transform before Trunks' conception or after it, the manga implies that Vegeta stayed on Earth entirely focused on intense training to become a Super Saiyan before he grows close to Bulma so it's possible he transformed before Trunks' conception. Alternatively, another possible reason for Goten's transformation is when he gets frustrated when being trained by his mother. It is then possible that seeing Goten as this and being his rival, Trunks followed suit, with his want to be better than Goten being his fuel.

Their fusion form, Gotenks, seen late in Dragon Ball Z, easily gained the ability to transform into all three levels of Super Saiyan in the series within no more than a half-hour of training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber (although he has only ever been seen assuming the first and third forms, since he bypassed the second form to ascend to the third level), with the combined energies of Goten and Trunks balancing out the high ki consumption of the final transformation. In Future Trunks' case, he would have been conceived in the Alternate Timeline under very similar circumstances, although it is possible he was not conceived after Future Vegeta became a Super Saiyan, as the alternate counterpart's transformation was never shown. However, despite a younger Future Trunks being weaker than his child alternate counterpart, he was still able to transform at the age of 14 (making him either the youngest or second youngest Super Saiyan in the alternate timeline, depending on when Future Gohan transformed), although he was considerably weaker due to lack of training.

Super Saiyan Future Cell — Future Cell uses Super Saiyan via his Saiyan cells

When the Bio-Android Cell, and his counterpart from Cell's timeline fight at their full power in their Imperfect and Perfect forms, they are using their own version of the Super Saiyan form - thanks to their cells from Goku and Vegeta. This is especially notable in the anime, as when Cell powers up to max he gains the golden Super Saiyan aura, and the Super Saiyan transformation sound effect plays.

During Goku's battle with Beerus as a Super Saiyan God in the movie and anime, Goku dropped out of the form, but somehow managed to retain the strength comparable to his Super Saiyan God form in his regular Super Saiyan form. This also caused his base state to become much stronger. Goku used the form to battle Beerus, and would later go on to use his Super Saiyan form during the Universe 6 and 7 Gods of Destruction Selection Martial Arts Competition, first using it against Frost.

VegetaInGT5 — Baby Vegeta as a Tuffle Super Saiyan

In Dragon Ball GT, After Baby took control over Vegeta, the resulting Baby Vegeta displayed the ability to transform into a Super Saiyan, albeit with white hair due to now being a Saiyan-Tuffle hybrid.

VegetaJr.VsGokuJr — Super Saiyan Goku Jr. and Super Saiyan Vegeta Jr. fighting

In the last episode of Dragon Ball GT, Goku and Vegeta's descendants, Goku Jr. and Vegeta Jr., are shown to be able to transform into Super Saiyans from a young age, as well. Goku Jr.'s first transformation in particular was shown in the TV special Dragon Ball GT: A Hero's Legacy, aired at around the time that episode 40 was broadcast. This heavily contradicts the Daizenshuu books' explanation that Pan could not transform due to the minuscule percentage of Saiyan blood in her, as being a grandson of the already 1/4 Saiyan Pan would reduce his to no more than one sixteenth, making him almost completely human.

Film and other appearances

SSGokuMovie5(Daiz6) — Super Saiyan Goku concept art for *Dragon Ball Z: Cooler's Revenge*, by Akira Toriyama (*Daizenshuu 6*)

The Super Saiyan transformation made its movie debut in the film Dragon Ball Z: Cooler's Revenge. Goku uses his Super Saiyan power to defeat Cooler, Frieza's older and stronger brother, thus finishing off the family. In the concept art drawn by Akira Toriyama for this movie, Super Saiyan Goku has red eyes (as seen to the right).

Dbz movie 6 goku ssj & vegeta ssj vs meta cooler — Super Saiyan Goku and Vegeta attack Meta-Cooler in *Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler*

The Super Saiyan form is also used in the next two films Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler by Goku and Vegeta to combat and finally kill Cooler, and in the film Dragon Ball Z: Super Android 13! by Goku, Vegeta, and Future Trunks to take down Android 14, Android 15, and Android 13. It was also very briefly used by Future Trunks during his match against Tien Shinhan, and then by Gohan, Vegeta and Future Trunks to fight against the Galaxy Soldiers in Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Unbound.

In the next film Dragon Ball Z: Broly - The Legendary Super Saiyan, the Saiyan Broly is also shown to harness the original Super Saiyan transformation, which is what he uses to battle Goku for a few moments when attacking him in the dead of night. He also uses it against Goten and Trunks in Dragon Ball Z: Broly - Second Coming, until he was forced to unveil his Legendary Super Saiyan form once again when fighting Gohan in his Super Saiyan 2 form.

At this point, the movies move into a time period when the original Super Saiyan form has since been outclassed by the more powerful variants, the only users of the basic transformation seen from this point on are Goten, Trunks, their fusion of Gotenks, as well as Gogeta and Vegito.

During the events of the manga and anime Dragon Ball: Episode of Bardock, Bardock is sent back in time during the destruction of his people and becomes a Super Saiyan on Planet Plant while fighting Chilled, an ancestor of Frieza.

File:Bog extended 050-large.png

Super Saiyan Vegeta in Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods

During the events of Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods, Beerus and Whis watch a rendered version of the battle between Super Saiyan Goku and Frieza on Namek. Later, Goku uses the form during his battle against the God of Destruction Beerus, although he retains much of the power received from his Super Saiyan God form, thus being able to hold his own as a regular Super Saiyan. Gotenks uses the form when he challenges Beerus but is easily taken out.

In Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’, Gohan is the only one who transforms into Super Saiyan in the film. Goku and Vegeta use a new Super Saiyan transformation that has blue hair and god ki, after mastering Super Saiyan God, named Super Saiyan Blue.

Video games

Since the release of Dragon Ball Z: Super Saiya Densetsu in January 1992, the Super Saiyan form is featured in all the Dragon Ball Z video games.

Dragon Ball Online

Dragon Ball Online is the very first video-game that allows the player to transform his created character into Super Saiyan. The Human race can acquire the transformation either by leveling up to level 40 or through obtaining the Dragon Balls and having the wish granted by Shenron; Humans can take on the Super Saiyan transformation due to them being direct descendants of both Goku and Vegeta, therefore possessing Saiyan blood.

Super Saiyan 2 — A Super Saiyan as it appears in-game

Like in the original series, those under the influence of the Super Saiyan transformation discharge a golden aura that surrounds their bodies and acquire the trademark green eyes and golden, altered hairstyles (in the game, each Human hairstyle (male and female) has a Super Saiyan counterpart). Players that choose not to allow their avatars age can acquire the Super Saiyan transformation as children. Also, unlike the other two transformations, techniques acquired in a Human's base form are still accessible, however, Super Saiyans does not obtain transformation-exclusive skills as the other races do.

Dragon Ball Heroes

Like Dragon Ball Online, Dragon Ball Heroes also features female Super Saiyans. The game also brings Mira featuring a Super Saiyan transformation due to him being part Saiyan, he is able to use his a white-haired and red-eyed version of the form, known as Super Mira.

Dragon Ball: Xenoverse

SS Future Warrior full — Future Warrior as a Super Saiyan from *Xenoverse*

The Super Saiyan transformation reappears for custom created characters in Dragon Ball: Xenoverse and its sequel. In Xenoverse, the Super Saiyan transformation is an ultimate skill that constantly drains the user's energy and completely drains their stamina once the transformation is over. The benefits are that all abilities are increased for the duration, and all super and ultimate attacks no longer cost ki. In Xenoverse 2, the Super Saiyan form and its higher levels no longer drain ki, allowing a Saiyan to stay in the form indefinitely, but the rate of ki gain during attacks decreases with each progressive form and Super and Ultimate attacks cannot be used indefinitely. A Saiyan Future Warrior can obtain this transformation after the Frieza Saga via Parallel Quest 14: "Legendary Super Saiyan" or after the Android Saga via purchasing it at the Skill Shop. The ability comes in two variations, the normal Super Saiyan transformation which raises the power of strike skills, and Super Vegeta which raises the power of ki blasts.

File:454650 20161114000920 1.png

Future Warrior 2 as a Super Saiyan

In the sequel, it is no longer an Ultimate Skill and is instead accessible via the Super Saiyan Awoken Skill which can be attained by the Saiyan Future Warrior inside the Capsule Corporation time rift anomaly in a special quest with Vegeta. After sparring with Vegeta a few times, Vegeta will notice they aren't transforming and learns that despite their power, the Warrior hasn't yet unlocked the transformation. After speaking with Bulma and Kid Trunks at Vegeta's suggestion, the Capsule Corporation Quest: "Saiyan Awakening" is unlocked. In this special quest, the Future Warrior faces off against SSJ Vegeta and SSJ Goku to push them in unlocking their Super Saiyan form. The Awoken Skill is unlocked mid-battle and becomes permanently unlocked after they defeat SSJ2 Vegeta and SSJ3 Goku. In addition, the player can transform in to a Super Saiyan 2 or 3 depending on how much ki they currently have (the Super Saiyan form requires 3 ki bars, while Super Saiyan 3 requires 5 or more). The Super Saiyan form no longer drains ki in Xenoverse 2 and instead slows down ki charged from performing melee attacks.

In Xenoverse 2 all Super Saiyan forms can be used by both male and female Saiyans. Goku's Super Saiyan hairstyle can be equipped by any Future Warrior as an accessory. Like the main series depictions the Future Warrior's Super Saiyan form features the form's signature golden blonde hair and greenish-blue eyes, though their hair will not spike upwards and will retain the shape of the Warrior's current hairstyle (if bald only their facial hair changes color). While not addressed in the sequel, they gain the signature Super Saiyan 3 hairstyle upon transforming into said state, even if the Warrior is bald and any accessories that cover the head are removed while in their Super Saiyan 3 form. If a male Future Warrior has facial hair, it too will turn golden blonde. If the Future Warrior is in the Super Saiyan state while finishing a story mission, they will appear in their Super Saiyan form in cutscenes following it. In Xenoverse 2, the Future Warrior reverts back into base form if they were already transformed during cutscenes. Humorously, a Saiyan Time Patroller named Yasshimo reveals that he attained his Super Saiyan form in order to impress women in a conversation with his friend Borpe which the Future Warrior can overhear. Another Saiyan Time Patroller named Saimo will mention he is doing image training to unlock his Super Saiyan form and asks not to be disturbed.

Super Saiyan transformation line

In Dragon Ball Z, the possibility of a power greater than that of a Super Saiyan is first theorized in the episode "Laboratory Basement", when Krillin and Future Trunks contemplate how Vegeta plans on retaining his dominance in power among the Z Fighters. The first of these new heights in power is the Super Saiyan Second Grade stage obtained by Vegeta, Future Trunks and, later, Goku. This technique (as well as the Super Saiyan Third Grade technique that follows) is essentially a method of enhancing the abilities of a Super Saiyan, rather than a complete departure from it in favor of newer and more unique power. It is not until the Cell Games that this uncharted level of power makes its debut, in the form of Super Saiyan 2. Saiyan characters continue pushing their limits during the series, ultimately discovering a third level.

SSs(SupplDaiz) — Super Saiyan forms (*Supplemental Daizenshuu*)

Super Saiyan: The standard Super Saiyan transformation. It is achieved when a powerful Saiyan reaches varying levels of anger, as shown by Goku when Frieza killed Krillin, Vegeta when Goku surpassed his abilities, and Future Trunks when the Androids killed Future Gohan. Broly's Super Saiyan has blue and/or purple hair due to the use of a Mind Control Device; his hair has the regular Super Saiyan hair color without it to differentiate between the states. His blue-haired form is called Super Saiyan (A type).
- Super Saiyan Second Grade: An advancement in the power of the original Super Saiyan state. This is Vegeta's primary state in the Perfect Cell Saga.
- Super Saiyan Third Grade: An even stronger advancement in the power of the original Super Saiyan state, however, it lacks speed as increased muscle size restricts movement. Future Trunks uses this form in the Perfect Cell Saga.
Super Saiyan 2: The second Super Saiyan transformation. Achieved either through intense rage, or training.
Super Saiyan 3: The third Super Saiyan transformation. Achieved through training.

Hybrid forms

Super Saiyan Blue: The result of a Saiyan mastering the power of Super Saiyan God and then transforming further into a Super Saiyan, resulting in a new form combining these powers. Introduced in Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F' and Dragon Ball Super (Manga and Anime).
Golden Great Ape: A Saiyan Great Ape transformed into a Super Saiyan. Introduced in Vegeta's flashback on Namek in Dragon Ball Z (anime) and appears in Dragon Ball GT.
- Super Saiyan 4: A Saiyan transformation which occurs when a Saiyan is able to regain control while in Golden Great Ape form. Introduced in Dragon Ball GT.
  - Super Saiyan 4 Full Power: A further enhanced version of the Super Saiyan 4 form attained by Broly.
Tsufruized Super Saiyan: A white-haired variant of the Super Saiyan form used by a fully Tsufruized Saiyan. A user of this form can ascend further into the Strongest Forms by obtaining more energy. Introduced in Dragon Ball GT.
Strongest Form 1: The Saiyan-Tuffle hybrid's equivalent of the Super Saiyan 2 form. Introduced in Dragon Ball GT.
Strongest Form 2: The Saiyan-Tuffle hybrid's equivalent of the Super Saiyan 3 form. Introduced in Dragon Ball GT.
Super Mira: The Demon-Saiyan hybrid version of Super Saiyan that replaces the golden glow and green irises with white pointed hair and blood red eyes. Introduced in Dragon Ball Heroes.

Unidentified forms

There are several forms which are unknown in status as to whether they are apart of the main line, are hybrid forms, or are related transformations.

Super Saiyan Rosé: A pink-haired form which is Goku Black's version of the Super Saiyan form. It matches Super Saiyan Blue's strength.
Super Trunks: A new unknown and unnamed type of Super Saiyan form obtained by Future Trunks in Dragon Ball Super. Though the nature of this form is unknown, the user's eyes temporarily go blank upon first entering the state due to rage appearing to play a vital role in unlocking this form, their hair is a mixture of the Super Saiyan 2 and Super Saiyan Second Grade forms, while the form's aura resembles a mixture of Super Saiyan 2 and Super Saiyan Blue.

Game exclusive forms

Several video games introduced alternate variations of the Super Saiyan transformations.

Main line

GT Super Saiyan: In the Dragon Ball Collectible Card Game only, the Super Saiyan form used by characters in GT is treated as a separate transformation: the "GT Super Saiyan" form. This form multiplies the user's base power by around double (in the dub it is said to power the user up a hundredfold).
Super Vegeta: An alternative variant of the Super Saiyan form usable by Vegeta and the Future Warrior in Xenoverse, it has greater ki manipulation than a normal Super Saiyan, and a different transformation scene.
Super Vegeta 2: An alternative variant of the Super Saiyan 2 form usable by Vegeta and the Future Warrior in Xenoverse, it has greater ki manipulation than a normal Super Saiyan 2, and a different transformation scene.
Future Super Saiyan: An alternative variant of the Super Saiyan form used by Future Trunks, Time Patrol Trunks, and Future Gohan in Dragon Ball: Xenoverse 2, which the Saiyan Future Warrior can also use. This transformation has a greater ki recovery than a normal Super Saiyan. This transformation's stance is taken from Future Gohan when he transformed during his initial fight with the Androids in the Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks TV special.

Chara — Karoly in his Super Saiyan and Legendary Super Saiyan hybrid form

Hybrid forms

Villainous Mode (Super Saiyan): A Villainous Mode enhanced Super Saiyan form used by Future Trunks and Gotenks, it has the appearance of Super Saiyan 3 when used by Gotenks.
Villainous Mode (Super Saiyan 2): A Villainous Mode enhanced Super Saiyan 2 form used by Vegeta and Gohan, it has the appearance of Potential Unleashed when used by Gohan.
Fusion Super Saiyan forms: Several apparent hybrid Super Saiyan forms created via fusion, which only appear in Dragon Ball Fusions.

Related transformations

There are many transformations related to the Super Saiyan form, but despite their names, they are not part of the main transformation line.

Pseudo Super Saiyan: A movie only pseudo-Super Saiyan form^[31] with an orange-yellowish surge of aura. It only appears in the movie Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug. It was originally conceived as being the Super Saiyan form, but was later re-labeled as "Pseudo Super Saiyan" when the true Super Saiyan form was shown.
Legendary Super Saiyan: A level of Super Saiyan which magnifies its user's strength capacity, without drawbacks. Broly is the only user of this Super Saiyan variant, and does not appear in the manga. It is a separate evolution from the main Super Saiyan line. Broly also has legendary versions of Super Saiyan's ascensions, though they are not usually labeled as "Legendary".
Super Saiyan God: A Saiyan form that grants the user access to godly ki, making them far more powerful. It is obtained when six righteous Saiyans hold hands and transfer energy to a host.
- Saiyan beyond God: A state gained when a Saiyan manages to absorb and master the power of Super Saiyan God so that they can use it's power (to an unknown extent) without an appearance change.
Super Neko Majin: The Neko Majin equivalent of Super Saiyan, which is gained from a Neko Majin copying a Super Saiyan transformation.

Mastery

Super Saiyan Full Power

"What's happened to them? They look like Super Saiyans, but I don't feel the energy... It's like it's their natural state..."
— Vegeta

GokuAndGohanHTCnv — Goku and Gohan relaxed as a Super Saiyan Full Power; their yellowish white hair and relaxed facial features are important to note

A Super Saiyan can be mastered in order to become like a Saiyan's natural state. This state has been referred to as Super Saiyan Full Power (超サイヤ人フルパワー)^[32] or Super Saiyan Fourth Grade^[33] on one occasion each, though in-universe it is still simply referred to as "Super Saiyan", as it is not a different form. Thanks to being able to use the form like a natural state, the user's eyes can appear relaxed. Additionally, their aura alters somewhat.^[34]

Goku is the one to come up with the idea of mastering the Super Saiyan form into a natural state while in the time chamber, stating that they need to "... work on getting rid of that instability... that restless feeling.". He and Gohan are the first to achieve it, with several other Saiyans following on later. By remaining transformed for extended periods of time, the Super Saiyan can desensitize themselves to the negative effects of the transformation. Their wild emotions are kept in check, resulting in a more strategic fighting style, and ki consumption is reduced to negligible amounts. Energy radiation is reduced in tandem, and the aura takes on a smoother, flow-like appearance.

By mastering the transformation, the Super Saiyan is able to retain transformation almost subconsciously. In requiring less ki to contribute to maintaining the transformation itself, the maximum amount of ki can thus be focused into attacks and stamina use, with no adverse effects present in the second and third grades. Once this state was mastered Goku was able to keep up with Perfect Cell something which the Super Saiyan Second Grades could not do. Vegeta notes the incredible side effects of the transformation by stating the feeling Goku or Gohan's Super Saiyan Full Powered form isn't the same feeling he gets around a normal Super Saiyan. A downside to this form is the difficulty that comes with controlling their strength in that form. While Goku and Gohan were drinking orange juice from glasses, they repeatedly broke the glasses from the difficulty of controlling their strength.

Super Saiyan God power

"It seems that when you fought me in God form your body learned from the experience, merely feeling that level of power was enough to push you to new heights. So now even though your God form has expired, your power is much greater than before."
— Beerus

DragonBall25 — Goku as a Super Saiyan with the power of Super Saiyan God

Goku gained this enhancement during his battle with Beerus, after dropping out of his Super Saiyan God form, he somehow retains its strength into his Super Saiyan form, achieving this state. After the battle Goku realized that fully mastering his base and Super Saiyan forms would be more beneficial than other training^[30] - leading to these forms being mastered in his training with Whis and resulting in him obtaining the Saiyan beyond God and Super Saiyan Blue states. It is unknown if Goku's Super Saiyan state still retained the power of Super Saiyan God following his battle with Beerus, and later in the anime Goku also displayed that he could still power up from this state into the more powerful Super Saiyan 2 and Super Saiyan 3 forms. Goku never becomes a Super Saiyan God-powered Super Saiyan in the manga.

In the movie, it is said that the Super Saiyan God-powered Super Saiyan form possess power only somewhat below Super Saiyan God. In the anime it said by Beerus that this state possesses the strength of a Super Saiyan God, and by Vegeta that it surpasses Super Saiyan God.^[35]

On one occasion Vegta's usage of his Super Saiyan form post-Whis training was referred to as "Chou Super Saiyan",^[36] though this was potentially a mistake.

Trivia

SSJSuppaman — Sourman transforms into a Super Saiyan-esque Form in a spoofing manner

Since its first appearance, the Super Saiyan has become one of the most iconic images of Dragon Ball Z.
Before the Super Saiyan concept debuted, the term was first mentioned in the original English dub when Vegeta mockingly refers to Gohan as "the little Super Saiyan" in the episode "Stop Vegeta Now!". In the Japanese version, the term is first brought up by Nappa after Raditz was killed by Piccolo; Vegeta comments how a half-Saiyan like Gohan seemingly has the potential to become stronger than a full-blooded Saiyan, which Nappa then dubs as a Super Saiyan. However, in the FUNimation re-dub of the same scene, Vegeta instead tells Nappa that they will become Super Saiyans after gaining immortality from the Dragon Balls.
Occasionally in the anime, Future Trunks' eyes in his Super Saiyan forms are shown to have black pupils within the green irises. This could either be a reference to Trunks being the only Super Saiyan with normally colored irises or simply an animation error.
Goku, when transformed with his tail in Dragon Ball GT, sometimes his tail does not change color to gold, when both the tailed Super Saiyan 3 appearance and the first Dragon Ball GT Perfect Files guidebook cover seem to indicate that the tail should have turned gold. In the video games Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3, Dragon Ball Z: Infinite World, and Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit, for Vegeta in his Saiyan Saga outfit, the tail will not turn gold when Super Saiyan. Also in Dragon Ball Heroes and the Episode of Bardock movie, Bardock's tail remains brown too while it changes its color to gold in one of the Episode of Bardock promotional posters.
All of Goku and Vegeta's known male descendants have been able to transform into Super Saiyans.
In the Budokai Tenkaichi series, as well as the movie Broly - The Legendary Super Saiyan, Broly's base Super Saiyan Form (before he turns into his Legendary Form) has blue hair instead of the usual gold. This is presumably due to the controlling device his father put on him, as in Second Coming, his Super Saiyan form had gold hair. This Second Coming appearance was made available as a secondary costume in the sequel games, as well as the Legendary Super Saiyan variation, which features whiter skin and torn clothing to match.
In Cooler's Revenge, when Goku goes Super Saiyan, a bird that was killed when Cooler prepared to tear the planet apart was revived by Goku's transformation, which implies that Super Saiyans have a degree of healing abilities, although this only appeared in the film and he may have just transferred energy to the dying bird, like when Goku transferred energy to Frieza.
In "Saiyans Emerge" and Bojack Unbound, a Human is seen with a shirt that says The Super Saiyan in the background in the crowd.
In Dragon Ball Z: Broly - The Legendary Super Saiyan, Master Roshi briefly appears as a Super Saiyan whilst wearing different masks.

Super Saiyan Arale — Arale in her Super Saiyan-esque form

In the Dr. Slump remake, Arale and a long haired human boy she fights both take on their own versions of the Super Saiyan form and then proceed to have a fight reminiscent of the ones in Dragon Ball Z. The form that the boy takes on turns his hair from black to silver.
Chi-Chi's dislike for the Super Saiyan state is a reference to a social taboo in Japan, where a Japanese child dying his or her hair blonde is a sign of rebellion in the household. This is made more explicit in both the manga and anime of the Cell Games Saga, where Chi-Chi complains about Gohan becoming a rebel upon seeing Gohan in the Super Saiyan state for the first time.

Super Saiyan Videl — Videl during the ritual

When contributing towards the Super Saiyan God ritual for Goku in Dragon Ball Super, the golden energy from the rest of the Super Saiyans causes Videl's hair to appear to take on the blonde hue of a Super Saiyan, despite her being human.
It is noted by Goku in Dragon Ball Super that if this transformation, along with its further forms, is combined with the Kaio-ken technique, the user will die due to the immense strain on the body. This is why Goku never attempted to combine the two (besides in the anime during the Other World Tournament where he was already dead).
In Dragon Ball: Xenoverse, certain accessories that alter the Future Warrior's color and hairstyle such as Chi-Chi's helmet (which is ironic given Chi-Chi dislike for the form), Fortuneteller Baba's Hat, Launch's wig (a reference to the similarities between Bad Launch and the Super Saiyan form), and Pan's Bandana will change color whenever a Saiyan Future Warrior uses any Super Saiyan transformations (interestingly this only applies to Female Super Saiyans as they can only be worn by or the accessory only alters the hair of female characters such as Pan's Bandana). However it will not effect the hair color of accessories such as Goku's and Mr. Satan's wigs, nor Master Roshi's Beard.
In the AB Group English dub of the movies (often nicknamed the "Big Green" dub) and some European dubs of the anime, the Saiyan race are called "Space Warriors", as such this transformation is termed "Super Space Warrior" or simply "Super Warrior", although Saiyans are occasionally referred to as "Super Warriors" while still in their base form.
Despite Trunks becoming a Super Saiyan at a young age compared to his future self Future Trunks soon knew when he transformed and fought him.
The Hero from Dragon Quest VIII's hairstyle resembles Goten during the final moments of Dragon Ball Z, and even spikes up like a Super Saiyan when the Hero's tension is maxed. This little feature was added to the American and European release of the game, as a shout out to fans of Toriyama's work.