The Different Super Saiyan Forms Explained !


Super Saiyan 1 


The Saiyans have the faculty of transformation. These transformations change their appearance but also and especially their physical power. The most famous is the super saiyan. Here is the list of the different forms present in the manga, the series and the animated films. Only the transformations coming from the manga are "official", the others are inventions of the Toeï Animation in the framework of films not necessarily resuming the history of the manga.


The legend of the super saiyen is something known among the Saiyan people. It is said that every thousand years a Saiyan far surpasses others in terms of power. Vegeta thought for a while that he would become the super saiyen in his fight against Freezer, but it was Goku after Krilin's death that managed to reach that stage.

This form manifests itself in a very great anger. The hair is yellow, standing on the head, an aura of the same color surrounds the super saiyan and the eyes are green.

Appearances in the manga: Goku, Trunks, Vegeta, Gohan, Goten, Gotenks and Vegito.
Appearance in movies / DBGT: Broly, Gogeta, Bardock, Goku Jr and Vegeta Jr

Super Saiyan Grade 2 


This is not really a transformation, but a minor evolution of the super saiyan 1. Trunks uses this form in the face of Perfect Cell. For this, it increases the muscle mass of its body by concentrating its force to the maximum. It becomes very powerful and exceeds the level of Cell but loses much in speed of execution. Cell is then able to avoid all the blows of the young boy and take advantage.

Appearances in the manga: Trunks and Goku

Vegeta is surely able to use this form but never uses it in combat because of its perverse effect. Goku also reached this form during his training.


Super Saiyan 2 


Gohan turns into SSJ2 in his fight against Cell. The destruction of the cyborg 16 triggers in him the deepest anger. Goku has always known that his son Gohan possessed enormous potential for strength, which he can release thanks to his anger.

One can say that Gohan is the character who is potentially the most powerful in Dragon Ball. If he trained like his father, he would probably be the strongest.

The hair of the SSJ2 is even more upright on the head than those of the SSJ1. Blue lightning also surrounds the person in addition to the aura.

Appearances in the manga: Gohan, Goku and Vegeta.

We can assume that Gotenks mastered this form but this has never been shown. In front of Buu it is transformed directly from SSJ1 to SSJ3. During his training, it is very likely that Gotenks turned into SSJ2 at least once.

Super Saiyan 3


It is in the realm of the dead that Goku manages to reach this stage for the first time, but this is not shown. He uses it for 24 hours allowing him to stay on Earth when he finds himself in front of Buu. The goal is to allow Trunks time to recover the dragon balls radar. His transformation surprised everyone and his energy was felt up to the planet of the Kaiohs Shin, which is not common.


This stage is very energy consuming for the person using it. When Goku uses the SSJ3 in front of Buu, he exhausts all the time he was available for his stay on Earth, even though he could have stayed normally for several more hours.

This transformation is the one that changes the person the most. The hair extends into the lower back and the eyebrows disappear. The yellow aura and the blue flashes surrounding the saiyen are always present.

Appearances in the manga: Goku and Gotenks

Super Saiyan 4


Super Saiyan 4 has never showed up in the canon Manga/Anime (Due to GT not being canon) the form's design is still actually canon. Akira Toriyama actually designed SSJ4 for Toei to use in GT, this means that the form technically could exist in the canon Dragon Ball Series.

If a Saiyan with a tail and the ability to go Super Saiyan looks at the full moon, they will transform into a golden great ape. In this state the user has the power of a SSJ and a great ape, while their is no official multiplier, it would probably be 50 (SSJ) X 10 (Great Ape) = 500X I multiplier, putting the form above SSJ3. In this form, a Saiyan goes into a destructive rage until they calm down and remember who they are, then they ascend into a Super Saiyan 4, with a 4000X Multiplier.

Goku was the first to use the SSJ4 transformation against Baby Vegeta, this put him above Baby until he transformed into a Golden Great Ape, but after absorbing power from Gohan, Goten, Trunks and Pan to become a "Full Power Super Saiyan 4" Goku defeats Baby.


Vegeta is the next to achieve this form, but due to lacking a tail, he need Bulma to create a device to give off Blutz waves. These waves allow Vegeta to transform into a Golden Great Ape, then later, a Super Saiyan 4.


Super Saiyan God


The super saiyen god created by Akira Toriyama in the movie Battle of Gods is supposed to be the ultimate and perfect transformation of super saiyen. The film introduces the legend of super saiyen god. To arrive at this stage, it takes the energy of five saiyens to the pure heart. Goku will succeed thanks to Vegeta, Gohan, Trunks, Goten and Videl, who carries a baby (coming from Gohan) in his belly. It's a bit far-fetched, but that's how Goku has changed. He is therefore assimilated to a god and his strength can no longer be felt by others although it is gigantic.

The super saiyen god has an aura, hair and red eyes. Its muscle mass is reduced compared to a normal super normal. Physically there is nothing impressive and the transformation is rather simple.

Appearances in Dragon Ball Super: Goku


Super Saiyan Blue


The super saiyen blue was initially known as super saiyen god super saiyen (SSGSS). This is the super saiyen version of the super saiyen god. Like the super saiyen god, the super saiyen blue retains all the properties of this form as the divine ki undetectable by mortals. She appears for the first time with Goku in the movie "Resurrection of F" facing Freezer.

This transformation therefore makes the hair blue and erect like a super normal Saiyan. The eyebrows and eyes also take on the color blue. The aura also becomes blue, but unlike other super saiyen forms it is not transparent but opaque.

For the anecdote, A. Toriyama originally wished to make the hair of this transformation white. He changed his mind to avoid confusion with another character (no doubt the merger of Zamasu).

Appearances in Dragon Ball Super: Goku, Vegeta, Vegito


Super Saiyan Rosé


The super saiyen rosé is the super saiyen version
of Black Goku. Remember that Black Goku is actually Zamasu having taken possession of Son Goku's body of an alternative universe. He learned to master this form after his first fight with Goku in the present. This fight allowed him to assimilate all the capabilities of Goku's body and reach that stage. Thanks to this metamorphosis, it is as strong as a super saiyen blue.

The hair of the super pink Saiyan is erected on the head and turns blue like the eyebrows and the eyes. The aura is violet and red.

For the anecdote, the word rosé refers to rosé wine.

Appearances in Dragon Ball Super: Black Goku

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