Dragon Ballis home to some of the most iconic transformations in anime and manga history. The moment Goku achieved Super Saiyan on Planet Namek,Shōnen Jumpwas never the same, and countless other artists became inspired to design their own flashy power-ups for their stories.Dragon Ball’s many variations of Super Saiyanwould go on to sell unfathomable amounts of merchandise throughout the years, and have come to define the franchise in recent entries.
From the Giant Ape form to Ultra Instinct,Dragon Ballhas never missed with any of its power-ups. For a series that runs as long as it has, however, there is always bound to be material pushed into non-canon status, andDragon Ballis no exception. What is unfortunate, though, is thatseveral of the franchise’s greatest transformations aren’t canon to the series' main timeline. Whether because of their overwhelming strength, memorability, or a simple ‘cool’ factor, some ofDragon Ball’s best transformations deserve better.
8False Super Saiyan Has Stuck With Fans for Decades
Appears in Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug (1991)
As the anime industry has grown and the demand for more new shows continues to increase, series which continuously air week to week have become rare. DuringDragon Ball Z’s initial production, the anime wouldconsistently have to create filler contentor theatrical films in order to not catch up to Akira Toriyama’s original manga. Such was the case for 1991’sDragon Ball Z: Lord Slug. Created as Toriyama was writing the Namek Saga, the animators had the difficult task ofdrawing a Super Saiyan without knowing what the form looked like.
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As a result,Goku’s False Super Saiyanwas born, depicting the series' protagonist with a familiar yellow glow, but also a red tint and, most notably, non-golden hair.The other defining feature of the form is Goku’s lack of pupils, similar to Broly after he transforms into the Legendary Super Saiyan. The form appeared only briefly near the climax of the film, as is the norm forDragon Ballmovies, and was never seen again. Regardless, countless fans still hope to see Goku’s False Super Saiyan return in a mainline series or game.
7The Evil Saiyan Form Takes Inspiration From False Super Saiyan
Appears in Super Dragon Ball Heroes (2018)
Super Dragon Ball Heroes, though somewhat strange and nearly always over-the-top, was a breeding ground for epic, extremely fan-servicey transformations. Many were simple, yet effective, and consisted mainly of giving already established forms to characters who never had access to them before.Others were more creative imaginings or callbacks to prior transformations, and the Evil Saiyan state initially used by Cumber falls under that category.
Much like False Super Saiyan, the form emulates the traits of a regular Super Saiyan, though sacrifices the usual golden hair for the Saiyan’s natural shade, all while a red tint is applied over the user. The key difference, however, is thatthe Evil Saiyan form gives the user hair similar to a Super Saiyan 3, while not sacrificing the eyebrows. What makes it stand out among otherDragon Ballforms, is that further Super Saiyan transformations can be used while in the state.
6Super Saiyan Rosé 3 Is a Progression of Goku Black’s Unique Form
Goku Black’sSuper Saiyan Roséform remains one ofDragon Ball Super’s most mysterious inclusions. After its debut, the anime offered very little in terms of clarification about the form, instead having Goku Black mention something along the lines of ‘I can do this now, too’. Many fans might have taken issue with the transformation and lack of detail surrounding it,if it weren’t one of the coolest thingsDragon Ball Superintroduced. The form not only provided a neat color swap, but also altered Goku Black’s moves significantly.
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Later down the line,Super Dragon Ball Heroesimproved on the already massively popular form by introducing Super Saiyan Rosé 3. There aren’t many distinct changes to the base version of the transformation. Rather,the upgraded version substitutes its usual Super Saiyan design for Super Saiyan 3before adding a layer of pink on top. Crimson Masked Saiyan, who is definitely not just Goku Black in a mask, uses the form to great effect in the promotional web anime.
5Super Saiyan Blue (Universe Tree Power) Is Goku at His Strongest
Some non-canon forms are better than others based on their designs, while others give long neglected characters a much necessary increase in strength. A few give their users such absurd leaps in power that they simply cannot be ignored.Goku’s Super Saiyan Blue (Universe Tree Power) fits comfortably among the latter. Normal Super Saiyan Blue was somewhat contentious on initial reveal and in the years followingDragon Ball Super, yet the form has gained popularity more recently.
TheSuper Dragon Ball Heroesversion of the transformation doesn’t change much aesthetically, but is undeniably sleek, giving Goku’s hair darker blue edges and enveloping him in a glow similar to Vegeta’s Super Saiyan Blue Evolution. What truly makes the form stand out, however, is that it would make Gokuthe strongest single fighter in theDragon Ballcanon and non-canon universes. Absorbing the Universe Tree’s energy from Fu, the Saiyan’s strength becomes multiplied endlessly, pushing Goku to his absolute peak in terms of raw power.
4Super Saiyan God Trunks Gives the Half-Saiyan What He Deserved
Since his introduction to theDragon Ballfranchise, Trunks has been a fan-favorite character. His time in the series during the Cell Saga, before Kid Trunks entered the story, wasrelatively short-lived in the grand scheme ofDragon Ball’s original manga timeline. That didn’t stop the overwhelming fan support for the character, though, and he eventually returned inDragon Ball Super’s Goku Black arc. His most recent involvement in the serieswas somewhat divisive among the fan base, however, largely due to the power-up he received towards the end of it.
Dragon Ball Super Really Gave Future Trunks the Anime’s Most Original Saiyan Form
Trunks sought approval from others but realized his efforts to protect those he loved were justified when he was confronted with Zamasu’s accusations.
Taking on a mysterious and still largely unexplained Super Saiyan Rage form,many felt the half-Saiyan was deserving of Goku and Vegeta’s god transformations. AsSuper Dragon Ball Heroeshas done for many others, the series gave Trunks what fans had been asking for with his Super Saiyan God transformation. There isn’t much that separates his god form from the others in the series, though seeing a transformation which keeps his hair down is a unique contrast to the usual spiky Super Saiyan.
3Legendary Super Saiyan Is the Most Intimidating Saiyan Transformation
Appears in Dragon Ball Z: Broly - The Legendary Super Saiyan (1993)
Though Broly officially returned toDragon Ball’s official canon timeline in 2018’sDragon Ball Super: Broly,he wasn’t the same demonic Saiyan he was before. Nor was his overwhelmingly powerful transformation what it once was. Now officially dubbed Full Power Super Saiyan Broly,the form is incredibly similar to the original, but not quite identical. Broly’s appearances in theDragon Ball Zfilms are now non-canon, but that is where the Saiyan of legend is at his best.
Literally exploding with rage, Broly’s body cracked and revealed a towering, hulking mass of muscle capable of feats previously thought impossible. UnlikeDragon Ball Super’s Broly,the original version of the character was still able to speak after transforming, and delivered some of the coldest and most vicious lines in franchise history, like, “is that another word for coffin?” in response to Goku’s request for a handicap. No other Saiyan is as intimidating as Broly in his Legendary Super Saiyan form, and the new Broly might have benefited from his predecessor’s comedically dark attitude.
2Super Full Power Saiyan 4 Limit-Breaker Vegito Gives the Fusion What Fans Have Waited Decades to See
One of the great, ongoing debates in theDragon Ballfandom iswhether Gogeta or Vegito is the superior fusion. For decades, fans have argued over what makes either fighter better than the other, and throughout that time,Gogeta has always had a leg up on his counterpart.Dragon Ball GT, though relegated to non-canon status with the release ofDragon Ball Super, gave the fusion Super Saiyan 4, a bragging right Vegito has never been able to boast. Like Trunks' Super Saiyan God, however,Super Dragon Ball Heroesstepped in to give the fusion what he had always lacked.
Dragon Ball: How the Return of Super Saiyan 4 Makes a Long-Awaited Fusion Possible
Dragon Ball Daima has finally returned Super Saiyan 4 to canon status, opening the door for a fusion fans have waited over 30 years to see.
Super Full Power Saiyan 4 Limit-Breaker is an advancement of a form that is already a progression of another form, multiplying the user’s strength exponentially, until they achieve a level of strength greater than Super Saiyan Blue. In appearance,the form is similar to Gogeta’s Super Saiyan 4, with long red hair rather than Goku and Vegeta’s usual shade of black. Though both are non-canon forms,Super Dragon Ball Heroesfinally allows Vegito to match Gogeta’s greatest feat.
1Super Saiyan 4 Goku and Vegeta Are the Iconic Duo at Their Best
Appears in Dragon Ball GT (1996)
Long before Goku and Vegeta fought side by side as Super Saiyan Gods,the two iconic fighters used Super Saiyan 4 inDragon Ball GT. Arguably the divisive anime’s greatest contribution toDragon Ball, Super Saiyan 4 is near universally praised as the ultimate Saiyan evolution. Inspired by the Giant Ape transformation, which played a large role early on in the series, the form has become a fan-favorite that fans have wished to see return sinceDragon Ball SuperpushedGTinto non-canon status.
Dragon Ball Daimahas just recently introducedits own version of Super Saiyan 4with slight alterations to its original design, which has been met with a glowing reception from the franchise’s ever-growing fan base. However,GT’s original Super Saiyan 4 design has yet to be topped by anything, canon or not, the series has introduced since. The unique design and connection to the Saiyan race placesGT’s Super Saiyan 4 above any other non-canon transformation inDragon Ball.
Dragon Ball GT
Cast
Dragon Ball GT is the third series in Akira Toriyama’s most famous anime franchise. However, it is the first one not to adapt a manga storyline. Set after the events of the Buu Saga, Dragon Ball GT sees Goku and the Z-Warriors battle powerful villains such as Baby, Super 17, and the Shadow Dragons. 18 years after the 64-episode show was met with a lukewarm reception, Dragon Ball Super replaced it in the anime’s official continuity.
