Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Dragon Ball Z.
Dragon Ball Z‘s central protagonist, Son Goku, has a lot going for him. Not only does the Saiyan Earthling showcase distinctive hair, toned abs, and a fearsome scowl, but he also boasts enhanced strength, speed, stamina, durability, agility, and reflexes. To top it off, Dragon Ball Z‘s main character has a host of other special powers under his hero belt, including some as fancy as telepathy, telekinesis, and teleportation.
One of the coolest of these powers is Goku’s ability to morph into the Super-Saiyan form, a power unique to members or hybrids of his species, who were mostly annihilated when Emperor Frieza destroyed their home world, Planet Vegeta. To this day, this remains one of the most thrilling transformations to watch in Dragon Ball Z, with each version of this form being unique.
Ultimately, every one of the Super-Saiyan upgrades that Dragon Ball Z‘s Goku unlocks is unforgettable, both visually and aurally, with dramatic groans and yells often thrown in as part of the deal. So, what is the Super-Saiyan form anyway?
What’s the Super-Saiyan form, and how is it achieved?
First of all, to transform into the Super-Saiyan form in Dragon Ball Z, the morpher in question must have a sufficient supply of S-cells, which Saiyans with a “gentle spirit” are more likely to have. These S-cells increase in number as the individual Saiyan maximizes their battle power. With enough S-cells, a Saiyan can shift into Super-Saiyan mode when prompted by a strong feeling of anger or grief. (This form is effectively achieved after a Saiyan loses themselves in a fit of rage, although Dragon Ball Z‘s anime adaptation alters this narrative slightly. In the TV show, it’s said to be activated in response to a great need, with rage acting as the focuser for the shift.) After that occurrence, they can simply transform at any time simply by focusing their energy into their back to make it tingle. However, some Saiyans have enough S-cells not to need a trigger for this transformation in Dragon Ball Z.
In the universe of Dragon Ball Z, this unique ability can also be leveled up. In total, there are 21 canonical Super-Saiyan transformations that are brought to light in Drazon Ball Z. Each form is, of course, its own variation, but they all increase the user’s power output at a colossal level. Various Dragon-Ball Z sources have offered their audience diverging calculations for how this number looks. Some assert that the ability increases a Saiyan’s base power by tenfold, while others insist that it multiplies it by a hundred, with other numbers being thrown around somewhere in-between these. (Regardless, we can all agree that Goku’s power level is over 9,000, right?)
Morphing into Super-Saiyan form in Dragon Ball Z can also alter a user’s personality, turning a calm, peaceful, and thoughtful Saiyan into an angry, pugnacious, and impetuous force to be reckoned with. However, these emotions can be kept under control with the proper training, something that Goku manages to achieve. Furthermore, this shift leads to physical changes for the transformer, causing their hair to turn a gold color and stand upright on its own, changing their eye color into a greenish-blue hue, making their muscle tone more defined, and giving their skin a pale-gold aura. To top it off, excess energy radiates from their bodies like pulsing flames. Pretty cool, huh?
In what episode does Goku unlock it?
In Dragon Ball Z‘s 95th episode, Goku finally unlocks his Super-Saiyan abilites, transforming in a burst of emotion after Emperor Frieza, the destroyer of Goku’s home planet and fellow species, adds insult to injury by offing his best friend, Krillin. This event makes the spiky-haired badass the first Saiyan in over 1,000 years to manifest this power, which had become a mere legend in the universe of Dragon Ball Z.
