Super Saiyan (超サイヤ人, Sūpā Saiya-jin) is the first and most iconic transformation in the Saiyan evolutionary path. It made its explosive debut in Dragon Ball Z during the climactic battle between Goku and Frieza on Planet Namek. With its signature golden hair, piercing teal eyes, and overwhelming power boost, Super Saiyan instantly became a cornerstone of the series and a cultural phenomenon across the anime world.
The transformation is rooted in ancient Saiyan legend — a prophecy about a golden warrior who would appear once every thousand years to wield unimaginable power. While once thought mythical, the form became real when Goku achieved it in a moment of pure, explosive rage after the death of his best friend Krillin.
Overview[]
Super Saiyan represents a massive increase in a Saiyan's power, speed, and fighting potential. The transformation is typically triggered by intense emotional stress or rage, particularly when fueled by a powerful desire to protect or avenge. Once a Saiyan transforms into a Super Saiyan for the first time, they can more easily access it in future battles.
The form multiplies a Saiyan’s base power level many times over — commonly accepted as a 50x boost in strength. Super Saiyan revolutionized combat in the Dragon Ball universe, raising the ceiling for what was possible and introducing a new tier of warriors capable of threatening galactic-level enemies.
Over time, more Saiyans like Vegeta, Gohan, Trunks, and Goten would unlock this transformation, each under different emotional conditions. It is the gateway to advanced forms like Super Saiyan 2, 3, and even divine states like Super Saiyan God and Ultra Instinct.
Appearance[]
- Hair: The Saiyan’s hair spikes upward and changes color to a brilliant golden blond. The hair becomes more rigid and sharp-edged, standing on end as energy radiates from the body.
- Eyes: The iris turns a bright turquoise or teal-green color, becoming more intense and focused, often with a sharper glare.
- Aura: A vivid, flame-like golden aura surrounds the user, occasionally flickering with sparks of white or gold energy. The aura pulses with each movement and grows more violent when the user is enraged or charging attacks.
- Facial Features: The eyebrows become more defined, and the facial structure appears slightly more aggressive. The expression often shifts into one of intense focus or fury.
- Body: The musculature increases modestly, with a noticeable definition boost. The user becomes slightly bulkier, though still lean and agile.
- Clothing Effects: The aura may ripple the user’s clothing and surrounding environment. In some cases, like Goku’s first transformation, rocks and air pressure distort around them due to the massive energy spike.
Abilities[]
The Super Saiyan transformation grants several major boosts and unique capabilities. Although it is surpassed by later forms, at its introduction it made the user virtually unbeatable by previous standards.
Power Multiplication[]
- Super Saiyan is generally accepted to multiply the user’s base power level by 50 times.
- This includes enhancements to physical strength, ki control, endurance, and agility.
Combat Enhancements[]
- Speed and Reflexes: Increased reaction time and high-speed movement, allowing users to outmaneuver opponents with ease.
- Energy Attacks: Signature techniques like the Kamehameha or Galick Gun become exponentially stronger in this form.
- Durability: The user can survive attacks that would be fatal in base form and withstand massive energy blasts.
- Flight and Ki Control: Enhanced ki manipulation allows more precise control over attacks, energy sensing, and faster flight speeds.
- Emotional Amplification: Rage and determination feed into the form, allowing temporary bursts of strength when the user's emotions are pushed even further.
Aura Pressure and Environment Impact[]
- The transformation can shake the ground, change weather patterns, or disrupt the surrounding environment.
- In Goku’s first transformation, his power altered the entire battlefield, kicking up gales and lightning around Planet Namek.
Trivia[]
- First Appearance: Dragon Ball Z, Episode 95 — “Transformed at Last” (originally aired in Japan on April 1991).
- First User: Son Goku, triggered by witnessing the death of Krillin at the hands of Frieza.
- Legendary Status: The original Saiyan legend described a warrior who would achieve this form once every 1,000 years, referring to the Legendary Super Saiyan myth.
- Alternate Users: Vegeta, Gohan, Trunks, Goten, Broly, and others would achieve the form throughout the series, each with different emotional triggers.
- Youngest Super Saiyan: Goten became a Super Saiyan at a very young age, due to genetic inheritance and early exposure to training.
- Super Saiyan Grades: This form evolves into Super Saiyan Second Grade and Third Grade, which are buffed variants with trade-offs between speed and power.
- Calm Super Saiyan: Through intense training, Goku and Gohan learned to remain in the form without emotional instability (as seen during the Cell Saga).
- Inspired By: Series creator Akira Toriyama chose the golden hair color so he wouldn’t need to shade in Goku’s hair during manga drawing — and it stuck.
- Iconic Moment: Goku’s first transformation is widely regarded as one of the most iconic anime scenes of all time, setting the gold standard for shonen transformations.
- Cultural Impact: “Going Super Saiyan” became a phrase even outside of anime fandom, symbolizing a person reaching their maximum potential or unleashing hidden power.
- Game Appearances: Super Saiyan appears in nearly every Dragon Ball video game since the 1990s, often as a base transformation in character movesets.