Saiyan Biology
and appearance
Saiyans are outwardly
very similar to humans, except
for their increased strength, unusual hair, and their monkey-like tails.
They are also very arrogant and tend to let enemies get advantages for fun. The initial inspiration for the race came
from the character of the Monkey King in the Chinese folk-novel Journey to the West.
Unlike the Monkey King however, Saiyans also have the werewolf-like
ability to transform into a giant ape (called an oozaru) under rays from
a full moon or other planetary body (thus, they may be considered
"megapithicanthropes" in the same way that werewolves are lycanthropes).
(Note that in the videogame Journey to the West for the Playstation
system Son Goku does indeed have the ability to transform into a
'wereform' which resembles a giant monkey. However he does this at will
for a limited time without use of the moon.) In this state, some Saiyans
have limited control, but their aggressiveness is at its peak. This
ability is lost if the Saiyan somehow loses his/her tail. The color of a
Saiyan's tail appears to darken as the Saiyan ages. The only physical
ways to tell the difference between a tail-less Saiyan and a human would
be a scar that is left where the tail once was, and that a Saiyan's
hair never changes length or style.
If a Saiyan
survives a near-death experience, each time they
recover they will become considerably stronger than before. It's
speculated that once a Saiyan becomes a Super Saiyan, getting Zenkai
boosts is less common. This ability of recovery, along with the legend
of the Super Saiyan, was what prompted the planet-conquering warlord
Emperor Freeza to destroy their planet and entire race, despite the fact
that the Saiyans were subservient to him. Freeza feared his eventual
overthrowing. Ironically, Freeza missed Goku's pod, having been launched
for Earth shortly before Planet Vegeta's destruction. Goku went on to
become the Super Saiyan that Freeza so feared.
Humans and
Saiyans are able to interbreed, resulting in the
offspring becoming more powerful than humans and maybe even full blooded
Saiyans. However, because many Saiyans are extremely proud, this is not
necessarily a welcome discovery. Half-Saiyans appear to be nearly
identical to full Saiyans, except for some recessive genes (possession
of a tail, for example, is not always passed down to children). It also
seems that it is easier for half-breeds to achieve Super Saiyan levels,
especially as Saiyan blood decreases. It is unknown how the strength of
Half-Saiyans compares to full breeds, but they are gifted with the
ability to achieve the earliest two Super Saiyan forms at young ages and
without as much training.
This also impairs them as well, as they can only transcend the second
form by fusing with another individual of Saiyan blood, and then only to
the third form. Another trait that hinders half-breeds is that they do
not have a heart for fighting; they seem to lose the true battle-lust of
the Saiyan with age. They do not enjoy fighting like the full blooded
Saiyans do, and this leads them to be careless and unenthusiastic in
regard to their training.
Saiyans and
Saiyan-Human Hybrids also have substantially
longer life spans than humans. They also have reduced aging
comparatively throughout their lives. ChiChi complained of this in
DragonBall GT when Goku was reduced to a child thus making the fact that
she was getting older faster that much more apparent. Vegeta explains
in the final chapter of Dragon Ball Z that Saiyans stay younger longer
so they can fight even more. This is seen when Nappa who was Vegeta's
attendant when he was a child is in his prime
still long after Vegeta has become an adult but in actuality Nappa is
50 years old. This is again demonstrated in the GT finale when Pan is
seen one hundred years later still strong but with grey hair despite
being only a quarter Saiyan.
Note that
throughout Dragon Ball, there was only one Saiyan
character (Son Goku), but he was never identified as being anything more
than an odd human. However, in Dragon Ball Z, the question of his race
takes center stage and many other Saiyan characters are introduced.
Pure-blooded Saiyan hair doesn't grow. That's why Goku and Vegeta's
hairstyle hasn't changed since they were kids. But as seen in GT which
is considered non-canon by many fans, Vegeta's hair has seemed to have
changed style and is shorter.
Also, note
that Saiyan children can carry strong resemblances
to one of his/her parents. This can be seen in the following examples:
Son Gokû resembles Bardock
Vegeta resembles
King Vegeta (though the King is much taller)
Goten resembles
Son Gokû
Gotenks resembles
Vegeta (the father of one of the fusees, and only explanation for his appearance)
Bulla resembles
Bulma
Pan resembles
Videl
Trunks resembles
Bulma
Gohan partly
resembles Son Gokû and Chi Chi
For this reason,
it's believed that all Saiyan children that
are second born will look like their father/mother but this may not
follow for Vegeta as he was portrayed as being an only child.
History
In the manga,
the distant history of the Saiyans is not
described. In the anime series however, it is described that there were
two separate races on Planet Vegeta: the Saiyans, a barbaric and
backwards people, and the Tuffles (Tsufuru-jin), an advanced race. The
Tuffles and the Saiyans fought a civil war, but the Saiyans were
ultimately victorious thanks to their ability to turn into their Oozaru
forms at the full moon. The Saiyans then rename the planet, calling it
Planet Vegeta. Over the years they also learn how to use the Tuffles'
advanced equipment and become somewhat smarter and less barbaric
although they still lust for destruction and fighting.
Later, the planet
was conquered or annexed by Freeza's empire
and the Saiyans (like many other races) were drafted to serve in its
military. Because of the Saiyans' innate strength and penchant for
violence, they were useful warrior mercenaries and assisted in the
conquering of many planets, or if assignment called for, eradication of
the population. (Even Saiyan children were considered powerful enough to
conquer some of the weaker planets, such as Earth.) Eventually, Freeza
grew concerned with the potential of the Saiyan race and thought that
they'd possibly overthrow him so he destroyed their planet, along with
nearly their entire population. Canonically only four Saiyans survived,
Goku, Vegeta, Nappa and Raditz, however in the movies another three
survived -- Broly, Paragus and Turles.
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Super Saiyan Forms
A Super Saiyan , often abbreviated as SSJ,
is a special advanced and powerful state of the Saiyan race in the manga /anime of Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z,
and Dragon Ball GT. There are at least four levels of the state, each more powerful than the previous.
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
Super Saiyan: The Legend
"Right now I'm
in my normal state." - Son Goku demonstrating to Majin Buu & Babidi
"This is a Super
Saiyan." - Son Goku demonstarting his Super Saiyan forms to Majin Buu & Babidi
"This is what
is known as a Super Saiyan that has ascended past a Super Saiyan...or you can just call this a Super Saiyan 2." - Son Goku
demonstrating to Majin Buu & Babidi
Saiyan legend says that every
1000 years (3000 years in the english dubbed version) a Super Saiyan is born.
The ability to become a Super
Saiyan was once considered to be a
myth, because it had not been performed for over a thousand years until Son Goku accomplished it when he was fighting Frieza
on Planet Namek.
The story goes that one day a Saiyan warrior would push the limits and
change state into a superior individual. This fearsome being, a Super Saiyan
would wield exeptionally colossal power, and was told as he wouldn't be
the first. There would be a dawn of a new era, starting with this
legendary Super Saiyan: the dawn of the Saiyan saga. (It should be noted
that in the out of continuity films, a Super Saiyan is born at the same
time as Goku, named Broly, and comes into possession of the power first
and is claimed to be The Legendary Super Saiyan for whom the legend was born from.)
Frieza feared the Super Saiyan
legend (but more so the ability for a
Saiyan's power to more than double in growth when they recover from the
brink of death) and destroyed Planet Vegeta in the hope that the Super Saiyan legend would never be complete.
As Saiyans trained during the
Z series, they discovered levels beyond
Super Saiyan never seen before, completely unheard of. The appearance
of a Super Saiyan is different in each form, more so in the fourth and
final form.
It has been speculated that female
Saiyans (Pan, Bra
and females seen on Planet Vegeta in the Bardock movie special) cannot
make the transformation, however this has yet to be proven as fact. Some
have claimed Akira Toriyama said females cannot transform in an
interview, but this is a misinterpretation. His excuse he stated is that
neither Pan nor Bra
had the incentive to transform, and that he never drew female Super
Saiyans because he couldn't figure out what they would look like. So
females cannot transform in canon, although the DBGT Perfect File
implied Pan had the potential to transform and might have become a type
of Super Saiyan never seen before. Aside from this, all canon Saiyans
still alive (after the Freeza Saga) have managed to reach at least the first level.
There are many rumors about the
requirements of the transformation.
One hypothesis is that in order for a Saiyan to transform, he must have
lost his tail. Another hypothesis is if one's father had previously been
a Super Saiyan before the time of conception, one would be born without
a tail, and have the ability to transform oneself at a very early age
(i.e. Goten and Chibi Trunks).
This is actually because they are half-Saiyans, and it is possibly a
mere coincidence that Gohan (who was born before Goku had achieved Super
Saiyan) didn't achieve Super Saiyan himself until a later age than
Goten. Gohan didn't reach it until he was 11, four years later than
Goten did. It is also possible that the more powerful the father, the
more powerful the child, as Chibi Trunks was fathered by a more powerful
Vegeta than Mirai Trunks, and achieved
Super Saiyan easier. It should also be noted that Gohan was indeed born
with a tail and still reached Super Saiyan and was the first to reach
the second stage form, Super Saiyan 2.
It has been speculated that,
because Goten and Trunks take after
their human halves (supposedly because of lack of a tail) they are
weaker than pure Saiyans, and thus cannot transcend the level of Super
Saiyan 2. This is mostly unfounded, however; both of the half-saiyans in
question were stronger than their fathers at the same level. Super
Saiyan 3 was achieved by only two - Goku, and Gotenks. Due to the fact
that Gotenks was genetically a half-saiyan, half-human, it can be
assumed that all half-saiyans have the potential to reach this level, if
they become strong enough. Because both Goten and Trunks stopped
training hard after the end of Dragonball Z, it's more likely that they
simply never got powerful enough to reach higher levels, as opposed to
their genetics being a limiting factor. What you have to understand is
that the body transformation is a mechanism to be able to continue a
fight, harnessing all of the power at a new plateau. In general, all of
the forms require a purpose and very formidable power to undergo
transformation. The necessary power can be obtained from an extremely
intense rage (as is the case for all except Broly). The transformation
takes place when the Saiyan body needs to morph in order to handle the
massive increase in power. Humans, who can't change form, cannot
generate much power at all, with few exceptions like Krillin, Yamcha,
and Tien.
Fans still debate over the identity
of the true Legendary Super Saiyan. While Toei animation stated it is Broly, many fans say it is Son Goku,
because Goku was first seen turning Super Saiyan in the fight against
Frieza. Even though Goku would be the first saiyan to transform into a
Super Saiyan in over a thousand years, according to the legend revealed
by Vegeta, he would not be the only saiyan to have reached this form. In
the sixth book of the Daizenshuu series written by Akira Toriyama and
in the video game Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3,
Broly's final transformation is stated as being Legendary Super Saiyan.
Though Broly was not in the manga he is considered non-canon,
technically proving by omission that Goku is the true intended
Legendary Super Saiyan. This is supported by the fact that Akira
Toriyama planned to end the Dragon Ball Z saga with Goku killing Frieza
and dying as the only Super Saiyan in existence but due to the fans
wanting more, Toriyama decided to continue with the series. Another fact
that strengthens Goku's status is how he is the only Saiyan to reach
all 3 known (canon) stages, and is also the strongest unfused and non-power boosted Saiyan by the end of Dragon Ball Z.
Super Saiyan Levels
The following is a description
of each Super Saiyan level, and the Saiyans who reached the level (in chronological order).
Giji Super Saiyan (Non-Canon)
Son Goku as Giji Super
Saiyan
(Quasi-Super Saiyan)
Also known as False Super Saiyan. This is a mid point between a
Saiyan's regular form and Super Saiyan form. Certain features such as
elevated hair, no apparent pupils, and a golden aura are evident,
however, this is only just a small sample of the full transformation.
Users do not seem to be in complete control while in this state.
This form cannot be retained for very long since stress can build-up
enormously from the lack of complete transformation needed to maintain
stability of the power.
Goku reached this form in DBZ
Movie #4, when he became enraged at Lord Slug.
Goku used Giji Super Saiyan again (in the anime exclusive episodes of
Dragon Ball Z) when he visits Hell in the afterlife, after being killed
by Cell. With it, he quickly disposes of the dead Ginyu Force.
In a flashback during DBZ Movie
#8, an infant Broly reached this form in order to escape with his father from Frieza's attack on Planet Vegeta.
Achieved By:
Super Saiyan
"I...cannot...and
will not...let you GET AWAY WITH THIS!!!" - Goku as a Super Saiyan for the first time
Going Super Saiyan gives the
saiyan a huge power boost along with
golden hair that stands up on end and green eyes. The first person we
see reach Super Saiyan in the series is Goku when fighting Frieza
(Although, in a flashback in movie 8, we see Broly in his "mind
controlled" Super Saiyan form, where his super saiyan form is compressed
by his father). The transformation is triggered when a Saiyan
experiences extreme, intense emotion, which empowers them to a point
beyond the limits of power that their body can handle, forcing a
transformation. With training, afterwards the transformation is
controlled and happens at will with a smaller spike in emotion (usually
includes screaming until they reach a level of mastery where it can be
silent and without muscle straining or flexing movements). These Super
Saiyan transformations 'taint' your heart or soul, which, for a time,
prevented Goku from performing his Spirit Bomb technique.
Achieved By:
- Son Goku
- Future Trunks
- Vegeta
- Son Gohan
- Broly
- Son Goten
- Chibi Trunks
- Gotenks
- Vegetto
- Gogeta
- Goku Junior
- Vegeta Junior
Super Saiyan 2nd Grade/Ascended Super
Saiyan
Vegeta as a Super Saiyan 2nd
Grade
This form is a much more powerful
version of Super Saiyan. It
increases muscle mass and is more powerful than the standard Super
Saiyan level. Super Saiyan 2nd Grade isn't truly a form, but a name for
the point in between the Super Saiyan level and the Super Saiyan 3rd
Grade form. This is the form Vegeta and Trunks use for the fight with
Semi-Perfect Cell. We also see Goku in this form when he is training in
the Hyperbolic Time Chamber with Gohan.
Achieved By:
- Vegeta
- Future Trunks
- Son Goku
Super Saiyan 3rd Grade/Ultra Super Saiyan
"This form has
a weakness. It's too slow." - Son Goku in Super Saiyan 2nd & 3rd grade (2nd on left, 3rd on right)
"You should know,
I'm much more powerful than my father." - Future Trunks on transforming to Ultra Super Saiyan
More commonly known as Ultra
Super Saiyan, this is a midpoint between
Super Saiyan 1 and Super Saiyan 2. At this stage a Saiyan's hair gets
bigger and spikier, and their muscle mass dramatically increases along
with equal amounts of strength, but they take a big hit in their speed.
Also, this form consumes vast amounts of energy. The raw power is close
to Super Saiyan 2, but since this form isn't perfect, the speed gets
worse than it was originally as normal Super Saiyan. Goku demonstrated
this to Gohan, during the Cell Saga inside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.
However, Trunks failed to notice this flaw, and was defeated by Perfect
Cell when he used it against him. Perfect Cell also demonstrated that he
could mimic the same level; however, he explained that he lost his
speed advantage and retained his 'perfect' form. Trunks believes that
Vegeta also noticed this disadvantage during his training. This form is
relatively useless on any opponent that calls for this much strength,
for they will probably be faster.
Achieved By:
Super Saiyan, Full-Power
Goku and Gohan relaxed
as Super Saiyans
During the training time before
the Cell Games, Goku comes up with an
idea. He wanted himself and Gohan to try and remain as Super Saiyans
for as long as they could, and so get their bodies used to the form. The
result is that the Saiyan can stay in the form for an indefinite period
of time with little or no effort and without "that restless feeling"
Goku said being a Super Saiyan causes. Goku and Gohan are the only
individuals who underwent this, because they are the only ones who
trained until they felt natural in the form. This grade indicates
complete mastery of the Super Saiyan 1 form. It is unknown whether or
not the complete mastery of a Super Saiyan form is available only for
Super Saiyan 1.
Full-Power Super Saiyan is not
inherently more powerful than Super
Saiyan 2nd Grade or 3rd Grade, but because the user is used to the Super
Saiyan form, they can put more energy into their body and attacks with
less strain, meaning that higher levels of power can be ascended to than
with 2nd Grade or 3rd Grade. This is, of course, provided that time is
given for the individual in this form to gather the necessary energy to
power up.
Achieved By:
Legendary Super Saiyan (Non-Canon)
Broly, the Legendary
Super Saiyan
In Dragon Ball Z movie 8, the
audience is introduced to Broly,
the Legendary Super Saiyan. Broly's final transformation is different
from the transformations of other Saiyans which puts him in a class of
his own.
"I will teach
you the meaning of pain!" - Broly, the Legendary Super Saiyan
Beyond his initial Super Saiyan
transformation, Broly's final form is very similar to an Ultra Super Saiyan,
but with several notable differences. His size, muscle mass, strength,
and speed are far beyond that of Ultra Super Saiyan. And unlike other
Super Saiyan forms that decrease energy due to effects such as fatigue,
this form gradually increases his energy as a battle continues.
Additionally, his irises or pupils in his eyes seemingly disappear. His
seeming invinciblity stems from his power, not his muscles. His
transformation to this form involves unleashing his power in an
explosive bubble-shaped blast of energy.
There is no universal consensus
on how powerful Broly is in
comparison to other Dragon Ball villains and a wide range has emerged
believing him to be anywhere from slightly less powerful then Perfect Cell to being the strongest character in the series.
Achieved By:
Super Saiyan 2
"Is that all you've
got?" - Gohan to Cell after transforming to Super Saiyan 2
This stage is very similar to
Super Saiyan in appearance, where the
muscles do not receive much of a boost in their mass. On this Super
Saiyan level the Saiyan's energy has multiplied from the first Super
Saiyan level, resulting in a very evident bio-electrical field. The hair
becomes spikier, longer, and perhaps finer. The irises obtain a hint of
blue as well, resulting in a greenish-cyan. In this form power and
speed are proportional to each other and increased several times from
the first Super Saiyan stage. This form was first achieved by Gohan
whilst battling Cell. It too is triggered by powerful emotions.
Many fans have some difficulty
distinguishing between the first and
second forms due to the fact that they're similar in appearance and that
the hair doesn't change that much at all. In the manga, it is easy to
differenciate between them due to the second form's electricity
surrounding the aura. This is not the case in the anime as even the
first form emits electricity at times. Although it can be assumed that
whenever we saw Goku and Vegeta after their fight (when Vegeta becomes
Majin Vegeta), they only use the second form as it is much more powerful
and efficient for an enemy like Buu. Gohan, as a teen, is probably the
easiest to recognize, because his hair does receive a radical change.
As the Super Saiyan state taints
your soul, the Super Saiyan 2 state
poisons it even more. This is most obvious by the change of Gohan in the
Cell Saga. Before the change, even fighting as a Super Saiyan, Gohan
was peaceful, and didn't want to fight Cell or anyone, even if he won.
After the transformation Gohan became violent and sadistic, prolonging
the fight against Cell to make him suffer more. It might be said that
turning into a Super Saiyan brings an individual closer to his base
Saiyan instincts, and it stands to reason that a more powerful state
would increase the intensity of these instincts. Goku and Vegeta likely
have more experience, and therefore can resist the maliciousness of the
Super Saiyan 2 state (although Vegeta more controls the instincts and
incorporates them into his fighting), while Gohan, young and naive as he
was, was more prone to be influenced by them.
Achieved By:
- Son Gohan
- Son Goku
- Vegeta
Super Saiyan 3
"I'm sorry that
took so much longer than the others, but I haven't had much occasion to practice this one." - Goku on transforming into
a Super Saiyan 3
This form is the strongest (and
strangest) of all Saiyan forms in Dragonball Z. Only Goku and the fused body of Gotenks can handle it. (There is also the
possibility that Vegetto, the first of the fusion forms used by Goku and Vegeta, might also be capable of it, but the fusion
form is believed to have never even bothered to go beyond Super Saiyan 1) Goku achieves this form whilst training in Other
World after the Cell Saga.
He says, "It's not the easiest thing to control." Apparently, he was
referring to the difficulty, fatigue, and energy consumption one
experiences, which makes movement less fluid.
Super Saiyan 3 is characterized
by very long, full, golden hair down
the back, in addition to the Saiyan's eyebrows disappearing. The
lightning is carried over from Super Saiyan 2. This form increases power
and speed even more, but also uses a lot of energy, so it cannot be
maintained for very long. While Goku was in the Other World,
he could maintain this form for as long as he wished, but once he came
back to life his living body could not handle it for very long. The rise
to Super Saiyan 3 far surpasses that of all previous levels of Super
Saiyan; although awesome, the change is less dramatic. The form is
achieved by unleashing power: power that lies within every Saiyan and just needs to be tapped.
Gotenks is slightly more
adept with the use of this form than Goku.
However his childish attitude and tactics prevented him from being as
effective as he could have been, whereas Goku fought seriously when in
this form, putting everything he had into the battle.
It may be necessary for the individual
to achieve Super Saiyan 3,
initially, in a dimension other than that of the living world, where the
laws of physics differ, and do not exhaust the body. The Afterlife
(Other World) and the Room of Spirit and Time (Hyperbolic Time Chamber) are
two such dimensions where Goku and Gotenks
both achieved Super Saiyan 3 respectively. Once the form has been
attained, it can be used anywhere, though the limitations of that
dimension could still make it difficult.
Achieved By:
[edit]
Super Saiyan 4 (Non-Canon, approved
by Toriyama)
"I'm amazed...amazed
at how strong I've become." - Goku mocking Bebi after transforming into a Super Saiyan 4
"At long last,
I have ascended." - Vegeta on transforming to Super Saiyan 4
This form can only be reached
by a pure Saiyan after transforming into a Golden Oozaru
and then gaining conscious control over the form. In order to become an
Oozaru the Saiyan tail must be fully extended (which also gives the
fighter even more power than before; Kid Goku knocked Super 17 halfway
across the Earth). They must be looking at a planetary object (the moon,
the Earth, etc.) prior to the Golden Oozaru state. This form was first
achieved by Goku when battling Bebi.
In this form the Saiyan's hair
reverts to it's natural color for the
individual (in Goku's case it turned black again), the tail is present
(only because you must be an Oozaru before taking this form, not
directly because of it) and the body and tail are covered in some shade
of red fur. A Saiyan in this form also possesses a red shadow trim
around the eyes and over the eye lids. The hair is lengthened and grows
wild and untamed. This form, like Super Saiyan 3, can only be maintained
for short periods of time. Only the Old Kai knew of Super Saiyan 4 and
its abilities.
Super Saiyan 4 is the highest
form achieved by a Saiyan in the
official Dragon Ball continuty. This form has the characteristics of a
basic humanoid Saiyan and the "Ape"'s characteristics. This is why this
form has natural color hair with Ape's fur and tail. This form harnesses
the brute power of the Oozaru in the conscious hands of a Saiyan. Super
Saiyan 4 is only possible for pure-blood Saiyans. This means Gohan,
Trunks and any other halfbreeds cannot reach this form. Vegeta, who was
missing his tail, used a Blutz Wave emitting device (Bruits Waves,
the correct term, a pun on 'brute' and 'fruits') to aid his transformation.
(Note that this form is not
part of the original manga and anime by Akira Toriyama
as it only appears in the anime Dragon Ball GT and that this is the
only form that was not actually designed by Akira Toriyama, but by Dragon Ball GT
character designer Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru. However, Toriyama created
several of the character designs for the series, and has stated that the
series more or less went in a direction that he himself would have
taken it. In the Japanese DVD boxed set of Dragon Ball GT, released in
June 2005, a sketch of Super Saiyan 4 Goku by Akira Toriyama was
included as an extra, thus sealing his acceptance of this form.)
Achieved By:
- Son Goku (black hair,
gold eyes, scarlet/cerise colored fur)
- Vegeta (brown
hair, light blue eyes, blood red/crimson colored fur)
- Gogeta (fiery
red hair (got hairstyle from Goku), light blue eyes (got eyes from Vegeta), burgundy colored fur)
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