Saiyans are some of the strongest characters Dragon Ball. Despite being so few who followed Frieza's plan to eradicate the Saiyan race, most of the handful that remained were among the strongest in the universe. From Goku to Vegeta and their sons, Saiyans have the incredible potential to grow stronger with each battle and can adapt to almost any combat situation.
A big part of why Saiyans are so dangerous is the many transformations they can achieve. From the Great Ape to the legendary Super Saiyan and its many iterations, Saiyans can push their limits and reach levels that most in the universe cannot. So here's a look at every Saiyan transformation in the series, sticking to pure Saiyan transformations. This means no UI, UE, Ultimate or Beast forms.
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Great monkey
The original Saiyan transformation and the most accessible to members of the Saiyan race, the Great Ape form is a formidable, destructive transformation that the Saiyans used during their planetary takeovers. He has a lot of destructive power and can be good in direct combat, but it's something that Saiyans need to outgrow to get to the next level.
Super Saiyan
To this day, the most iconic and memorable transformation in the series, the Super Saiyan transformed Dragon Ball forever. It pushed Goku far beyond what fans expected him to be able to do and gave him and the rest of the Saiyan cast after him a way to keep up and match any threats that came their way. Many have come after him and greatly surpassed him, but none will ever be so beloved.
Super Saiyan Second Class
Not to be confused with Super Saiyan 2, Super Saiyan Second Grade is an enhanced version of the original Super Saiyan transformation. Saiyans can achieve this by training in Super Saiyan form. It gives users a massive increase in power and speed, but consumes so much energy that it can be difficult to maintain for long periods of time, making it unsuitable for drawn-out confrontations.
Third Class Super Saiyan
Like Second Grade, Super Saiyan Third Grade is another enhanced version of the original that gives the user a massive, if lengthy, power boost. But more bulk can be incredibly detrimental to the user, with strength coming at the expense of speed. This makes it difficult to actually use effectively against stronger or faster opponents. Like its predecessor, it also drains energy at an alarming rate, making it an incredibly situational transformation.
Super Saiyan full power
Goku's initial Super Saiyan transformation was incredibly powerful, but it took him and the others to really master it. The Super Saiyan Full Power form is what you might consider the true and best use of the original transformation. Users can use SSJ in a more natural state once they reach this level, making them more effective and comfortable in battle.
Super Saiyan 2
Next to Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan 2 might just be the most popular transformation in the series. Initially used to show the extent of Gohan's true potential, the form gradually became available to other characters as the series continued. It looks very similar to the original, but with a distinct lightning aura that surrounds the user. Users of SS2 experience a massive increase in speed and strength over the original, but like most transformations that came before it, it was eventually phased out.
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Super Saiyan 3
Super Saiyan 3 has not been featured much compared to other Saiyan transformations. Aside from the visible changes to the user, Super Saiyan 3 is notable for allowing the user to get the most out of their ki. It allows the user to rely on incredible strength, but consumes a lot of energy, similar to the second and third stages.
Super Saiyan Rage
So far, it looks like Super Saiyan Rage may be a version of the Super Saiyan transformation that only Trunks can achieve. As the name suggests, the transformation allows the user to tap into their anger and strong emotions, giving them considerable power. Trunks was able to hold his own against Super Saiyan Rosé Goku Black and Future Zamasu with Rage, proving it to be a surprisingly useful technique.
Super Saiyan 4
While DAIMA has finally done what fans have been begging for for years and brought back Super Saiyan 4, it can be a little tricky to place her among the other SSJ transformations. He's definitely stronger than 3, but doesn't seem comparable to Super Saiyan God and Blue. He is as strong as he was in GTand even if Goku got forms that are stronger than him, maybe the series will bring back SSJ4 any time soon.
Legendary Super Saiyan
One of the rarer Super Saiyan variants, the Legendary Super Saiyan transformation is an incredibly intimidating and destructive transformation. So far only Broly, Kale and Kefla have been able to use it. Like Super Saiyan Grade 3, the user gains a massive increase in strength and muscle mass, but unleashes even more devastating power without sacrificing speed.
