10 Strongest Saiyan Transformations in the 'Dragon Ball' Franchise

With Dragon Ball Super well into its Universal Survival arc, Goku‘s long-rumored new form has been officially unveiled last week. Fans got a first look at the transformation via the latest issue of V-Jump that just hit shelves in Japan. While there is no word on what the form is called, how powerful it is, how Goku will unlock this transformation and when it will debut on the show, fans are loving the new black-haired, silver-eyed design.

In anticipation of more on this new form, we’ve put together 10 most powerful Saiyan transformations in the Dragon Ball franchise, including its TV shows, movies, video games, manga and more. For more on Dragon Ball, check out our (outdated) power-scaling article.

10. Potential Unleashed

Known users: Gohan

Gohan first unlocked this form in Dragon Ball Z’s Majin Buu Saga by the Old Kai, and is the only transformation Gohan currently has to surpass his Super Saiyan 2 form. This form, although looks nearly identical to his original, non-Super Saiyan state, allowed him to gain the ability to “surpass his limits.” In this form, Gohan is said to be stronger than Super Saiyan 3 Gotenks and Super Saiyan 3 Goku and was able to take down Super Buu, but was unable to defeat Super Buu after the latter absorbed Gotenks and Piccolo. During Dragon Ball Super’s Universe Survival Saga, Piccolo helped Gohan reawaken this form after years of little to no training or fighting. In a spar with Goku, Gohan briefly managed to fight on par with his father’s Super Saiyan Blue form but was taken out after Goku added a Kaio-ken on top of it.

9. Super Saiyan 4

Known users: Goku, Vegeta, Gogeta, Broly, Gohan

In the TV series, Super Saiyan 4 only appears in Dragon Ball GT. It is said to be a different branch of transformation from preceding forms, and the only way a Saiyan can attain the form is by becoming a Golden Great Ape and getting conscious control over the form. This form finds the Saiyan covered in body hair and with a tail, with a shadow trim around their eyes and eyelids. The hair is longer but not as long as that of Super Saiyan 3. This form is much stronger than the SS3; while Goku’s SS3 form was unable to keep up with Baby Vegeta, Baby Vegeta was unable to touch Goku after he transformed into a SS4. Omega Shenron, the most powerful villain in Dragon Ball GT, was completely outclassed by Gogeta in his SS4 form. In Dragon Ball Z: Scouter Battle Taikan Kamehameha, Super Saiyan 4’s power is said to be 10x that of a Super Saiyan.

8. Super Saiyan Anger

Known users: Future Trunks

Super Saiyan Anger is a Super Saiyan transformation attained only by Future Trunks. It was assumed by the character via the power of intense rage during a fight with Goku Black and Future Zamasu in Dragon Ball Super‘s Future Trunks Arc timeline. Also known as Super Trunks, this form resembles that of Super Saiyan 2 but is much stronger. The form’s aura is golden and blue, and Trunk’s pupils become invisible, similar to the Pseudo Super Saiyan, Legendary Super Saiyan, Vegeta’s Quake of Fury forms. This form was powerful enough to put Super Saiyan Rosé Goku Black and Immortal Future Zamasu on the defensive at the same time, something Goku and Vegeta both had trouble with even in their Super Saiyan Blue forms. Super Trunks was able to slice a weakened Fused Zamasu in half with his sword.

7. Uncontrollable Super Saiyan

Known users: Kale

While this form is a tribute to Broly’s Legendary Super Saiyan form and is identical in appearance, it is actually not the same transformation. Kale, a timid Saiyan from Universe 6, is the only known user of this state. Her hair turns green, her pupils disappear and like Broly, gets a great increase in size and muscle mass; Kale even attains a violent and out-of-control personality. The transformation — thought by Vegeta to be the “Saiyan’s true form” — is much stronger than any non-God-tier Super Saiyan level transformations. During the Universe Survival Saga, Super Saiyan Blue Goku launching a Kamehameha wave was unable to faze Kale in her Uncontrollable SS form. However, Jiren was able to take down Kale and revert her back to her original form with a single ki blast.

6. Super Saiyan God

Known users: Goku, Vegeta, Original Super Saiyan God, Dragon Ball Heroes avatars

The first new transformation since the ’90s, Super Saiyan God is obtained through a ritual involving six “pure hearted” Saiyans or some other form of special training. Goku initially achieved this red-haired form to fight Beerus in the 2013 movie Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods. A Super Saiyan God once appeared on Planet Vegeta over a thousand years ago to fight against evil Saiyans but failed to defeat them because of the form’s time limit. Goku was able to put up a good fight with the Beerus in Battle of Gods while Super Saiyan 3 Goku was easily defeated by the God of Destruction. Revealed to be Goku’s second most powerful and fast form behind Super Saiyan Blue, Goku was almost able to keep up with Universe 11’s Pride Trooper member Dyspo — one of the fastest fighters in the multiverse.

5. Super Saiyan Blue

Known users: Goku, Vegeta, Cloned Vegeta, Vegito, Future Trunks

Super Saiyan Blue is the Super Saiyan level of a Saiyan who has tapped into Super Saiyan God power. Simply put, it’s a form that uses the power of Super Saiyan God with the Super Saiyan transformation. The form is nearly identical to the Super Saiyan form in appearance, except that the hair is cyanish blue instead of yellow. Unlike Super Saiyan God, where the Saiyan appears more youthful and slender in built, the Saiyan’s physical form stays the same. According to Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butōden, Super Saiyan Blue is the most powerful Super Saiyan transformation. This was also demonstrated in Goku’s fight with Dyspo during the Universal Survival Arc, where Goku transformed from SSGod to SSBlue so that his attack power and speed would be maximized.

4. Super Saiyan Rosé

Known users: Goku Black

Super Saiyan Rosé is actually the Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan transformation achieved by Saiyans who actually possess a god-like status, according to Future Zamasu. If a mortal like Goku becomes a Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan, he will have blue hair. However, Goku Black’s (who is Zamasu — a Supreme Kai — in Goku’s body) version of the same transformation is instead pink. When they first fought, Black could take SSB Vegeta’s punches in his base form and was able to over power both Vegeta and Goku in his Rosé form. It wasn’t until Goku and Vegeta partook in some additional training that they could eventually match up to Black’s power.

3. Super Saiyan Blue with Kaio Ken

Known users: Goku

While technically not a new form, this is a combination of transformations attained by Goku and demonstrated during his fight with Hit in the Universe 6 Saga. Using Kaio-ken alongside the Super Saiyan forms would put to much stress and loss of stamina on the body and could result in death. With Super Saiyan Blue, where perfect ki control is utilized, using the Kaio-ken technique alongside it became doable, although initially with only 10% chance of success. Goku used the form again when fighting Fusion Zamasu and broke Zamasu’s halo. He used this form again to fight Bergamo, Toppo and his son Gohan.

2. Broly God

Known users: Broly

Broly God appears in Dragon Ball Z: Super Tenkaichi Budokai (an attraction at Universal Studios Japan and successor to Dragon Ball Z: The Real 4-D) and Dragon Ball Heroes but does is not part of Dragon Ball’s TV or movie franchise. Appearance-wise, Broly God’s hair is in between the length of Legendary Super Saiyan and Legendary Super Saiyan 3. Broly’s power in this form surpasses that of Super Saiyan Blue Goku and Vegeta at the same time. He is eventually beaten by God Fusion Goku (Goku “fusing” with the audience”) after being hit by a Kamehameha wave. The form resembles the description of the original Super Saiyan God design that eventually got scrapped by Toriyama.

1. Ultra Instinct

Known users: Goku

Shueisha has officially unveiled the first-look at the transformation via the latest issue of V-Jump that hit shelves in Japan last week. The image shows a topless Goku with his hair — still black. It resembles the Pseudo Super Saiyan form during his battle against Lord Slug in the movie Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug. Goku is surrounded by a white-blue aura, and his eyes are turned a shade of silver. There is no details currently as to when the form will debut on the show and how Goku will unlock this power-up. The form currently does not have a name yet and it is unknown if it’s an extension of the Super Saiyan God and Super Saiyan Blue transformations. Watch a breakdown of what we know now by Dragon Ball aficiando Geekdom101 above.