The Evolution of Super Saiyan Transformations: From Overuse to Enhanced Forms

Goku's transformation into a Super Saiyan is considered one of the most iconic moments in anime history, shaping the future of the series. Since the Namek Saga, Dragon Ball has showcased the evolution of this transformation. Saiyans continue to push themselves to become stronger and perfect their forms, resulting in the development of more stable and powerful Super Saiyan forms.

However, as the series progressed, Dragon Ball encountered a challenge. With every Saiyan unlocking and utilizing a different version of Super Saiyan, the form became overused and lost its impact. Fortunately, early on in Dragon Ball Super, there were hints of the series moving towards more unique and impactful transformations for the characters.

Evidence For Super Saiyan's Overuse

Super Saiyan's overuse can be traced back to its first appearance in Dragon Ball Z, Episode 95. This iconic transformation took place during the Namek Saga, adding a new dynamic to the series. The debut date of this powerful form was on June 19, 1991, forever changing the course of the Dragon Ball Z storyline.

Ever since Frieza appeared in Dragon Ball, the villains kept getting stronger. As a result, the Super Saiyan transformation became a standard for the Saiyan Z-Fighters. Stronger enemies meant the heroes needed more power to defeat them, leading to the widespread use of this form among the Saiyans.

The importance of the Super Saiyan transformation continued up to the Android Saga. However, the heroes realized they needed to increase their power even further. This led to the introduction of Super Saiyan Grades 2 and 3, which made the form bulkier. Grade 4 maintained the original design. Super Saiyan 2 was even more powerful, with spikier hair, but functioned similarly to the previous forms.

These changes are frequent in the series, making them less significant over time. Goten and Trunks, for example, effortlessly achieved the Super Saiyan form without much training. This indicates that the form has lost some of its previous significance in terms of importance. The later stages of Super Saiyan don't offer much in terms of new fighting style or appearance, except for Super Saiyan 3 which stands out in terms of design.

Super Saiyan 3 is unique with its long golden hair and lack of eyebrows, reminiscent of its predecessors. However, the first notable departure from the traditional Super Saiyan progression came with Ultimate Gohan. This form bypassed the Super Saiyan transformations by tapping into Gohan's latent potential and enhancing his existing strengths.

Which forms are most similar in design?

Design-wise, there is minimal difference between these transformations. Super Saiyan Grade 1 and 4 look almost the same, except Grade 4 allows Goku and Gohan to maintain the form without energy wastage. On the other hand, Grades 2 and 3 are bulkier and slower but offer a significant increase in physical power. Super Saiyan 2 differs slightly from SSJ 1, with spikier and longer hair and lightning in its aura.

Super Saiyan God brought a new visual style to the table but didn't alter the user's fighting style significantly. It did, however, introduce God Ki, allowing for a better match against Beerus. Despite its power, this form was overshadowed by the introduction of Super Saiyan Blue. This new form not only changed Goku and Vegeta's appearance with blue hair but also improved their overall performance, eventually becoming their perfected form.

Impact of Super Saiyan Blue

The Super Saiyan God transformations may not differ much in fighting style, but they do bring about significant visual changes. Super Saiyan God makes the user leaner with less muscle mass, red hair, and a unique aura. Additionally, the introduction of God Ki allows Saiyans to challenge the strongest beings in the universe.

Super Saiyan Blue, on the other hand, gave Saiyans blue hair by combining the standard Super Saiyan form with their existing God Ki. This transformation marked a new chapter for Goku and Vegeta, showcasing their individual paths to reaching their maximum strength. For example, Goku utilizing Kaioken x20 and Vegeta unlocking the Evolved Blue form.

This leads to character-specific transformations. Goku follows the path of Angels, utilizing his martial arts expertise to master the Ultra Instinct technique. Meanwhile, Vegeta taps into his innate strength and affinity for destruction, unlocking the Ultra Ego technique of the Gods of Destruction. These divine techniques not only offer unique fighting styles but also enable the users to achieve unparalleled strength in the series.

In addition, Gohan Beast and Legendary Super Saiyan Broly represent the most powerful forms of their respective characters. While their abilities are more straightforward, they demonstrate that repeating the same transformations for each character is not the only way to increase their power. Character-specific transformations have become the new method to enhance strength.

The Key Takeaways from Dragon Ball GT

One undeniable aspect of Dragon Ball GT is the incredible character designs. Despite its flaws, the series introduced the visually striking form of Super Saiyan 4. This form not only had powerful attacks but also stood out as the best-designed form in the entire Dragon Ball franchise.

You may have been able to predict my attacks up until now, but you are not prepared for what I can do next. And what you don't know... could be harmful to you!

By following similar design principles as those in GT, the creators of Super can develop forms that are even more distinct in terms of appearance and abilities. Super Saiyan 4 stands out because of its uniqueness compared to previous forms and how it ties back to the Saiyan origins. Introducing such a transformation for any character would be a valuable addition to the series.

Dragon Ball can be streamed on Crunchyroll and Funimation.

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Dragon Ball: Is Vegeta About To Get Left In The Dust Again?

Editor's P/S:

The article delves into the history and evolution of the Super Saiyan transformation in the Dragon Ball series. It highlights the overuse of the form and the challenges it posed for the series. The author argues that the introduction of more unique and impactful transformations, such as Ultimate Gohan, Super Saiyan God, and Ultra Instinct, was a necessary step to revitalize the franchise.

The article also discusses the importance of character-specific transformations and the potential for future forms to be even more distinct. It suggests that by following similar design principles as those used in Dragon Ball GT, the creators of Super can develop forms that are both visually striking and offer unique abilities. This would allow the series to continue to evolve while maintaining its core appeal.