Dragon Ballis responsible forsome of the greatest transformations in anime and manga history. The iconic, often imitated yet never reproduced Super Saiyan changed the landscape of shōnen manga forever, and the series doesn’t seem intent on slowing down its inclusion of flashy new power-ups. Super Saiyan comes in different grades and colors, techniques of gods change appearances altogether, and unlocked potential can sometimes turn characters orange. From Goku’s original Giant Ape to Gohan’s animalistic Beast form,Dragon Ballhasmade its name on unexpected, hype-inducing transformations.
Fans have debated for decades over what form is the greatest, or whether appearance matters more than efficiency. Others take into account the context in which an upgrade is achieved, whether Goku’s initial Super Saiyan held more weight than Gohan’s ultimate ascendance. Perhaps the unveiling of Super Saiyan 3 is a cool enough scene to trump the sleek, unique design and impressive feats of Super Saiyan 4.
ThoughDragon Ballis packed to the brim with exciting fan-favorite transformations, they cannot all be winners. In fact, for every iconic form any of the roster of fighters may take, chances are they’re also capable of just as many unremarkable ones. Arguments over which of the series' many iconic transformations is best aren’t the only disputes that have spanned decades.Fans have also long debated which are the worst.
7Gohan’s Not So Ultimate Form
Gohan’s Unlocked Potential Gives the Fighter a Short-Lived Boost
For a brief period of time, during and following the Cell Saga, it seemedGohan would take up the mantle asDragon Ball’s main character. Being the only fighter other than Goku to defeat a main villain, the Buu Saga began with the series' very first Hybrid Saiyan in the lead. Following some slice-of-life high school shenanigans, however,Gohan would once again fall back into his usual supporting cast member role. With Goku back in the driver’s seat, it seemedDragon Ballwould continue forward with its long-time hero entering the final showdown, until Gohan met with the Elder Kai.
Following some of the strangest “training” the series has featured, Gohan’s potential was unlocked, and the powered-up teenager was ready to join the fight with a full grasp on his abilities. Making one of the greatest entrances in anime history, Ultimate Gohan touched down to fight a Super Buu that only recently wreaked havoc on the Earth. In the early goings,the Hybrid Saiyan was dominantin a way that called back to his climactic battle with Cell. Just as it seemed he returned to form, though, Gohan fans would be let down once again.
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Gohan has almost always been a major player in Dragon Ball, and he’s been a protagonist of some of the best fights in the franchise.
Having the clear advantage in their battle, Gohan let down his guard for only a moment, allowing Buu to absorb Gotenks. From that point on, he would never gain the upper hand again, eventually letting himself be absorbed as well. While the Ultimate look is sleek, featuring his iconic singular bang,Gohan ultimately gets a lot of nothing done while in the form.
In all its appearances to come, it fails to ever dominate as it did against Buu. The black hair and clear aura also don’t offer the same punch as other Saiyan transformations, and fail to measure up to the style of his newest Beastly upgrade.
6Goku’s Super Saiyan 3 Lacks Punch
Unique to Goku, Super Saiyan 3 Fails to Match Its Predecessors
New Super Saiyan transformations are like gold to the world ofDragon Balland its fans. Ever since Goku’s initial ascension into a legend on Namek,the series has relied on its new and overpowering upgrades. And for the most part, they work well. Gohan’s initial Super Saiyan 2 transformation rivals Goku’s from just the arc prior, acting as a payoff to the long-term build up of Gohan’s character throughout his time in the series.
Both of the initial Super Saiyan transformations were earned. Talk of a Saiyan of legend dominated the Namek arc, with Vegeta consistently aiming for the form and missing, before Goku achieves it with help from his friends. Gohan’s bottomless potential was teased from the very moment he enteredDragon Ball, and his ascension beyond his own father’s strength was a natural progression for his character. When it came time to debut Super Saiyan 3 during the Buu Saga, however, the form failed to meet the emotional standard or act as the payoff the previous transformations were.
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By far the most unique of all the Super Saiyan designs,Super Saiyan 3 is all flash and no substance. The form is aesthetically pleasing, especially in battle, but has little going for it aside from its cool factor. With drawbacks for the user, and a lack of longevity in the series, Super Saiyan 3 is by far the most disappointing of all the numbered Saiyan transformations.
5Frieza’s Monstrous Third Form
The Most Forgettable of Frieza’s Initial Transformations
During the Namek Saga,Frieza was a dominating presence every time he appeared on-screen. A looming threat watching everything unfold from a distance, the space tyrant wasted no time proving his raw strength once the fighting finally began. The early portion of the battle with Frieza could hardly be called a fight, asDragon Ball’s most iconic villain toyed with Earth’s heroes plus Vegeta prior to Goku’s arrival.
As if the situation wasn’t bleak enough for Vegeta, Krillin, and Gohan, Frieza eventually revealed that he was hiding three total transformations, each stronger than the one already giving them so much trouble. His second form was devastating, completely overwhelming the trio of fighters, driving home the point that they stood absolutely no chance in battle. By the time his third form was introduced, however,the point had already been made.
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Offering practically nothing new from his previous transformation, Third Form Frieza not only had very little to prove, but was a visual monstrosity. It isn’t often that Akira Toriyama ever missed on his character design, but Frieza’s most forgotten transformation is one example.By the time of its debut, the terror had dragged on long enough, and the series would have benefited from just skipping right along to the incredibly designed look of Final Form Frieza.
4Goku and Vegeta’s Underwhelming Super Saiyan Blue
The Upgraded Super Saiyan God Lacks Originality
Dragon Ballreturned with a bang in 2013’sBattle of Gods, ending a nearly two-decade-long hiatus for the franchise. Introducing the fan-favorite Super Saiyan God, along with new staple characters of the series in Beerus and Whis,fans were largely satisfied with the directionDragon Ballwas taking in its return. And thenResurrection: Fspent the majority of its runtime undoing that goodwill.
Reverting Gohan to a state of uselessness, denying Vegeta a victory, and making Goku powerless to a laser,Resurrection ‘F’is likely the least enjoyed modernDragon Ballfilm by hardcore fans of the series. Its best contribution to the franchise, Super Saiyan Blue,is underwhelming at the very least.
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The form being a simple recolor of the original Super Saiyan isn’t the worst design choice in franchise history, but it isn’t particularly good either. Much like Super Saiyan 3 before it,the upgrade was entirely unearned. The buildup to the form was so insignificant, in fact, it was achieved off-screen before the film takes place. Super Saiyan Blue has its share of great moments down the line, and truly shines when being used by a fusion character. However, compared to other Saiyan forms, it simply fails to hold its own.
3Golden Frieza’s Grand Color Swap
Frieza’s Most Powerful Form is Little More Than a Recolor
Resurrection ‘F’is likely not as terrible as fans claim, but it was undeniably a bit of a mess, ultimately establishing some pretty bad habits for the franchise. Frieza’s Final Form is not only a sleek upgrade, but also one of the most recognizable villain designs in anime and manga history. And upon the iconic villain’s return,he is gifted a form that is just a simple color swap.
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Nothing is particularly bad about Golden Frieza.The form is simply uninteresting. Product of a questionable writing choice that gives Frieza unimaginable potential, which goes untapped out of sheer laziness, Frieza’s golden form is representative of the film that introduced it. Ushering in an age of recycled villains, Frieza’s most powerful anime upgrade lacks the creativity and impact that typically definesDragon Ball’s best transformations.
2Super Saiyan Grades 2 and 3 Are All Bark No Bite
The Bulky Super Saiyan Upgrades Offer Very Little to Their Users
The quest to surpass Super Saiyan made for one of the Cell Saga’s most interesting sections. Highlighting the differences in Goku’s and Vegeta’s approaches to fighting, each Saiyan warrior exited the Time Chamber with different ideas for achieving a new level of strength. Vegeta,being the impatient and overly confident fighter he is, immediately charged towards Cell.
With a buff new look, the Saiyan Prince utterly dominated Semi-Perfect Cell with all the attitude and bravado fans have come to love him for. Having the upper-hand, Vegeta decided to pull the most Vegeta move imaginable, and let his arrogance get in the way of certain victory. As soon as Cell achieved his Perfect form,Vegeta’s new bulky upgrade became absolutely useless. Trunks would enter the fray with an even more over-the-top variation of Super Saiyan, but was also humbled in embarrassing fashion.
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Super Saiyan Grades 2 and 3offer immense strength while sacrificing speed, making the forms entirely ineffective against powerful opponents. Though undeniably cool in appearance, and at the center of Vegeta’s best use of the Final Flash, the upgraded Super Saiyan forms are not only pointless, but used to embarrass the two fighters using them. Gohan’s eventual Super Saiyan 2 would teach Vegeta and Trunks the right way to surpass their limits.
1Trunks’ Unexplained Super Saiyan Rage
Trunks Unlocks a Perfectly Timed Transformation With No Explanation
Dragon Ball Super’s Goku Black arc was the most ambitious of the series. Showcasing the answer to the timeless question, “what if Goku was evil?”, the newest Future Saga posed many interesting ideas that ultimately fizzled out near its end. Nevertheless, Goku Black and Zamasu dominated what was arguablySuper’s most interesting stretch of storytelling, and brought about the return of the fan-favorite Trunks.
Unfortunately, by its end, theGoku Black arc suffers from its own high stakes. Without a logical way to give the heroes an upper-hand, Trunks was gifted what is possiblythe most random transformation in all ofDragon Ball, Super Saiyan Rage. What is essentially Super Saiyan 2, but the even angrier version, Trunks’ Rage form went unexplained, and was somehow able to achieve feats that neither Goku nor Vegeta were capable of in Super Saiyan Blue. Visually, the transformation is largely fine, but it’s ultimately little more than a head scratcher.
Vegeta Confirms Broly Isn’t the Rarest Saiyan… It’s Trunks
Despite the fact Broly is a Legendary Super Saiyan, he still isn’t the rarest Saiyan in Dragon Ball, and Vegeta confirms that honor goes to Trunks.
Likely just an excuse to close the gap between Trunks and the Saiyans,Super Saiyan Rage isDragon Ball’s most unnecessary form, coming at a point in the series in which the story was already tripping over itself.Dragon Ballis known for its most iconic transformations, but not every one can be as great as the one that came before. And in certain cases, some are just completely pointless.
Dragon Ball
From the creative mind of Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball is a mega multimedia franchise that spans back to the 1980s. Dragon Ball expanded quickly, starting as a serialized manga for Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan. It made its way overseas via manga and an anime adaptation that is enjoyed worldwide. Dragon Ball was the initial starting animated series that followed the adventures of the young Son Goku as he sought after the Dragon Balls. These mystical orbs would grant the wish of any who gathered them together. Then, the series would branch off into the immensely popular Dragon Ball Z, which followed Goku as an adult and featured high-intensity battles and Goku’s never-ending search to be the strongest. The series has also enjoyed several popular video game adaptations and continues to release several new animated series and theatrical films up to the recent popular Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.
