Dragon Ball: Who Was The Best Representation of Each Saiyan Form?

Super Saiyan transformations are the bread and butter of the Dragon Ball franchise. Just for the heroes alone, the series has introduced over a dozen such transformations that have made characters far stronger than they have ever been before, often coming with interesting designs and special traits that are unique only to them. The entire act of transforming or unlocking a never-before-seen transformation is almost as iconic as the series itself.

Due to this, the Super Saiyan forms in Dragon Ball are largely shared by multiple characters, but there is often only one who calls the form 'their own'. This basically means that from all the canon Super Saiyan transformations shared by multiple people, there is one character whom the specific transformation is synonymous with, so let's break down who this is for each form that has shown more than one user.

The Monstrous Great Ape Form

Best Represented By Goku

Although not perhaps the foremost Saiyan form that most people think about, Great Ape is the first transformation that appears in Dragon Ball, and it is still one of the best. As is well documented, all Saiyans can transform into huge and destructive apes when they stare at a full moon, as long as they still have their tails. Historically, they retain their mental faculties in this form; however, that is not something that comes naturally, as Goku's original transformation proved.

Although an argument could be made in favor of Vegeta and Gohan's DBZ transformations, Goku's Great Ape is still by far the most intimidating, especially when you consider that this transformation must have been shocking during the manga and show's original run. He comes across like a proper uncontrollable kaiju, and this whole sequence is one of the first times that Dragon Ball drops its humor and adopts a more serious tone (although there are still funny moments).

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The Iconic Super Saiyan Form

Best Represented By Goku

The obvious pick for the most iconic Super Saiyan 1 in the series has to go to the man who started it all; Son Goku. Though this form is used by almost every Saiyan in the series, none can truly call it their own quite like Goku can due to him shaking up the entire anime and manga industry back when this form debuted in the story, showing everyone what truly lies beneath Goku's kind and peaceful demeanor once he is enraged.

This form was the stuff of Saiyan legend, passed down through the generations as a mythical form awoken by the fury of a pure-hearted warrior. Goku proved himself to be the first Saiyan in centuries to unlock this state in his battle against Frieza, when the Galactic Tyrant killed his best friend Krillin. Although the series would go on and the form eventually became obsolete, it's by far the greatest in the entire series, going down in the history books as perhaps the most iconic moment in the anime industry.

The Powerful Super Saiyan Grade 2 Form

Best Represented By Vegeta

Although the belief about the original Super Saiyan form was that it could only be awoken by a pure-hearted Saiyan who fights for peace, it was soon discarded when Vegeta, too, unlocked the form. From here, he became the first person to ever push through the limits of Super Saiyan, unlocking a state that was far stronger and faster than the one before it.

This form was one that was shown to be used by Vegeta, Trunks, and even Goku but didn't have too long of a shelf-life due to the fact that it drained energy way faster than even the original Super Saiyan transformation. Still, Vegeta's power while using this state was very formidable, as was seen by how easily he dispatched Semi-Perfect Cell, truly calling the form his own because of how well it suited him.

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The Revolutionary Super Saiyan 2 Form

Best Represented By Teen Gohan

In the time the Z-Fighters had to prepare for the Cell Games, all the Saiyans underwent grueling training, with Vegeta and Trunks spending a long time training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. This led to them unlocking Super Saiyan Grades 2 and 3 respectively, but when it was Goku and Gohan's turn, Goku knew that the answer wasn't brute strength and sensed an innate power within his son which he began to cultivate. This proved to do wonders since Gohan became the first person to unlock Super Saiyan 2 during the Cell Games.

This moment was almost as important as Goku's first transformation into a Super Saiyan, showing a side to the peaceful child that shone through after the death of Android 16. Although Goku, Vegeta, and even Future Trunks would eventually unlock this state, none of their forms had the same gravitas attached to them as when Gohan first used it against Cell, easily making Teen Gohan the best representation of the Super Saiyan 2 transformation.

The Awesome Super Saiyan 3 Form

Best Represented By Goku

Super Saiyan 3 was a form that Goku had achieved in secret due to his training in Other World and it was first used against Majin Buu. The transformation sequence to turn into this form is perhaps the most iconic in the series since the sheer power output was enough to shake the entire universe, showing that Goku was now at a level of power that had never been seen before up till that point.

Although there is only one other character who used Super Saiyan 3 aside from Goku, it still goes down in history as one of the most beloved forms in the whole franchise. Gotenks had a very good showing with it, but Goku's change in physicality and demeanor when he first unlocked it was unlike anything else fans had seen before, so it definitely makes him the best representation of Super Saiyan 3.

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The Divine Super Saiyan God Form

Best Represented By Goku

When Beerus was introduced into the franchise, the entire power dynamic of Dragon Ball changed almost immediately. Due to his divine stature as a God of Destruction, he made someone even as powerful as Super Saiyan 3 Goku look like a joke, prompting the Saiyan to unlock God Ki to facilitate a brand-new transformation of his own: the Super Saiyan God. This form was far stronger than even Super Saiyan 3, but ultimately proved to be ineffective against the Destroyer.

However, it was still Goku's best form at the time to usher in the new Super series due to its stability and lack of strain on the user. Eventually, it was revealed that Vegeta could also use this form, but at that stage, it had become synonymous with Goku due to him being the very first one to unlock it. Despite Vegeta looking incredible and performing really well with it, Super Saiyan God suited Goku more.

The Beloved Super Saiyan Blue Form

Best Represented By Vegeta

Just as with the Super Saiyan God transformation, Goku was the first person to unlock and use the form on-screen. However, Vegeta would be the one to steal the spotlight when it came to Super Saiyan Blue, especially because of how unexpected it was when he used it since everyone was convinced of Goku being the favorite to defeat the villain. Instead, Vegeta showed this awesome transformation and proceeded to beat the pulp out of his rival, Frieza.

Since then, Goku and Vegeta have usually been given as much importance in arcs regarding Super Saiyan Blue. However, Vegeta has the superior and more iconic design of the two, which really puts him as the better representation of Blue, which is further exacerbated by his evolution into the form. To get stronger than the level of Blue, Goku and Vegeta both had different ways to achieve this, with the latter's version being the better one.

The Legendary Berserker Saiyan Form

Best Represented By Broly

This transformation didn't start as a canon one, as it was shown far earlier in the Dragon Ball Z film that introduced Broly. There, it was called the Legendary Super Saiyan transformation, whispers of which were said to be passed down through the generations. In Super, however, it didn't have the same lore but was functionally identical, placing the user in a berserker state that made them want to destroy everything in front of them like a mindless monster.

The canon introduction of this form didn't come from Broly, however. It was instead used by Kale in the Tournament of Power to quickly bridge the gap of power between herself and her foes and was brought back with Broly. However, the latter's version was far more powerful and left even Super Saiyan Blue in the dust. Since it was a concept realized by Broly in the first place, the canon version of him is the best representation of it.

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The Mythical Super Saiyan 4 Form

Best Represented By Goku (Daima)

Technically speaking, Goku is the only character to officially achieve Super Saiyan 4, as Dragon Ball GT is not canon. However, as many people grew up with GT's version, we are going to still dedicate a section to this form. Say what you want about DBZ's ill-fated sequel, but SS4 always had a fantastic design, particularly for Goku and Gogeta. Goku's initial transformation is also the definition of epic, and it is arguably only surpassed by the long Super Saiyan 3 transformation.

That said, SS4 Goku seems oddly weak in GT, at least in the sense that the transformation does not get much in the way of memorable wins. In comparison, Dragon Ball Daima's Super Saiyan 4 Goku is a true powerhouse who is just as awesome as he looks, particularly the adult version. The slight color redesign also helps set this version apart from the original, and it adds an element of Super Saiyan God to the transformation.

Dragon Ball can be streamed on Crunchyroll.

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Dragon Ball

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Created by

Akira Toriyama

First TV Show

Dragon Ball

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Dragon Ball is a franchise by Akira Toriyama which follows the adventures of Goku, a powerful warrior who protects the earth with his group of  friends. A recent title from the series is Dragon Ball: The Breakers, an action style game where 7 players have to survive being hunted by the Raider.

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First Episode Air Date

February 26, 1986

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