ssj forms

Super Saiyan (超サイヤ人 Sūpā Saiya-jin) is an advanced transformation assumed by members and hybrids of the Saiyan race with sufficient amounts of S-Cells in the Dragon Ball franchise, though there have also been occurrences of other races or individuals taking on their own versions of the form. Earthlings (of Saiyan heritage) in Dragon Ball Online can also assume the transformation by wishing to have their dormant Saiyan powers unlocked.

The Super Saiyan form first premiered in April 1991, within chapter 317 of the Dragon Ball manga, entitled "Life or Death". It also made its anime debut in 1991, first appearing in Dragon Ball Z episode 95, "Transformed at Last". Within Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super, three further powered up transformations: the second[14][15] and third[16][17] forms succeed Super Saiyan, while the premier form also has two additional graded states[18] that focus on power, and also the final form[19][20] which is superior to the graded forms. The original Super Saiyan form can also be mastered[21] to improve some of its traits and remove some flaws.
Contents[show]
Legend
OriginalSuupaSaiyan

The depiction of Yamoshi in Vegeta's story

The ability to become a Super Saiyan was once considered to be nothing but a legend, as it had not been performed for over one-thousand years.[22] Vegeta stated that a Super Saiyan has achieved a level of power so overwhelming that it could only be maintained in a transformed state. Despite only being told through legend, Frieza, who had Saiyans in his army, became paranoid over the possibility of truth behind the legend due to the constantly growing power of the Saiyan race. After receiving informal permission from the God of Destruction Beerus, Frieza finally decided to annihilate the Saiyan race by destroying Planet Vegeta,[23] thus apparently sparking the end of the Super Saiyan legend. However, twenty-five years later, the Super Saiyan legend was proven to be true when Goku accomplished the feat during his titanic battle against the evil tyrant, Frieza.[24]
Transformation
Environment

After Bardock transforming into a Super Saiyan, the environment keeps changing constantly

It was originally believed that the Super Saiyan transformation comes in response to a need, not a desire.[25] Any Saiyan can become a Super Saiyan, however they require a large amount of S-Cells in order to take on the form, Saiyans who have a gentle spirit gain more S-Cells, but a when a Saiyan increases their battle power they steadily gain more S-Cells. Once the Saiyan has enough S-Cells, a feeling such as strong anger or sadness can transform a Saiyan into a Super Saiyan,[26][27][28] once a Saiyan has achieved the form they can transform into it any time by focusing their energy into their back to make it tingle. A Saiyan who has a very large battle power can turn Super Saiyan without needing a trigger, due to their tremendous amount of S-Cells. Saiyan offspring will inherit S-Cells from their parents, this is why Goten, Trunks and the hybrid clone Cell were able to become Super Saiyans so easily.

Goku achieves the form out of anger over the murder of his best-friend Krillin and in a what-if scenario Bardock achieves the form out of anger after Chilled attacked a Plant child called Berry, while Vegeta achieves the form through sheer frustration at his original inability to achieve it, especially when Goku already had.[29] While training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, Goku informs Gohan that becoming a Super Saiyan is powered by rage and told him to imagine Cell and then Frieza (after Gohan stated he had never seen Cell) killing all his friends in order for him to transform into a Super Saiyan. As the Saiyans train during Dragon Ball Z, they discover uncharted levels beyond the first Super Saiyan level. The power increases of subsequent Super Saiyan forms are so high that by the Buu Saga, the original transformation has been literally reduced to that of a "child's plaything" (as stated by Vegeta; as both Goten and Trunks can transform and harness the power adeptly at such a young age).[30]
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Super Saiyan Goku unleashes an intense rage as he prepares to assault Frieza

In the main series, all living Saiyan-blooded males after the Frieza Saga manage to reach at least the first level of Super Saiyan. No female Super Saiyans were seen in the Dragon Ball manga or anime until Caulifla achieved the transformation in Dragon Ball Super.

However, the Dragon Ball GT Perfect Files implies that Pan has the potential to transform and might have become a type of Super Saiyan never seen before. Female Super Saiyans have since appeared in video games, including Dragon Ball Online, Dragon Ball Heroes and Dragon Ball Xenoverse.
Overview

In Dragon Ball Super, while explaining Goku's Super Saiyan form to Beerus as they were watching parts of Goku's battle with Frieza, Whis mentions that the Saiyan's knowledge of the form was lost to their race at some point in the past, resulting in it being viewed by most Saiyans as little more than a legend until it was rediscovered by Goku and the surviving Saiyans. The Namekian Grand Elder Guru also showed some awareness of the existence of Super Saiyans when he mistakenly thought that the Nameless Namekian had been killed by a Saiyan while speaking to Krillin about Kami and Piccolo's deaths, unaware of their split until after he probed Krillin's mind. Guru implied that only a Super Saiyan would have the power to kill a Super Namekian like the Nameless Namekian. This indicates that Namekians may have encountered Super Saiyans in the distant past or had heard about them during the time the Namekian people were an interstellar race, as Guru possessed knowledge of them and the legend concerning the Original Super Saiyan God recorded in the Namekian Book of Legends.

In Dragon Ball GT, Old Kai was shown to be aware of both the Golden Great Ape and Super Saiyan 4 forms which are only accessible to Saiyans who have achieved the Super Saiyan form yet also capable of transforming into a Great Ape, indicating that Super Saiyans, Golden Great Apes, and Super Saiyan 4 had previously existed at some point in the past for Old Kai to possess knowledge of those transformations.

In the Dragon Ball Super manga it is shown that when a Super Saiyan's power surpasses the power of the Super Saiyan God form, it will naturally progress into a Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan.
Concept and creation
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Toei's initial depiction of the Super Saiyan form

The initial incarnation of the Super Saiyan form was created by Toei Animation and used in the movie Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug, however this was later retconned into being the "Pseudo Super Saiyan" form after the debut of the real Super Saiyan state in the manga.

The primary reason why Akira Toriyama created the Super Saiyan state with gold hair was so that his assistant would no longer have to spend so much time coloring Goku's hair black - thus saving time. Due to also having the effect of making Goku appear stronger, it killed two birds with one stone.[31]
The Super Saiyan form

"The power comes in response to a need, not a desire"
— Goku in "Bow to the Prince"
VegetaSSIvsSemiPerfectCell

Vegeta as a Super Saiyan

The first Super Saiyan transformation occurs when a Saiyan who has reached a very high level of power loses himself in a fit of rage.[26] It can be achieved by any Saiyan who has a high battle power above the standard level.[26] However, in the anime the transformation must be triggered in response to a great need, an example being in Goku's case to defeat Frieza. Intense rage may not be the actual or only source, but merely a focuser, as Goten proved able to obtain his form instinctively. To which, in Dragon Ball Super, Cabba described the process of as experiencing a tingling sensation of focusing one's energy emanating from the user's back (seemingly centered in a point along the spine) between the shoulder blades, Caulifla simply followed these instructions to transform into the state.
DBZ group pic

The Super Saiyans who appear in the original manga series featuring Goku, Gohan, Goten, Vegeta, Future Trunks, Kid Trunks, Vegito, and Gotenks (Tadayoshi Yamamuro)

The transformation has a noticeable effect on the Saiyan's personality. Any Saiyan that had previously demonstrated a calm, collected, laid back, kind and even peaceful demeanor becomes ruthless, overcome with rage, impulsive, even becoming noticeably vengeful and unusually violent; and any Saiyan that had demonstrated those traits previously will only have them amplified to a greater degree. This is first demonstrated when Goku turned Super Saiyan during his battle against Freiza where when he went from a calm, collected, fighter to becoming a vengeful warrior, hellbent on avenging his fallen friend, Krillin, even at his own peril. Later on, when Vegeta became a Super Saiyan, he became even more rash and belligerent, and became obsessed with defeating the Androids by himself, a drastic change from his smart, covert style he demonstrated in the Vegeta and Namek Sagas. Gohan becomes a Super Saiyan, while training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, but manages to regain control of his emotions prior to leaving the Chamber. However, the amplified anger that a Super Saiyan experiences returned when he became a Super Saiyan 2. The personality alterations are also on display in Dragon Ball GT: A Hero's Legacy when Goku Jr., a timid boy with no will to fight even in self-defense, saw Lord Yao terrorize the forest and became a Super Saiyan, his personality came full circle, accordingly. However, if the Saiyan used the secondary method of transforming mentioned far above (as demonstrated by Caulifla) by concentrating ki to their backs between the shoulders, the Super Saiyan's personality will remain unchanged without the need of additional training. (Suggesting the Super Saiyan form is may be inherently physical as opposed to psychological.)
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Caulifla, the first female Super Saiyan in the main series

The most noticeable physical change is that the Saiyan's hair becomes golden blonde in color and seems to stand on end, giving it a rising, flame-like appearance. This applies to all of the Saiyan's hair except the tail, including scalp hair, eyebrows, and the fur when a Golden Great Apes. Natural eye color changes to a greenish-blue, muscle tone becomes more defined, and the skin tone (and clothing) becomes lighter mainly due to the energy and light output of the golden aura. As the natural floodgates of the body are opened with the transformation, excess energy is radiated from the body in the form of a pulsing, flame-like aura. There is also a marked personality alteration, where the Saiyan becomes unusually aggressive and more prone to acting on impulse. When the female Saiyan Kale becomes a Super Saiyan, her hair turns green. It can be noted that in Dragon Ball Online, in the event a Saiyan character is bald they will gain a mohawk of golden hair when they turn Super Saiyan.

The Super Saiyan transformation also has an interesting, unique effect on Goku's family in addition to its normal effects: the way their eyes are drawn changes slightly. Normally, the outline around the eye is not fully drawn and it circles around about 3/4 of the way the eyeball while the overall shape of the eyes are rounder. When in Super Saiyan, their eyes are fully surrounded by an outline and are sharper and narrow in shape, the same way that all villains are drawn; this is mainly due to Akira Toriyama wanting to show the anger and hatred that must be present for a Super Saiyan transformation. Though, this is not the case for the Full-Power Super Saiyan state, as shown with Goku and Gohan during the Cell Games Saga with their eyes having a softer overall shape while not fighting.

It is theorized by Krillin that the Super Saiyan transformation prevents Goku from performing his Spirit Bomb technique.[32] One must be pure of heart to perform the Spirit Bomb technique, and as a Super Saiyan, Goku's heart is full of rage, although not necessarily contaminated by evil. In the film Dragon Ball Z: Super Android 13!, when Goku becomes a Super Saiyan after gathering power for his Spirit Bomb, he loses control of the energy and instead absorbs it into his own body. During the Kid Buu Saga, Goku assumes the transformation only after successfully creating and throwing the Spirit Bomb, although it could just be that anger no longer filled his heart when he transformed since this took place after he mastered the Super Saiyan form during the Cell Games Saga or that anyone can wield the Spirit Bomb after it has been formed.

When a Super Saiyan achieves an extremely high level of power, they will exhibit sparks around their aura (like a Super Saiyan 2), this has only been displayed by Vegito, Goku (only in the anime), and Goku Black.

Super Saiyans from evil hybrid races will sometimes exhibit white hair. Examples of this include Fused Zamasu in his Super Saiyan Rosé form in Dragon Ball Super, Vegeta's Super Saiyan form and Strongest Forms when his body was infected by the Tuffle Baby in Dragon Ball GT, as well as Mira's own unique transformations as his identity as a hybrid Saiyan in Xenoverse 2 and Heroes. However, it has never been stated in any Dragon Ball media (anime, manga, video games, etc.) that the reason these Saiyan hybrids have White hair in their Super Saiyan forms is due to them being evil Saiyan hybrids.
Usage and power
GokuVsFriezaEp102

Super Saiyan Goku battles Frieza in his 100% form

While physical change is not too drastic apart from a slight increase in muscle mass,[33][34] the power output increase is colossal; it was stated by Akira Toriyama that when he was writing the manga the form was meant to be 10x what Goku had previously accomplished, in Daizenshuu 7 the form is said to multiply the Saiyan's power level by 50x times its normal amount,[26] which Toriyama considers to be an exaggeration.[35] In the Dragon Ball Z: The Anime Adventure Game, the multiplier for the form is 2.5x the user's normal amount of power). The form's multiplier seems to have changed in Dragon Ball GT, When Goku utilizes the Super Saiyan form against General Rilldo in Dragon Ball GT, Rilldo states that Goku's power has increased to just over double his base form (in the English dub he states that it has increased a hundredfold).[36] In an interview, Akira Toriyama noted that since Super Saiyan 2 and Super Saiyan 3 are simply powered up Super Saiyans, completely mastering the normal state and the Super Saiyan form would lead Super Saiyan to being stronger than Super Saiyan 2 and Super Saiyan 3,[37] thus presumably giving the hypothetical fully mastered Super Saiyan a multiplier of over 400x base.

The form was achieved by Goku after witnessing his best friend Krillin's death at the hands of Frieza. In this form, Goku's power grossly outclasses the evil tyrant's, a feat made more impressive by the fact that, prior to the transformation, Goku was no match for him, even with the Kaio-ken multiplying his power 20-fold. In order to combat Goku's sudden burst of strength and power, Frieza released all natural bodily inhibitions and utilized 100% of his power, only half of which he used to stop Goku's Kaio-ken x20 Kamehameha attack. Though he seemed to gain the upper hand while Goku holds back, he loses faith when he realizes that his attacks are no longer debilitating, with Goku merely shrugging off his most forceful blows. This is evident, because, in his 100% final state, Frieza had gained power and speed, but also gained increased energy consumption to the point where his damaged body could no longer handle the amount of power he was controlling.
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Super Saiyan Future Trunks dominates King Cold

Two years following the titanic battle on Namek, Future Trunks would arrive from the future already possessing the ability to transform, much to the astonishment of Vegeta and other present company, and effortlessly disposed of the synthetically restored Frieza, and his father, King Cold.[38]
Vegeta vs 18

Super Saiyan Vegeta battles Android 18

Sometime later, Vegeta also achieves the Super Saiyan transformation, mainly due to his belief that he had pushed himself to his utmost limits without actually transforming and due to seeing that Goku had achieved the form whilst he did not. By his own admission, it was anger at himself that triggered the intense emotion required to transform. He also noted, that he too possessed a pure heart, only one of pure evil as opposed to Goku's good. With this new power under his belt, Vegeta confronts and overcomes Android 19 and Dr. Gero, blithely killing #19 with the powerful Big Bang Attack.[39] However, the Super Saiyan form truly put to the test when the true Androids of Future Trunks' grim prediction, Android 17 and Android 18, arrive. Super Saiyan Vegeta does battle with Android 18 until he is eventually overpowered and even has his arm-snapped by a fierce kick from the deadly beauty.[40] Future Trunks jumps in on the battle, prompting #17 to intervene. The Androids easily defeat both Vegeta and Future Trunks' in their Super Saiyan forms along with the other Z Fighters; Future Trunks, in particular, being felled by a single blow from #17, as opposed to the trained Vegeta who withstood a much longer and abashing beating, signifying his superior strength.[41] This power is noted by Kami as he brings up the topic of how Vegeta is now more powerful than Future Trunks, who "killed Frieza and his father in an instant."
Gohan Transforms to Super Saiyan

Gohan transforms into a Super Saiyan for the first time

The limits of the Super Saiyan transformation were pushed even further with the introduction of Cell. With the basic Super Saiyan form now unable to combat the power of the Androids, Goku advises training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber because he believes that there is a way to ascend past the normal limitations of an untrained Super Saiyan, and in doing so would make them strong enough to take down the Androids. By the time Cell had reached his Perfect Form after absorbing both the Androids, Vegeta, Future Trunks, Goku, and Gohan had all spent time in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, advancing to new Super Saiyan forms. The Super Saiyan's standard output of power would be outclassed by the second and third stages. Unlike Vegeta and Future Trunks who made use of these stages (which either consumes one's energy rapidly and produce an increasingly higher level of strain, or reduce the Saiyan's speed to nil, with the latter doing both), Goku and Gohan work to perfect the initial transformation after deciding that it was the best form to use overall, prompting their transition into Super Saiyan Full Power, the concept of making the Super Saiyan form no different in energy output and strain than the basic form of the user's body. The initial transformation and its advanced grades are later rendered obsolete by the introduction of a far more powerful level, Super Saiyan 2 (which is the form used by Gohan to defeat Cell), followed by Goku's introduction of Super Saiyan 3 during the Majin Buu Saga, and finally, Super Saiyan Anger, introduced in Dragon Ball Super. Super Saiyan 2, Super Saiyan 3 and Super Saiyan Anger are nothing more than powered-up variations of Super Saiyan.[42] If the normal state and regular Super Saiyan form were to be fully mastered, it would increase its user's level more than the Super Saiyan 2 and Super Saiyan 3 forms, and would sap less energy.[42]
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Future Gohan as a Super Saiyan

In the special chapter "Trunks The History - The Lone Warrior" and the television special Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks, Future Gohan is shown to have gained the Super Saiyan transformation long ago, most likely after witnessing the Z Fighters being slaughtered by the Androids. Therefore, Future Gohan may have assumed his transformation before his present timeline counterpart (by technically a matter of days), although he was far weaker because he was never trained by his father in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber and never mastered the Super Saiyan form. After he is killed, we see Future Trunks transform for the first time (only in the anime, for Trunks seemed to already have attained the transformation rather recently in the original manga), thus showing his original transformation.

Goten and Trunks, sons of Goku and Vegeta respectively, attain the ability to transform at a remarkably young age, again to widespread surprise from the main cast. (Goten, who was about a year younger than Trunks' age of eight, stated that his transformation was so long ago that he was unable to even remember it occurring.) Though their reasons for so easily transforming are never officially stated, the common theory is that it could have been the DNA inherited from their fathers' ability to transform already during their conception, supported by the fact that it took Gohan, who was also a child when he made his transformation, unbearable hardship to achieve (Gohan was born prior to the start of Dragon Ball Z, thus before his father's transformation). However, it is unknown if Vegeta achieved the ability to transform before Trunks' conception or after it, the manga implies that Vegeta stayed on Earth entirely focused on intense training to become a Super Saiyan before he grows close to Bulma so it's possible he transformed before Trunks' conception. In Future Trunks' case, he would have been conceived in the Alternate timeline under very similar circumstances, although it is possible he was not conceived after Future Vegeta became a Super Saiyan, as the alternate counterpart's transformation was never shown. However he was still able to transform at the age of 14 (making him either the youngest or second youngest Super Saiyan in the alternate timeline, depending on when Future Gohan transformed), although he was considerably weak due to the lack of training.
Super Saiyan Future Cell

Future Cell uses Super Saiyan via his Saiyan cells

When the Bio-Android Cell, and his counterpart from Cell's timeline fight at their full power in their Imperfect and Perfect forms, and are surrounded by a golden aura, they are in the Super Saiyan form - thanks to their cells from Future Goku and Future Vegeta. This is especially notable in the anime, as when Cell powers up to max he gains the golden Super Saiyan aura, and the Super Saiyan transformation sound effect plays.

After the battle with Beerus, Goku realized that fully-mastering the Super Saiyan form would lead to it being stronger than the Super Saiyan 2 and Super Saiyan 3 forms.[37]
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Goku Black as a Super Saiyan

Goku Black uses his standard Super Saiyan form in battle with Super Saiyan Vegeta in the Dragon Ball Super manga. After managing to gain a huge amount of power from a near-death experience, Goku Black's Super Saiyan form evolved into his Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan form: Super Saiyan Rosé. It is unknown if Goku Black can still become an ordinary Super Saiyan, and if he can what level of power it would possess, as when Goku's god-enhanced Super Saiyan form evolved into Super Saiyan Blue, it also caused him to re-acquire his non-god-enhanced Super Saiyan form.

In some video games, Super Saiyan Rosé, a Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan form, acts as Goku Black's and Fused Zamasu's own version of the first, standard Super Saiyan form, although with Godly ki, as Goku Black and Fused Zamasu are natural gods. The Godly ki which Super Saiyan Rosé has in the Dragon Ball Super anime (and manga) renders the Super Saiyan Rosé form as a Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan form as well, as the Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan forms are basically the first Super Saiyan form combined with Godly ki.

During his battle with Beerus, after the Super Saiyan God transformation reverted to normal, Goku proceeded to use his Super Saiyan form to keep on with the battle, deflecting and negating Beerus' universal-destroying punches, indicating that once enough of that raw godly power is absorbed, a Saiyan could easily attain the power of the gods and become just as strong as them without requiring to transform into Super Saiyan God again.
Dragon Ball Super Great Saiyaman Super Great Saiyaman (Episode 74)

Super Great Saiyaman in Dragon Ball Super

During the "Future" Trunks Saga, Gohan is forced to use the form while fighting the Watagash-possessed Barry Kahn as his alter-ego Great Saiyaman. While using the form as Great Saiyaman, it was dubbed Super Great Saiyaman by the director of "Great Saiyaman vs. Mr. Satan". Due to his Great Saiyaman helmet concealing his hair and eyes, Great Saiyaman's appearance doesn't change as much aside from his Super Saiyan aura and Great Saiyaman suit glowing brighter. In this form, he easily defeats the Watagash with his Super Great Saiyaman Beam.
VegetaJr.VsGokuJr.SS

Super Saiyan Goku Jr. and Super Saiyan Vegeta Jr. fighting

In the last episode of Dragon Ball GT, Goku and Vegeta's descendants, Goku Jr. and Vegeta Jr., are shown to be able to transform into Super Saiyans from a young age, as well. Goku Jr.'s first transformation in particular was shown in the TV special Dragon Ball GT: A Hero's Legacy, aired at around the time that episode 40 was broadcast. This heavily contradicts the Daizenshuu books' explanation that Pan could not transform due to the minuscule percentage of Saiyan blood in her, as being a grandson of the already 1/4 Saiyan Pan would reduce his to no more than one sixteenth, making him almost completely human.
Film and other appearances
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Super Saiyan Goku concept art for Dragon Ball Z: Cooler's Revenge, by Akira Toriyama (Daizenshuu 6)

The Super Saiyan transformation made its movie debut in the film Dragon Ball Z: Cooler's Revenge. Goku uses his Super Saiyan power to defeat Cooler, Frieza's older and stronger brother, thus finishing off the family. In the concept art drawn by Akira Toriyama for this movie, Super Saiyan Goku has red eyes (as seen to the right).
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Super Saiyan Goku and Vegeta attack Meta-Cooler in Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler

The Super Saiyan form is also used in the next two films Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler by Goku and Vegeta to combat and finally kill Cooler, and in the film Dragon Ball Z: Super Android 13! by Goku, Vegeta, and Future Trunks to take down Android 14, Android 15, and Android 13.

In the next film Dragon Ball Z: Broly - The Legendary Super Saiyan, the Saiyan Broly is also shown to harness the original Super Saiyan transformation, which is what he uses to battle Goku for a few moments when attacking him in the dead of night. He also uses it against Goten and Trunks in Dragon Ball Z: Broly - Second Coming, until he was forced to unveil his Legendary Super Saiyan form once again when fighting Gohan in his Super Saiyan 2 form. It was also very briefly used by Future Trunks during his match against Tien Shinhan, and then by Gohan, Vegeta and Future Trunks to fight against the Galaxy Soldiers in Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Unbound.

During the events of the manga and anime Dragon Ball: Episode of Bardock, Bardock is sent back in time during the destruction of his people and becomes a Super Saiyan on Planet Plant while fighting Chilled, an ancestor of Frieza.

In Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’, Gohan is the only one who uses the regular Super Saiyan form in the film (aside from a brief flashback of Future Trunks defeating Frieza, and Super Saiyan Goku's appearance in the prologue from the "Future Trunks Special Edition" of the film). Goku and Vegeta use a new Super Saiyan form in the film that has blue hair and godly ki, after mastering Super Saiyan God, named Super Saiyan Blue.
Video Game Appearances

Since the release of Dragon Ball Z: Super Saiya Densetsu in January 1992, the Super Saiyan form is featured in all the Dragon Ball Z video games.
Super SaiyanDBO

A Male Super Saiyan

Dragon Ball Online is the very first video-game that allows the player to transform his created character into Super Saiyan. The Human race can acquire the transformation at level 40 after obtaining the Dragon Balls and having the wish granted by Shenron; Humans can take on the Super Saiyan transformation due to them being direct descendants of both Goku and Vegeta, therefore possessing Saiyan blood.
Super Saiyan 2

A Super Saiyan as it appears in-game

Like in the original series, those under the influence of the Super Saiyan transformation discharge a golden aura that surrounds their bodies and acquire the trademark green eyes and golden, altered hairstyles (in the game, each Human hairstyle [male and female] has a Super Saiyan counterpart). Players that choose not to allow their avatars age can acquire the Super Saiyan transformation as children. Also, unlike the other two transformations, techniques acquired in a Human's base form are still accessible, however, Super Saiyans does not obtain transformation-exclusive skills as the other races do.

Dragon Ball Heroes also features female Super Saiyans. Only Mira attained the Super Saiyan form so far, albeit being his own version of it. Beginning in July 2015, Mira achieved the Super Saiyan form known as Super Mira.
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Super Mira Mira card for Dragon Ball Heroes

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In Dragon Ball Xenoverse, the Super Saiyan transformation is an ultimate skill that constantly drains the user's energy and completely drains their stamina once the transformation is over. The benefits are that all abilities are increased for the duration, and all super and ultimate attacks no longer cost ki. A Saiyan Future Warrior can obtain this transformation after the Frieza Saga via Parallel Quest 14: "Legendary Super Saiyan" or after the Android Saga via purchasing it at the Skill Shop. The ability comes in two variations, the normal Super Saiyan transformation which raises the power of strike skills, and Super Vegeta which raises the power of ki blasts. It is also shown in a time fragment timeline that Captain Ginyu can utilize the Super Saiyan form while in Goku's body.
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Future Warrior 2 as a Super Saiyan

In Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, the Super Saiyan form and its higher levels no longer drain ki, allowing a Saiyan to stay in the form indefinitely, but the rate of ki gain during attacks decreases with each progressive form and Super and Ultimate attacks cannot be used indefinitely. It is no longer an Ultimate Skill and is instead accessible via the Super Saiyan Awoken Skill which can be attained by the Saiyan Future Warrior inside the Capsule Corporation time rift anomaly in a special quest with Vegeta. After sparring with Vegeta a few times, Vegeta will notice Future Warrior is not transforming and learns that despite their power, the Warrior has not yet unlocked the transformation. After speaking with Bulma and Kid Trunks at Vegeta's suggestion, the Capsule Corporation Quest: "Saiyan Awakening" is unlocked. In this special quest, the Future Warrior faces off against Super Saiyan 2 Vegeta and Super Saiyan 2 Goku to push them in unlocking their Super Saiyan form. The Awoken Skill is unlocked mid-battle and becomes permanently unlocked. In addition, the player can transform into a Super Saiyan 2 or 3 depending on how much ki they currently have (the Super Saiyan form requires 3 ki bars, while Super Saiyan 3 requires 5 or more). The Future Warrior can also unlock 2 alternate Super Saiyan forms. The Future Warrior can unlock Super Vegeta Awoken Skill by completing Vegeta's final sparing session inside the Capsule Corp time rift which allows them to transform into Super Vegeta and Super Vegeta 2, which like Xenoverse increases the power of ki blasts. They can also unlock the Future Super Saiyan Awoken Skill by collecting all 5 Distorted Time Eggs to unlock the Unknown History Saga and then completing "Resolute Trunks - History Is Born". The Future Super Saiyan form charges ki much faster than other Super Saiyan forms, though unlike the other two Super Saiyan Awoken sills, it lacks higher forms. Like in Xenoverse, Captain Ginyu can utilize Goku's Super Saiyan form as an enemy.
"We have a legend that a Super Saiyan will appear once every thousand years. We don't even know how much power a Super Saiyan would be packing, but they'd be the universe's strongest being for sure! Heh heh heh... If Vegeta and I keep training, one of us might be able to make that leap. Just imagine how awesome I'd look as a Super Saiyan..."
— Nappa in Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2
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Super Saiyan Nappa in Xenoverse 2

Nappa mentions the legend to the Future Warrior while working as their Instructor and notes that if he and Vegeta keep training one of them might make the leap to Super Saiyan before thinking about how awesome he would look as a Super Saiyan. After the 1.09.00 Update, the Super Saiyan Awoken Skill can be added to Nappa's custom skillset after it has been purchased for 15 TP Medals in Partner Customization. As a result, Nappa is able to achieve his Super Saiyan form, though due to his baldness only his facial hair changes color, his eyes turn green, and he gains a Super Saiyan aura. Nappa's Super Saiyan Awoken Skill is a single transformation and lacks higher level forms.
Super Saiyan transformation line
Evolution Super Saiyan DBS

The evolution of Super Saiyan

In Dragon Ball Z, the possibility of a power greater than that of a Super Saiyan is first theorized in the episode "Laboratory Basement", when Krillin and Future Trunks contemplate how Vegeta plans on retaining his dominance in power among the Z Fighters. The first of these new heights in power is the Super Saiyan Second Grade stage obtained by Vegeta, Future Trunks and, later, Goku. This technique (as well as the Super Saiyan Third Grade technique that follows) is essentially a method of enhancing the abilities of a Super Saiyan, rather than a complete departure from it in favor of newer and more unique power. It is not until the Cell Games that this uncharted level of power makes its debut, in the form of Super Saiyan 2. Saiyan characters continue pushing their limits during the series, ultimately discovering a third level.
SSs(SupplDaiz)

Super Saiyan forms (Supplemental Daizenshuu)

Super Saiyan: The standard Super Saiyan transformation. It is achieved when a powerful Saiyan reaches varying levels of anger, as shown by Goku when Frieza killed Krillin, and Vegeta when Goku surpassed his abilities, though some half-Saiyan hybrids have been shown to attain the form without any stressful circumstances. In some media, Super Saiyan Rosé is simply Goku Black's version of this form, however, Akira Toriyama's own notes on the Super Saiyan Rosé form state it is a Super Saiyan of a slightly different color, separate from Black's ordinary Super Saiyan form.
    Pseudo Super Saiyan: A movie only pseudo-Super Saiyan form[43] with an orange-yellowish surge of aura. It only appears in the movie Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug. It was originally conceived as being the Super Saiyan form but was later re-labeled as "Pseudo Super Saiyan" when the true Super Saiyan form was shown.
    Power Stressed: The results of a forced power output increase in the initial Super Saiyan form.
        Super Saiyan Second Grade: An advancement in the power of the original Super Saiyan state. This is Vegeta's primary state in the Perfect Cell Saga.
        Super Saiyan Third Grade: An even stronger advancement in the power of the original Super Saiyan state, however, it lacks speed as increased muscle size restricts movement. Future Trunks uses this form in the Perfect Cell Saga. 
    Super Saiyan Full Power: A form identical to the first grade of Super Saiyan in almost every way. However, unlike the first grade, it possesses great ki control and removes the restless feeling of the form, making it like a natural state. Goku and Gohan would be the first to master this state during their training in the Perfect Cell Saga.
    Super Saiyan with the mastered energies of a god: A powered-up version of the Super Saiyan form which acts as the predecessor to Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan. Once the user of this state manages to get it to a high enough level of power, it evolves into the Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan form, and thus re-allows access to the ordinary Super Saiyan form. Goku gained this state by retaining the strength of Super Saiyan God in his Super Saiyan form, while Goku Black gained it through a near-death power up.
    Broly-type Super Saiyan:[3] The heightened Super Saiyan forms only displayed by Broly and his clone noted to be a different evolution of Super Saiyan from the graded forms and levels 2 and 3.
        Super Saiyan A-type: Broly's Super Saiyan in his first appearance has blue and/or purple hair due to the use of a Mind Control Device.[3]
        Super Saiyan C-type: Broly's golden-haired Super Saiyan form, while seemingly identical to the ordinary Super Saiyan form, it is an evolution of the ordinary Super Saiyan form.[3]
        Legendary Super Saiyan: This form is the Final Form of the ordinary Super Saiyan state. 

Super Saiyan SSG

Future Trunks as a Super Saiyan Anger

Super Saiyan 2: The second Super Saiyan transformation. Achieved either through intense rage, or training. Further intense training allows the user to power their Super Saiyan 2 form up to Super Saiyan 3 level power.
    Legendary Super Saiyan 2: This form is the Final Form of the Super Saiyan 2 state.
    Super Saiyan Anger: A massively powered-up Super Saiyan 2 form displayed in the Dragon Ball Super anime. The transformation is gained when the user already possesses the Super Saiyan 2 form, and then undergoes an extreme burst of rage.
    Super Saiyan: Berserk: A berserk version of Super Saiyan 2. 
Super Saiyan 3: The third Super Saiyan transformation. Achieved through training.
    Legendary Super Saiyan 3: The Final Form of the Super Saiyan 3 state. 

While not normally said to be part of the main Super Saiyan line, in the Dragon Ball Super manga Goku Black refers to Super Saiyan God and the Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan forms as Super Saiyan forms, implying that these forms are part of the normal Super Saiyan transformation line.
Hybrid forms

Spirit Bomb Super Saiyan: The result of a Super Saiyan form absorbing a Spirit Bomb. This form has been utilized with the first, standard Super Saiyan form as well as the Super Saiyan Anger form
Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan: A hybrid Super Saiyan form which is the result of a Saiyan combining the power of Super Saiyan God with the first Super Saiyan form. The color of the resulting form differs depending on whether the user is mortal or an actual deity when obtaining the form. Introduced in Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’.
    Super Saiyan Blue: The result of a mortal Saiyan mastering the power of Super Saiyan God and then transforming further into a Super Saiyan, resulting in a new transformation combining these two forms.
        Perfected Super Saiyan Blue: A manga-exclusive form in which the user seals the overflowing power of the Super Saiyan Blue form inside themselves, allowing them to constantly utilize the form's full power.
        Super Saiyan God SS・Shinka: A form beyond Super Saiyan Blue achieved when a Super Saiyan Blue breaks their limits. 
    Super Saiyan Rosé: A Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan form that can only possibly be obtained by Saiyans who are actual deities. The transformations alternate coloration in contrast to Super Saiyan Blue is due to its user being an actual god with natural Godly Ki when they obtained the form. In the anime, the users of this form also gain access to a special ability to refine their ki to alter the shape, length, and features to many of the user's techniques. 
Golden Great Ape and its final form equivalent: A Saiyan Great Ape transformed into a Super Saiyan. Introduced in Vegeta's flashback on Namek in Dragon Ball Z (anime) and appears in Dragon Ball GT.
    Super Saiyan 4: The fourth and chronologically, final Super Saiyan transformation which occurs when a Saiyan is able to regain control while in Golden Great Ape form. Introduced in Dragon Ball GT.
        Ultra-full-power Saiyan 4: An enhanced version of the Super Saiyan 4 form, where the user gathers an extreme amount of energy, pushing themselves dangerously beyond their normal limits for a brief period of time.
        Super Saiyan 4 Full Power: An enhanced version of the Legendary Super Saiyan 4 variant of the form attained by Broly. 
Tuffleized Super Saiyan: A white-haired variant of the Super Saiyan form used by a fully Tuffleized Saiyan. A user of this form can ascend further into the Strongest Forms by obtaining more energy. Introduced in Dragon Ball GT.
    Strongest Form 1: The Saiyan-Tuffle hybrid's equivalent of the Super Saiyan 2 form. Introduced in Dragon Ball GT.
    Strongest Form 2: The Saiyan-Tuffle hybrid's equivalent of the Super Saiyan 3 form. Introduced in Dragon Ball GT. 
Super Mira: The Demon-Saiyan hybrid version of the first Super Saiyan transformation that replaces the golden glow and green irises with white pointed hair and blood red eyes. Introduced in Dragon Ball Heroes.
    Mira's Final Form: A form used by Mira in Xenoverse 2 in which Mira's hair grows out and white fur covers much of his body much like a Super Saiyan 4 though he lacks a tail and it is the result of Mira absorbing Towa and Tokitoki's Egg, however this absorption was so Mira could evolve himself further indicating that it may be Mira's own unique Demon-Saiyan hybrid version of the Super Saiyan 4 form which may also explain the form's lack of a Saiyan tail. In Heroes, Super Mira can achieve the form by absorbing Demon God Towa. 

Super Saiyan game variations

Several video games introduced alternate variations of the Super Saiyan transformations, which while treated as just "Super Saiyan" in the manga and anime, are featured as different transformations here.

Mainline

GT Super Saiyan: In the Dragon Ball Collectible Card Game only, the Super Saiyan form used by characters in GT is treated as a separate transformation: the "GT Super Saiyan" form. This form multiplies the user's base power by around double (in the dub it is said to power the user up to a hundredfold).
Super Vegeta: An alternative variant of the Super Saiyan form usable by Vegeta and the Future Warrior in Xenoverse, it has greater ki manipulation than a normal Super Saiyan and a different transformation scene.
    Super Vegeta 2: An alternative variant of the Super Saiyan 2 form usable by Vegeta and the Future Warrior in Xenoverse, it has greater ki manipulation than a normal Super Saiyan 2 and a different transformation scene. 
Future Super Saiyan: An alternative variant of the Super Saiyan form used by Future Trunks, Xeno Trunks, and Future Gohan in Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, which the Saiyan Future Warrior can also use. This transformation has a greater ki recovery than a normal Super Saiyan. This transformation's stance is taken from Future Gohan when he transformed during his initial fight with the Androids in the Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks TV special. 

Hybrid forms

Chara

Karoly in his Super Saiyan and Legendary Super Saiyan hybrid form

Villainous Mode (Super Saiyan): A Villainous Mode enhanced Super Saiyan form used by Future Trunks and Gotenks, it has the appearance of Super Saiyan 3 when used by Gotenks. In Xenoverse 2 it is used by Teen Gohan in a parallel quest.
    Villainous Mode (Super Saiyan 2): A Villainous Mode enhanced Super Saiyan 2 form used by Vegeta and Gohan, it has the appearance of Potential Unleashed when used by Gohan. 
Broly•Supervillain: A Supervillain Mode enhanced version of the Legendary Super Saiyan form used by Broly after having some of his life shaved off to increase his power. In the first phase, he gains glowing eyes and a dark black & white aura though it simply acts as a powered-up version of his Legendary Super Saiyan form and only becomes a true hybrid transformation until it reaches the second phase. In the second phase, his body transforms causing his eyes to glow pink and gain a glowing Time Breaker infinity symbol on his forehead, while his hair to turn white while his skin and clothing to become luminously pale, as well as emitting a more intense black & white aura. The second phase is playable in Xenoverse 2.
Fusion Super Saiyan forms: Several apparent hybrid Super Saiyan forms created via fusion, which only appear in Dragon Ball Fusions.