There is no image more synonymous with Dragon Ball than that of Super Saiyan Goku. The Super Saiyan transformation is iconic and has influenced other Shōnen battle anime over the past few decades. Despite this, she has become largely irrelevant within the franchise itself.
In modern Dragon Ball, transformations like Ultra Instinct and Beast Gohan have completely eclipsed Super Saiyan in terms of prominence. Dragon Ball DAIMA is a completely different type of series from Dragon Ball Super and has the chance to put the franchise’s biggest transformation front and center where it belongs. As an anime less concerned with ever-higher stakes and power levels, it may go back to the primary transformation used by the Saiyans.
The Super Saiyan Transformation is the Best in Dragon Ball
The concept of Super Saiyans is first introduced in the Frieza Saga. Vegeta spends most of the arc promoting the legend of super-powered Saiyans that only appear once in a thousand years, and trying to become one so he can defeat Frieza. At many points, he mistakenly believes that either himself or Goku have become Super Saiyans, as he is no frame of reference for what one should look like. When Goku first transforms into a Super Saiyan after Frieza kills Krillin, it’s the culmination of all that build-up, as well as everything Goku’s ever been through, and it’s awe-inspiring at the same time. The power that Super Saiyan Goku displays is incredible as he destroys the previously invincible Frieza, and there is a sense that this is the pinnacle of what he is capable of.
The Cell sagas and Buu sagas are often said to have devalued the Super Saiyan form, but while this was somewhat true, Akira Toriyama could not continue the series without changing what he represented. As much as Super Saiyans become a dominant force in the final arcs of Dragon Ball Z, future series, and all extended media, it’s notable that Goku doesn’t become one until nearly two-thirds of the way through the original Dragon Ball manga. Due to how instantly popular the form was, and the ever-growing popularity of the series, which meant there was no chance of it ending after the Frieza Saga, it had to be quickly integrated into the pre-existing formula. The Cell Saga does this very well for the most part, Super Saiyan Future Trunks made the most shocking and awesome entry into anime in a way that makes fans praise more Super Saiyans instead of being upset that it’s no longer legendary. transformation of the myth. Vegeta and Gohan’s first transformations don’t approach Goku or Future Trunks in emotional impact, but they work in their own way. Super Saiyan Vegeta shows how dangerous this power is in the hands of someone like him, and Super Saiyan Gohan’s debut is purposefully subdued as it’s just a setup for Gohan to reach Super Saiyan 2.
Super Saiyan 2 may technically be a unique transformation, but stylistically and in terms of how it is achieved, it is an improved form of Super Saiyan. It may be a more powerful upgrade than Super Saiyan Grade 2 or Grade 3, but that’s still about it. The Buu Saga continues with the introduction of Super Saiyan 3, and while it’s the first truly distinctive new form since the Frieza Saga, it doesn’t overshadow the Super Saiyan form. Both Super Saiyan 3 Goku and Super Saiyan 3 Gotenks fail in their intended targets, and Buu is ultimately defeated by a combination of techniques, Fusion and Spirit Bomb, rather than a specific form. Super Saiyan may not be the all-powerful transformation it once seemed to be at the end of Dragon Ball Z, but no other form will ever replace it.
Modern Dragon Ball Has Made Super Saiyan Useless
Since the beginning of Dragon Ball Super, the Super Saiyan transformation has become more and more of an afterthought. In order to fight Beerus, Goku unlocks the Super Saiyan God form. Despite having “Super Saiyan” in the name, the Super Saiyan God has little in common with the classic transformation, with different characteristics and a significantly different appearance. Super Saiyan Blue, a combination of Super Saiyan God and Super Saiyan, is more similar and gives the traditional Super Saiyan hairstyle. However, the lack of narrative weight behind Goku and Vegeta reaching form and her frequent setbacks against the main villains feels more like a cheap shot than anything else. Super Saiyan becomes nothing more than a form Goku uses to test his opponents, while his more powerful and practical transformations either render her useless or actively serve as a mockery of her.
Over the past few arcs of Dragon Ball Super, Goku, Vegeta, and Gohan have achieved forms that separate from the Super Saiyan brand. Goku now uses Ultra Instinct, Vegeta has Ultra Ego, and Gohan has his Beast form. All of these forms are great and are just the blow the franchise needs. They all have different looks, unique abilities, and are personally tailored to who each character is, and in the case of Goku and Gohan, their initial transformations are masterfully done. The downside of these forms is that they make the Super Saiyan look worse than ever. Not only is it a much worse choice for combat use, but its universal approach as a power-up is conceptually weaker than the latest forms.
Super Saiyan remains the most popular transformation not only in Dragon Ball but also in anime. That doesn’t change the fact that he no longer has a place in the Dragon Ball Super manga and that any appearances he makes now are purely for the fans. It might be the most characters like Goten and Trunks you can use, but they’ve failed to be relevant or distinctive since the Buu Saga. With Broly now part of the team with his personalized Super Saiyan version, and even the non-Saiyan Piccolo getting his orange form, it’s clear that personalized transformations are the future of the franchise moving forward. Golden spiky hair no longer helps the heroes win fights, and in 2024 they don’t have the same impact as they did in 1991. Dragon Ball no longer respects Super Saiyans, so it’s a tough task for fans to respect them as well.
Dragon Ball DAIMA Can Restore Super Saiyan to its Former Glory
Dragon Ball DAIMA is set to take the franchise in a radical new direction. The series will follow Goku and the rest of the Dragon Team as they are shrunk by a mysterious new evil and work to set things right. Set in the fall of 2024, the anime looks to be the most daring of the series since the original Dragon Ball, with this intent evident in the art style, Goku’s appearance, and the return of Goku’s classic signature weapon, the Power Pole. In the Dragon Ball DAIMA trailer, Goku is seen in his Super Saiyan form. This could potentially mean little as Goku continued to use Super Saiyan while sensing his opponents in Dragon Ball Super. However, since none of his other forms are anywhere to be seen, it’s equally possible that this could be his main transformation in the series.