By 
Yesterday, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero was premiered at Japanese cinemas, alongside the appearance of a new transformation. Taking advantage of this situation, I’ve decided to recapitulate every single transformation and technique in Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, Dragon Ball Super y Super Dragon Ball Heroes that increments the power level of the user.
1. Super Saiyan and Pseudo Super Saiyan
The most known transformation of them all, which even the people who confuse Goku with Luffy know of it, is the Super Saiyan transformation.
At the start of Dragon Ball Z, during the Namek Saga, Goku transformed into a Super Saiyan after feeling great hate towards Freezer, when he assassinated Goku’s best friend Kulilin. This is how the way of achieving this transformation was introduced into the franchise; Vegeta obtained it once he accepted his own limitations and felt self-loathing, and Gohan acquired it after imagining Freezer murdering his friends and family in cold blood.
The most notable characteristic of this transformation (and practically the most notable of every transformation in this list) is that at first, when you unlock it and without it being trained, you feel angry at someone or several individuals for no real reason.
Pseudo Super Saiyan is a version of Super Saiyan that appeared in the movie Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug, where Goku used it briefly to break Lord Slug’s arm and use him to mop the floor. Its appearance was very brief, lasting a few minutes, but it left many fans thoughtful about its existence and functionality.
The majority of people think that the power multiplier of the Super Saiyan transformation is of 50 times the base form, due to Goku stating he felt 50 times as powerful when he faced off against Freezer.
Keep in mind that this is the only time where (in the series or movies) they ever speak about the power multiplier, and that despite what Goku said, it could be a rough calculation and that the form doesn’t actually increase one’s power by such a wide margin.
Now comes the complicated part. Because of the ”grand potential” of the human-saiyan hybrids (Gohan, Goten, Trunks, etc), they are supposedly more (naturally) powerful and have an easier time unlocking transformations. This was introduced for the first time when Gohan showed impressive bursts of power for someone of his age, but it was mainly used so that Gohan could achieve Super Saiyan and Super Saiyan 2 in his fight against Cell.
Thanks to how Akira Toriyama wrote the story, we, as fans, were content with this small tweak to gift power to the characters.
Now we head into the Buu Saga… This Saga of Dragon Ball Z is considered the worst of them all. One of the greatest mistakes of this Saga, which angered everyone, was the bargain sale of the Super Saiyan transformation. This happened when, out of nowhere, Trunks and Goten had the transformation.
Yes, its true that Trunks had been trained by his father, Vegeta, so that he could be stronger than Goten. But that isn’t enough. Gohan, even though he achieved the form with 10 years of age (Goten and Trunks at 7), spent 2 years straight training hard with his father in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber/Room of Spirit and Time, an endless white void, so as to save the planet from Cell’s wrath.
And what bothered everyone the most was that, even with Super Saiyan, Goten and Trunks didn’t contribute anything to the story. Their battle against Buu was not only ridiculous, but a failure due to their inability to take things seriously.
Akira Toriyama explained this non-necessary increase in power years later, in Dragon Ball Super, by introducing S-Cells. The more you have, the easier it is to turn into a Super Saiyan (and 2 and 3), and the more you train, the more that are produced. Of course, with them being cells, your children would logically inheret them. That’s why, two 7 year olds that had barely trained in their lives, could access this magnificent power.
After years of complaints, the fans were satisfied that the writers had heard them, and would keep them in mind for Dragon Ball Super. Afterwards, the writers, doing the exact same thing but in an even worse way, introduced Cabba and Caulifla.
With Cabba at least they tried, as he transformed for the first time when Vegeta threatened him with destroying his planet.
With Caulifla… Suddenly she feels a tingly sensation in her back, and ¡Bam! Super Saiyan. An episode later (literally), Caulifla would transform into a Super Saiyan 2.
Just to be clear: I am complaining about how these characters achieved the transformation, not about the characters themselves.
2. Super Saiyan 2
Now we move onto the level superior to Super Saiyan: Super Saiyan 2.
In this transformation, the hair is more pointed and there’s electricity cackling in the aura. Also, it’s twice as strong as a Super Saiyan 1. Various fans place the power amplifier at 100 times your base power (I repeat, this is something considered by the fans. There are no official numbers).
The first to achieve Super Saiyajin 2 was Son Gohan, in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, and subsequently against Cell and his Cell Juniors.
It works exactly like Super Saiyan, apart from the physical differences and the increase in power.
Besides Gohan, only Goku and Vegeta have Super Saiyajin 2, unlocking it in the 7 year time skip after the defeat of Cell and before Buu’s reawakening. Gotenks, the fusion of Goten and Trunks, can also access this transformation, but Goten and Trunks, individually, can’t.
3. Super Saiyan 3
The third transformation, Super Saiyan 3, has so far only been utilized by Goku (not counting Gotenks, a fusion). The reason as to why nobody else has tried getting it is because of a grave disadvantage this transformation presents: while using it, you run out of stamina extremely fast. That’s why not even Vegeta has bothered in trying to unlock it. This form is good for rapid attacks and if you want to end the fight quickly, but, like I said before, it’ll drain all your energy in an instant.
In relation to its power, people think that it amplifies one’s power by 400 times, the quadruple of the Super Saiyan 2 power boost.
Its physical aspect consists of very, very long hair (so long that I’m surprised that no villain has tried grabbing Goku’s hair in a fight) and a lack of eyebrows.
Sadly, this transformation lost all its value when the characters refused to train it and get rid of its stamina drainage. However, the killing blow to this form was when they introduced Beerus for the first time, and he knocks out Super Saiyan 3 Goku in two measly hits. Rest in peace, Super Saiyan 3.
4. Grados 1-4
Grades 1 to 4 of a Super Saiyan transformation aren’t actually transformations, but variations of the three transformations mentioned earlier (even though in the entire franchise, they are only seen applied to Super Saiyan 1).
Grado 1 of a transformation is the transformation itself when you first unlock it and you haven’t trained it at all. Due to this lack of training, energy is rapidly lost, you aren’t used to using it (much less fighting in it), it’s difficult to start using it and stop using it whenever you wish, you are full of anger towards anyone and everyone, etc.
It is, basically, the most unstable version of a Super Saiyan form.
Grade 2 is more stable but you still lose energy and your emotions still run rampant around your head. The only difference between this and Grade 1 is that you sacrifice speed for strength, adquiring a form more muscular and heavy.
Grade 3 is a more extreme version of Grade 2.
And finally, Grado 4. This form is also known as the ‘mastered’ version of a Super Saiyan transformation. In it, the energy loss is at a minimum, and your mind is 100% calm/normal. Speed isn’t sacrificed for strength or any other weird thing; its the most complete version of a transformation.
5. Perfected transformation
Remember when I said that Grade 4 was the most complete version of a transformation?
Well I lied, more or less.
A perfected transformation is when you don’t liberate any ki when you utilize it. Absolutely nothing. Zero. Because of this, the transformation doesn’t have an aura.
The only example of a perfected form is the Super Saiyan Blue of Goku and Vegeta in the manga (in the anime they obtain Super Saiyan Blue Kaioken/Evolution).
The difference in power with other transformations is that when you ”trap” your aura within you, using all your energy at its maximum, it lets you use the transformation in its best state indefinetly.
Even though it sound very similar to Grade 4, the key difference (and the only difference) is that you always keep your ki inside you, which requieres a great, constant mental concentration, unlike Grade 4, where your ki leaves yout body in the form of an aura.
Vegeta says that, if you don’t know how to contain your ki properly, and/or your concentration breaks, this will result in a giant explosion of ki, followed by a pain equally painful (that is, if you survive the explosion).
He also stated that this state was a high-risk, high-benefits form, due to your body being able to be permanently paralized if done incorrectly.
Because of this one difference, some people think that it is the same as Grade 4, but applied to Super Saiyan Blue, which utilizes divine ki, which itself is more difficult to manage.
6. Oozaru
The Oozaru is the basic transformation of all Saiyans. Every Saiyan knows of its existence (unless your parents send you off-world when you’re a baby).
It consists of turning into a giant ape by looking at a full moon, but only if you still have your tail. Instead of a full moon, you can also use an artificial one, like the one Vegeta used in the Saiyan Saga, or by been exposed to Blutz waves, which is what the moon emits that triggers the transformation (This last method is exclusive to the universe of GT).
If you cut off an Oozaru’s tail, or you eliminate the source of the Blutz waves, they’ll revert back into their normal Saiyan selves.
Once you transform, your power will increment by 10 times, but your mind will turn into one of a wild, savage and primitive beast. A lot of Saiyans have difficulty controlling their Oozaru states, and a great example of a Saiyan who learnt to keep his personality and thoughts intact when transforming is none other than Vegeta.
7. Golden Oozaru
Most of us have thought, at one point in our lives: What would happen is someone turned into a Super Saiyan while already being an Oozaru?
Well, the series Dragon Ball GT answers our question with not one but two transformations: the Golden Oozaru and Super Saiyan 4, which we will take a look at shortly.
The Golden Oozaru is simply the power of a Super Saiyan on top of the power of an Oozaru. Nothing else. In theory, a Golden Oozaru 2 and 3 could exist, but GT wasn’t that ambicious.
When you transform into a Golden Oozaru and you regain control of your wild side, so when you go back to being a rational being, you will achieve Super Saiyan 4…
Even though the Golden Oozaru is considered to have a power amplification of 500 times the base power, Super Saiyan 4, the controlled version of the Golden Oozaru, has one of 4000 (not confirmed), 10 times more powerful than a Super Saiyan 3 (also not confirmed).
Its red fur and giant hair make it a truly unique transformation. The people disgusted by GT had to admit that this form impressed them.
Because of it being a mix of the Oozaru form and Super Saiyan transformation, people out there would’ve liked that the Universe 6 Saiyans (Cabba, Caulifla, and even Kale) had gotten transformations akin to this one, instead of being gifted the first two levels of Super Saiyan with barely any effort, giving them a form exclusive to them while being powerful and awesome-looking at the same time.
9. Ultra Full Power Saiyan 4
Also known as Super Full Power Saiyan 4, this transformation was acquired by Goku when his friends gave him all their saiya energy (yes, without the ‘n’) that they possessed.
The saiya energy is an internal energy which possess all the members of the Saiyan race, including hybrids like Gohan.
Think of it like the holy ritual to create a Super Saiyan God (from Dragon Ball Super), but in GT. Even so, it’s a bit confusing, because this transformation is acquired after absorbing a minimum of power, so what happens if you absorb even more saiya energy? Will you get an even stronger version of the form? Is there a limit to how much saiya energy you can receive? Frustratingly, it isn’t known, and as a fanatic of Dragon Ball, this drives me crazy.
10. Ultra Full Power Saiyan 4 Limit Breaker
Well, another mouthful of words. Here we go.
Just like Ultra Full Power Saiyan 4, this transformation is derived from the regular Super Saiyan 4, and is obtained the same way as the previous transformation on this list, but by giving even more saiya energy, enough to break one’s limit.
This transformation has only appeared in Super Dragon Ball Heroes, and is the successor of Ultra Full Power Saiyan 4. Instead of mere Super Saiyans, it was Super Saiyan Blue Goku and Vegeta, Super Saiyan God Trunks and Super Saiyan Pan who gave their saiya energy to their Xeno counterparts, so they could reach that level of power.
11. Super Saiyan 4 Full Power
This is the last transformation having anything to do with Super Saiyan 4. I know you’ll probably be tired of this, so I’ll say it very quickly:
Instead of Golden Oozaru + Super Saiyan (Super Saiyan 4), it has to be a Golden Oozaru + Legendary Super Saiyan. That’s it. Only that. Calm down.
This transformation presents a more muscular build than a normal Super Saiyan 4, and more visible veins, but little more regarding the physical appearance.
12. Wrathful state
Now we’ll showcase the transformations belonging to and unique to the Legendary Super Saiyan, the first being the weakest: the wrathful state, from Dragon Ball Super.
It was described by Broly’s father Paragus as a form that utilizes the full power of an Oozaru, but with one’s normal body (without turning into a giant ape).
Along with the Oozaru’s power, you also retain its stupidity and aggressiveness, unless you had learnt how to control yourself. And guess what Broly didn’t do.
It’s physically identical to your everyday body, but with more muscles (delicious, that spinach) and yellow eyes.
It also comes along with a white aura, although this could have been the normal aura of Broly when he used it, instead of something belonging to the transformation.
This transformation was used in sync with Super Saiyan in the movie Dragon Ball Super: Broly
13. Super Saiyan: Full Power
When Broly accessed all the power from the combination of his Super Saiyan form and his Wrathful state, he obtained this green preciosity.
Sporting green hair and aura, along with a not-so-drastic increase in muscle mass, this transformation is not only simple in design, but also in concept: imagine a very strong and very angry Grade 1 Super Saiyan, with green attributes.
This transformation is also owned by Kale, from Universe 6.
In this transformation, one’s power keeps on rising steadily, and can make the user’s body explode from too much power flowing within it if not controlled properly.
14. Legendary Super Saiyan
This transformation is essentially the previous transformation but in Dragon Ball Z, and is almost the same but with a few minor differences, differences which make it an even more powerful and more amazing form.
Its prime characteristic is that, while active, you’re invincible. You don’t receive any damage, and any type of attack is only an inconvenience. The way that they defeated Broly was by launching him into a comet, but extremely high or low temperatures, or high voltages of electricity, would be enough to knock someone using it unconscious, and revert them back into their base form.
Apart from giving you an unbreakable body, the way in which your power increases is different. With the previous transformation, the one from Dragon Ball Super, the increment in power was constant; it grew steadily while Broly was fighting.
In regards to this transformation, the increase in power is also constant, although it is so low that it’s barely noticeable, (this last part was actually a fan invention) and what IS noticed are the sudden jumps in power (e.g. your power being doubled), which only occur if you need that power.
Oh yes, you are also stuck in that form once you activate it, unless you are knocked unconscious.
15. Super Saiyan God, God-like Saiyan and Aura of a God
Super Saiyan God, introduced in the movie Dragon Ball Z: Battle of the Gods, is the combination of your base form with divine ki.
It was acquired by Goku when Shenron told them of the ritual to unlock it, which consists of 5 pure hearted Saiyans giving their energy to a sixth.
A bit weird that it has the ‘‘super’’ in its name, as the only thing that changes in the individual is the type of ki that they use. It doesn’t have anything to do with Super Saiyans.
The God-like Saiyan, also known as Saiyan beyond God, is exactly the same as Super Saiyan God, but with no changes to your appearance (no red hair, eyebrows or pupils) and utilizing the normal, white-outlined aura.
The Aura of a God is a transformation belonging to Toppo, from Universe 11. It consists of using the god ki within him, just like Super Saiyan God.
In any of these transformations, the user can detect and sense godly ki, which is by default impossible for mortals.
In theory, any other transformation can be combined with godly ki to create a brand new, extremely powerful form.
16. Super Saiyan Blue
Super Saiyan Blue, also named Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan, is the combination of the normal Super Saiyan form with divine ki.
The hair, eyebrows and pupils achieve a light blue colour with a rocky aura of that same colour.
That’s it. It’s simply the combination of two already explained and known transformations. Technically, Super Saiyan Blue 2 and 3 should be possible, but with the introduction of Ultra Instinct and Ultra Ego, that possibility flew out the window.
In the manga, Super Saiyan Blue is introduced for the first time by requiring the total tranquility of the user, being totally opposite to the previous Super Saiyan transformations, which require rage to unlock. This is possibly due to godly ki having a more calm nature (possibly also explaining the inactivity of the Kaioshins and the Gods of Destruction).
This very interesting aspect of the transformation was forgotten immediately. Guess the writers really like all that screaming.
17. Super Saiyan Blue Evolution
Super Saiyan Blue Evolution (or Evolved Super Saiyan Blue) is an upgraded version of the Super Saiyan Blue transformation. In this transformation, the power of Vegeta was around the same as Super Saiyan Blue Kaioken x20 Goku.
This transformation, even though it augments the user’s muscles, doesn’t sacrifice speed or agility like one might think (those are also increased). Secondly, it uses less energy than normal Super Saiyan Bluel, and and it is obtained when you break your limits This transformation is very likely due to the god ki present in the Super Saiyan Blue transformation, and not the Super Saiyan part of it. If this is true, then an Evolved Super Saiyan God is possible.
18. Super Saiyan Rosé
A version of Super Saiyan and Super Saiyan Blue belonging only to Goku Black, it is obtained by being a divine being (godly ki is your normal ki since birth/creation, and you don’t have a single trace of normal, mortal ki within you) in the body of a Saiyan, a Saiyan capable of turning into a Super Saiyan.
In terms of power, it is the same as Super Saiyan Blue.
In Super Dragon Ball Heroes, there exists versions 2, 3 and Full Power of this transformation.
19. Ultra Instinct
Now we begin the section of techniques (not forms) that increments the power of the user or gives it other useful qualities. The first on this list is Ultra Instinct.
Ultra Instinct is the permanent form of the angels, and while in it your body will dodge all attacks for you. It consists of your body thinking for itself and acting on pure instinct, without the need of your body having to process what’s going on.
Being a technique, it can be mixed with other transformations and godly ki.
This technique only allows you to dodge a lot more easily, using the speed which you currently possess. Seeing as how Goku’s speed, without any transformation, is miniscule compared to Jiren’s, this probably means that Goku used his godly ki along with Ultra Instinct…
There also exists an Ultra Instinct -Sign-, or Ultra Instinct Omen, an imperfect version of Ultra Instinct, in which your body still dodges like regular U.I. but with a waste of energy comparable to Super Saiyan 3 and a great release of heat from the body.
20. Ultra Ego and forms of Destruction
These techniques use Destroyer Energy, the same energy that utilize and gives power to the Gods of Destruction.
Destruction consists of destroying completely the matter of something or someone.
In Vegeta’s Ultra Ego state, the more hits he received, the more strong he became, and the more energy he achieved to keep on fighting.
The God of Destruction form of Toppo simply gives Toppo destroyer powers, like the hakai. In the manga, Toppo had the Aura of a God instead of this destroyer form, a transformation in which only divine ki is used.
21. Kaioken
The Kaioken was the first ever technique that amplified the power of someone in the entire Dragon Ball franchise (this is without counting the Buff form of Muten Roshi, which only increased his physical strength).
There exists infinite levels of Kaioken, but being able to maintain them and use them is another thing entirely. The Kaioken was invented by King Kai, and is extremely dangerous to whoever uses it, destroying their body unless they train it.
If whoever uses it has enough corporal strength to sustain the pressure, they will only have to occupy themselves with fixing the energy loss issue, similar to Super Saiyan 3.
Like I said before, there are possibly an infinite number of Kaioken levels, each one indicating how much they increase the power of the user (Kaioken x2, x3, x4… etc.), but what isn’t known is how much Kaioken x1 increases one’s power, making people assume a 1.5 times power multiplier.
22. Potential Unleashed
Also known as an Ultimate form, this very powerful form is gained by being the subject of a ritual that only Elder Kai knows, and it lets you use all your potential, biological and ki-wise alike.
For this reason, it can’t be combined with other biological-derived forms like Super Saiyan, as it’s already using all the S-Cells to their maximum.
When Gohan used it for the first time, he was more powerful than a Super Saiyan 3 Goku (who had been training for 7 years non stop) and a Super Buu which had just absorbed a Super Saiyan 3 Gotenks and Piccolo.
23. Beast mode Gohan
This transformation is very recent and appeared for the first time in the movie Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero… You can check out all the information we have on it at our article regarding it.
And that’s it, ladies and gentleman. The 23 principal transformations and techniques in the entire Dragon Ball franchise which increases one’s power.
Translated by: JL Blabble
Comments