Beyond 9,000: Every Dragon Ball Character Who Can Go Super Saiyan, Explained

Dragon Ball is one of the greatest anime series of all time. It has set the standard for the art form of anime in a couple of key areas. The franchise has some of the best fights in anime history, one of the best stories, and incredible characters that are always a treat whenever they appear on-screen. One of Dragon Ball's greatest strengths is its legendary transformations, and no transformation is more iconic than the Super Saiyan form.

The Super Saiyan form can be unlocked when a Saiyan (or anyone with S-Cells) experiences rage at unbelievably high levels. Once they reach that threshold, they can tap into their latent power and unlock the amazing form. While the series started with only a few characters being capable of the form, since Dragon Ball Super finished, there are more than a handful of characters who can turn their hair gold and increase their power levels to previously impossible levels.

20 Yamoshi

The Super Saiyan of Legend

Yamoshi is one of the Saiyans of old. He's never shown on-screen the same way the other characters are, but his Super Saiyan form was the inspiration for all the Saiyans who have come after him.

Yamoshi turned Super Saiyan when taking on a bad batch of Saiyans. By tapping into his latent abilites, he became Super Saiyan, slaughtering a group of evil Saiyans and setting the standard for all who came after him.

19 Bardock

Arguably Canon, Inarguably Amazing

While Bardock's Super Saiyan form is decidedly non-canonical, its excellence is unquestionable. Bardock is Goku's (and Raditz's) father, and according to Dragon Ball: Episode of Bardock, he could have been one of the first Saiyans to achieve the Super Saiyan status had he lived through the Saiyan genocide. During Bardock's fight against Frieza's ancestor Chilled on the Planet Plant, Bardock turns Super Saiyan to defend the planet's inhabitants against the tyrant once and for all.

18 Goku

The Greatest Saiyan of All Time

Goku is one of the most popular anime characters of all time for several great reasons. He's honest, powerful, and his transformation into the Super Saiyan form is one of the most iconic ever.

During a fight against Frieza on Namek, Goku transformed into the Super Saiyan form after Frieza killed his best friend, Krillin, right in front of him, and he's only gotten stronger since.

17 Future Gohan

His Sacrifice Wasn't In Vain

Measuring the future timeline with the main timeline gets messy, but technically, Future Gohan is the next Saiyan in line to go Super. Future Gohan's death is one of the darkest moments in all Dragon Ball. Before he died, however, he was one of Earth's last defenders with Trunks. He laid down his life to protect Trunks, a sacrifice that wasn't in vain as Trunks would prove invaluable to stopping the androids and eventually Cell.

16 Future Trunks

One of the Coolest Characters in Anime

Future Trunks is one of the coolest characters in anime, and it all started in the future. He's from a timeline where the Z Fighters lost to the Androids. He first reached the Super Saiyan form after Future Gohan laid down his life to protect him. He finds his master's body lying face down in a puddle, screams into the air, and becomes a Super Saiyan.

15 Vegeta

The Prince of All Saiyans

Vegeta is one of the best anti-heroes in anime. He starts the series as one of the scariest villains imaginable before becoming a fervent defender of the same planet he once tried to destroy. Vegeta's transformation into the Super Saiyan state is a brutal one. He trained intensely, flew to an alien planet, and gave up all of his hope, ironically reaching the Super Saiyan form after he decided he didn't care anymore.

14 Gohan

The First to Reach Super Saiyan 2

A lot was thrust onto Gohan's plate in the regular timeline. He really only wants to study, but because his dad is the Earth's strongest fighter, he kind of has to fight too.

Gohan and Goku train for an entire year in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber to get ready for Cell. During that time, Gohan was able to become the youngest Super Saiyan ever, until his brother came into the picture.

13 Cell

S-Cells Run Through His Body

Cell is an interesting character who can use the Super Saiyan state because he technically isn't a Saiyan. He has Saiyan cells in his body, and because of them, he can go Super Saiyan.

It's hard to tell exactly when Cell was able to achieve the Super Saiyan form, but it was most likely after he became Perfect Cell. As Super Perfect Cell, he was able to go Super Saiyan 2.

12 Trunks

The Son of a Prince

Trunks in the regular timeline was able to go Super Saiyan way before his future counterpart. Future Trunks went Super Saiyan in his teens, while regular Trunks achieved the same form at the age of eight.

Trunks' first ever Super Saiyan moment was never on-screen, but he did surprise Vegeta with the form one day when they were training together, marking the young Saiyan as a child-prodigy who could even surpass his father in strength.

11 Goten

Goku's Second Son

Canonically, Goten is the youngest Saiyan to ever go Super. He achieves the form at just seven years old, blowing his dad, older brother, and even Vegeta out of the water.

​​​​​​​While Gohan is training one day, Goten turns Super Saiyan out of nowhere. While impressed, Gohan is a little disappointed by his brother's transformation, only because it means he no longer holds the title of the youngest Super Saiyan.

10 Gotenks

The First (Canon) Fusion in Dragon Ball

Gotenks was one of the strongest characters in Dragon Ball when he first made his appearance. He's a fusion of Trunks and Goten using the Metamoran Fusion Dance.

​​​​​​​Gotenks was surprisingly strong when he first came into the franchise. But it makes sense, as he isn't Trunks' and Goten's power added together, but their power multiplied together.

9 Vegito

Goku and Vegeta's Potara Earrings Transformation

The Buu Saga was all about the best transformations in Dragon Ball, and one of the best came when Goku and Vegeta fused into Vegito. ​​​​​​​Not only was Vegito the Potara earrings fusion of the two strong Saiyans, but even he could tap into the legendary Super Saiyan form. He wasn't able to beat Buu, but he got close.

8 Goku Black

The First and Only Use of Super Saiyan Rosé

It's not often that a villain in Dragon Ball can go Super Saiyan, as most of the Saiyans fight for good. When Zamasu took Goku's body, he was able to achieve the Super Saiyan Rosé state. Super Saiyan Rosé is the god version of the Super Saiyan Blue form. Zamasu is the only person capable of achieving it because he was a god inside of Goku's body.

7 Fused Zamasu

Zamasu + Goku Black = Unreal Power

​​​​​​​Fused Zamasu is a Potara earring combination of Goku Black and Zamasu from a future timeline. He's basically Zamasu squared.

​​​​​​​Fused Zamasu was able to achieve the Super Saiyan Rosé form easily because Goku Black was in it when they fused together.

6 Cabba

Vegeta's Pupil

Cabba was the first Saiyan from Universe 6 that the Saiyans of Universe 7 got to meet. He's kind, honest, and hardworking, making his Super Saiyan transformation even more satisfying. ​​​​​​​During a fight against Vegeta, the Prince of all Saiyans threatens to blow up Cabba's home world. Cabba doesn't take the threat lightly, becoming the first known Saiyan from Universe 6 to become Super.

5 Caulifla

One of Universe 6's Strongest

Caulifla is one of the strongest Saiyans from Universe 6. She leads a rough-and-tumble gang, but even she couldn't help her curiosity when she saw Cabba become Super Saiyan. ​​​​​​​After training with Cabba, she was able to achieve the Super Saiyan form for herself, becoming the first female in the franchise to do so.

4 Kale

The Legendary Super Saiyan of Universe 6

Broly isn't the only Super Saiyan capable of achieving the Legendary form. Kale is the Legendary Super Saiyan from Universe 6. ​​​​​​​She first reaches the form when Cabba is trying to teach Caulifla about it, but she goes into the Berserker Mode, proving herself an immediate asset in the upcoming Tournament of Power.

3 Kefla

The First Fused Legendary Super Saiyan

Kefla is an awesome character in Dragon Ball Super. Not only is she the first fused female fighter of the franchise, she's also the first canon fused Legendary Super Saiyan. ​​​​​​​Kefla is the Potara earnings fusion of Caulifa and Kale. She's incredibly strong, and one of the few characters to get the Legendary Super Saiyan form under control.

2 Broly

Universe 7's Legendary Super Saiyan

Like Future Trunks, Broly is another one of the coolest characters in anime. He's the definition of bersek, and his addition to the Dragon Ball canon is one of the best choices creator Akira Toriyama ever made. Broly was introduced in Dragon Ball Super: Broly. He's Universe 7's Legendary Super Saiyan, and he's so strong that Goku and Vegeta had to fuse to beat him.

1 Gogeta

Arguably the Strongest Mortal in Dragon Ball

Gogeta is the final character (so far) to reach Super Saiyan status. He's the Metamoran Fusion Dance combination of Goku and Vegeta, and he packs a punch. Like Broly, Gogeta's addition to Dragon Ball canon is excellent. He's a witty, devastating character who took care of the behemoth Broly without much effort, once he was in his Super Saiyan Blue state that is.​​​​​​​