Every Form Stronger Than Super Saiyan In Official Dragon Ball Lore

1 hour ago 16

Published Sep 27, 2026, 3:00 PM EDT

Since graduating from The Los Angeles Film School, Jason has worked as an editor for the local news, as well as a producer of several short films and podcasts. His extensive knowledge of film production and narrative storytelling has enabled him to travel the world, writing about the projects he is passionate about in the realms of film, anime, and gaming.
"Every Day Is A Level Up"

One of the Dragon Ball franchise's most popular aspects is its transformations, and while the Super Saiyan form is arguably its most iconic, the heroes have unlocked even more powerful forms. The Dragon Ball Z section of the story saw consistent upgrades to the legendary Super Saiyan transformations, but its later series introduced better.

When Dragon Ball Super first began, it had to make a big impression for its long-awaited return. The God of Destruction, Beerus, represented a divine threat that Earth had never seen before, and Goku's Super Saiyan one through three transformations proved to be nowhere near enough to challenge The Destroyer. Earth's heroes were able to find a way to survive, but in the classic tradition of the series, the remaining Saiyans and their allies needed to find new ways to keep up with the threats they faced.

Both Goku and Vegeta were able to convince the God of Destruction and his stronger Angel attendant, Whis, to train them to unlock new levels of strength. They did just that and then some throughout the Dragon Ball Super storyline, and thankfully the narrative was able to provide new upgrades for fan-favorite characters besides the two remaining full-blooded Saiyans. Now, the franchise currently has several transformations more powerful than Super Saiyan.

5 The Super Saiyan God Forms Flirt With The Divine

Goku and his friends had fought galactic emperors, killer androids, and planet-breaking foes created from evil magic, but none of them compared to Beerus, The God of Destruction. The divine figure was known for erasing entire solar systems at the slightest inconvenience. That didn’t stop Goku from challenging him in a sparring session that saw even the mighty Super Saiyan 3 form bested with a single tap. Later, in order to save Earth from the Destroyer’s might, Goku needed a power-up that’d be able to put up a better fight. Enter the Super Saiyan God transformation.

With information from Earth’s Eternal Dragon, Goku and his friends were able to complete an ancient ritual that helped unlock a divine power. The red-haired Super Saiyan God form required five good-natured Saiyan’s to pool their energy together into one warrior, and with Goku, it proved to be enough to satisfy Beerus’s hunger for a good fight. Afterward, Goku and Vegeta trained with Beerus and Whis to further develop the Super Saiyan God transformations, allowing them each to control a type of divine energy and even evolve the red form into the more powerful Super Saiyan Blue transformation.

4 Ultra Instinct Ranks Goku With The Gods

While the two full-blooded Saiyan’s trained to master their red and blue Super Saiyan God transformations, Whis educated them about another divine form that even the Gods of Destruction struggle to grasp. Ultra Instinct is a technique that allows the user to battle at their body's full potential on pure reflex without thought. Because Destroyer Gods often have chaotic or destructive minds, they struggle to master Ultra Instinct because it requires extreme calm and a lack of thought to use it at its full potential.

The angels of the Dragon Ball universe serve under the King of All and are in a consistent state of Ultra Instinct. One of Dragon Ball Super’s best moments saw Goku finally begin to tap into the form during the Tournament of Power. As he learned to control it more effectively, it gave him god-like speed, reflexes, and power that allowed him to contend with the multiverse’s strongest warriors and impress the gods in a way no mortal had before. And with more training, Goku has begun to master different alterations of Ultra Instinct, even creating his own rendition.

3 Ultra Ego Makes Vegeta A Destroyer

Image shows a very buff Vegeta emitting purple aura with a confident smile and his fist clenched. His hair is bright puple signalling his Ultra Ego form as Beerus looks determined in the background.

The relationship between Goku and Vegeta is an iconic pairing that's inspired countless other series to introduce rival characters that consistently push each other to be better. After Goku unlocked his Ultra Instinct power-up during the Tournament of Power, it inspired Vegeta to find his upgrade beyond his own evolved version of the Super Saiyan Blue transformation. Since the Prince of Saiyan’s nature was counterintuitive to the divine form of the thoughtless, he was encouraged by the Destroyed God himself to develop a form that leaned into his strengths and ongoing mastery of destroyer energy, and Ultra Ego was born.

While Vegeta began training himself to master new techniques during the next highly anticipated Dragon Ball Super Galactic Patrol anime arc, it was during the following Granola arc when he finally unlocked his own divine transformation. Ultra Ego uses the same destruction energy used by the Gods of Destruction and Vegeta's most violent tendencies to create the purple-haired form that only makes the Saiyan stronger the more damage he takes. It is proof that the Saiyan Prince has been learning a lot from Beerus, and that he is a strong contender to become Universe 7's next God of Destruction.

2 Orange Piccolo Gave Him A Golden Form Beyond Super Saiyan

Orange Piccolo as seen in Dragon Ball Super anime

The franchise has often had a hard time keeping Akira Toriyama's favorite character Piccolo relevant with the consistent power-ups his allies develop. Thankfully, the Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero arc finally gave the character the focus and upgrade he's desperately needed. With the help of Earth's newer Guardian Dende and its Eternal Dragon, Piccolo was able to unlock his potential, much like Gohan and Krillin did during the Namek arc. However, he was given “something extra” from Shenron that pushed him to a level of strength that rivals Goku and Vegeta's divine forms, and could easily trounce any Super Saiyan.

Dragon Ball · Character Profile Which Dragon Ball Character Are You? “Power comes in response to a need, not a desire.”

👊 Goku The Fighter

👑 Vegeta The Prince

🧘 Piccolo The Mentor

POWER UP →

A powerful new enemy appears. What’s your first reaction?

AThis is amazing! I can’t wait to fight them and see how strong they are! BI’ll defeat them myself. No one else is worthy of the challenge. CWe need a plan. Rushing in blindly is how people get killed.

How do you train for an upcoming battle?

AFind the strongest sparring partner I can and push myself past my limits every day BTrain alone in isolation — I don’t need anyone holding me back CMeditate, study the enemy’s weaknesses, and train the younger fighters so they’re ready too

Your team is losing a fight. What do you do?

AJump in front of everyone — I’ll take the hits so my friends can regroup BGet angry. I refuse to lose — my pride won’t allow it. I’ll surpass my limits right here. CFall back and coordinate — someone needs to think clearly while everyone else is panicking

A rival challenges you to a one-on-one fight. How do you respond?

AAbsolutely! Let’s go right now — no holding back! BFinally, a chance to prove I am the strongest. I accept — and I will crush you. CIf it serves a purpose, fine. But pointless fighting is a waste of energy.

An old enemy offers to join your side. What do you do?

AI don’t trust them — once an enemy, always an enemy. They’ll betray us. BSure! Everyone deserves a second chance. The more friends the better! CI’ll allow it, but I’m watching them closely. Trust is earned, not given.

What’s your biggest weakness?

AI’m too trusting and sometimes let enemies power up just for the thrill of the fight BMy pride — I’d rather die than accept help from someone else CI keep everyone at arm’s length — caring about people is a liability I struggle with

You sense a massive power level approaching Earth. What’s your move?

AFly straight toward it — I want to meet them first and see what they’re made of BPrepare myself — if this threat is real, I’ll be the one to destroy it CGather the fighters, assess the threat, and make sure the people I protect are safe first

What drives you more than anything?

AProtecting those who can’t protect themselves — someone has to be the responsible one BThe thrill of getting stronger — there’s always a new level to reach, a new challenge to find CProving my worth — I am the Prince of all Saiyans, and I will surpass everyone

REVEAL MY CHARACTER →

Power Level Scanned Your Dragon Ball Identity

👊

Goku

“I am the hope of the universe. I am the answer to all living things that cry out for peace.” You’re a pure-hearted warrior who lives for the thrill of the fight. Every challenge is an opportunity, every enemy a potential friend, and every defeat just fuel to come back stronger. People are drawn to your infectious optimism and unbreakable spirit, even when your naivety drives them crazy. You’d give your last Senzu Bean to a stranger and charge headfirst into a battle you can’t win — not because you’re reckless, but because you genuinely believe that pushing past your limits is the only way to grow. Like Goku, your greatest power isn’t your ki — it’s your ability to inspire everyone around you to be better.

Pure-Hearted Fearless Limitless Inspiring

👑

Vegeta

“I do not fear this new challenge. Rather like a true warrior, I will rise to meet it.” You carry yourself with the pride of royalty and the ferocity of a born warrior. Second place is not in your vocabulary, and you’d rather break your body than your spirit. People might call you arrogant, but beneath that iron exterior lies someone who has learned to fight not just for themselves, but for the people they’ve quietly grown to love. Your journey is one of evolution — from cold-blooded conqueror to Earth’s fiercest protector — and every scar you carry is proof that pride and love can coexist. Like Vegeta, you don’t just want to be the strongest — you need to earn it on your own terms.

Proud Relentless Fierce Evolving

🧘

Piccolo

“Sometimes, we have to look beyond what we want and do what’s best.” You’re the one everyone depends on when things fall apart — the calm center in the middle of chaos. While others charge in recklessly or let their ego do the talking, you see the bigger picture and make the hard calls that need making. You didn’t choose to care about people, but somewhere along the way it happened, and now you’d sacrifice everything for those you’ve taken under your wing. Stoic on the surface, deeply loyal underneath, you’re the mentor, the strategist, and the last line of defense all in one. Like Piccolo, your true strength is wisdom — and the courage to do what’s right even when no one is watching.

Wise Tactical Protective Stoic

↻ PLAY AGAIN

After Dr.Gero's grandson created new androids, Piccolo had to find a way to get stronger, and with his potential unleashed, he was able to put up a better fight against them, but it wasn't enough to win. Just as he was able to fall, Shenron's extra gift kicked in, and with it an eruption of energy shot into space, nearly blinding everyone around it, and out of the brilliant aura stepped Orange Piccolo.

The Namekian's latest form significantly bulked the warrior up and made him a lot taller and far more resilient, allowing him to tank punches that once sent him flying. According to Akira Toriyama, the transformation finally put the former villain in a similar league as Goku, Vegeta, and Gohan, and Dragon Ball fans are more than anxious to see more of it in action.

1 Gohan's Found Multiple Ways To Surpass His Super Saiyan Heritage

Screenshot from Dragon Ball Super Hero movie shows Beast Gohan raising his arm into the air while white and red lightning forms around him before he launches the special beam cannon.

Goku isn't the only one in his family who has found ways to evolve past the Super Saiyan transformation. In one of Dragon Ball Z's best moments, Gohan became the first Saiyan to ever unlock the Super Saiyan 2 form, but several years after that, during the Buu arc, he needed something stronger to help save the universe. With help from the Supreme and Elder Kai, he unlocked his Ultimate Gohan form, which tapped into his considerable latent powers. But Dragon Ball Super revealed that was only the tip of the iceberg of Gohan's true potential.

Gohan has unfortunately had to deal with several traumatizing moments that eventually pushed him to new heights, but one of the latest Dragon Ball Super arcs saw the Saiyan-Human hybrid unlock a form so mighty that it's able to contend with Goku's Ultra Instinct. Beast Gohan is arguably the most powerful transformation the Dragon Ball franchise has seen yet and is something that Goku or Vegeta can never learn. It's the result of Gohan's Saiyan/Human genetics combined with his latent power. It's a power that's even impressed the likes of Beerus and Whis.