Dragon Ball: That’s why the Super Saiyans are so strong

When Son Goku becomes the Super Saiyan, a bright aura surrounds him and his hair and eye color change.

Dragon Ball is all about fighting power and how to increase it. Traditionally, Saiyans like Son Goku or Vegeta have an advantage. They are more powerful than most other fighters, innately, so to speak. Most importantly, they can transform into Super Saiyans. There is an official explanation for this – which has changed a bit over time and caused a lot of excitement among fans.

Dragon Ball: What Are Super Saiyans Anyway?

Son Goku and Vegeta belong to the Saiyan species from the planet Vegeta. So, strictly speaking, they are actually extraterrestrials and are genetically different from humans on Earth.

A Super Saiyan does not just represent a particularly strong Saiyan, but a transformation and a completely new level of power. This goes hand in hand with a cool new look: the black hair suddenly turns yellow and stands on end, and an aura radiates around the figure.

The first transformation into a Super Saiyan of Dragon Ball history is attributed to Son Goku. He was able to release new powers after Freeza killed Goku’s friend Krillin in a fight. This made the Saiyan so angry that he became Super Saiyan:

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That’s why the Super Saiyans in Dragon Ball are so strong

The classic explanation was: Son Goku’s transformation was triggered by anger combined with his nature. This means that the death of his friend Krillin and the anger and sadness that accompanied it was a crucial reason for his rise in power.

Another important requirement: Shortly after the transformation into Super Saiyan, Son Goku explains that in addition to great anger, it also takes a pure heart to create the transformation into Super Saiyan.

The explanation is long out of date: That all changed when Vegeta came on the scene. The Saiyan was anything but a pure heart at first, but a real villain. However, he could still transform into a Super Saiyan with yellow hair.

Later, Son Goku’s children also often underwent a transformation without being associated with anger, frenzy or suffering and grief. The original declaration was thus null and void.

In Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot we can replay the classic events of the early Dragon Ball events.

The belated, official statement from Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama

S cells are crucial! in one Interview from 2018 Dragon Ball inventor Akira Toriyama explained retrospectively that so-called S-cells in particular are responsible for who can transform into a Super Saiyan and how easily.

To trigger the transformation, give a strong emotion, it doesn’t have to be anger. More balanced characters would have an easier time doing this, but this can be offset by having a higher concentration of S cells, such as Vegeta.

Son Goku’s children, Son Gohan and Son Goten would have inherited a particularly large number of S cells from their ancestors. In addition, the environment and growing up on Earth is much more pleasant than on Planet Vegeta, which also promotes cell growth.

It’s no coincidence that it’s reminiscent of Star Wars

When events in films, series, games or other media are subsequently explained in a way that makes the events of the story appear in a different light in retrospect, it is called retcon (from retroactive continuity, or in German: retrospective continuity).

Star Wars is notorious for: Especially in terms of the power of the Jedi and Sith and the ability to use it. While there were completely different reasons for this in the first films, the so-called midichlorians were later blamed for it. These are the smallest bacteria-like creatures that appear everywhere and instead of a mystical, religious power provide a kind of scientific explanation for the magical powers.

Much to the dismay of many fans. In both Star Wars and Dragon Ball there are some advocates of the older explanations who cannot or do not want to do anything with the new backgrounds. For the simple reason that they liked the original explanations better, which were overturned by the retcon explanations.

At Dragon Ball However, there are always such retrospective changes that make previous events obsolete. Many characters have died at some point and entire planets have been destroyed. Fortunately, this can always be straightened out with the eponymous Dragon Balls.

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At least since the last manga arc the classic Super-Saiyajin and the stronger and different-looking transformation stages that build on it play an increasingly smaller role anyway. Instead, with Ultra Instinct and Ultra Ego, there is now a much greater focus on Divine and Angelic abilities.