Super Saiyan

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Super Saiyan
超サイヤ人 Sūpā Saiya-jin
Alternate names	SSJ SSJ1 SS SS1 Super Saiyan 1 Super Saiyan Level 1 Super Saiyan Grade I Legendary Super Saiyan
Users	Goku Vegeta
Class	Transformation
Color	or       (w/ restraining device) or       or       (under dark magic) or       (Baby Vegeta) or       (infused with god energy)
Similar	Super Namek Fourth Transformation

Super Saiyan (超サイヤ人) is an advanced transformation assumed by extraordinarily powerful members of the Saiyan race in the Dragon Ball franchise.

Legend

The depiction of the original Super Saiyan on the Saiyans' original homeworld

The ability to become a Super Saiyan was once considered to be nothing but a legend, as it had not been performed for over one-thousand years. Vegeta stated that a Super Saiyan has achieved a level of power so overwhelming that it could only be maintained in a transformed state. Despite only being told through legend, Frieza, who was considered to be the strongest being of his time, became paranoid over the possibility of truth behind the legend due to the constantly growing power of the Saiyan race. Because of this fear, Frieza came to the conclusion that he must annihilate the Saiyan race by destroying Planet Vegeta, thus apparently sparking the end of the Super Saiyan legend. However, twenty-five years later, the Super Saiyan legend was proven to be true when Goku accomplished the feat during his titanic battle against the evil tyrant, Frieza.

Super Saiyan Bardock unfazed after a series of Chilled's Ki explosions

The Super Saiyan transformation comes in response to a need, not a desire. In all known cases, the form has been initially triggered by either desperation or indignation. Any other conditions are unknown, and motivation tends to differ; for example, Goku achieves the form out of anger over the murder of his best-friend Krillin and Bardock achieves the form out of anger after Chilled attacked a Plant child called Berry, while Vegeta achieves the form through sheer frustration at his original inability to achieve it, especially when Goku already had. While training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, Goku informs Gohan that becoming a Super Saiyan is powered by rage and told him to imagine Cell and then Frieza (after Gohan stated he had never seen Cell) killing all his friends in order for him to transform into a Super Saiyan. As the Saiyans train during Dragon Ball Z, they discover uncharted levels beyond the first Super Saiyan level. The power increases of subsequent Super Saiyan forms are so high that by the Buu Saga, the original transformation has been literally reduced to that of a "child's play thing" (as stated by Vegeta; as both Goten and Trunks can transform and harness the power adeptly at such a young age).

Super Saiyan Goku unleashes an intense rage as he prepares to assault Frieza

In the main series, all living Saiyan-blooded males after the Frieza Saga manage to reach at least the first level of Super Saiyan. No female Super Saiyans are ever seen in the Dragon Ball manga or animes. However, the Dragon Ball GT Perfect Files implies that Pan has the potential to transform and might have become a type of Super Saiyan never seen before. Female Super Saiyans have since appeared in video games, including Dragon Ball Online, Dragon Ball Heroes and Dragon Ball: Xenoverse.