Dragon Ball is undoubtedly one of the most popular and well-loved anime and manga series of all time. It was one of the pioneer shows that make anime popular in every available corner of the world. There have been many reasons that were used to explain the seemingly unbelievable popularity that Dragon Ball has, from interesting character developments to incredible storyline. However, the most used reasoning is, in fact, their power level, as at the time it was the very first fighting anime that has its main characters having so much power. That’s not all though, there is also the fact it is the only one that started the trend of having the show’s main characters undergo multiple transformations to get even more power than before.
We all know who Son Goku is. He is the main character of the Dragon Ball franchise and the undoubted most powerful character in the whole story. He has trademarked his own transformation signs: the changing of his hair color. During the course of the Dragon Ball series, Goku has experienced so many transformations to get more power than even some hardcore fans have difficulties remembering the exact number of his transformations and how important each of them is. Thus, as a self-proclaimed greatest Dragon Ball fan, I have decided to do you all a favor and put together this list of Goku’s forms and transformations.
1. Birth
The very first form of the legendary Super Saiyan, the strongest fighter of Universe 7 started out as this small and frail baby with a pitifully low power level of 2. This power level is relative to what a human baby has at birth and so low compared to the other Saiyan babies that Goku’s future was immediately branded as a “low level” fighter. The things that happened next I am sure you all know about, Goku was sent to the Earth, the Saiyans were almost completely wiped out of existence, Goku was found by Granpa Gohan, lost his memories, and became the naive and kind Son Goku we all know and love at the start of the Dragon Ball series.
This form is the one that has the least amount of appearances out of all the forms the legendary Super Saiyan Son Goku has turned into throughout the whole Dragon Ball series. While its power level is measly when compared with all the other forms, it is one of the most important forms as this is what Son Goku is original. No matter how strong he would become in the future, we all know that he started out as a baby so frail he was branded as a low-level warrior, which has been proven wrong continuously throughout the series.
2. 12 Years Old
This is the main form that Son Goku was in throughout the first Dragon Ball series, from the moment he was introduced up to the first major time skip in the original Dragon Ball. In this form, Goku had his very first adventures with Bulma to try to collect all the seven Dragon Balls that can summon the legendary dragon Shenron to grant the summoner any one wish. He was stronger than most human fighters, only losing to the most powerful foes like Taopaipai.
3. Great Ape
This is the very first true transformation that Goku went through. It is the most common transformation for any Saiyan who has a tail, as this form is what any Saiyan with a tail turns into when they absorb enough blutz wave. In Son Goku’s case, he absorbs blutz wave from looking into a full moon. In this form, the dormant Saiyan traits that Son Goku lost when he lost his memories would reemerge, making him quite violent and feral. In addition to him losing his temper and reasoning, Son Goku while in the Great Ape form would receive a 10-fold increase in his power, the ability to generate really powerful blasts from his mouth.
The only way to stop a Saiyan that has transformed into a Great Ape is to cut down their tail, as what the Earth people have done multiple times to stop Son Goku. After his tail was cut down by Kami while the latter was trying to restore the moon to its original shape, Goku had completely lost the ability to transform into this Great Ape form and become harmless again as he no longer let his tail grow again.
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4. Pseudo Super Saiyan
This is the first time the legendary Super Saiyan form showed the tip of the iceberg. Son Goku was able to get this form while was trying to fight Lord Slug. Before transforming, Son Goku would release a huge amount of power and become a pseudo form of the much loved Super Saiyan form he would get further down the line. In this form, Son Goku looks quite similar to how he looks when using the Kaio-ken form with the exception of his body getting bulkier and his eye becoming whited out. One special aspect of the form is the fact that his hair would stand up.
5. Super Saiyan
I believe this form is what all the Dragon Ball Z fans will think of the moment they are asked what kinds of transformation Son Goku has undergone. This is what boosts Dragon Ball’s previous popular status into one of the most recognized anime series in the history of anime. In this legendary Super Saiyan form, Son Goku would receive an increase in power that is 50 times the power level that he possesses before he undergoes the transformation. The Super Saiyan was finally accessible to Son Goku when Frieza killed Krillin and Goku went into a rage. This form is one of the most popular transformations throughout anime’s history.
In the Super Saiyan form, Son Goku would receive a slight increase in height. In addition, his skin would turn a little lighter while his eyes would turn sterner noticeably with much more defined green pupils. Furthermore, his hair would all stand up vertically and turn into a blond color. There are also some electrical sparks that only appear in the anime. Son Goku’s personality would also change while using this transformation to be a lot more irritable and aggressive.
6. Super Saiyan 2
This form is attained after Son Goku spent some time in the Other World after the defeat of Cell. While using the Super Saiyan 2 transformation, Goku’s hair would grow spikier and longer than what they were in the base Super Saiyan form. His muscles would also become a lot more defined. His power level would be multiplied by 100 times.
7. Super Saiyan 3
The single most powerful form that Son Goku can transform into in the original manga/anime. After years of training in the Other World, Son Goku was able to attain this form that can be put an unlimited amount of energy into. When using this form, Son Goku’s power level is multiplied by 400 times what he has before the transformation. The most defining feature of this form is Goku’s hair growing to his thighs.
8. Super Saiyan God
This form is the main focus of the movie Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods, being the one that piques the God of Destruction Beerus’s interest. After a long sleep and learning of Frieza’s defeat in the hands of a Super Saiyan, Beerus proceeded to come to Earth and force Son Goku and his friends to give him the legendary Super Saiyan God. After receiving help from the other five Saiyans, Son Goku was finally able to attain this legendary form. In this form, Son Goku has a power level that far surpasses what he has when he was in the Super Saiyan 3 form. His appearance also receives an upgrade with a slimmer body, darker skin tone, red irises, and red hair that is not as spiky as the other Super Saiyan forms.
9. Super Saiyan Blue
This form was attained after Son Goku tried to synchronize his base Super Saiyan form with the Super Saiyan God. It is almost identical to the base Super Saiyan form, but Son Goku’s hair would turn a cyanish-blue color and his aura would also turn into a blue color with some gold mixed in. This form offers Son Goku the kind of power that far surpasses that of the Super Saiyan God form. It can also be powered up even more if Son Goku uses Kaio-Ken.
10. Ultra Instinct
The currently most powerful transformation that Son Goku can do. He learned to attain this transformation after finally getting what Whis meant previously during the training. This form allows Goku to be able to completely synchronize his natural drive with his impulses, granting him the full power both offensively and defensively. In this form, Goku’s power far exceeds that of a normal God of Destruction. However, this form is still inaccessible at will by Goku, and it can only be used in a matter of minutes.