The Thousand-Year Super Saiyan

[Bussani]

The Super Saiyan every thousand years was a mistranslation.

Isn't it the other way around?

[FindKenshi]

I've been mulling it over in my head, and I've finally come up with a better rebuttal. Were the "Super Saiyans" of old just "really strong Saiyans", then Vegeta would have been considered to be one by the modern Saiyans. He was absurdly stronger than the other Saiyans, even surpassing their king as a mere child. So there must have been something even more special about the Old Super Saiyans; special enough to linger in the collective memory passed down by the Saiyan tribe...

[Maphisto86]

Hey FindKenshi, nice to see you back.

Well the whole legend seems to serve the singular purpose of hyping up Son Goku's destined confrontation with his Saiyan origins and with Freeza himself story wise. In-Universe I figured there was one or more really powerful Saiyans who, even if they did not achieve the state Goku does on Namek, must have been close in power. Correct me if I am wrong but does Vegeta sincerely think his destiny was to become a similar warrior? I mean both the manga and the anime in particular seems to imply he is one of the strongest, most powerful of his people to come along in a while and it is implied that his royal lineage traces back to those Super Saiyans of legend. Of course maybe this was just Vegeta and his clan's massive ego and nothing to do with fact. Damn I need to get the manga.

[Bussani]

I've been mulling it over in my head, and I've finally come up with a better rebuttal. Were the "Super Saiyans" of old just "really strong Saiyans", then Vegeta would have been considered to be one by the modern Saiyans. He was absurdly stronger than the other Saiyans, even surpassing their king as a mere child. So there must have been something even more special about the Old Super Saiyans; special enough to linger in the collective memory passed down by the Saiyan tribe...

Vegeta was a strong Saiyan, but it wasn't until Goku was undergoing his special training on Namek that the narrator mentioned him "surpassing the limits of a Saiyan". But I think Piccolo Daimao's whole point is that the legend is just...well...a legend; though based on a fact, what was considered unbelievable back then may not be as incredible in the present. Kind of like how no one in the universe could have imagined something stronger than Freeza coming along, but later on our heroes probably consider him pretty small-time.