So what exactly does it take to become a ''Super Saiyan''?

[jordanator]

I'm a little confused, and this has been bothering me for a while. As the title suggests, I would like to know how a Saiyan becomes a ''Super Saiyan''.

What I do know is, (well I hope ) that things can cause the transformation, or trigger them. For example, when Krillin is killed at the hands of Frieza, and Goku transforms, in a rage. But, my question is, why does he transform then? Was Krillin's death, that severe emotionally, that it caused him to transform then? For example, why didn't Goku transform when Krillin died for the first time in Dragon Ball, or even in some of the other times a character has died, and Goku had erupted in anger due to it?
Is it a case of how strong you are? As in, was Goku (In Dragon Ball) not experienced enough combat wise, or was he even not strong enough power level wise? When I think of this, it makes me think of the Original Super Saiyan. I tend to think the Saiyan race got stronger as time passed and as their race developed. I have no clue as to where I got this assumption from. In fact, I could be completely wrong (please do enlighten me if I am missing something ). It also leads me to think, if the transformation is based on your power level, then why have only a handful of Saiyans accomplished this in the Dragon Ball Z timeline? Why did the Original Super Saiyan transform, if he is weaker than Goku (using the idea that you transform due to your power level)?
I hope most of this makes sense. I'm sorry if it doesn't. If you don't understand something, tell me, and I will try to rephrase it.

[Bussani]

Well, the Daizenshuu says this.

Super Saiya-jin
First Appearance: chapter 317
Category: ability
People: Son Goku, Son Gohan, Son Goten, Vegeta, Trunks, Gotenks, Vegetto, Broli
Special features: The ultimate Saiya-jin warrior that surpasses the limits of a regular Saiya-jin. Originally, the existence of this form outside of legend was doubted even among Saiya-jin. In reality, any Saiya-jin that posses a high battle power above the standard level is capable of becoming a Super Saiya-jin. Possessing a calm heart, sensing extreme danger, feeling strong anger or sadness, or a danger to the Saiya-jin race itself seem to be states that are the essential keys to transforming. In addition to the outward signs of the transformation such as an aura, golden hair that stands straight up, and sharp, hawk-like eyes with emerald-green pupils, a battle power 50 times that of normal are proof of the legendary mightiest warrior.

The bolded bits are more or less all we're told by the guides, I think. The manga only really says things like Vegeta's rage at his own limits triggered it for him, and Goku telling Gohan that making your ki "bigger" isn't enough and that you need to awaken the power with rage.

It does seem like a sufficient amount of power is required before you can sustain the form at all. I guess this sort of makes sense; Goku's body as a child probably wouldn't have been able to handle the strain at all.

[Super Saiyan Turlast x4]

Initially, I think it's a combination of the Saiyan's Battle Power+ Overwhelming anger. Goku's huge power boost before the battle with Freeza seemed to be a nice leap towards the Super Saiyan plateau, I think.

Later? I have no idea.

[jordanator]

Oh, I see. Well, that clears it up a lot for me. Thanks.
But I have one question. In regards to having a high battle power, how strong would the Super Saiyan have been? Would he have been on par with the Saiyans when they arrived on Earth? If he was, then why couldn't Vegeta become a Super Saiyan when he arrived on Earth, or was he just lacking the emotions/anger etc.? Or was the Original Super Saiyan stronger? If he was stronger, wouldn't the whole Saiyan have race gotten stronger over time too?

[Bussani]

Well, Goku was up to 3,000,000 when he first attained the form. Vegeta was somewhat below that before Freeza killed him, but he must have been above 1,000,000 himself. I'd guess that the low millions may be the magic number.

As for the Original Super Saiyan, maybe he was just born with incredible power, kind of like Broli. Either that or he gained it some other way and the other Saiyans never learned how to imitate him. I mean, look at all the breaks Goku had to get to attain that much power: he trained with gods, in ridiculous gravity, drank magic strength-drawing-out water, abused magic-healing-beans to make the best of near-death-power-ups, etc.

On another note, Tenshinhan comments that remaining as a Super Saiyan was supposed to be a gigantic effort, but this changed when Goku and Gohan trained in the Room of Spirit and Time. It almost seems like Goten and Trunks were born like Goku and Gohan were at that point, Super Saiyan practically being second nature to them.

[jordanator]

Well, Goku was up to 3,000,000 when he first attained the form. Vegeta was somewhat below that before Freeza killed him, but he must have been above 1,000,000 himself. I'd guess that the low millions may be the magic number.

As for the Original Super Saiyan, maybe he was just born with incredible power, kind of like Broli. Either that or he gained it some other way and the other Saiyans never learned how to imitate him. I mean, look at all the breaks Goku had to get to attain that much power: he trained with gods, in ridiculous gravity, drank magic strength-drawing-out water, abused magic-healing-beans to make the best of near-death-power-ups, etc.

On another note, Tenshinhan comments that remaining as a Super Saiyan was supposed to be a gigantic effort, but this changed when Goku and Gohan trained in the Room of Spirit and Time. It almost seems like Goten and Trunks were born like Goku and Gohan were at that point, Super Saiyan practically being second nature to them.

Thanks a lot. I guess you're right. The OSS must have been gifted like Broly. I doubt he did as much as Goku did to attain the form. But who knows? I think the story of the OSS would make a good fan manga.

[Fox666]

Well, Goku was up to 3,000,000 when he first attained the form. Vegeta was somewhat below that before Freeza killed him, but he must have been above 1,000,000 himself. I'd guess that the low millions may be the magic number.

Actually that's far from being true.

In the special chapter of future Trunks, we see him as a kid training with Gohan. However Trunks is a SSJ, while Gohan not, and yet Trunks is exhausted.



As if that was not enough, when Gohan confidently confronts #17, he says he only used half of his strength against Gohan in his their fight.

So if we put this in battle powers, the conclusion is simply:
- #17: around 150 million*
• Gohan SSJ: around 75 million
• Gohan (base power): 1 and ½ million
• Trunks SSJ: less than 1 and ½ million
• Trunks (base power): less than 30,000
*Trunks stated he can fight on par with one of the androids from his future, and when he was fighting Freeza, Gohan shout that the Ki is of the same size of his father.

I guess everybody can agree with me on this

[Bussani]

I suppose that's possible. But...

when he was fighting Freeza, Gohan shout that the Ki is of the same size of his father.

That's not exactly what he says.

Chapter: 331 (DBZ 137), P13.3
Gohan: “It’s fa-father!!! It’s the same ki as father back then!!”
Note: Gohan says it’s the ‘same ki’ (onaji ki), rather than the ‘same amount of ki’ (onaji gurai no ki).

So it could be that both Gohan and Trunks were stronger than you're suggesting here. Still, if we are to believe that base Gohan is as strong as Super Saiyan Trunks in this scene, that probably still makes this Trunks the weakest Saiyan to reach Super Saiyan, at least as far as we know.

[Fox666]

If that is the case, I would put Trunks below Goku.

[Castor Troy]

I'm surprised Vegeta didn't go Super Saiyan after finding out Gohan took his Dragon Ball. That was some pretty crazy rage right there.

[penguintruth]

Hey, kids! Do you have these things?:

1) Saiyan blood
2) One (1) penis
3) RAAAAAAAAAAGE

Then you too can be a Super Saiyan!

[Herms]

But I have one question. In regards to having a high battle power, how strong would the Super Saiyan have been? Would he have been on par with the Saiyans when they arrived on Earth? If he was, then why couldn't Vegeta become a Super Saiyan when he arrived on Earth, or was he just lacking the emotions/anger etc.?

When the concept is first introduced, Vegeta explains that a Super Saiyan is a Saiyan who surpassed the wall which no fighter, no matter how gifted, can overcome. Based on this, I'd assume that the old Super Saiyan(s) were far stronger than any regular Saiyan was before Goku went through his x10 gravity training and became stronger than Saiyans were supposed to be. After that happens and Goku outclasses Recoom and co., Ginyu estimates Goku's battle power as 60,000 and Jheese wonders how a Saiyan could get that strong. So before Goku and co. get as crazy strong as they do, regular Saiyans apparently didn't get anywhere near 60,000, so probably the old Super Saiyans were at least stronger than that, if they're supposed to be so much stronger than regular Saiyans.

[Rocketman]

The narrator says that Goku has surpassed Saiyan limitations during his training on the way to Namek. So somewhere below 90,000 (but above 30,000, as no-one freaks out about Vegeta's power vs Recoome) is beyond anything Saiyans are supposed to get to.

Hey, kids! Do you have these things?:

1) Saiyan blood
2) Minimum one (1) penis
3) RAAAAAAAAAAGE

Then you too can be a Super Saiyan!

Fixed for ya. Vegetto was a Super Saiyan, after all.

[penguintruth]

Vegetto had two penises? I thought he had half Goku's penis and half Vegeta's penis.

[Rocketman]

Vegetto had two penises? I thought he had half Goku's penis and half Vegeta's penis.

That's what Buu thought too until he was getting dickslapped for his insolence.


It's all there in the REAL uncensored DBZ they showed in Japan.

[Bussani]

The narrator says that Goku has surpassed Saiyan limitations during his training on the way to Namek. So somewhere below 90,000 (but above 30,000, as no-one freaks out about Vegeta's power vs Recoome) is beyond anything Saiyans are supposed to get to.

60,000 seems to make sense, given what Herms said. I guess Young Future Trunks could have been around this to make him fighting base Gohan make sense. Gohan does say that Trunks might surpass him in a few months, though, so it's also possible that he wasn't that much weaker and whatever training they were doing shouldn't be taken as a real fight.

...Of course, Goku went from 90,000 to 3,000,000 in one go, so who knows?

[dbgtFO]

The narrator says that Goku has surpassed Saiyan limitations during his training on the way to Namek. So somewhere below 90,000 (but above 30,000, as no-one freaks out about Vegeta's power vs Recoome) is beyond anything Saiyans are supposed to get to.

60,000 seems to make sense, given what Herms said. I guess Young Future Trunks could have been around this to make him fighting base Gohan make sense. Gohan does say that Trunks might surpass him in a few months, though, so it's also possible that he wasn't that much weaker and whatever training they were doing shouldn't be taken as a real fight.

...Of course, Goku went from 90,000 to 3,000,000 in one go, so who knows?

We don't get the full fight, only the last part of it, so it isn't conclusive to me at least.
It would be the same as having started to read DB, when Ma Jr. was getting beat up by Goku, which would look like that Goku was way too powerful for the demon prince, when they in fact were on par with each other.
Or if you started, when Yajirobe sliced Vegeta's back and managed to survive some direct punches, which would look like that Vegeta wasn't that strong, when he in fact was a God compared to Yajirobe.

[Rocketman]

We don't get the full fight, only the last part of it, so it isn't conclusive to me at least.
It would be the same as having started to read DB, when Ma Jr. was getting beat up by Goku, which would look like that Goku was way too powerful for the demon prince, when they in fact were on par with each other.
Or if you started, when Yajirobe sliced Vegeta's back and managed to survive some direct punches, which would look like that Vegeta wasn't that strong, when he in fact was a God compared to Yajirobe.

Piccolo and Vegeta were both wrecked hard, though. Gohan was pristine.

[dbgtFO]

We don't get the full fight, only the last part of it, so it isn't conclusive to me at least.
It would be the same as having started to read DB, when Ma Jr. was getting beat up by Goku, which would look like that Goku was way too powerful for the demon prince, when they in fact were on par with each other.
Or if you started, when Yajirobe sliced Vegeta's back and managed to survive some direct punches, which would look like that Vegeta wasn't that strong, when he in fact was a God compared to Yajirobe.

Piccolo and Vegeta were both wrecked hard, though. Gohan was pristine.

What I mean is that Gohan would be the guy, who looks like he is way more powerful than his opponent.
Not seeing the full fight of Goku vs. Piccolo - makes it look like, that Goku is easily the strongest.
Not seeing the full fight of Goku and Co. vs. Vegeta - makes it look like Yajirobe isn't that far from Vegeta in power.
Not seeing the full fight of Gohan vs. SSJ Trunks - makes it look like Base Gohan is a little stronger, than SSJ Trunks.

[Rocketman]

What I mean is that Gohan would be the guy, who looks like he is way more powerful than his opponent.
Not seeing the full fight of Goku vs. Piccolo - makes it look like, that Goku is easily the strongest.
Not seeing the full fight of Goku and Co. vs. Vegeta - makes it look like Yajirobe isn't that far from Vegeta in power.
Not seeing the full fight of Gohan vs. SSJ Trunks - makes it look like Base Gohan is a little stronger, than SSJ Trunks.

I know what you meant, I'm saying the art overrides that. Piccolo and Vegeta were obviously not at full power, while Goku was torn up and Yajirobe was still put down with a couple hits.

Gohan and Trunks have no battle damage or anything like that. Trunks is the one worn out while Gohan just defends.