Legendary Super Saiyan

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Legendary Super Saiyan
Broli transforms into Legendary Super Saiyan
伝説の超サイヤ人 Densetsu no Sūpā Saiya-jin Legendary Super Saiyan
Debut	Various
All Characters	Son Goku, Broli, Bardock, Yamoshi, Kale

Legendary Super Saiyan (or [the] legendary Super Saiyan, or the Super Saiyan of legend) is simultaneously a given title, a proper name for a transformation, and a nebulous fairy tale in the Dragon Ball franchise, assigned to different characters depending on the continuity or production in question.

The phrase is perhaps most commonly associated with the character Broli, who is both referred to with the title "the legendary Super Saiyan" in dialog and who also exhibits a transformation explicitly labelled in production materials as "Legendary Super Saiyan".

Name

Legendary Super Saiyan is consistently written in Japanese as 伝説の超サイヤ人 (Densetsu no Sūpā Saiya-jin), with furigana above the 超 indicating a pronunciation of the English word "super" (as sūpā) rather than the standard Japanese reading of chō — this is in line with the standard terminology for the overall "Super Saiyan" line of transformations.

As there is no traditional capitalization in Japanese, 伝説の超サイヤ人 may be rendered as "Legendary Super Saiyan" as a formal/proper-noun title, and/or also as "[a/the] legendary Super Saiyan" (or "the Super Saiyan of legend") as more of a descriptor. The interpretation is often left up to contextual understanding of the information otherwise being provided, and is often used both ways in the same material.

Son Goku and the Original Serialization

Vegeta reflects on the idea of the Super Saiyan, wondering if Goku has become this legend during their battle against the Ginyu Special Force on Planet Namek.

Following the death of Kuririn, Goku transforms into a Super Saiyan for the first time on Planet Namek.

The idea of a "Super Saiyan" is first referenced in chapter 204, with Vegeta and Nappa discussing the strength exhibited by a Saiyan/human hybrid. Nappa refers to this as a "Super Saiyan" (at the time with "super" written out as スーパー rather than the later 超 with furigana indicating the English "super" pronunciation). Vegeta makes little reaction to this phrase other than dismissing the idea of producing beings stronger than themselves; this is likely due to original author Akira Toriyama not having conceived in full the idea of a "Super Saiyan" as the audience would later know it. "Super Saiyan" as a phrase in this context is reused in the title of the Dragon Ball Z television series' thirty-fifth episode.

The possibility of a character becoming a "Super Saiyan" of legend is first introduced in chapter 280, with Vegeta watching Goku's incredible growth and overpowering of the Ginyu Special Force, all the meanwhile reflecting on what he believed to just have been a legend of a "Super Saiyan" appearing once every one thousand years:

ま…まさか…い…いや…そんなことはありえない…… あ…あんなヤロウが…下級戦士のカカロットが……… で…伝説の超サイヤ人になどな…なれるわけはない………!!

ス…超サイヤ人は一千年にひとりあらわれる…ど…どんな天才戦士も超えられない壁を超えてしまうサイヤ人…そ…そんな…あ…あれは ただのくだらない いい伝えのはずだ…… も…もし伝説が本当だったとしても超サイヤ人になれる可能性があるのは…このオレだけだ

...

い…いまのはただの攻撃じゃない…… オ…オレの目はだまされんぞ… と…とてつもなく重い一発だ… ……… サ…サイヤ人の一戦闘レベルをあきらかにこ…超えている……… ……あいつ…いったいどんな訓練をしやがったんだ……… ち…地球で戦ったあ…あいつとはまるで別人だ……… で…伝説は本当だったのか………！？ 超サイヤ人なのか…！？

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Could it be...? N-No... Such a thing is impossible... T-That bastard low-class warrior Kakarrot... c-couldn't have become a legendary Super Saiyan...!!

A Super Saiyan appears once every thousand years... Any fighting genius Saiyan who overcomes the unsurpassable wall... But, that's just supposed to be a stupid legend... E-Even if the legend was true, the only one who should be able to become a Super Saiyan is me.

...

T-That was no ordinary attack... M-My eyes weren't deceived... T-That was an absurdly severe strike... H-He's evidently overcome a Saiyan's fighting level... H-He's a completely different person than I fought on Earth... What the Hell kind of practice has he had... W-Was the legend true...?! Is he really a Super Saiyan...?!
— Vegeta, chapter 280

When Kuririn visits the Great Elder and relays the story of a Namekian on Earth who created Dragon Balls and was killed by a Saiyan, the Elder wonders if the one to defeat such a genius member of the dragon clan was actually a "Super Saiyan"; Kuririn has no idea what this might be, however.

Watching Goku power-up to a battle power reading of 180,000 beyond his own of 120,000, Ginyu wonders if Goku may in fact be a Super Saiyan, which Jheece remarks is the legendary strongest warrior and the one thing Freeza fears. When Goku notes that he would rather not kill, Ginyu dismisses the idea of Goku being a Super Saiyan, as such a legend would enjoy blood and battle.

Throughout the story arc, Vegeta wavers on believing Goku or even Gohan has become a Super Saiyan, as opposed to himself becoming closer and closer to one, particularly following his near-death recovery and subsequent power-up.

Freeza is indeed aware of the legend and expresses some amount of concern, but continues to dismiss it as a legend as he handily outclasses Vegeta. In his dying moments at Freeza's hand, Vegeta clamors for Goku to become heartless and abandon his naiveté so that he may finally and truly become a Super Saiyan, detailing that Planet Vegeta and the entire Saiyan race was obliterated by Freeza for fear of a Super Saiyan being born.

Following a failed attempt at defeating Freeza with a Genki-Dama, the injury of Piccolo, the death of Kuririn, and the threat against Gohan, Goku finally transforms, sporting golden hair standing on end. Gohan believes this truly is a Super Saiyan, and even Freeza begins to admit this may be true; this chapter is entitled "[The] Legendary Super Saiyan" (伝説の超サイヤ人 Densetsu no Sūpā Saiyajin). Various manga volume and episode titles subsequently use the "Legendary Super Saiyan" phrase when covering or collecting this story material.

Many years later, watching his son Trunks transform into a Super Saiyan as an eight-year-old, Vegeta thinks of how easily he became a legendary Super Saiyan. Confirming with Trunks that Gohan's little brother is likewise able to become a Super Saiyan, Vegeta thinks this is becoming "Super Saiyan bargain sale".

Broli (Original 1990s Theatrical Version)

Broli's various forms and their respective names as outlined in the Daizenshuu 6: Movies & TV Specials memorial overview of Dragon Ball Z Movie 8

The animation model gallery in Daizenshuu 6: Movies & TV Specials labels Broli's largest form as "Super Saiyan Grade II"

The "Super Saiyan Pedigree" column from Daizenshuu 10: TV Animation Part 3 labels Broli's largest form as "Type B" in the Broli-type branch of the Super Saiyan variations

Descriptions from film

Daizenshuu 6 animation model gallery labels huge form as "Super Saiyan Grade II" in contrast to blue-haired "Super Saiyan Grade I" form

Daizenshuu 10's Super Saiyan chart labels Broli's huge form as Type-B, with Type-A being his blue-haired form, and Type-C being his gold-haired skinny form seen in DBZ movie 10

Daizenshuu 7 bio and form names

Dragon Ball GT Transformations

The Super Saiyan 4 transformation in the Dragon Ball GT television series was conceptualized as something new even beyond that of Super Saiyan 3, and that it "might" in fact be the Super Saiyan of legend:

悟空の潜在能力のさらなる解放としての変身は当初から考えられていた。また、サイヤとツフルのパワーが融合した最強の敵べビーとの最終決戦には、超サイヤ人3をしのぐ戦士も必要だった！！そのためスタッフは「4を登場させるしかない」との結論に至ったのだ！！ちなみに超サイヤ人4こそが「1000年にひとりの伝説の超サイヤ人かも」というコンセプトでデザインされた！だから4は従来の金色ではなく、赤いボディの戦士になったのだ！

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It was decided from the beginning that there would be a transformation which further unlocks Goku's dormant abilities. Also, in the final decisive battle against Baby, the ultimately strong enemy who fused Saiya and Tsufru power, a warrior that exceeded Super Saiyan 3 was needed!! Thus, the staff reached the conclusion of "we have to make 4 appear"!! Incidentally, it was designed with the concept that Super Saiyan 4 "might be the legendary Super Saiyan who appears once every 1,000 years"! This is why 4 was not the traditional gold color, and became a warrior with a red body!!
— Dragon Ball GT Perfect File Vol. 1

Super Saiyan 4 designer Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru has stated that his goal with the form was to bring the Great Ape and Super Saiyan together in a version of Goku with primal power.

The same book that details this possibility of Super Saiyan 4 being the Super Saiyan of legend — the first volume of the Dragon Ball GT Perfect File series — also posits that Goku's Golden Great Ape form may also fit the description:

「超サイヤ人は千年にひとり」 ってホント！？
超サイヤ人「千年に１度現れる最強サイヤ人」のこと！だが悟空の変身以後、左の表のように次々と超サイヤ人が誕生した！！そのため伝説の信憑性は薄れたかに見えたが、じつは悟飯やトランクスは、地球人とサイヤ人の混血（生まれつき高い戦闘力を持つ）なのだ！純粋なサイヤ人に限れば変身は悟空とべジータのみ！「純粋サイヤ人の変身は千年に一度」と考えれば、この伝説も納得がいくね！！また、超サイヤ人なつとくてんせつは悟空とベジータの血縁にのみ発生している点も面白い。考えてみれば両者の父（バーダックとべジータ王）も高い戦闘力を誇っていた。サイヤの社会は子が父の跡を継ぐ世襲制だから、父の強さは遺伝するのかも！？ところで超サイヤ人伝説には「破壊と殺戮を好む」というくだりがあるが、実際はみんな理性を持っていた。だが、思い出して欲しい、悟空にも超凶暴な形態があったことを！！そう、黄金大猿に変身した時だ！！その凶暴性、破壊力、スケールの大きさなどは、まさに「破壊と殺戮を好む」という伝説と符合する！！黄金大猿形態（大猿べビーもこの形態！！）こそが真·超サイヤ人とでも言うべき存在なのかも、と考えるにともできるね！！

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Is that thing about "a single Super Saiyan every thousand years" really true?
A Super Saiyan is the "strongest of Saiyan warriors, who appears once in a thousand years"! However, after Goku's transformation, Super Saiyans appeared one after the other, as shown in the chart to the left [see below]!! Because of this, the believability of the legend seems pretty low, but actually Goten, Trunks, and co. are Earthling and Saiyan half-bloods (possessing high battle power from birth)! If you limit it to pure Saiyans, only Goku and Vegeta transform! If you think of it as "a pure Saiyan will transform once in a thousand years", then you can understand this legend!! It's also interesting that Super Saiyans are only generated from Goku and Vegeta's bloodlines. If you think about it, both of their fathers (Bardock and King Vegeta) also boasted high battle power. Saiyan society had a hereditary system where things were passed on from father to son, so maybe the father's strength was also inherited?! Incidentally, the Super Saiyan legend has a passage saying that they "love destruction and slaughter", but in actuality everyone retains their reason. However, if you'll remember, there was a form where even Goku became extremely violent!! That's right, when he transformed into a Golden Great Ape!! Surely this brutality, destructive power, and large scale are a sign of the legend that tells that they will "love destruction and slaughter"!! One can think of the Golden Great Ape form (which includes Great Ape Baby too!!) as perhaps fit to be called the true Super Saiyan!!
— Dragon Ball GT Perfect File Vol. 1

Bardock ("What If?" Story)

Chilled warns of Saiyans that can become gold in Dragon Ball: Episode of Bardock

In the 2011 manga series (and subsequent animated adaptation of) Dragon Ball: Episode of Bardock, Bardock is mysteriously transported during his dying moment to a past version of Planet Plant where he ultimately does battle with Chilled. After an extensive beat-down, Bardock mutters to himself about being pathetic, and that if he only had more power he would not have lost. As Bardock screams out Freeza's name yet again, he transforms into a Super Saiyan. Chilled laughs to himself, saying that Bardock should not get cocky just because he has gold hair now. Chilled attacks Bardock head on several times, but is unable to land a blow. Chilled forms a giant blast to destroy the whole planet, but his ki is pushed back by Bardock's own blast, which continues pushing through to envelop Chilled. Chilled is later found by his henchmen and is treated for his injuries. The henchmen wonder what happened, and Chilled mutters that they should tell his clan about these people called "Saiyans" who can become gold.

While neither Bardock nor Chilled themselves use the phrase "Legendary Super Saiyan" in dialog, various bits of promotion leading up to and during its release clearly play with the idea of Bardock perhaps being the "original" Super Saiyan, and therefore the source of the legend. The third and final manga chapter is entitled "[The] Legendary Super Saiyan" (伝説の超サイヤ人 Densetsu no Sūpā Saiyajin) in its collected edition, mirroring chapter 318 of the original serialization.

Episode of Bardock author Naho Ooishi explicitly calls the product "a Bardock what-if story" in her introduction to the aforementioned "Super Kanzenban" release.

Yamoshi and Super Saiyan God

In the 2013 theatrical film Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods (and in slightly different ways also its retelling in the 2015 television series Dragon Ball Super), the God of Destruction Beerus seeks out a so-called "Super Saiyan God" following what he believes to be a prophetic dream, ultimately leading him to the remaining Saiyans on Earth. Summoning Shenlong for more information, the group learns that the "Super Saiyan God" was was a savior created created by rare, righteous Saiyans who questioned the evil actions of their kind. With incredible strength, this savior quickly defeated the evil Saiyans, though they returned, the savior's power was depleted, and was himself lost to time. When five righteous Saiyans pour their their spirits into a sixth, he shall become the "God of Saiyans". Specifically in and exclusive to the Dragon Ball Super television series of events, these instructions for creating a Super Saiyan God are said to be written in the Namekian Book of Legends.

In a special Q&A published alongside the January 2018 issue of Saikyō Jump, Akira Toriyama expanded on this information, stating that a Saiyan named Yamoshi and five comrades started a rebellion; when cornered by combatants, Yamoshi became a Super Saiyan. Though this transformation and fearsome fighting style shocked the other Saiyans, Yamoshi was outnumbered, eventually wore himself out, and was defeated. After this time, Yamoshi's spirit wandered in continuous search of six righteous-hearted Saiyans, seeking a new savior: Super Saiyan God.

As such, the "legend" of "Super Saiyan" and "Super Saiyan God" are inextricably linked, particularly following Toriyama's explanation that Yamoshi had only become a Super Saiyan (not himself a Super Saiyan God) during his battle.

Kale and Broli (Dragon Ball Super)

In Toyotarō's Dragon Ball Super manga, Cabba suggests that Kale might be the "Legendary Saiyan".

In chapter 38 of the Dragon Ball Super manga, Cabba suggests that Kale's Super Saiyan Berserk transformation, otherwise named only in promotional material, might indicate that she is the "Legendary Saiyan" (伝説のサイヤ人 Densetsu no Saiyajin), which Caulifla remembers as a "demon Saiyan that only appears once every thousand years". The Universe 6 Saiyans had never heard of a Super Saiyan at all before they met the Universe 7 Saiyans. In the Dragon Ball Super anime, the word "legendary" is never used, though Vegeta warns Goku that Kale's transformation might be the Saiyans' original form.

The word "legendary" is likewise never used to describe Broli's final transformation in Dragon Ball Super: Broly; this form is referred to in promotional material as "Broli Full Power" or "Super Saiyan Full Power". In the film, when Broli is a baby, one of the medics monitoring his nursing capsule speculates that Broli might be the "Legendary Super Saiyan". Freeza gets word of this rumor and also the legend of the Super Saiyan God, and starts asking around about both legends. When Bardock hears of Freeza's interest, he decides to send Kakarrot off-planet before Freeza can take action against the Saiyan race. Kikono informs Freeza that his investigation suggests that these legends are, in fact, only legends, but Freeza does not want to take any chances and destroys Planet Vegeta along with the vast majority of the Saiyan race. Within the film as a whole, the term "Legendary Super Saiyan" is only used once more: when Vegeta becomes a Super Saiyan, Paragus observes that he has become the "Legendary Super Saiyan", the likes of which he has never seen before.