The Dragon Ball series is easily one of the most high-octane and epic shonen series around, featuring a wealth of incredible battles and awe-inspiring power-ups that have become legendary in their own right, with the Super Saiyan transformation being one of the most notable mentions in this regard.
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It's a testament to the immense power scaling present in the Dragon Ball series — especially Dragon Ball Super — that the original Super Saiyan form has now been completely dwarfed by the following ten transformations, which are widely considered to be some of the strongest transformations in the history of Dragon Ball.
Updated on August 17th, 2021 by Ritwik Mitra: It would be impossible to talk about iconic shonen series without mentioning the legendary Dragon Ball series. Akira Toriyama landed on a goldmine with this series that is still going strong to this day... even after a hiatus that spanned two decades!
One need only look at the massive fan following of this series even now to understand just how beloved the series really is, with its transformations being an obvious highlight. Keeping this in mind, here are some of the strongest transformations that have ever featured in the Dragon Ball series.
15 Super Saiyan 3
There was a time when the Super Saiyan 3 transformation was considered by many to be the peak of the series. The amazing transformation coupled with an iconic look has helped this form easily establish a legacy that is still quite palpable.
However, with the advent of Dragon Ball Super, one has to admit that the Super Saiyan 3 transformation has taken somewhat of a backseat. It might be one of the weaker transformations now, but it's still a great treat to witness regardless.
14 Strongest Form 1
Dragon Ball GT introduced the race of Tufffle Parasites, with Baby being the most notable of the lot. These parasites can take over Saiyans and increase their power level to new heights.
This leads to the creation of Strongest Form 1, which is an extremely unique transformation indeed. It's too bad that this transformation was only touched upon in the outdated Dragon Ball GT and the redundant Dragon Ball Super Heroes.
13 Super Saiyan 4
While the Super Saiyan 4 transformation isn't considered to be canon by many, there's no denying the fact that this particular powerup is immensely powerful in its own right and deserves a mention in such a competitive list.
Dragon Ball Heroes has made it quite evident that the Super Saiyan 4 transformation isn't a slouch by any stretch of the imagination, standing toe-to-toe with transformations that use god ki as well... even though this portrayal might not exactly be canon.
12 Super Saiyan God
The idea of a new Super Saiyan transformation existing in the Dragon Ball universe was something that intrigued fans to no end, and most people would agree that the Super Saiyan God transformation was a great way for the Saiyans of the series to gain access to a whole new level of power.
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While this form might've been painfully ignored after its first appearance in the series, there's no denying the immense power of this form regardless. A person under the effects of this transformation might not look physically imposing... but the massive power boost more than makes up for this poor first impression.
11 Golden Frieza
The revival of the popular series villain Frieza was a major source of jubilation for fans of the series who wanted to see more of this iconic tyrant. So, when Frieza finally managed to unlock a new level of power in the form of Golden Frieza, it was only a given that fans were in for a treat.
While one might agree that this form isn't all that powerful when compared to how much Dragon Ball Super has evolved since then, there's no denying the fact that Golden Frieza is an incredibly powerful warrior that can certainly take care of himself in a fight against powerful opponents in this state.
10 Super Saiyan Rage
For the most part, Trunks felt like a fighter relegated to the backseat during the Future Trunks arc in Dragon Ball Super. However, after being on the receiving end of a physical and emotional beatdown, he finally attained the power required to break his limits.
This led to the emergence of Super Saiyan Rage, a high-powered version of Super Saiyan 2 that allowed him to fight on equal footing with fighters who sported god ki! It's a testament to the resilience of this individual that he managed to reach this level of power through sheer willpower.
9 Super Saiyan Rose
Watching Goku Black take on the Super Saiyan Rose form for the first time was an absolute treat to behold. It also showed that the villain was no slouch and would give both Vegeta and Goku a run for their money.
His powers were quite unique and brutal as well, making the Super Saiyan Rose form even more intimidating. It's a shame that the form was only present for one arc before being relegated for the foreseeable future.
8 Super Saiyan Blue
Also known by the lengthy moniker of Super Saiyan God Ascended Super Saiyan, the Super Saiyan Blue form is easily the most popular form in the entire series, being used multiple times throughout a slew of different arcs.
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While some may argue that the luster of this form has diminished somewhat following the various ways in this fighters using this form were hindered or defeated, there's no denying the fact that Super Saiyan Blue is still an extremely powerful form that deserves a ton of credit for opening the doorway to new heights of power — once again — in Dragon Ball Super.
A great example of this can be seen in the next transformation on this list.
7 Super Saiyan Blue Kaio-ken
After being outclassed by Hit and his Time-Skip, Goku realized that he needed to tap into a major power reserve to even the odds against this worthy foe.
He managed to do so by taking the boundless power of Super Saiyan Blue and combining it with the Kaio-ken, allowing him to multiply his power exponentially and outclass Hit in a battle for the ages.
6 Destroyer Form
Top was a formidable enemy whose power reserves were truly incredible. The fact that Jiren was the only fighter more powerful than him in Universe 11 is a testament to just how powerful Top really was.
His Destroyer Form allowed him to utilize the powers of a God of Destruction and lay waste to his enemies. In fact, Vegeta could've easily been defeated by Top in his form had he not unlocked his very own power during the Tournament of Power...
5 Super Saiyan Blue Evolved
During the Tournament of Power, Vegeta realized that he needed to reach a new level of power without walking the same path that Kakarot did. The Prince of all Saiyans transformed this mental fortitude into physical strength and reached a new level of power with the Super Saiyan Blue transformation.
Super Saiyan Blue Evolved is an incredibly powerful transformation that allowed Vegeta to get the upper hand on Top and defeat him in battle. One can only wait and see the role this transformation will play in the sequel to Dragon Ball Super.
4 Legendary Super Saiyan
Dragon Ball Super: Broly is quite possibly the greatest Dragon Ball movie of all time, featuring an intriguing — and misunderstood — antagonist with one of the most powerful transformations of all time.
Related: Dragon Ball Super: Every Main Villain, Ranked By How Close They Almost Won
The Legendary Super Saiyan transformation is something that Dragon Ball Super definitely experimented with — Kale being the first and foremost example of this. However, the true potential of this transformation was seen with Broly, who ended up ascending to a level of power that was so intense that Goku and Vegeta had to resort to the Fusion Dance in order to even the odds.
3 Ultra Instinct Sign
Ultra Instinct is a transformation that was mentioned time and time again by Whis during his training, which made it all the more satisfying to see Goku reach this level of power during the Tournament of Power.
While his first few attempts to reach this form resulted in an incomplete transformation, the massive boost in power allowed him to wipe the floor with Kefla, courtesy of one of the most iconic Kamehamehas in the entire series.
2 Power Of Destruction
The latest chapters of Dragon Ball Super feature a transformation unique to Vegeta alone. This was very much required for the Prince of all Saiyans, who was trying his hardest to surpass Goku's Ultra Instinct form on his own terms.
This led to Vegeta tapping into the power of a Destroyer God and unlocking a new Power of Destruction form. While this form seems similar to Top's Destroyer Form, the amount of power Vegeta holds in the palm of his hand seems infinitely higher.
1 Autonomous Ultra Instinct
But of course, it would be impossible to talk about the most powerful transformations in Dragon Ball without mentioning the perfected form of Ultra Instinct that finally allowed Goku to completely outclass Jiren — a fighter whose power was seemingly unmatchable up to that point.
Autonomous Ultra Instinct is an incredible transformation, allowing Goku to become a natural fighter whose instincts were honed to such a massive extent that he didn't even need to think twice before engaging in battle. One can only wait in the hope that Goku finally masters this form in the next chapter of his story.