Goku, the central character in the Dragon Ball series, has undergone many different transformations throughout the show’s history – from the original series all the way to Dragon Ball Super and the newest installment, Dragon Ball DAIMA. He arguably has more forms than any other character in the franchise. Although Mastered Ultra Instinct is currently his most powerful state, the addition of Super Saiyan 4 to the official storyline of Dragon Ball DAIMA suggests that Goku will likely continue to unlock new transformations in the future.
Goku has changed dramatically since he first became a Great Ape in Dragon Ball. He later became the first Super Saiyan in Dragon Ball Z, and continued to evolve with new forms and God Ki in Dragon Ball Super. These transformations clearly show how much Goku has grown as a martial artist throughout the series. He began Dragon Ball as a talented, but ordinary, young fighter and has become one of the strongest beings in existence – powerful enough to battle gods themselves.
15. Great Ape Goku Was Dragon Ball’s First & Weakest Transformation
A major turning point in the Pilaf Saga is when Goku transforms into a huge monkey after seeing the full moon. This Great Ape form of Goku only appears twice in Dragon Ball: once at the end of the Pilaf Saga and again at the end of the 21st World Tournament. Both times, he’s quickly subdued. During the Pilaf Saga, Yamcha and Puar team up to cut off his tail, while Master Roshi destroys the moon with a powerful Kamehameha wave during the tournament.
One of the most fascinating things about Goku’s Great Ape form in Dragon Ball is how it turns the hero into the biggest threat. Throughout the original series, Goku always saved the day, so Akira Toriyama surprised readers by making him the final obstacle. Later, in Dragon Ball Z, the story was changed to explain that all Saiyans can transform into Great Apes, unlocking immense power that can cause massive destruction. Without being stopped, Great Ape Goku could have destroyed all of humankind.
14. Kaioken is Still Goku’s Most Underrated Form
In the early stages of Dragon Ball Z, Goku’s Kaioken technique is a surprisingly powerful but often overlooked transformation. He learned it while training with King Kai in the afterlife. The Kaioken dramatically boosts Goku’s strength for a short time, letting him compete with opponents like Vegeta who have a power level of 18,000. However, using Kaioken puts immense stress on his body, and by the end of the Saiyan Saga, even pushing it to four times its normal strength is enough to cause serious injury.
By the time the Frieza Saga ends, Goku’s most powerful technique, Kaioken, reaches its peak at x20. While this is generally considered the strongest version of Kaioken in the original Dragon Ball series, the movie Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug shows Goku briefly using Kaioken x100. However, this is not consistent with the main storyline, as even using Kaioken x20 against Frieza left Goku completely drained before he transformed into a Super Saiyan.
13. Pseudo Super Saiyan is a Non-Canon Form That Preceded SSJ By Just 10 Days
The origins of the Super Saiyan transformation are a fascinating part of the Frieza Saga, especially when you consider the story’s original context. Back then, fans didn’t realize Super Saiyan was a specific transformation. Even Vegeta thought it was a state anyone could reach – he believed both he and Goku had achieved it at different times. Interestingly, the animation studio Toei Animation had its own ideas about what Super Saiyan would be before Akira Toriyama officially designed the form.
In the movie Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug, Goku achieves a form called Pseudo Super Saiyan. This is a temporary state that gives him some of the power of a Super Saiyan, acting as a stepping stone to the full transformation. While powerful, this form is unstable, which is an interesting parallel to the struggle Super Saiyan Goku faced controlling his power when he first transformed. It’s also notable that this Pseudo Super Saiyan form appeared in the movie just 10 days before Akira Toriyama officially introduced the Super Saiyan transformation in the Dragon Ball manga.
12. Super Saiyan Goku is the Most Iconic Transformation in Anime History
The moment Goku first became a Super Saiyan revolutionized anime, manga, and especially Dragon Ball. This transformation happened after Frieza killed Krillin on Planet Namek. Similar to the Kaioken technique, becoming a Super Saiyan greatly increases a fighter’s power level. However, unlike Kaioken which severely strains the body, Super Saiyan is a powered-up state with a more manageable cost – it drains Ki and stamina, issues that are further explored in the Cell Saga.
In the Frieza Saga, becoming a Super Saiyan dramatically increased Goku’s power, jumping from 300,000 to 150,000,000 – a 50x boost that was much greater than anything he could achieve with the Kaioken technique. Super Saiyan 1 became the most recognizable of these powerful forms and remained Goku’s go-to transformation throughout much of Dragon Ball Z, until Super Saiyan 2 and 3 became his primary forms during the Majin Buu Saga.
11. Full Power Super Saiyan Goku is the Perfect Version of SSJ1
Recognizing he wasn’t powerful enough to beat the Androids or Cell as a regular Super Saiyan, Goku entered the Hyperbolic Time Chamber to train. Over nine months, he mastered the form, discovering its limits and potential. He realized the key to becoming stronger wasn’t just powering up, but transforming into a Super Saiyan permanently, making it his natural state.
After Goku and Gohan finish their training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, Goku masters Full Power Super Saiyan. This form is special because it doesn’t drain his energy or tire him out. By constantly using it, Goku dramatically increases his strength, going from being weaker than Androids 17 and 18 to becoming powerful enough to challenge even Perfect Cell.
10. Super Saiyan Kaioken is a Non-Canon Form Goku Used to Fight Pikkon in Dragon Ball Z
In the original Dragon Ball manga, Goku stops using the Kaioken technique once he achieves the Super Saiyan form on Namek. However, the Dragon Ball Z anime reintroduced Kaioken for a single, non-official storyline – the Other World Tournament Saga, which takes place between the Cell and Majin Buu arcs. During his last fight with Pikkon, Goku combines Kaioken with his Super Saiyan transformation, dramatically increasing his power level.
Sadly, the fight between Goku and Pikkon was cut short when both fighters touched the edge of the arena, resulting in neither winning. Considering the power boosts from Kaioken and Super Saiyan, it’s clear that combining them into Super Saiyan Kaioken would create an incredibly strong form. However, because this transformation isn’t part of the official storyline, it’s never used again in Dragon Ball Z.
9. Super Saiyan 2 Goku Was So Strong, He Convinced Vegeta to Turn Majin
During the battle with Cell, Goku gives his life but chooses to remain in the afterlife instead of being revived. While there, over seven years pass, and he masters the Super Saiyan 2 transformation. When he’s granted one day back on Earth to fight Majin Buu, he briefly uses this new form against Yakon, unintentionally giving Majin Buu the energy needed to nearly kill him. Seeing this, Vegeta realizes Goku has become stronger than him, even in the afterlife, which deeply upsets him and sparks a personal crisis.
Super Saiyan 2 Goku and Super Saiyan 2 Majin Vegeta are evenly matched in power. Their immense strength unintentionally causes Majin Buu to awaken sooner than expected. In the Dragon Ball Z anime, Goku uses Super Saiyan 2 one final time during his battle with Kid Buu. However, in the Dragon Ball manga, Goku doesn’t use Super Saiyan 2 again after demonstrating it to Fat Buu before their single fight.
8. Super Saiyan 3 Goku Was His Strongest Form in Dragon Ball Z
As a huge fan, I was blown away when Goku achieved Super Saiyan 3 while training in the afterlife! It was the absolute strongest form he had in the original Dragon Ball Z series – his ultimate power until Battle of Gods came along. Seriously, this transformation was so powerful that King Kai could feel it all the way across the universe! But, and this is a big ‘but’, it came with a huge cost. All that power drained Goku immensely, making it a risky form to use for extended periods.
Unlike typical Dragon Ball power-ups, Super Saiyan 3 is surprisingly detrimental. It pushes the human body beyond its limits, consuming energy so quickly that it’s unsustainable. In Dragon Ball Z, neither Goku nor Gotenks actually win a fight while using this form, because of the strain it puts on them. While Goku could have defeated Kid Buu as a Super Saiyan 3, he couldn’t maintain the transformation long enough to deliver the final blow.
7. Super Saiyan 4 Goku in Dragon Ball DAIMA Was Powerful Enough To Shake The Demon Realm
Akira Toriyama has officially added Super Saiyan 4 to the Dragon Ball story in the new series, Dragon Ball DAIMA. During a fight with Gomah, Neva helps unlock Goku’s hidden power, transforming him into a Super Saiyan 4, even in his smaller form. This transformation is incredibly powerful, allowing Mini Goku to seriously injure the giant Gomah and nearly defeat him. Super Saiyan 4 is a throwback to the original Dragon Ball series, giving Goku a tail and a more primal, ape-like fighting style.
Adult Super Saiyan 4 Goku is far more powerful than Giant Gomah, easily surpassing him in every way. Without the unique magic of the Evil Third Eye, Goku could have defeated the main villain of Dragon Ball DAIMA on his own. His power is immense – even his Kamehameha wave can shake the very foundation of the Demon Realm, sending shockwaves through all three worlds.
6. Super Saiyan 4 Goku in Dragon Ball GT is Massively Overpowered
While the Super Saiyan 4 transformation in Dragon Ball DAIMA is powerful, it doesn’t compare to Super Saiyan 4 Goku from Dragon Ball GT. Goku in this form is incredibly strong – so much so that the anime frequently needed to find ways for him to lose the transformation during final battles to avoid him defeating villains too easily. Super Saiyan 4 Goku easily defeated Super Baby Vegeta 2, had a challenging fight with Super Android 17, and single-handedly eliminated most of the Shadow Dragons.
In Dragon Ball GT, the only villain Super Saiyan 4 Goku can’t defeat on his own is Omega Shenron. To overcome this challenge, Goku and Vegeta fuse to become Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta. Goku in his Super Saiyan 4 form is significantly more powerful than any opponent he faced in Dragon Ball Z. He can also unlock an even stronger state called Super Full Power Saiyan 4, allowing him to unleash his full potential and become overwhelmingly powerful.
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2026-01-23 02:38