The Strongest Saiyans in Dragon Ball That Never Turned Super Saiyan

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Because of games like Dragon Ball Heroes and various unofficial stories, almost every well-known Saiyan has become a Super Saiyan at some point. However, if you only consider the official story – and even some of the spin-offs – it’s surprising how many Saiyans haven’t achieved this transformation. Considering Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball Super, and Dragon Ball GT, it’s quite remarkable which characters the series has left out.

By the time the Majin Buu Saga concludes, becoming a Super Saiyan feels commonplace, as Vegeta points out. Characters like Goten and Kid Trunks achieve the form with very little training, despite not facing the same intense challenges their fathers did. The introduction of S-Cells in Dragon Ball Super further diminishes the transformation’s rarity. However, this ironically makes the Super Saiyan form even more significant for the few Saiyans who haven’t been able to achieve it.

5. Paragus is Just Barely Stronger Than Nappa in Dragon Ball Super: Broly

In Dragon Ball Z, Nappa’s power level was 4,000. However, Paragus actually had a higher power level of 4,400 as seen in Dragon Ball Super: Broly. Considering his son Broly was born with an incredibly high power level of 10,000 and later almost beat Goku (even without transforming), it’s likely Paragus was even more powerful during his peak.

Paragus, despite his own strength, doesn’t possess the same natural power as his son, Broly. By the time of Dragon Ball Super: Broly, he’s an aging man focused solely on controlling Broly. He only briefly shows a hint of Super Saiyan power right before Frieza kills him, a desperate attempt to trigger Broly’s transformation during his fight with Goku and Vegeta near the movie’s end.

4. Bardock Was Never Strong Enough to Turn Super Saiyan in Dragon Ball’s Canon

Although an alternate version of Bardock achieves Super Saiyan in the non-official story Episode of Bardock, the Bardock we know from Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super never had the ability to transform. Saiyans from Bardock’s era didn’t often get stronger after recovering from injuries (known as Zenkai boosts). They either easily won their fights or were defeated.

As a huge Dragon Ball Super fan, I was so excited to see Bardock get a major power-up during his battle with Gas! It was this incredible new form that reminded me a lot of Ultra Instinct. It’s a real shame though, because he only got to show it off briefly. Right after, he sent baby Goku to Earth and then, tragically, he was killed while fighting against Frieza. It felt like we were just starting to see his full potential!

3. King Vegeta Was Surpassed By His Own Son When Vegeta Was Just a Child

While King Vegeta ruled Planet Vegeta, he wasn’t the strongest Saiyan ever. Vegeta mentioned that he became more powerful than his father at a young age. Given that Vegeta’s power level starts at 18,000 in Dragon Ball Z, King Vegeta likely had a power level in the low ten-thousands and never exceeded that.

The movie Dragon Ball Super: Broly emphasizes the Saiyan hierarchy when King Vegeta is stunned to learn that baby Broly’s Power Level is already 10,000. Similar to Bardock, King Vegeta lacked the ability to become a Super Saiyan. Vegeta himself wasn’t a strong fighter; he focused on ruling and left the fighting to lower-class Saiyans and his son’s protectors. Throughout all versions of the story, King Vegeta is easily killed by Frieza when Planet Vegeta is destroyed.

2. Turles’ Power Level of 300,000 Made Him Even Stronger Than Goku on Namek (Pre-Frieza Saga)

Turles is a villain from the non-official Dragon Ball Z movie, The Tree of Might. Unusually for a Saiyan character, he hasn’t received a Super Saiyan form in any of the spin-off games or shows like Dragon Ball Heroes. Instead, Turles gains power through transformations linked to the Fruit of the Tree of Might, which dramatically increases a person’s strength.

In the movie Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might, a single fruit dramatically increases Turles’ power level from 19,000 – slightly above Vegeta’s at the beginning of the Saiyan Saga – to a massive 300,000, just below Frieza’s power when he first arrived on Namek. If Turles continued to eat the fruit, his power would have soared into the millions, exceeding even Frieza’s final form and surpassing Super Saiyan Goku. This explains why Turles never needed to transform into a Super Saiyan.

1. Pan is the Strongest Saiyan in History to Never Turn Super Saiyan

Both Pan from Dragon Ball Super and Pan from Dragon Ball GT share one thing in common: neither has ever become a Super Saiyan. Even though Pan is potentially the strongest female Saiyan ever, she hasn’t unlocked this powerful transformation yet. Dragon Ball GT famously decided against giving Pan a Super Saiyan form, as the writers wanted her to be a character that Goku needed to rescue.

It’s always struck me as odd that Pan never transformed into a Super Saiyan, especially since there were several times in Dragon Ball GT when it would have been a natural fit. Right now, looking at all the characters, I think Pan has the most untapped potential, second only to Uub. When Dragon Ball Super continues after the current peaceful arc, I really hope Toyotarou addresses what I see as a missed opportunity in Dragon Ball GT and finally lets Pan achieve that Super Saiyan transformation.

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2026-01-17 07:06