How Did Vegeta Become a Super Saiyan in Dragon Ball Z? (2024)

In Dragon Ball Z, the deciding factor of who would win a battle eventually became a matter of being able to transform into a different form. This was definitely the case with villains such as Frieza, Cell and the corpulent Majin Buu, all of whom transformed throughout their requisite sagas. The Super Saiyan transformation was also vitally important to the heroes, especially as it related to the Prince of the Saiyans – Vegeta IV.

Goku was the first character to become a Super Saiyan in Dragon Ball Z, but he certainly wasn't the last of his species to achieve the form. Vegeta finally achieved the transformation during the Android Saga, and it only came after specialized training. This jumpstarted his ability to take on the other Super Saiyan forms, and was ultimately driven by his desire to not only survive, but thrive among all other warriors.

The Super Saiyan Transformation Was Supposed to Be Hard to Attain

The idea that Goku was an alien Saiyan and not merely a strange human with a monkey-like tail was introduced in the second "half" of the Dragon Ball manga. This was adapted into Dragon Ball Z, with the anime beginning with this revelation. During the "Saiyan Saga," Goku and his allies meet Vegeta, the haughty Prince of all Saiyans who eventually became another one of Goku's compatriots. Of course, this change in worldview wasn't over night. Even after he started working alongside "Kakarot" (Goku's birth name), Vegeta was still an antagonistic and maintained jealous streak against him. He relayed to Goku and Gohan the tales of their native Saiyan heritage and culture, namely the legends surrounding their kind. One of these involved a so-called Super Saiyan who some considered to be merely fictional.

The Super Saiyan was an individual whose power was so great, it could only be unleashed in full when the Saiyan transformed into a higher state. This was only a legend, but it quickly became a source of hope and pride for the Saiyans, who had been forced into servitude under the intergalactic warlord Frieza. He had also come to know about the mythical being, but he feared that it was based far more in reality than he wanted it to. Frieza actually feared the advent of a real Super Saiyan rising up against him, and his seeming annihilation of their entire ranks put a stop to such a threat in his mind. Unfortunately for him, survivors would come back to haunt him decades later and turn his greatest nightmare into a reality.

On the planet Namek, Goku transforms into a Super Saiyan for the first time after Frieza kills his friend Krillin. There are differing explanations for how the form is first achieved for full-blooded Saiyans, with the anime and manga giving contrasting takes. One stated that the Super Saiyan form requires a great need, such as survival at that moment, whereas the other medium explained that extreme rage triggered the transformation. Both of these could be used to explain how Vegeta took the transformation on, which wasn't quite as cut and dry as Goku becoming a Super Saiyan.

When Vegeta First Turns Into a Super Saiyan (On-Screen)

After Goku achieved the Super Saiyan form for the first time, Vegeta (who was already incredibly arrogant and prideful) became obsessed with turning into a Super Saiyan himself. After all, he was the surviving Saiyan prince, whereas Goku/Kakarot was a low-class Saiyan who was supposedly destined for weakness when he was born. Nevertheless, Vegeta eventually fulfilled his goal at a time when Goku was weaker than ever. This not only provided a source of further pride for the Saiyan royalty, but also allowed him to take on one of the Dragon Warriors' dangerous new enemies.

During the "Android Saga," Android 19 and Android 20 attacked the Z Fighters following their being warned of their coming by the mysterious Future Trunks. Unfortunately, Goku was unable to help fend them off and began to dramatically falter on the battlefield, as he had by that point fell ill to the Heart Virus that Trunks also spoke about. Turning into a Super Saiyan only made things worse, as this further drained his energy. Even the healing powers of the Senzu beans had no effect on him. With Yamcha flying Goku away to take his heart medicine, Vegeta was left behind to contend with the Androids. These beings represented the posthumous revenge of the Red Ribbon Army, which Goku and Krillin had defeated as children. In fact, Android 20 was actually Dr. Gero, the Androids' creator and former RRA member who had turned himself into a cyborg.

With Goku gone, the battle seemed lost against the two Androids. This supposed tide turning had Vegeta asking if the completely artificial Android 19 could feel fear. Android 19 was quite sure of his own abilities, as Gero had video footage of all the Z Fighters' battles (except for their time in outer space on Namek). The lack of knowledge about the Super Saiyan transformation took the Androids by surprise, however, especially once Vegeta's own hair turned blond as his power level increased. The prince of the Saiyans had finally achieved the same transformation as the "lowly" Kakarot, but how exactly he mastered the Super Saiyan form wasn't yet revealed.

Vegeta's Super Saiyan Transformation, Explained

Vegeta's motivation to become a Super Saiyan was to surpass Kakarot and assert himself as the greatest of the Saiyans. How he actually pulled this off, however, depends on which version of the series fans watch. In Dragon Ball Z, it's explained that Vegeta took off to partake in specialized training in outer space that would put him beyond Goku's power level. These unique conditions greatly increased the gravity surrounding Vegeta, making even simple actions difficult. When a giant meteor appeared and threatened to destroy his training environment (and Vegeta with it), he was unable to take it out.

Suddenly, he stopped caring about anything, including surpassing Goku. It was only by letting go of his rivalry that he finally transformed into a Super Saiyan. This matches the earlier "need" explanation for the transformation, as Vegeta literally needed to become a Super Saiyan in order to survive. In Dragon Ball Z Kai and the manga, however, the explanation for how Vegeta becomes a Super Saiyan is changed. This version builds upon the idea that Goku achieved Super Saiyan form due to having a pure heart, which Vegeta inverts to become stronger. After all, he was still a villain at this point in the series, and he explains that since his own heart was pure evil, he could achieve anything that Goku did.

Whatever the reason, Vegeta was able to now turn into a Super Saiyan with ease, which is possible once a Saiyan has already transformed once. Likewise, the children of Saiyans (including half-human hybrids) genetically inherit a large amount of "S-cells" from their parents, which is why Goten and Trunks were able to turn into Super Saiyans so easily. Since then, the Dragon Ball franchise has added several other Super Saiyan forms, but the times that Goku and Vegeta achieved the first of these upgrades were watershed moments in the franchise.

Dragon Ball Z (1989)

TV-PG

Anime

Action

Adventure

8

10

With the help of the powerful Dragonballs, a team of fighters led by the saiyan warrior Goku defend the planet earth from extraterrestrial enemies.

Release Date

September 30, 1996

Cast

Sean Schemmel , Brian Drummond , Christopher Sabat , Scott McNeil

Main Genre

Anime

Seasons

9

Studio

Toei Animation

Creator

Akira Toriyama

Number of Episodes

291