#Goku Transforms Into The Legendary ''Super Saiyan''!

[juridical-angel-blog]

Special Poster DBZ ''Light dark'' Goku Transforms Into The Legendary ''Super Saiyan'' Warrior!

[dragon-ball-zenoverse]

Karoly Dragon Ball Fusions

The fusion of Goku and Broly from dragon ball fusions. I have not actually played dragon ball fusions but I liked the idea of drawing more fusions soooo...

[tobiasdrake]

Haven't had a chance to talk much about the Ginyus yet, so here we go. Talking about the Ginyu Tokusentai/Ginyu Force/Dairy Special Forces requires putting them into context with the greater Dragon Ball universe around them.

Something that has always been incredibly limiting for Dragon Ball's worldbuilding is that, despite much of the brand being about presenting Goku with new ladders to climb, Goku doesn't climb ladders. He leaps from ladder-top to ladder-top.

What this means is, Toriyama had a tendency to be hyperbolic with the challenges Goku was presented. Toriyama doesn't pit Goku against powerful foes. He pits Goku against the most powerful foe, then has to sit back and figure out another arena for Goku to go fight the champion of.

This creates issues of perspective. We don't get to see a lot of development of the worlds Toriyama creates because Goku only shows up to fight the Very Most Powerful Guy and then leaves. And this also means we don't get to see what being the Very Most Powerful Guy means relative to people who are not.

If you followed Dragon Ball Super, you might have noticed that issue with the Tournament of Power. The way the story leaps straight from "Multiple universes exist" to "Goku vs. The Strongest in Universe 6" and then to "Goku vs. The Strongest Guy in the MULTIVERSE!" without even stopping to breathe.

What is that universe even about? Who knows? But this guy sure is their STRONGEST GUY. And that's something that's been with Dragon Ball... honestly, since all the way back at the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai when his second arc adversary was the Earth's legendary ultimate martial arts master.

The whole concept of aliens enters the Dragon Ball universe by way of Raditz introducing the Strongest Alien Race in the Universe.

Shortly after that, Goku is fighting the Strongest Saiyan, who is technically referred to as Strongest in the Universe... right up until a retcon introduces the Planet Trade Organization and Goku fights Frieza, the Actual Strongest in the Universe For Realsies.

So. Yeah. It's hard to get a sense of perspective for how powerful our guys are when they leave Earth because they only ever brush elbows with outlier titans.

But to give some idea, we already know that Earthlings are considered to be a pretty weak species.

Raditz's arrival retroactively explains Goku's destructive Oozaru transformations. This thing?

This is the Doom of the Earth. The planet-killer meant to exterminate every last human being on this planet. Boy, sure would be fun to be in the ring with that, huh?

It's also clearly touching down outside of the ring so I don't know why this wasn't a ringout. Since when is the waiting room's rooftop considered part of the stage? But I digress.

When Goku was three years old, his Oozaru was measured to be sufficient to slaughter this world. That is how weak Earth is on the scale. By contrast, Namek is considered to be one of the more powerful worlds. Vegeta describes Namekian fighters as "extraordinary".

That's something we get to see for ourselves, when Extraordinary Namekian Fighters happen to Frieza Force soldiers like a typhoon.

This is what's considered extraordinary on a standard galactic scale. These are three warriors from one of the stronger races in the universe tearing apart soldiers whose job is to exterminate races. Once they start fighting, Dodoria reads their battle powers as 3,000.

For comparison, Raditz was said to be equivalent to a Saibaman at 1,200. We never got a read on Nappa but he found the idea of Kakarot being at 5,000 unbelievable enough to go into denial, and he shit himself over 8,000.

So, with that in mind, we can understand that these nameless Namekian nobodies are pretty fucking tough, well within the realm of Saiyan ability. They're also familiar with advanced martial arts concepts like ki suppression that the Planet Trade doesn't understand.

There's probably a reason why, despite Namek apparently being well known to the Planet Trade, nobody's seen fit to gentrify this one yet. This is a fight Frieza's more elite forces can win, to be sure. But also, there are easier pickings to be had.

And then we have the Saiyans, said to be the most powerful race in the universe. Raditz, a loser scrub who doesn't know a thing about martial arts, is able to thoroughly humiliate Goku and Piccolo in terms of sheer stats, even after Goku's been trained by Popo.

This guy is the Saiyan equivalent of Appule. Goku's been personally trained by God's right-hand attendant, and Piccolo is the reincarnation of God's evil counterpart; These are not humans of this planet, but two guys who demonstrated five years ago that they're in a realm beyond the humans.

And this loser is still doing this to them. This is what a low-rate Saiyan looks like.

And this is what a Saiyan elite looks like:

Like I said, we're never given an official reading on Nappa but he found 5,000 BP to be ridiculous for Goku to have and 8,000 to be unthinkably terrifying. The Daizenshuu pegs him at 4,000, but they also peg Piccolo at 3,500 which would mean Piccolo and Nappa are closely matched.

I don't know about you but I don't see it. But that may just be me.

In any case, this gives us a general understanding of how powerful the races of the universe are. Earthlings weak. Namekians strong. Saiyans strongest. And then there's outliers.

Throughout the universe, there are... mutants. On rare occasions, an individual is born to a race who have vastly, unbelievably, ridiculously, stupidly tremendous ki.

The Planet Trade employs these mutants for their upper staff. Zarbon and Dodoria are mutants, as are the Ginyus and even Frieza himself. Especially Frieza. The reason we've never gotten elaboration on Frieza's race is because Toriyama didn't want Frieza's traits to be taken as indicative of a whole people.

According to interview, Cold was born with abnormally high power and cruelty for his race, and these traits were passed down to his son Frieza. Whatever species they came from, it is nothing like them.

They're not the only ones. The Planet Trade collects and employs these uniquely ultra-powerful mutants for its elite forces. The Saiyans are the strongest race in the universe, but these mutants are the strongest individuals in the universe.

To grasp how powerful these guys are relative to the rest of the universe, we need to talk Saiyans again for a moment. Raditz? Raditz was the yardstick for what the bottom-tier of Saiyans was. He made Earthlings look like trash, but he would have been eaten alive by those unnamed Namekian warriors.

However, a Saiyan's true strength lies in the Oozaru. Goku as an Oozaru was meant to be able to reduce the standing population of the Earth to 0. Raditz, as an Oozaru? Would still have gotten his teeth kicked in by Vegeta, the Saiyan super-elite. He is so ridiculous, he could win a straight fight with the planet-killing Oozaru.

...I mean, not after being beaten within an inch of his life and taking a Genki-Dama to the face, he can't. But if Vegeta were still at the top of his game, this would be a very different fight.

Meanwhile, the Ginyu Force.

So. Yeah. By the time we get to them, we are far beyond the ordinary limits of the universe. Saiyans are the strongest race, and Vegeta's pressing up against the limit of Saiyan ability. He's one Zenkai away from breaking through the Saiyan ceiling. Goku already has.

And these mutants they're up against are the most powerful freak aberrations of unexplained super-ki ever to have occurred anywhere in space.

IIRC it's never directly stated but for reference, Broly would probably be considered a mutant. Whether he is or isn't, he makes as a pretty solid equivalence. These guys are to their respective races what Broly is to Saiyans. What Uub is to humans.

This is all vital context for understanding the way the Ginyu Force fights.

Because.

Like.

You need to understand.

These guys suck.

On purpose.

From a technical standpoint, they're not good fighters. They're sloppy. Poorly trained around big showy moves that are meant to look cool. Style over substance.

This is because they can get away with it. They are the most powerful beings in the universe; Powerful on a scale that is an order of magnitude beyond everybody else that exists. Even the Saiyans look like shit next to these mutants.

Saiyan super-elite hits Recoome with everything he's got right in the face at point-blank range.

And the mutant takes it like a fucking champ. Vegeta's about to be killed by a man who keeps pausing to do this.

The Ginyu Force is badly trained on purpose. Which isn't to say that they're trained to lose fights, but rather that they aren't trained to compete with an equivalent rival. They can afford a martial style focused entirely on showmanship because there is no competition for them. They're too powerful to ever lose fights. Nobody else in the known universe even compares to their mutant might.

Which, as previously noted, is something Frieza is also afflicted by, in different ways. There is no reason for the Ginyus to hone their skills the way the Earthlings do because. Like. Who's going to challenge them? They're naturally born into being top of the field by a wide margin. They're going to auto-win every fight they ever involve themselves in, so their idea of self-improvement is centered instead on looking as cool as possible while they do it.

This is precisely what the Muten-Roshi worked so hard to prevent Goku from becoming.

Something else I mentioned before is that Trunks demonstrates his serious goal-oriented nature by never naming any of his techniques. He has some distinct and identifiable moves, but none of them have a formal name that he shouts out when firing them. He's here to get the job done, not to show off.

The Ginyus are in the opposite boat. They know they can't lose fights, so they are absolutely, 100% here to show off. They name the shit out of their techniques.

Flying knee? Nah, bro. That is a Recoome Kick.

Running in and throwing a punch? Nuh-uh. Recoome Mach Attack.

Lobbing a ki blast at the opponent? Crusher Ball.

These basic attacks are given huge, flashy names. And, I need to specify, they're English names. Moves like the Kamehameha or Taiyoken or Sokidan or Makankosappo also have names but they tend to be Japanese names with descriptive meanings.

Turtle Destruction Wave, signature move of the Turtle School of martial arts.

Fist of the Sun, an intense blinding art.

Winding Ki Bullet, a remote-operated bullet of ki that Yamcha can manipulate how he likes.

Demon Piercing and Killing Light Gun, a Mazoku technique that pierces and kills.

This is not the same thing. These guys are screaming exotic English words to look cool while throwing hands. "RECOOME KICK!!!" Recoome screams in English as he throws a kick.

There is only one other character in Dragon Ball who fights like this.

That's right. Recoome Kick is the same kind of thing as Satan Miracle Special Ultra Super Megaton Punch. All shouted in English as well. The Ginyu Force is what Mr. Satan would be if he was as formidable as the world believes he is.

They're showmen, even moreso than the Earthling martial artists who were born for a tournament stage. Hell, some of Recoome's moves are inspired by pro wrestling.

They are the ultimate demonstration, both of the unquestionable might of the Planet Trade's human resources, and of the absolute waste that is the Planet Trade's capitalist philosophy towards martial arts. The PTO doesn't train warriors; They scout the strongest guys their money can buy and give them marching orders of "Get 'em." Their super-elites are no exception.

Except the Captain.

Much like Vegeta was with Nappa, Ginyu is the only one who gets it. He sees Goku's reading and immediately assesses that Goku's suppressing his ki. Ginyu knows his shit. He's just never drilled this kind of information into his soldiers, opting instead for cool-looking battle poses.

It makes sense that he understands ki suppression. He's Frieza's highest-ranking officer, and Frieza is the universe's unparalleled master at ki suppression. The lengths Frieza has gone to for the sake of suppressing ki....

But he hasn't taught it to his men. They're learning flashy modeling poses instead of martial arts.

I guess I can see the logic. Powerful as they are, why would it matter? Those three extraordinary warriors earlier were also suppressing their ki, but a range of 1k to haha actually 3k doesn't mean shit to the Ginyu Force. If nobody's true strength can match them then why waste time on tactical study?

But unlike his soldiers, Ginyu himself has the spirit of a martial artist. He doesn't waste time on battle poses or scream "GINYU FLYING PUNCH" in English when he throws a punch or do elaborate two-minute windups for his signature moves.

He's even pretty good at reading people. Ginyu lowballs Goku at 60k before the fight, but reassesses after he's traded blows with Goku a few times and estimates 85k instead.

Goku's official non-suppressed Battle Power at this point in time is 90k. So 85k is a pretty fucking good estimate for a guy who can't sense ki. Ginyu knows his shit. He's as reliant on tech as the rest of the PTO but he's experienced enough to have a strong understanding of what various levels fight like.

This is especially impressive when you remember that he's never fought someone at 90k before. Remember, further up, when he first judged Goku as 60k? He was getting excited about his lowball 60k estimate and saying he's never had a chance like this before.

If he's never fought 60k, he's certainly never fought 85k. He just. Knows enough about how lower levels fight that he can apply that knowledge and extrapolate to higher levels. It's an impressive estimation that demonstrates his experience. Ginyu isn't just the second-most powerful guy in the Planet Trade. He's the best martial artist in the Planet Trade, bar none.

He's also got a... theoretically cool ultimate technique that utterly sucks in practice: Body Change.

He may be the best martial artist in the Planet Trade but he's got nothing on martial arts master and analytical counter-fighter Son Goku. It takes Goku no time at all to realize that Ginyu's technique sucks. He doesn't know how to fight with Goku's ki.

Ginyu-Goku thinks this body will give him 180k BP because that's what he read on the Scouter when Goku used the Kaio-ken. But not only does Ginyu not know how to perform Kaio-ken, he doesn't even know how to use Goku's ki at all. It's not his. It doesn't work the same way. In Goku's body, Ginyu's reduced to a distressing 23k BP when Jeice reads him.

He's not just failing to put out Kaio-ken power. He's getting his teeth kicked in by Krillin. It's embarrassing.

I've heard the theory go around that Ginyu started out weak and worked his way up via Body Changing anyone that was ever stronger than him, but I'm not convinced that's the case. Because this right here? This seems like a critical flaw. It's hard to believe he'd be entirely ignorant of this drawback if he's ever seriously used this technique before.

Ginyu being incompatible with a Body Changed host's ki doesn't seem like something an experienced Body Changer would need Goku to explain to him. In practice, the hypothetically awesome technique is bad for reasons Ginyu wasn't able to foresee, not unlike when Tenshinhan brought Shishin no Ken/Multiform to the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai. Or Goku's first time attempting Super Saiyan 3 in a living body. Cool in theory but a massive fucking oversight costs him the entire fight.

This seems more likely to be something Ginyu, the only real martial artist in his crew, developed in his own time and showed off to his men. Something he's never actually stress tested, that he's been sitting on and waiting for an opportunity to use in the field.

Whatever the case, it pins an unexpected and interesting capstone on the Ginyu Force. They're a group of clowns who can get away with clownishness because they were born into unparalleled privilege. And they're led by a shockingly well-educated and capable martial artist who's never worked the kinks out of his ultimate technique for lack of adequate competition in a universe that could rarely hope to ever challenge even his weakest man.

[sweetbunpura]

Saiyan Yuu shows her forms

Yuu: That transformation I used? Oh, the Saiyans call it Super Saiyan 4.

Jack: 4? So there are other levels?

Yuu: Yeah. I have a lot of forms. Watch. KAI-O-KEN!!! (Erupts into Red Aura) This is one I learned from a Saiyan raised on another planet named Goku; his real name is Kakarot. This power increases everything - Speed, Strength, and Durability. You can double & triple your attributes but it's dangerous to overuse.

[Yuu goes Super Saiyan.]

Yuu: This is the Legendary Form of the Saiyan Race called Super Saiyan, or it used to be. This form grants us incredible power... and it's nothing compared to what we can really do.

[Yuu goes Super Saiyan 2.]

Yuu: This form is called an Ascended Saiyan, but we call it Super Saiyan 2.

[Yuu goes Super Saiyan 3.]

Yuu: This is Super Saiyan 3. Its power is incredible but it burns through too fast so we don't really use it.

[Yuu returns to Base Form.]

Yuu: And you've seen a glimpse of Super Saiyan 4, so I won't show it again.

Jack: ....

Ruggie: ...

Leona: ....So can you go further?

Yuu: Yeah, but that requires me to train more. Super Saiyan God and Blue are above 4 and then Ultra instinct is on another level.

Ruggie: What the hell.

Yuu: Oh! We also can fuse! Either with a dance or a set of earrings! *Pulls them out* Don't ask where I got these from.

Jack: So would any of us be able to fuse with you? Even if we don't have Ki?

Yuu: Yeah.

Leona: We should fuse.

[instaquarius]

100 DBZ OC ART CHALLENGE

1.) Introduction.  2.) Flight.  3.) Hero.  4.) Full Moon.  5.) Transformation.  6.) Rage. 7.) Fusion (potara, Namekian, or finger fusion) 8.) Great Ape. 9.) Master and Student. 10.) Tournament. (Worlds Strongest Under the Heavens, the afterlife one from that one filler episode/arc, universes 6 v. 7 tournament, or the Tournament of Power) 11.) Fighting. 12.) Destruction. 13.) Ki control 14.) Aura. 15.) Blasts. 16.) Rivals. 17.) Quest. 18.) Family. 19.) Danger Zone. 20.) As a baby. 21.) With the Z sword (or training with the Z Sword) 22.) Victory. 23.) Death. 24.) Loss. 25.) Crisis. 26.) In other world. 27.) Snake way. 28.) Playing Baseball. 29.) At Kaio Samas' place. (In heaven?) 30.) In hell with HFIL ogres. 31.) Kaioshins' planet. 32.) Lovers. 33.) Doing Ginyu Force poses (or actually IN the Ginyu Force if you want XD) 34.) Saiyaman/Saiyagirl poses. 35.) 1st form, 2nd,3rd, 4th, (Golden or 5th form) 36.) Training in Gravity room 37.) Weighted Gi 38.) Wearing Earth clothes; casual 39.) in Dragonball art style (Like, before Z, Super etc.) 40.) Protection. 41.) Powering up. 42.) Fighting Frieza, Cell or Buu (or a movie villain) 43.) Universal Tournament. 44.) In the future. 45.) Immortality. 46.) Clones 47.) Finding the Dragonballs 48.) Meditating 49.) Fighting a God of Destruction 50.) Ritual 51.) Fighting the Legendary Super Saiyan 52.) Fighting in the Tuffle War 53.) Mind Control (by baby, Babidi, Towa/Mira etc.) 54.) As a Time Breaker 55.) As a Time Patroller 56.) Fighting the Z warriors.  57.) On Planet Vegeta. 58.) Getting absorbed (by a Majin?) 59.) False SSJ 60.) Getting turned into candy 61.) Inside the healing tank (like on Friezas spaceship) 62.) In the Hyperbolic Time Chamber (or Room of Spirit and Time) 63.) Eating. 64.) Revenge. 65.) Pride 66.) Sacrifice. 67.) Bloodied.  68.) Fear. 69.) Heart Virus. 70.) Meeting Arale (from Dr. Slump) 71.) Using the Kaioken. 72.) Climbing Korin Tower (like in original dragonball before flight was a thing) 73.) Wearing a Turtle Shell. 74.) Determined. 75.) Getting Married. 76.) Best Friends. 77.) Screams. 78.) Rescued. 79.) Mafuba. 80.) Killing. 81.) Defeat. 82.) Sadness. 83.) Happiness. 84.) In a Saiyan spacepod. 85.) Hatred. 86.) Crushed. 87.) Beam Struggle. 88.) Genki Dama (Spirit Bomb) 89.) Showering 90.) Wearing the pink Badman shirt 91.) Scheming. 92.) Fighting Merged Zamasu (or Regular Zamasu) 93.) Fighting a Black version of your OC (hint: Goku Black) 94.) Unlocked Potential.  95.) Confused. 96.) In highschool. 97.) Tears. 98.) Act of kindness 99.) Tag team 100.) With you (The creator of OC/artist) saying they survived the Challenge

Rules~~~~ 1.) Can go from any order you wish. It doesn't matter the order you do these in. 2.) Be creative. 3.) All writings/drawings must be related to DBZ in some way/the theme you choose to do. 4.) Link if you do do this? I'd love to see :3 5.) Also please leave a mention to this in your submissions~ 6.) You can use both OCs and cannon characters as long as its related to the series. 7.) Can be done whenever you feel like~ (No deadline or each theme has to be done once a day or anything) 8.) (Your also free to copy paste to a journal or something the themes to keep track of them as long as credits back to me)  9.) Have fun~

[deusvervewrites]

Saiyan AU

So just how destructive was the fight against All For One and King Piccolo? Because Inko underwent the transformation into the Legendary Super Saiyan during this fight. A form that, when Broly used it, caused widespread destruction in an already destructive battle.

Now admittedly, Broly was fighting againsy Goku and Vegeta in SSG and SSB forms before they fused into Gogeta. But even without the destruction caused by fighting against those forms, the LSS form is still very destructive.

Also, on a related note, what was Coli’s reaction to the fact that her daughter was the Legendary Super Saiyan?

Don't forget that the characters in this AU are all at Pre-Z levels because they've never encountered a threat that required that level of training. So while Inko's transformation was intense and destructive, it wasn't literally world-shaking.

Coli didn't actually believe the legends because they're, you know, legends. She figured it was an exaggeration of particularly skilled warriors, like how Alexander became known as The Great. And then she felt Inko's transformation. The Ki expert in her was delighted, and she was proud of that power but worried about where it came from

[galexibrain]

100 DBZ OC art challenge master post

Original post by @instaquarius

Using this to link all the fanarts I made for this challenge.

I don't know how far I'm going to come with this but it'll be great practice and a playground to expand on my favorite OC :3

Not doing them chronologically but however I want. Or drawing lots XD

1.) Introduction. See post 2.) Flight. 3.) Hero. 4.) Full Moon. 5.) Transformation. 6.) Rage. 7.) Fusion (potara, Namekian, or finger fusion) 8.) Great Ape. 9.) Master and Student. 10.) Tournament. (Worlds Strongest Under the Heavens, the afterlife one from that one filler episode/arc, universes 6 v. 7 tournament, or the Tournament of Power) 11.) Fighting. 12.) Destruction. 13.) Ki control 14.) Aura. 15.) Blasts. 16.) Rivals. 17.) Quest. 18.) Family. 19.) Danger Zone. 20.) As a baby. 21.) With the Z sword (or training with the Z Sword) 22.) Victory. 23.) Death. 24.) Loss. 25.) Crisis. 26.) In other world. 27.) Snake way. See post 28.) Playing Baseball. 29.) At Kaio Samas' place. (In heaven?) 30.) In hell with HFIL ogres. 31.) Kaioshins' planet. 32.) Lovers. 33.) Doing Ginyu Force poses (or actually IN the Ginyu Force if you want XD) 34.) Saiyaman/Saiyagirl poses. 35.) 1st form, 2nd,3rd, 4th, (Golden or 5th form) 36.) Training in Gravity room 37.) Weighted Gi 38.) Wearing Earth clothes; casual 39.) in Dragonball art style (Like, before Z, Super etc.) 40.) Protection. 41.) Powering up. 42.) Fighting Frieza, Cell or Buu (or a movie villain) 43.) Universal Tournament. 44.) In the future. 45.) Immortality. 46.) Clones 47.) Finding the Dragonballs 48.) Meditating 49.) Fighting a God of Destruction 50.) Ritual 51.) Fighting the Legendary Super Saiyan 52.) Fighting in the Tuffle War 53.) Mind Control (by baby, Babidi, Towa/Mira etc.) 54.) As a Time Breaker 55.) As a Time Patroller 56.) Fighting the Z warriors. 57.) On Planet Vegeta. 58.) Getting absorbed (by a Majin?) 59.) False SSJ 60.) Getting turned into candy 61.) Inside the healing tank (like on Friezas spaceship) 62.) In the Hyperbolic Time Chamber (or Room of Spirit and Time) 63.) Eating. 64.) Revenge. 65.) Pride 66.) Sacrifice. 67.) Bloodied. 68.) Fear. 69.) Heart Virus. 70.) Meeting Arale (from Dr. Slump) 71.) Using the Kaioken. 72.) Climbing Korin Tower (like in original dragonball before flight was a thing) 73.) Wearing a Turtle Shell. 74.) Determined. 75.) Getting Married. 76.) Best Friends. 77.) Screams. 78.) Rescued. 79.) Mafuba. 80.) Killing. 81.) Defeat. 82.) Sadness. 83.) Happiness. 84.) In a Saiyan spacepod. 85.) Hatred. 86.) Crushed. 87.) Beam Struggle. 88.) Genki Dama (Spirit Bomb) 89.) Showering 90.) Wearing the pink Badman shirt 91.) Scheming. 92.) Fighting Merged Zamasu (or Regular Zamasu) 93.) Fighting a Black version of your OC (hint: Goku Black) 94.) Unlocked Potential. 95.) Confused. 96.) In highschool. 97.) Tears. 98.) Act of kindness 99.) Tag team 100.) With you (The creator of OC/artist) saying they survived the Challenge

[howlingday]

If you were to do this with RWBY characters who would you pick.

Ah, the Super Saiyan God transformation... Just like Dragon Ball fashion, back when it was the dopest thing to happen until Vegeta did it on easy mode.

As for who in RWBY, I would have to give it an equivalent. Unfortunately, there are no Saiyans or other alien species (except maybe the Brothers) to give a power up. Also, there's not really a power that could be upgraded, as much as my brain is screaming "SUPER SILVER-EYED WARRIORS AAAGH!"

However, there is one thought I had. The only way, at least at the time, for someone to achieve Super Saiyan God was from a ritual in which five Saiyans of righteous heart join hands with each other and another Saiyan to gift that sixth Saiyan the power to overcome the calamity. Sadly, there's not enough Silver-Eyed Warriors to perform a similar ritual (or at least not enough of sound mind).

However, what if instead of Silver-Eyes, we instead look at another magical power in RWBY and gave it a ritual to power boost?

What if there was a Super Maiden ritual?

Let's look at the requirements. There are four Maidens, and in the stories, it was a wizard who guided the original Maidens in their journeys. So, we need four Maidens and a Wizard. The four Maidens join hands with each other, the Wizard, and their intended receiver of combined magical power. The recipient MUST be of righteous or pure heart.

So, we need the Maidens, who are Cinder, Winter, Raven, and the elusive Summer Maiden, who has yet to be revealed. This would be similar to the sudden reveal of Pan in Dragon Ball: Battle of Gods, in which the Summer Maiden reveals herself and joins hands with the other Maidens and takes the recipient's hand. Oscar, as the Wizard because he is the incarnation of Ozma, takes the recipient's other hand, and they all wish and hope and pray for the mythical and legendary Super Maiden to come save them.

But who could it be? Who is the recipient of the Super Maiden's power? It would have to be someone who fits the role as Maiden, which means a young woman, and they must be of pure or righteous heart. Pretty much any of the girls could-

Yeah, yeah, of course it's Ruby. Or, at least, that's what my thought is. Partially because she's essentially the Goku of RWBY, and because she is essentially the pure-hearted girl everyone thinks of in the show. Heck, even Blake describes her as the literal personification of the word "pure"!

But just for giggles, let's say there's someone else who fits the bill. Someone who could also fit the role as a Super Maiden and be gifted with the powers of all four Maidens.

My backup is pretty obvious, but it's mostly for spit and giggles.

Butwhat about you guys?

[bahnloopi]

Your Broly Black ideas inspired me, so here's some random thoughts I had about them:

Broly Black (Z):

Zamasu wished to "Swap bodies with the mortal that hates Son Goku the most", and either just took Broly's body from that world OR Z Broly hated him so much that the Super Dragon Balls pulled him and his body through the multiverse.

Spear for a weapon, perhaps becoming a Trident as he powers up (connotations of Royalty that Zamasu would surely enjoy + the mental image of Black stabbing Trunks with a Trident with an evil grin is powerful)

Would get the most affected by this body's personality, leading to a very spiteful and downright malicious Saiyan that would take more and more joy from his actions as he goes on.

Worst relationship with Immortal Zamasu as the two slowly become different people, maybe culminating in them outright refusing to fuse.

If they did, then Merged Zamasu would end up being so much worse, his body breaking down quicker with cracks breaking into his immortal side aswell. In addition, the immortal body having a way higher capacity alongside way less stability means Merged Zamasu would end up being a bomb when he dies, his overflowing ki risking the whole galaxy.

Rose Legendary would likely fuse into a single aura and form, enhancing all his worst traits as he continues to enhance it. I'd imagine it'd start more lean, slowly growing more Buff until he rips his shirt (reflecting how Zamasu loses himself to his Saiyan side as he connects to the body).

Broly Black (Super):

Zamasu decided to think his wish through more and used the Time Ring to go back in time to watch Gokus major battles, trying to figure out what he had to let him get so far.

And he notices a few things, like Goku using godly techniques (if he would go on to force the knowledge of both techniques from that pitiful "King" Kai, then he would never tell) and Goku beating someone that stole his body already (darn it Ginyu) but, above all else...

He can adapt. He may lose, but he comes back stronger each time. And Zamasu needed to find a way around that.

And so, he wished on Super Shenron to "Swap bodies with the Saiyan with the highest latent potential", giving him the body of Broly.

... shame he has no clue who Broly is, and he won't find Vampa for... a while.

Most affected by the bodies rage, him losing himself into it until he doesn't even care (the whole way he says he has control over it)

His weapon would be something more blunt and martial, such as something simmilar to knuckle dusters or boxing gloves.

Legendary Rose wouldn't be one Merged form as it is too far away from Zamasu's personality to blend easily. Instead, it would be a clash between the two, the Divine simplicity and mortal emotion clashing like trying to hold magnets together.

Gets on well with Immortal Zamasu until he snaps and transforms, fooling only himself when he says that he has control over this brutal form.

Merged Zamasu flat out wouldn't happen, with Zamasu refusing to merge with a berserk Saiyan out of control and instead teaming up with the heroes temporarily to stop Black

Kale Black:

Gonna be honest, can't think of a reason for this one beyond maybe "Zamasu waits a bit, sees the U6 expo / ToP and notices how strong Kale was"

The Most nothing of the Black Beserkers ngl.

Weapon would 10000% be two Great Axes, one over each shoulder.

Could maybe tie the U6 saiyan biology being different into the form, with God Ki manifesting differently in them (alongside Zenkais, with the U6 saiyans likely not needing them as much as our U7 folk and maybe having weaker ones as a result.)

Let me be the one to tell you these are all f i r e headcanons and a great chunk of them are ideas I had myself and I love these. This was what I wanted when I challenged the fandom to write his lore. So good

[kidchaor122]

Are we sure Gohan isn't a Legendary Super Saiyan ?

Bare with me I have an idea, now for context I'm aware Legendary Super Saiyan is the name given to DBZ Broly, I am using it in place of DBS Broly's Form as it is easier and more consistent than the names he currently has for it.

Now what I mean by this is, I hypothesis that Gohan is like Broly, a mutant Saiyan, my basis for this is the sheer rage they both share.

now, that isn't to say no other Saiyan gets angry or to ignore Gohan's hybrid Saiyan origin, however in that regard if we observe the other instances of hybrid Saiyans neither (for this we observe Trunks and Goten as both are 50% Saiyan like Gohan and have been observed in combat) exhibit the same extreme power boost that Gohan experienced with his rage moments.

Remember Gohan at age four experienced a power boost with his rage so powerful he was able to injure Radius who was multiple times stronger than himself(most sources say Gohan had a power level of 3 and jumped to a power level of 1307, which if cannon is a roughly 453x boost), neither Goten or trunks received such a boost in any arcs they were in, this include future trunks as while his rage moments were more explosive than his younger self's, with the exception of super Saiyan rage which I would chalk up more to him getting Godly Ki by training with Past Vegeta ( though I fully admit this is my interpretation and could be wrong).

From what can be observed Gohan's rage is massively powerful and more potent than other Half Saiyans, which leads me to the only other massive increase Via Rage we see in the series.

In DBS Super Broly, we discover that Broly a mutant of the Saiyan species is able to access the boost of Ozaru form without having access to his tail or the full moon. We also observe the longer he fights the stronger he gets, going from getting manhandled by Ssj1 Vegeta to being able to harm Ssj blue Goku and Vegeta before going Super/Legendary Super Saiyan.

Now assumedly the reason Gohan Was not born with Broly's power level (10,000) is due to his Half human origins, shoving his potential away until his body could handle it (which granted is a stretch though possible as our IRL Bodies hold us back from functioning at 100% as well).

Which then leads me to their transformations, it is widely believed that Gohan's Ssj2 has a higher multiple than other Ssj2 transformations, especially when Gohan is in a state of Combat Atrophy(I.E Buu Saga) during the fight with Dabura who was stated to be as strong as Perfect cell, Gohan was still stronger than him and was able to defeat him. It also never takes long to train Gohan back up to his peak, (I.E Gohan's training with piccolo during the tournament of power that made him on par with that version of Ssj blue Goku )

And this becomes even more amplified when you take into account Gohan's New Gohan Beast form, which I feel like is the equivalent to Broly's Full power Super Saiyan/Legendary Super Saiyan form.

So with all that in mind while I don't believe there will be a twist reveal that Gohan was a Legendary Super Saiyan the whole time it's interesting how alike both Broly and Gohan are, maybe if Paragus was more like Goku or Piccolo Broly would have been more well adjusted and even more powerful.

[sweetescapeartist]

FULL POWER FORMS & SUPER SAIYAN GRADE FORMS

These forms allow for characters to amplify their physical strength by swelling their ki to expand their muscles mass & height as it greatly increases the physical power of their current form. I categorize these forms as "Partial Full Power" & "100% Full Power" forms.

Now, here are the characters who have used these "Full Power" forms. (If I missed any, let me know.)

ROSHI: 🕶️🐢

Normal • Partial Full Power • 100% Full Power

GARLIC JR (Z Films): 🧄

Normal • Transformed (100% Full Power)

FREEZA: 🧊

Normal • Partial Full Power • 100% Full Power

VEGETA: 🥗🐒

Normal base • Normal SSJ • SSJ Grade 2 (Partial Full Power)

TRUNKS: 🩳🐒

Normal base • Normal SSJ • SSJ Grade 2 (Partial Full Power) • SSJ Grade 3 (100% Full Power)

GOKU: 🥕🐒

Normal base • Normal SSJ • SSJ Grade 2 (Partial Full Power) • SSJ Grade 3 (100% Full Power)

CELL: 🧬

Normal • Partial Full Power • 100% Full Power

BROLY (Z Films): 🥦🦍

Normal base • Restrained SSJ • Normal SSJ • Legendary SSJ (100% Full Power)

GOKUA (Z Films): 🏴‍☠️

Normal • Transformed (100% Full Power)

ZANGYA (Z Films): 🏴‍☠️

Normal • Powered-up (Partial Full Power)

BOJACK (Z Films): 🏴‍☠️

Normal • Transformed (100% Full Power)

TRUNKS (DBS anime): 🩳🐒

SSJ • SSJ2 • Super Saiyan Rage (Transformed 100% Full Power)

MERGED ZAMASU (DBS anime): 🐵☯🍏

Merged Zamasu • Merged Zamasu [Corrupted] • Merged Zamasu [Corrupted] (100% Full Power)

FROST (DBS anime): ❄️

Normal • 100% Full Power

CAULIFLA (DBS anime): ⚪🥦🐵

Normal base • Normal SSJ • SSJ Grade 3 (100% Full Power)

KALE (DBS anime): 🥬🦍

Normal base • Berserker SSJ (100% Full Power) • Controlled Berserker SSJ (Controlled Full Power)

TOPPO (DBS anime): ♨️

Normal • GoD Form (100% Full Power)

SSGSS VEGETA (DBS anime): 🥗🐒

Normal SSB • SSBE (Controlled 100% Full Power)

JIREN (DBS anime): 👽

Normal • Full Power (100% Full Power) • Awakened (Beyond/Super Full Power)

BROLY (DBS anime): 🥦🦍

Normal base • Wrathful State [Stage 2] (Full Power base/Humanoid Oozaru) • Normal SSJ • Full Power SSJ (Legendary SSJ)

GAS (DBS manga): ⛽

Normal base • Instincts Released (100% Full Power) • Instincts Controlled (Controlled Full Power) • Burning (Partial Life Reserves) • Zombie (Life Reserves) • Instincts Released Zombie (Life Reserves 100% Full Power)

THE FLAW OF FULL POWER FORMS: 📉

Often times, the Full Power forms are more of a liability than a benefit. Most quickly burn through ki & put strain on the body while giving brute strength at the cost of speed. All which can make the user vulnerable in a life-or-death battle.

In the case of Kale, Broly, & Gas, their increased muscle mass didn't cost them speed. Instead, their Full Power forms caused them to temporarily lose their sanity; something that can put their own life at risk as well as others they may care about.

However, there are characters who have been able to make use of the Full Power forms immediately without losing speed, stamina, or sanity. Examples being SS Rage Trunks, Merged Zamasu, GoD Toppo, SSBE Vegeta, and Jiren (Full Power & Awakened).

EXTRA THOUGHTS:

Certain names of the transformations are just what I call them. Like Kale's Controlled Berserker SSJ, Jiren's Awakened Full Power state, and all of the names for Gas' forms.

Super Saiyan Grade 2 & 3 forms are essentially Roshi's buffer forms repurposed for a Super Saiyan.

I decided to not classify Freeza's "True Golden Freeza" Form as a Full Power Form of Golden Freeza because it appears to be more akin to Super Saiyan Grade 4/Mastered Super Saiyan.

Knowing that Freeza can increase his power by percentages, this would imply the same for other characters who use Full Power forms. Roshi's semi-buff form would possibly be about 70% while his Full Power form is 100%. Super Saiyan Grade 2 may be about 80% or so depending on the character, while Super Saiyan Grade 3 is 100%.

There's a reason you don't see a Full Power SSJ2 or a Full Power SSJ3 used in combat. Most Full Power forms are not stable and would only be good if they can land a hit. And with the stamina drain of SSJ3, a "SSJ3 Grade 3" would be a very pointless form that greatly multiplies the stamina drain.

I didn't include Majin Vegeta as a Full Power form despite it being SSJ2 Vegeta at Full Power. The power Vegeta recieved was not entirely his own & was power beyond his limits granted to him by magic. He was not using a Grade 3 form either, so I did not consider it to be a Full Power form in the same sense as the others on the list.

From what I can tell, Super Saiyan Rage could be some sort of "SSJ2 form of SSJ2." Meaning its a unique form above SSJ3. Before transforming into Super Saiyan Rage, a SSJ2 Trunks bulks up into a "SSJ2 Grade 3." Then, Trunks controls the power, slims down, gains a new aura, gets sharper and longer hair, & temporarily lacks pupils/irises. This is like Kale's Controlled Berserker SSJ form, but seemingly on a higher level. Future Trunks had already gotten his SSJ2 form to be almost as strong as SSJ3, so a "Controlled Full Power SSJ2 form" (SS Rage) would probably put him on a level around or a bit above SSG. (Maybe I should make a post about Super Saiyan Rage in the future. 🤔) On the other hand, Controlled Berserker SSJ Kale is shown to be somewhat below SSG Goku in DBS EP 114 when she & SSJ2 Caulifla fought SSG Goku when he had his gaurd up. So... from what I can tell, Super Saiyan Rage is a transformation of SSJ2 that began as "SSJ2 Grade 3" before Trunks controlled his Full Power & transformed. Thus, I classified Super Saiyan Rage as a Full Power transformation similar to SSBE. (If you disagree & have evidence of some sort, share it with me so I can adjust my thoughts as needed.)

After transforming into SSBE, Vegeta said "This is everything I have, Jiren!" So, I classified Vegeta's SSBE as some sort of improved version of the Full Power form while using SSB. It's basically Vegeta as SSB Grade 3, but slimmed down due to god ki giving him better control of the form, so there is no speed drawback. In a way, it's similar to how Trunks transformed into Super Saiyan Rage. Like Father, like son I suppose.

I wonder if DBS Broly's green haired SSJ form is his SSJ form mixed with the power of his Wrathful State (the Humanoid Oozaru form). With how the Wrathful State [Stage 2] made Broly grow in height and muscle mass, and how the Legendary SSJ form makes Broly turn giant and buff... Maybe his Full Power SSJ form is indeed SSJ combine with a [Stage 2] or a hypothetical [Stage 3] of Broly's Wrathful State power? 🤔

The DBS Manga continuity version of Broly's forms differs from its animated counterpart from what I can tell. DBS manga Broly is more similar to DBS manga Kale. [DBS manga Broly & DBS manga Kale have Base • Super Saiyan • Full Power Super Saiyan.]

I believe Zangya was in a partial Full Power form because she had to power-up against Krillin. When she did, her hair stayed floating upwards during her entire battle with Krillin. Her hair returned to normal only after she defeated him. She clearly had to power-up. But, does Zangya have her own green-skinned transformation like Bojack & Gokua? It's possible. Or perhaps she wasn't able to use a Full Power form like them just yet. We didn't see Bido or Bujin power-up to a Full Power form either. It seems like most of the crew don't have access to that Full Power transformation. So, this powered-up state Zangya used against Krillin could be her "Partial Full Power" if she can transform, or even her current "full power" if she cannot transform a true Full Power form. I currently believe that it is Zangya's "Partial Full Power" form & she hadn't unlocked the Full Power transformation yet.

I disagree with the idea of Krillin using the the Full Power form as a "power-up" like Roshi does because it wouldn't allow him to even touch a stronger opponent due to the buff form's speed reduction. As shown in Resurrection F, the Full Power form still quickly depleted Roshi's stamina & Krillin had to come in to save him. Some ppl say it will make Krillin taller, so it's a good form for him. However, being of short stature is actually an advantage because Krillin is harder to hit and his opponent will underestimate his strength like Piccolo did during the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai, & like how Vegeta & Nappa underestimated Krillin's strength & skill when he fought them. Plus, Krillin being short is not only part of his character appeal, but it is also a reference to Journey To The West.

Since the buff form is pointless for most characters (unless its a controlled Full Power Form), the best goal for the Krillin and the other Earthling fighters would be for them to utilize masterful ki control & performance in their normal state rather than greatly increasing their muscle mass with ki. As displayed by Krillin, Non-Self State is the next level of Earthling "transformation." But, rather than physical, it is a spiritual transformation; a transformation of internal energy. Hopefully Krillin's Non-Self State makes a return in some form & the other Earthling warriors recieve a similar power-up in the future as well. I have my doubts, but fingers crossed. 🤞

[bluehairlaunch]

Top 7 BEST Dragon Ball Transformations

Honorable mention: Yung King Piccolo

Does this count as a transformation?

Mecha Tao

Yup, the best villain in all of Dragon Ball also did this first.

Eat your heart out, Frieza.

Muscle Bottom Trunks

This is where Super Saiyan and its myriad iterations (including "SS2" and whatever you nerds call the version Goku and Gohan have when they emerge from the Room of Spirit and Time) would go, but I decided to choose just my favorite one instead.

I think this transformation has over half a dozen names: Super Saiyan Third Grade, Super Saiyan 1.5, Super Super Saiyan, Ultra Super Saiyan, lmao jesus christ, Power-weighted Super Saiyan, Power stressed Super Saiyan Bitch Super Saiyan, and somehow the list just keeps going on. But what I like most about it is that everyone can do it.

Well not the Super Saiyan part, you have to have a little bit of Saiyan in your brainpan to do that, but the getting big. Doing so makes you stronger, but also so much slower that the difference just doesn't matter (for those of you that just watch youtube videos, and don't read the fucking comic). Frieza is such a useless he/they thembo that he also mistook it for a legitimate transformation against Goku on Namek. Y'know, his 100% (this time for real guyz).

Golden Fuuureeeza

I railed against lazy recolors in my worst transformations list, but Frieza is the physical embodiment of sloth and affluenza. He was the strongest being in the universe by far barring an ancient alien prophecy for fucking decades. And what does he do with all that power? Well, ride around on a rascal scooter, of course, while sending endless swathes of Appule's to do his dirty work. Instead of lifting a finger for an hour and then being immortal FOREVER.

And that's why it works for me in all the ways Resurrection F didn't. He's supposed to be stupid and ostentatious. Dragon Ball Super writers, you're NOT.

Janemba

Frankly, this is the biggest glow up in Dragon Ball history. From lazy Buu clone to, well, admittedly a lazy clone of another great character. But he has a sword! And that moveset. And it's an actually good filler movie in which Hitler dies (again).

Just look at him

Legendary Super Saiyan

Why is greenish Super Saiyan soooooo coooool??? Well, I'll tell you why.

It's because it just is. Super Saiyan? Actually so cool. Green? Such a good color Victorian aristocrats were willing to kill themselves using a shade of it that contained arsenic. It was basically their version of Oceangate, but they all did it! We could only be so lucky nowadays. And the lore implications? Mmm, yeah. Yeah!

You see, in canon Goku did a little prophecy, but Toriyama can't help but be a great writer, so instead of just being the generic Chosen One a la every bad shonen we all know and love, he's not. He's just not. Goku, Gohan, Vegeta, Trunks, baby Trunks, baby Goku, they all do it too. Turns out, Super Saiyan is something each and every Saiyan can do. And then filler happens, Broly shows up, and everyone sees that this is because he's the real Chosen Boy.

And he's green! And we all loved it so hard we got a quality version a century later in the form of Super Broly The Movie

Nice. That's history for you.

Great Ape

The OG. Look at this trendsetter. If this isn't the second best, what is? You're wrong.

Perfect Cell

It's perfect

[sometipsygnostalgic]

Super Saiyan Tingly Feeling

Caulifla's transformation into Super Saiyan 1/2 is trashy and underwhelming and demystifies Super Saiyan, but I also love it as the logical conclusion for Super Saiyan fan theories.

Like... Goku could turn Super Saiyan all the way back in Namek saga. Caulifla and Kale are wAAAAAAAAY stronger than Goku was back at Namek, so it makes sense that their bodies are able to handle not only SSJ1, but also higher forms of SSJ. If one's ability to turn super saiyan is capped by their body's own strength, rather than being inherent to all Saiyans regardless of power, then this makes sense.

We can also view this compared to Goten and Trunks. Now, Future Trunks had to train quite hard to turn Super Saiyan, he had to feel "the Rage", but he and Gohan got there as children, much sooner than Goku. Then, in the main timeline, Goten and Trunks both seemed to have an inherent super saiyan ability. In Trunks' case, the presence of Vegeta and Goten would have made him more likely to discover this ability, and in Goten's case, not only was Goku already a super saiyan when he was concieved (unlike Gohan and future Trunks), he's also had Trunks and Gohan (and ChiChi???) to compete with. The higher base power level combined with a competitive environment helped them out.

So, Kale and Caulifla are much stronger than Goten and Trunks, who seemed to always have the ability to transform without the need for any sort of blood ending rage (unless you count being a kid).

How does a Super Saiyan transform without feeling blood ending rage? Well it obviously happens all the time. While Vegeta is always mad, and Gohan sometimes needs that extra push, Goten and Trunks and Goku clearly do not need anger to transform.

So, of course, they do it via a "tingly feeling on their back"!!!! How mechanical. It's so stupid, but I love it.

Only Caulifla who probably doesn't feel rage any more than Goku required this method to learn to transform. Her body is incredibly strong so she could reach SSJ2 off the bat. The show teases SSJ3, I think she does have the physical strength for it, it probably requires a psychological push though. Even Gotenks didn't go SSJ3 until Goten watched his mother die and trained super hard.

Kale, though... I'd be shocked if this was the first time Kale transformed. Her form is just called "a berserk super saiyan" in show, but it's clearly "legendary super saiyan" from the movies. She has so much gay anger that I can imagine her transforming once before to beat the shit out of someone who smacktalked Caulifla or got too close to her. Maybe Caulifla is so strong that Goku was the first, but it's clear that Kale is the physically stronger of the two girls, even with Caulifla's super saiyan 2.

Cabba got the Vegeta treatment and Vegeta probably isn't aware of the tingly-feeling-on-your-back method. He just uses his unending well of rage to transform every time. He wouldn't teach Cabba such a pussy haxxor method of going Super Saiyan. Cabba needs to understand the RAGE OF HIS ANCESTORS.

[heyyallitsbeth]

Idk how but every once and a while I STILL see people wondering why the Super Saiyan transformations in DBS Broly show Goku and Vegeta go momentarily green prior to their normal gold SSJ coloration.

Like its not even symbolism you can miss, its quite literally just a visual way of showing the connection between Broly as the Super Saiyan of Legend, and the other Super Saiyans. It's just showing, yes Broly is the prodigy, the living Legendary Super Saiyan, but also that all Saiyans can attain that status becoming a legend, all of them have the same glowing green eyes and power.

Saiyan's power comes from connection and emotion, the God form being the most upfront about it, being able to grant divine power to a collection of saiyans all working together, but the underglow of green light of all Super Saiyans, in their aura and their eyes show that they're all connected together through their emotions, all linked to a legendary warrior.

So whoops, sorry, it was symbolism, i brought symbolism into your shonen, HAHAHA I GOT YOU! PRANKED WITH ENGLISH CLASS!

[ultraericthered]

Why DB's story peaked at the Cell Saga

Inspired by another recent Tumblr post on the Cell Saga.

A lot of times when I've seen talk online about where fans believe the late Akira Toriyama should've ended the original run of Dragon Ball, thus the original Dragon Ball narrative (and this is a question at all because very few fans were really satisfied with where it actually did end, with a weird ass final saga and a really weak epilogue/ending), by far the most common refrain seemed to be that "it should've ended at the Freeza Saga." Not hard to see why this is, as that was easily the most iconic saga of the entire series in Japan, with Son Goku's transformation into a Super Saiyan and domination of Freeza (hyped up as the most powerful villain Goku could ever face and also the one responsible for wiping out Goku's people and why he was on Earth to begin with) in the fight that followed being considered the high point of Goku's entire story, thus of the series on the whole. Many who loved the saga took umbrage at the arrival of Trunks proceeding to completely undermine both the threat of Freeza and the significant uniqueness of the legendary Super Saiyan, which is cause for them to say this is when the series began to go downhill.

To me, of course, this is nonsense.

The argument that the Freeza Saga was laid out to be the perfect possible finale for Dragon Ball is one that requires tunnel vision in order to make. Specifically, tunnel vision on a single character - Son Goku himself. The Freeza Saga being a climactic one for the story of Dragon Ball and where Goku's character peaked is undeniable, as there's not that many more avenues you could explore with Goku's character following him becoming a Super Saiyan and fulfilling his destiny of avenging his race against the genocidal tyrant Freeza. But...what about everyone and everything else? Though Dragon Ball was always Goku's series, its setting and events always concerned much, much, much more than just Goku, and features a wide cast of characters that has many who are just as valuable. So where would the Freeza Saga leave them off were it to end the whole thing?

Gohan just returns to his studies while waiting for daddy to come back home, his own power and hidden potential never receiving any major payoff. Piccolo is back alive but stays on Earth rather than rejoin his people, leaving him seemingly aimless since he no longer desires to dominate Earth nor does he wish to re-merge with Kami. Vegeta is back alive and on Earth (which, if the Freeza Saga was to be the final saga, would not happen) and now wants to become a Super Saiyan to surpass Goku, Krillin's wished back to life but still hasn't found a girlfriend, and other characters like Bulma, Master Roshi, Kami, King Kai and the rest get absolutely nothing, after having had precious little to work with the whole time in this saga.

Now let's contrast with where things go in the Cell Saga:

GOKU, even after hitting his peak as a Super Saiyan, is presented with three new ideas and developments that actually challenge him. First is the idea that for all his strength and for all the fights he's won, he could end up passing away and unable to save the Earth from a new threat due to a simple heart virus, a disease that does end up attacking him and nearly costing him in the present. Next is the idea that there exists a level of power even beyond a Super Saiyan, which he has to put in a maximum amount of effort to ascent to. And finally, the idea of knowing when to walk out from a fight and pass the baton to someone else he knows can be depended on, in this case, his son Gohan. And even with that last one, how dependable Gohan actually is is called into question more than once, and so it takes Goku sacrificing his own life, dying a second, supposedly permanent death and lending his faith and fighting spirit to Gohan from the afterlife, for the fruits of his labors to be realized. Then, to spare his son any further dangers and fights for the Earth's safety, Goku opts to stay dead, leaving everything in the hands of the next generation from his son on down. To me, that's the most ideal end to Goku as the hero, and it would've sent him off with more dignity and heart than later entries like GT and Super would allow him.

GOHAN not only becomes a Super Saiyan himself, but his hidden potential is fully realized when he is the first to make the full, proper ascendence from Super Saiyan into a Super Saiyan 2. When his dad gives up his life to save everyone from something that was partially Gohan's own fault, it humbles him and almost breaks his resolve to fight back and protect the Earth from destruction at Cell's hands, but with encouragement from his father's spirit, he is able to, with only one functional hand, launch a Kamehameha Wave to counter and overpower Cell's, ultimately destroying the malevolent lifeform. It truly felt like a passing of the torch moment, so that even if Dragon Ball proper ended here, Gohan would be set to be the first new main protagonist in any future sequel and spin-off installments.

PICCOLO is finally able to recognize that in order to combat a threat to the world he's come to love as his home and protect the people he now cares for, he needs to re-merge with the Namekian his original self had split off from, Kami Sama. We were first introduced to Kami and Piccolo as two halves of what used to be a whole Namekian, so how poetic is it that Piccolo's arc be completed with him returning to Kami and Kami agreeing to give up his own existence to make Piccolo a whole Namekian once again? And Piccolo tellingly never got much in the way of character development following this saga.

VEGETA is able to become a Super Saiyan, then he becomes an Ascended Super Saiyan, he has a son with Bulma who even has a version of him who time traveled from the future playing a big part in this story, he shows he's able to care about others and fight in the Earth's defense in spite of remaining unrepentantly evil and prideful for most of the saga, and he gets a big redemptive moment at the very end before resigning himself to retire from a life of combat. Yes, he still has a lot more character growth and strides towards full rehabilitation of his character still to go, but for the initial Dragon Ball story, this still would've been a fitting place to end his character arc.

KRILLIN, from the start, got into martial arts partially to impress the ladies and get himself a girlfriend, but for years he was never able to find love. In this saga, he finally does. He and Android 18 don't quite make Official Couple status by the end, but he clearly loves her enough to think of her needs ahead of his own wants, and she's become pretty tsundere for him to, so the implication is still there.

MASTER ROSHI gets a small moment of reflection at one point here, about how he used to be considered the world's strongest man but now he's old, not of much use, and watching the current generation of fighters AND the generation after it leaving him behind, tying into the theme of torch-passing from the past to the future.

BULMA & CAPSULE CORP have a hugely pivotal part to play here, as Bulma is the mother of Trunks, the child she had with Vegeta, and played the Sarah Connor role to Future Trunks in the timeline he hails from. Her company's services and technology are also constantly used, all hands on deck from start to finish, right down to fixing up Android 16 (and removing the bomb inside him, regrettably so). Even the very final scenes of the saga take place outside Capsule Corp, and I can't stress enough how much sense it makes that Trunks exists and takes things in this direction. The series literally all began with Goku and Bulma, so now it (almost) ends with their offsprings - Goku's son mentoring Bulma's son in the future but dying in that world where Trunks eventually ends up killing Cell, and then Bulma's son allying with Goku's son in the present but he dies in that world where Gohan ends up killing Cell (though unlike Future Gohan, he gets wished back to life). It's poetry, it rhymes, it's perfect!

TIEN, after getting a bad deal in the Vegeta Saga and then being all but ignored, gets to have one last big moment where he stands up to Semi-Perfect Cell and hammers him with Tri Beam attacks over and over again so that Androids 16 and 18 can flee, almost losing his life in the process. It's a fittingly badass and noble deed from the guy.

KING KAI, having lost his relevance after the Freeza Saga, returns for the third act of this one...and he ends up dying for it when Goku transports himself and the self-destructing Cell to his home world!

The SUPER SAIYAN transformation peaked here. Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, and Future Trunks are the limit to how many Super Saiyans we needed to see, all of them end up ascending to a higher level of the form, and only one attains the Super Saiyan 2 form in the end. It made sense, did not feel too cheap or inorganic, and was used in moderation and applied to the right characters in the right situations. Post-Cell Saga is when these transformations got out of hand.

The VILLAINS in this saga tied all the way back to the first real "Big Bad" villain(s) in Dragon Ball, the Red Ribbon Army. That alone was enough to give off a "full circle" feeling, but the obvious problem was that 5 different evil androids still just were not convincingly as great and worthy villains as a single Freeza had been. So we got the curveball of the saga's actual Big Bad, Cell, an artificially engineered lifeform made from the cells of all the strongest, most major fighters seen in the series up to this point, Freeza included, knowing all of their techniques, exhibiting many of their traits, and having a unique character progression that made him feel like the worst of all the past villains put together. His very existence marks this saga as the grand crescendo of everything Dragon Ball had been building itself up as during this time, his concept practically screaming that this is a "final boss"-worthy villain if there ever was one. And the final face-off with him did not disappoint of underwhelm, being grand enough to put Goku VS Freeza to shame (and no "longest 5 minutes ever" here!)

The STAKES felt even more personal compared to the preceding sagas. In the previous saga's climax, after everyone was revived and wished off of Namek with the Dragon Balls, the stakes centered entirely around Goku on a distant planet that was already doomed to explode. Whereas here, the stakes are for everyone on Earth, as the villain does not wish to rule over it like Piccolo or to exterminate its life and sell it like the Saiyans, but to blow it up, and in addition we get the threat of him being able to terrorize the rest of the universe so that countless other worlds would meet the same fate! The was more of a need to see this menace stopped than there'd ever been before.

The CALLBACKS that got made to just about all previous ones, right down to resurrecting the World's Martial Arts Tournament concept. Can't even begin to list them all here, but it's just very The Rise of Skywalker-esque in this regard (and it's even the 9th saga, too!)

The ENDING, as I said before, is outside Capsule Corp, and just look how it visually caps off the stories of Trunks and Gohan, and by that extension, of Bulma and Goku:

Those matching faces on Goku and Gohan. Simply beautiful.

Thus the case is made for why the original Dragon Ball ought to have ended at the Cell Saga. And when it did continue into one last saga afterwards, I will never forgive Master Roshi for selling me false hope

Fuck you, old man!