For over 30 years, Super Saiyan has stood as the most iconic symbol of Dragon Ball and one of the most legendary transformations in anime history. However, the latest developments in Dragon Ball Super reveal that the Super Saiyan era is truly coming to an end as the strongest Saiyans embrace entirely new powers.
Super Saiyan is no longer the ultimate power
Goku’s first transformation into Super Saiyan on Planet Namek, triggered by Krillin’s death, became an iconic moment for the entire anime industry. Since then, the Saiyans’ journey has largely revolved around surpassing their limits through new Super Saiyan levels.
But the current landscape in Dragon Ball Super has shifted dramatically.
As of chapter 103 of the manga, the strongest warriors of the Z Fighters hardly rely on Super Saiyan anymore. Instead, each character has developed a unique form that fits their personal growth, turning Super Saiyan into more of a milestone from the past than a main source of power.
Goku has embraced Ultra Instinct
The first to move away from the Super Saiyan path was Goku.
Since the Tournament of Power, Ultra Instinct has become his ultimate goal. During the Moro and Granolah arcs, Goku occasionally used familiar Super Saiyan levels, but mostly as a fallback when Ultra Instinct wasn’t effective.
Now that he has mastered Perfected Ultra Instinct, it’s unlikely Goku will return to using Super Saiyan in major battles.
Vegeta is forging his own path
Vegeta is also gradually moving away from Super Saiyan forms to focus entirely on Ultra Ego.
Currently, the Saiyan Prince still uses Super Saiyan Blue Evolved in some situations, mainly because Ultra Ego remains difficult to control and drains his stamina significantly.
Once Vegeta fully masters this new power, Ultra Ego is expected to become his sole fighting form, especially since it grows stronger the longer he fights.
Gohan Beast leaves Super Saiyan behind
While Goku and Vegeta are stepping away from Super Saiyan, Gohan has almost completely abandoned it.
After Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, Gohan Beast has become his strongest power yet. Many analyses suggest Beast surpasses even Perfected Ultra Instinct and Ultra Ego in raw strength. Compared to Beast, Gohan’s old Super Saiyan levels have little combat value, making a return to them very unlikely.
Dragon Ball Super focuses more on God Forms
Upcoming Dragon Ball projects also highlight the franchise’s new direction.
Reports indicate Dragon Ball Super: Beerus will revisit the Battle of Gods and Resurrection ‘F’ events, bringing Super Saiyan God and Super Saiyan Blue back to the screen.
However, these forms are considered “God Forms” that use God Ki rather than traditional Super Saiyan levels. After the early story arcs, the focus has shifted to Goku’s Ultra Instinct and Vegeta’s Ultra Ego, rather than familiar Super Saiyan variations.
This suggests Super Saiyan Blue likely serves only as a bridge before characters reach ultimate powers.
Broly remains one of the few Saiyans tied to Super Saiyan
Among the main Dragon Ball Super characters, Broly is a rare case still fighting in a Super Saiyan form.
However, this is not an ordinary Super Saiyan but the True Legendary Super Saiyan, a unique power only Broly possesses.
In chapter 103, Broly faces off against Gohan Beast and must fully control his Legendary Super Saiyan form to stand a chance. Still, Gohan Beast’s power is considered superior, showing even Legendary Super Saiyan no longer sits at the top of Dragon Ball’s power hierarchy.
Black Frieza signals the end of the Super Saiyan era
The character that makes Super Saiyan feel most outdated is likely Black Frieza. This is Frieza’s strongest form to date.
After appearing, Black Frieza quickly defeated both True Ultra Instinct Goku and Ultra Ego Vegeta in a short time, and also took down Awakened Gas, once considered the strongest warrior in the universe.
Interestingly, Frieza’s evolutions have always reflected Goku’s dominant power at the time. Golden Frieza was designed as a counterpart to Super Saiyan with its signature gold color, while Black Frieza shares similarities with Ultra Instinct through its black color and simpler design.
Therefore, if Goku or Vegeta defeat Black Frieza in the future, it’s unlikely to be through a traditional Super Saiyan form. Instead, Dragon Ball will probably continue introducing entirely new power levels, confirming that the legendary Super Saiyan era has officially come to a close.