Dragon Ball emerged as the first shonen manga to fully embrace the concept of character transformations. Essentially, these forms visually represent a character’s growth, mainly shown through changes in hairstyle and the energy they emit.
While it started with Super Saiyan, symbolizing a Saiyan surpassing their limits, the series has pushed beyond that multiple times, introducing numbered transformations.
The form two levels above Super Saiyan is known as Super Saiyan 3. Dragon Ball has explored many facets of this transformation through three main users. Now, let’s dive deeper into the three official Super Saiyan 3 forms and rank them based on the impact they have had on the franchise.
3) Gotenks
Gotenks is the second character to achieve the legendary Super Saiyan 3 form and the last to do so in Akira Toriyama’s original work. His Super Saiyan 3 appearance closely resembles Goku’s, featuring long golden hair. This transformation remains one of the most debated cases regarding this state, even though the series carefully explains how special Super Saiyan 3 is and why he can reach it.
Gotenks is a unique case because the fusion multiplies power significantly. Thanks to this fusion state, he can generate enough energy to directly achieve the transformation.
Although the moment Gotenks reaches Super Saiyan 3 is impressive, his performance in this form isn’t truly outstanding, mainly because Goten and Trunks are still kids.
2) Goku
Goku is the first character to achieve Super Saiyan 3 in the Dragon Ball universe. When he first explained this form, he said it requires an enormous amount of energy and would make many Saiyans furious before they could reach it.
In this form, Goku stands out more than ever, with his long hair and the disappearance of his eyebrows becoming iconic features that define Super Saiyan 3. Goku in this state was unmatched when it first appeared. The downside is that it quickly drains stamina and cannot be sustained for long.
1) Vegeta
Dragon Ball Daima is the latest installment in the series and has been confirmed as official. In this series, fans witnessed Vegeta achieving the Super Saiyan 3 form. Fulfilling a decades-long wish, this transformation has become the greatest Super Saiyan 3 form ever seen. Vegeta attained this form entirely through relentless training, proving once again that he is both exceptional and a genius.
Although the long golden hair is a standout feature of every Super Saiyan 3, Vegeta’s version retains his signature sharp hairstyle, only longer. This highlights that Super Saiyan 3 is a unique transformation for each Saiyan, emphasizing their distinct appearances. Moreover, Vegeta’s power in this form is truly impressive.