Throughout the long history of the Dragon Ball franchise, Vegeta’s greatest drive has always been to surpass his own limits and defeat his fellow Saiyan, Kakarot (Goku). From a proud warrior struggling with his pride during the Frieza Saga to witnessing Goku awaken legendary forms, Vegeta has pushed himself harder than ever to close the gap.
By the Dragon Ball Super era, this power dynamic shifted significantly. The Saiyan prince no longer blindly followed behind Goku. Instead, he began developing unique skills and transformations that reflected his own identity.
Below is a ranking of Vegeta’s power forms, from his most basic state to his godly-level transformations.
10. Base Form – First Appearance: Saiyan Saga
This is Vegeta’s weakest state, without any energy boosts or transformations. During the Tournament of Power, Vegeta often stayed in base form during early rounds to conserve energy.
For the proud Saiyan race, even a warrior’s natural state like Vegeta’s is enough to overpower most other species in the universe.
9. Great Ape – First Appearance: Saiyan Saga
Vegeta’s most fearsome weapon when he first arrived on Earth to challenge Goku was his Great Ape form. Unlike lower-level Saiyans who lose control and become berserk beasts, a royal warrior like Vegeta retains full awareness during this transformation.
This form multiplies Vegeta’s physical strength by ten. However, its bulky size and the critical weakness of his tail make it vulnerable and easy to counter.
8. Super Saiyan (SSJ) – First Appearance: Android Saga
After years of frustration watching Goku stay ahead, Vegeta finally achieved the Super Saiyan form fueled by rage and wounded pride. His debut as SSJ Vegeta came with some of the most arrogant challenges in Dragon Ball history as he effortlessly crushed Android 19.
Super Saiyan later became Vegeta’s go-to form for fighting weaker opponents or testing an enemy’s strength.
7. Super Saiyan 2 – First Appearance: Cell Saga
After a grueling year of training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, Vegeta emerged at a whole new level. Super Saiyan 2 increased his muscle mass just enough without sacrificing speed.
Proudly calling himself “Super Vegeta,” he dominated Semi-Perfect Cell with overwhelming force.
6. Super Saiyan 3 – First Appearance: Cell Saga
During their intense training for the deadly Cell Games, Saiyan warriors experimented with extreme energy forms. The Third Grade form pushed muscle mass to the max, granting pure physical power beyond basic Super Saiyan.
However, Vegeta quickly realized this form’s flaw: the excessive bulk slowed him down drastically, making attacks hard to land. Recognizing this combat weakness, he abandoned it for more agile transformations.
5. Super Saiyan 2 (SSJ2) – First Appearance: Buu Saga
Vegeta reached Super Saiyan 2 during his fateful battle with Goku while under Babidi’s Majin magic. At that point in Dragon Ball Z, this was his ultimate limit.
In Dragon Ball Super, Vegeta upgraded this form impressively. When Beerus slapped Bulma, his rage pushed SSJ2 power to new heights, allowing him to land a series of direct punches that surprised Beerus and surpassed Goku’s SSJ3 strength at the time.
4. Super Saiyan 3 (SSJ3) – First Appearance: Dragon Ball Daima
After decades of waiting since the Buu Saga, fans finally saw Vegeta unlock Super Saiyan 3 in Dragon Ball Daima. The film confirmed that through relentless training, Vegeta caught up to Goku at this evolutionary stage.
Despite being transformed into a child, SSJ3 helped Vegeta easily defeat Tamagami’s guards. Returning to his adult form, he used it to battle Gomah on equal footing and even gain the upper hand several times. However, the form’s massive stamina drain remained a weakness, causing him to fall against Gomah’s Third Eye regeneration.
3. Golden Great Ape – First Appearance: Baby Saga (Dragon Ball GT)
In the Dragon Ball GT alternate timeline, the Golden Great Ape combines the Great Ape form with Super Saiyan energy. This state not only boosts physical power to insane levels but also lets Vegeta use speed, flight, and iconic Ki blasts.
This form appeared when Vegeta was controlled by the parasite Baby, making him one of the most terrifying villains in GT’s storyline.
2. Super Saiyan 4 (SSJ4), First Appearance: Shadow Dragon Saga (Dragon Ball GT)
Although not part of Dragon Ball Super’s official timeline, Super Saiyan 4 remains one of Vegeta’s most iconic and creative forms. Its design blends a Saiyan warrior with the wild origins of the Great Ape, featuring red fur and thick black hair, giving Vegeta a fierce new look.
In this state, he wields destructive energy and can easily perform the fusion Gogeta SSJ4 with Goku.
1. Super Saiyan God (SSJG), First Appearance: Dragon Ball Super: Broly (Anime) / Dragon Ball Super Manga
Many thought Vegeta skipped this form and went straight to Super Saiyan Blue, but both the manga and the Dragon Ball Super: Broly movie proved otherwise. Super Saiyan God grants Vegeta divine Ki, fiery red hair, and a fluid, refined fighting style.
By skillfully switching between Super Saiyan God (for movement and energy conservation) and Super Saiyan Blue (for quick, powerful attacks), Vegeta has elevated his tactical thinking to a whole new level.