Dragon Ball is full of revelatory moments that forever change the series, but few can compare with Goku’s inaugural Super Saiyan transformation. Goku’s powerful upgrade turned him into one of his people’s most powerful figures and a strong symbol of what can be accomplished. While remarkable on its own, the Super Saiyan transformation merely became the first stage to even more impressive power. Dragon Ball continues to feature new Super Saiyan variations, like Super Saiyan God and Super Saiyan Blue, that deliver godly strength to their users.
The Super Saiyan 2 transformation is an important catalyst in Dragon Ball Z, especially for Gohan, but it’s a form that frequently fails to get its due. Super Saiyan 2 isn’t nearly as flashy as Super Saiyan 3, 4, or beyond and its subtle differences from its predecessor make it easy to skip. Nevertheless, there are plenty of Dragon Ball characters who push the Super Saiyan 2 form to its pinnacle of power.
10 Universe 6’s Cabba Lacks The Confidence Of His Saiyan Peers
Super Saiyan 2 Cabba Lacks A Certain Intensity
Each universe within Dragon Ball Super’s multiverse offers something unique, but Universe 6 gets a lot of mileage out of adding more Saiyans to the mix. Cabba is first introduced during Universe 6 and 7’s Tournament of Destroyers, in which he faces Vegeta. Super Saiyan Blue Vegeta completely annihilates Cabba, but not before he gives him an impromptu Super Saiyan training session. Vegeta threatens Cabba and gets his blood boiling, which is enough to make him a Super Saiyan.
Later on, during the Tournament of Power, Cabba experiences comparable anger and guilt over the prospect of Universe 6 being erased. He erupts in a Super Saiyan 2 metamorphosis that gives Cabba one last win before his elimination. It’d be interesting to see how much Cabba’s strength and confidence have grown since the Tournament of Power, but he was previously the weakest of Universe 6’s Saiyans.
9 Gohan Is A Super Saiyan 2 Trailblazer Whose Skills Have Slackened
Super Saiyan 2 Gohan Walked So That His Powerful Peers Could Run
One of the main reasons that Dragon Ball Z’s Cell Saga is so well-regarded is because it breaks away from the franchise’s formula when Goku dies against Cell, and it’s instead Gohan who rises to the occasion and defeats the ultimate evil. Not only is Gohan victorious, but he transforms into the first Super Saiyan 2. One would think that Gohan would be the most skilled with this form, since he’s the Saiyan to have it the longest.
Gohan could have seven long years of Super Saiyan 2 training if he decided to prioritize martial arts over school and friends. Super Saiyan 2 Gohan might be hard to beat in the Cell Saga, but his struggles against Dabura highlight how rusty he’s gotten with this transformation. Gohan does regain his confidence and fighting spirit in Dragon Ball Super, but it’s with his Ultimate, Super Saiyan, and Beast mode forms, not Super Saiyan 2. He turns to other forms over the one that he pioneered.
8 Kale Is Universe 6’s Legendary Super Saiyan & A Dangerous Liability
Kale Highlights The Heights Of Legendary Super Saiyan Power
Dragon Ball Super’s Tournament of Power is an excellent opportunity to introduce dozens of compelling opponents, including two more Universe 6 Saiyans, Caulifla and Kale. Dragon Ball Super fans were eventually elated when Broly was canonically incorporated into the series. Previously, Universe 6’s Kale seemed like she was Dragon Ball Super‘s way to get a Legendary Super Saiyan into the mix. Kale is a fascinating figure in the sense that she’s quite meek in her base form and frequently defers to Caulifla.
However, as a Legendary Super Saiyan, Kale releases pure rage and becomes a serious obstacle for the Tournament of Power competitors, even some of her Universe 6 peers. The tournament’s stress eventually pushes Kale to her own version of Super Saiyan 2, which gets described as a «true Legendary Super Saiyan.» It’s another example of a Legendary Super Saiyan being able to punch way above their weight. Kale does extreme damage like this, but this power is even more advantageous when it’s incorporated into Kefla.
7 Caulifla Matches Goku’s Tenacity & Is A Quick Super Saiyan Study
Caulifla Is Destined For Greatness If She’s Given Enough Room To Grow
Dragon Ball Super‘s Saiyans from Universe 6 all prove to be natural Super Saiyans due to their higher S-Cell counts. This expedites the process and it’s not long until Cabba, Kale, and Caulifla are all Super Saiyans with minimal difficulty. Kale becomes a Super Saiyan by simply listening to Cabba explain the process. Caulifla later becomes a Super Saiyan 2 when Cabba’s life is endangered by Kale and she jumps into action.
Caulifla is still new to this form, but she matches Super Saiyan 2 Goku while they fight. Caulifla nearly transforms into a Super Saiyan 3, at that, which highlights that she’s at the precipice of change and ready to become even stronger. If Caulifla has even been training a little since the Tournament of Power then she’s definitely reached Super Saiyan 3 status.
6 Goku Ascends To Super Saiyan 2 Status During His Extended Stay In Other World
Super Saiyan 2 Goku Crystalizes His Previous Form’s Principles
Gohan is Dragon Ball’s first character to tap into Super Saiyan 2 power and it’s easy to picture a less heightened version of the series that limits this power to Gohan alone. Dragon Ball Z’s Buu Saga picks up seven years after the Cell Games, which is a substantial period of time. Curiously, Gohan’s powers have regressed due to a lack of training and a greater focus on a simple life as a teenager.
Alternatively, Goku and Vegeta seem to have been training non-stop and both have quite a bit to show for it. Goku showcases that he mastered the Super Saiyan 2 form in Other World when he uses this transformation to overwhelm Yakon and destroy the Majin minion. Goku’s Super Saiyan 2 form sometimes gets lost in the shuffle because he also transforms into a Super Saiyan 3 in the same story arc. Goku finds Super Saiyan 2 to be the more reliable transformation and it’s a form that he continues to refine in Dragon Ball DAIMA, too.
5 Super Saiyan 2 (Enraged) Vegeta Gets The Attention Of A God Of Destruction
Vegeta Pushes Super Saiyan 2 To New Heights
Audiences get their first glimpse of Super Saiyan 2 Vegeta during the Buu Saga, but his strength and accomplishments are frequently overshadowed during these battles due to Goku’s superior strength. That being said, Vegeta’s inability to unlock Super Saiyan 3 power – or at least until Dragon Ball DAIMA indicates otherwise – means that he has more time to maximize Super Saiyan 2’s top strength. Dragon Ball Super kicks off with the arrival of a God of Destruction, Beerus, who demands a fight against a Super Saiyan God. Beerus’ power is so incredible that nobody – not Gohan, Gotenks, or Super Saiyan 3 Goku – is able to make any headway against this threat.
Vegeta has been terrified about setting off Beerus’ temper, but he loses sight of this and begins to see red himself when Beerus slaps Bulma across the face. Vegeta becomes so incensed with anger that he temporarily taps into an amplified berserker state, Super Saiyan 2 (Enraged). Vegeta is actually able to land a few hits on Beerus while in this form, which is a testament to how much power he gets out of this. He does more as a Super Saiyan 2 than Goku accomplishes as a Super Saiyan 3. Curiously, Vegeta’s ability to get a little extra power out of an existing transformation continues in Dragon Ball Super when he reaches Super Saiyan Blue Evolved power.
4 Super Saiyan Rage Future Trunks Cleaves An Immortal God In Half
Future Trunks Rises To The Occasion When It Comes To His Fractured Timeline
Future Trunks is such an affable and entertaining character who is a large reason for the Cell Saga’s success. Dragon Ball Super wisely brings back Future Trunks and once again puts his dystopian timeline under fire. Goku Black and Future Zamasu put into motion a twisted plan to wipe out all mortals from existence. Goku and Vegeta accompany Future Trunks to his timeline and even turn to fusion and become Vegito Blue. However, in the end it’s still Future Trunks who gets to play hero and demonstrate how far a Saiyan’s love and dedication can go. Dragon Ball Super explains that Future Trunks trained under Future Shin and Kibito in his timeline to prevent Future Majin Buu’s awakening. They’re successful on this front, but Future Dabura’s execution of Future Kibito triggers Future Trunks’ Super Saiyan 2 transformation.
Fused Zamasu’s malevolent behavior pushes Future Trunks to a similar breaking point that activates something visceral while he’s in this Super Saiyan 2 state. Future Trunks becomes Super Saiyan Rage Future Trunks, who uses the Spirit Bomb-esque Sword of Hope to defeat Fused Zamasu. Admittedly, it’s unclear how much of this victory is because of the Super Saiyan transformation or the Sword of Hope attack, but Future Trunks uses them in tandem. Future Zeno is ultimately needed to clean up the Infinite Zamasu mess that follows, but Super Saiyan Rage Future Trunks has more success against Fused Zamasu than a Super Saiyan Blue fusion, which is no small feat.
3 Legendary Super Saiyan 2 Broly Taps Into Even More Tremendous Power
Broly’s Extreme Strength Reaches A Frightening Reckoning
It often doesn’t even feel fair to include Broly — whether his Dragon Ball Z or revised Dragon Ball Super version — in a conventional strength scale because his power is just so out of control. Broly’s Legendary Super Saiyan status means that he was born with a power level of 10,000 and someone with his power and potential only comes around once every 1000 years. The fact that Broly is a loose cannon who doesn’t know how to channel this strength and properly control his feelings makes him even more frightening. Broly is another situation in which, canonically, his transformations don’t go beyond Legendary Super Saiyan status. However, expanded universe video games love to turn Broly into even more of a juggernaut by exploiting his strength with forms like King of Destruction Broly and Super Saiyan 4 Broly.
Legendary Super Saiyan 2 and 3 are basically Broly’s own personalized versions of the traditional Super Saiyan stages, but infused with the additional power of a Legendary Super Saiyan. Legendary Super Saiyan 3 Broly gets a worthy showcase in the Raging Blast and Dragon Ball Heroes series, but Legendary Super Saiyan 2 Broly makes his debut in an obscure card battler, Dragon Ball Kai: Miracle Battle Carddass. This is another scenario in which the full extent of Broly’s power here is unclear, but it’s presumably close to godly power based on his other forms’ strength.
2 Super Saiyan 2 Gogeta & Vegito Further Celebrate The Fused Fighter’s Strength
Goku & Vegeta’s Fusions Continue To Grow
Fusion is a creative concept that’s been turned to in many anime and shonen series, not just Dragon Ball, but there’s something inherently entertaining about Goku and Vegeta combining into a singular character. Vegito, their Potara Earring fusion, makes his debut during the fight against Super Buu, whereas Gogeta is born during the strenuous fight against Super Janemba in Fusion Reborn. In both instances, Vegito and Gogeta become standard Super Saiyans, yet don’t go any further.
Additionally, Dragon Ball Super also exposes these fusions to Super Saiyan Blue power, but nothing in between. Unsurprisingly, Dragon Ball Heroes has helped fill in these blanks and given both Gogeta and Vegito many more forms, including Super Saiyan 2. It’s harder to accurately gauge their power due to how nebulous and inconsistent Dragon Ball Heroes can be. However, it’s unlikely that their strength would trump Kefla’s spectacle during the Tournament of Power.
1 Super Saiyan 2 Kefla Emerges As One Of The Tournament Of Power’s Strongest Fighters
Kefla’s Raw Power Makes Universe 6 A True Force Of Nature
Kale and Caulifla both reach Super Saiyan 2 status on their own, where they do some serious damage. However, they turn to Potara fusion and become Kefla during the Tournament of Power’s climax as a risky strategy to stay alive. Kefla’s strength, even in her base form and initial Super Saiyan state, seems excessive. She’s able to keep up with Super Saiyan God Goku and appears to take advantage of the Legendary Super Saiyan power that Kale possesses. Kefla transforms into a Super Saiyan 2 as the tournament’s conflict intensifies and her power continues to multiply.
Super Saiyan 2 Kefla seems very comfortable in battle against Ultra Instinct Sign Goku, which is a feat that few other than Jiren can claim. Kefla’s power is already so over the top that it’s hard to imagine how strong she’d become if the fused Saiyan ascended to Super Saiyan 3 status. At this rate, it seems as if Super Saiyan 3 Kefla would be taking on Gohan Beast and Ultra Ego Vegeta.
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