As a powerful (but problematic) ability, Super Saiyan 3 didn’t get much use from Goku in Dragon Ball Super, but there is a way for him to get more out of it in the future. When Goku first discovered it in the Buu Saga of Dragon Ball Z, it proved to be an impressive technique that allowed him to overpower Majin Buu. But as effective as it appeared it to be, problems with it quickly arose. Now, Goku relies primarily on other transformations.
The drawbacks of Super Saiyan 3 became apparent during the fight with Kid Buu. Apparently, using this form drains a great deal of energy. Due to this issue, Goku wasn’t able to stay in this state for long. Even so, he made use of it again in the beginning of Dragon Ball Super when he fought Beerus for the first time on King Kai’s planet. Unfortunately, Super Saiyan 3 Goku was defeated effortlessly by the God of Destruction. After discovering Super Saiyan Blue in the Golden Frieza, that became his go-to transformation for when he was up against an opponent of equal or greater strength. During the Tournament of Power, he used Super Saiyan 3 one more time in order to demonstrate the next level that Universe 6’s Caulifla and Kale should aim for.
It’s easy to see why Goku doesn’t rely on Super Saiyan 3 all that much in Dragon Ball Super. It’s less powerful than Super Saiyan Blue, and it has a tendency to drain energy, which is likely why Vegeta never tried it. However, a fan on Reddit has suggested a method that would let Goku turn it into an effective weapon. To avoid being physically taxed, Goku could use the ability in short bursts. While in Super Saiyan or Super Saiyan 2, Goku could briefly jump to Super Saiyan 3 and use its heightened power to unleash a devastating attack on an opponent. Since there are problems with Super Saiyan 3 when it’s used for any length of time, Goku should instead use it only momentarily.
![Dragon Ball: How Goku Can Use Super Saiyan 3 Better In The Future](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Dragon-Ball-Super-Saiyan-3-Goku.jpg)
While some may question why Goku would ever use his lesser forms when he has access to Super Saiyan Blue, the Tournament of Power shows that going this route can be necessary at times. Goku often leaned on the first two Super Saiyan forms in the tournament. Given that it was a long match filled with powerful fighters from different universes, it was important for Goku to hold back his full strength when fighting enemies like Caulifla, Kale, the warriors of Universe 2, and more.
Using Super Saiyan 3 would never work against an adversary on the same level as Jiren or Top, but there could be situations in the future similar to the Tournament of Power where Goku has to save Super Saiyan Blue for someone stronger. Against minions or weaker opponents, Goku can unleash Super Saiyan 3 during key moments and make the fan-favorite Buu Saga transformation relevant again in Dragon Ball Super.