The Super Saiyan transformations are an iconic feature of the Dragon Ball franchise, with fans instantly recognizing each form of the blond-haired warriors. However, there are enough arguments to say that every transformation after the first one is not really a new Super Saiyan form but just a variation of the first one.
Super Saiyan 2 made its debut at the climax of the Cell Saga when Gohan transformed into that new form after a sudden outburst of rage. When that happened, it was not even called Super Saiyan 2, but just “a Super Saiyan who transcended his limits.” Later, during the Majin Buu Saga, Goku displays a whole new form, which he calls Super Saiyan 3, and from that point on the canon of the three Super Saiyan stages was established.
However, these two transformations were seen very rarely in both the manga and its sequel, Dragon Ball Super. There are also some inconsistencies, such as the fact that Vegeta never reached Super Saiyan 3, but he was able to skip to the more powerful Super Saiyan Blue stage and its variants. It’s more likely, then, that rather than being two different transformations, Super Saiyan 2 and 3 are just variants of the first one, just like the other advanced Super Saiyan forms seen during the Cell Saga (called Second, Third, and Fourth Grade).
The Super Saiyan Grades
In the Cell Saga, after Vegeta and Trunks train in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, they come out with vastly upgraded powers that result in new Super Saiyan stages. In Second Grade, Vegeta easily outmatches Cell in his semi-perfect form. The power output of the Super Saiyan transformation is forcibly increased, creating an augmented muscular mass and attack power, but it also increases the energy required to sustain the form. Third Grade further amps up the power output, but the resulting (huge) muscle mass makes the user’s speed drop significantly, making this form completely unsuitable for battle.
Upon further analysis, these two Super Saiyan stages are influenced by the users’ personalities, Vegeta and Future Trunks. Vegeta usually focuses only on beating his opponents with as much power as possible, and Second Grade focus on attack is perfect for that. Future Trunks, on the other hand, had an unbounded admiration for his father, which led him to imitate Vegeta’s transformation, but his lack of experience as a warrior made him overlook the weaknesses of Third Grade.
Super Saiyan 2 and 3
Super Saiyan 2 is also influenced by Gohan’s personality. After he transforms, his demeanor remains calm and collected, reflecting the warrior’s kind spirit. It’s also interesting that Vegeta is not able to reach this form, despite training for many years, and can only unlock it thanks to Babidi’s magic power boost. That transformation became almost an afterthought, proven by the fact that Gohan quickly got a new power-up in the form of his Potential Unleashed state, and even series creator Akira Toriyama admitted he had forgotten the existence of this form while developing the movie Dragon Ball Z: Battle of the Gods, which would kickstart the Dragon Ball Super franchise.
Super Saiyan 3 can also be compared to the Super Saiyan Grades from the Cell Saga. It is the most powerful form appearing in Dragon Ball Z but also has a huge energy consumption, which makes it very dangerous to use in prolonged battles. Once again, it reflects the personality of its users. Goku never cares about the consequences of a battle, he is reckless and only wants to fight against powerful opponents at his maximum strength. The only other character using this form in the manga, Gotenks, is a child who does not think about consequences that often follow a battle either. Finally, the Super Saiyan 3 form was quickly discontinued as Dragon Ball Super immediately moved to the Super Saiyan God and Super Saiyan Blue transformations.
The Bardock Mystery
There is one more piece of evidence leading toward the conclusion that the Super Saiyan 2 and 3 transformations are not actually new forms but just variations of the base one. Dragon Ball Super chapters showed the past history of Bardock, Goku’s father. The Saiyan warrior fought against a powerful opponent, Gas, on Planet Cereal, and defeated him by achieving a state very similar to Ultra Instinct, Goku’s most powerful transformation obtained after perfecting his mastery of god ki. However, at that point in his life, Bardock still had not even achieved the first Super Saiyan stage, something that he would only do after his battle with Gas (as shown in the canon spinoff manga titled Episode of Bardock).
This proves that the progression that fans believed to be canon, from Super Saiyan to Super Saiyan 3, and then to the more powerful forms based on god ki, does not actually exist. Super Saiyan “1” is the one and only transformation, which can then be infinitely improved upon and personalized. Everything that the series has shown after that, including Broly’s Legendary Super Saiyan and Goku and Vegeta’s Super Saiyan Blue, is a variation of that first form based on several factors: personality, genetics, or combination with other techniques (such as the mix of god ki and Super Saiyan energy that creates the Blue and Rosé forms).
While Dragon Ball Z introduced the Super Saiyan form and its follow-ups, it’s only in Dragon Ball Super that the franchise expanded enough to give readers a better understanding of the many (and sometimes confusing) stages and transformations that its protagonists go through. Based on clues from both Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super, it is rather appropriate to conclude that Super Saiyan 2 and Super Saiyan 3 never actually existed as stand-alone forms. Super Saiyan 2 and Super Saiyan 3 are, instead, just variations of the basic Super Saiyan form that the characters must build upon.
