Super Saiyan 2 Transformation - Dragon Ball
Super Saiyan 2, also known as Super Saiyan Fifth Grade or Ascended Super Saiyan in the Funimation Dub, is a Super Saiyan form that succeeds the first Super Saiyan transformation and precedes Super Saiyan 3. Super Saiyan forms are advanced transformations that enhance the power, energy and capabilities of Saiyans, a warrior race of beings that appear throughout the Dragon Ball franchise, which composes manga, anime, video games, music, merchandise, and much more. Super Saiyan 1 and 2 are similar in regards to appearance and attainment, however, super saiyan 2 is far superior to the first form in terms of strength, power, speed and overall energy output.
Anime and Manga
In both the manga and anime, Super Saiyan 2 is first achieved by Son Gohan while fighting Cell in the Cell Games, a combat tournament hosted by Cell in order to demonstrate his power to the world. However, it is revealed during a flashback in the anime that Gohan technically first achieved the state during training with his father Son Goku in the hyperbolic time chamber, but was too exhausted to maintain the form. This goes on to explain why Goku knew about the form before Gohan’s fight with Cell and why he believed Gohan was capable of defeating Cell. After these events, Goku, Future Trunks, Vegeta, and Caulifla are also able to achieve the form.
Form
There are a number of methods available to achieve Super Saiyan 2. Though slightly dependent on the user, all require the Saiyan to have first reached Super Saiyan full power and already possess a certain degree of energy. Once these initial conditions are met, Saiyans are able to reach the form using four methods. The first is an intense emotional experience, wherein raw emotional energy can trigger the Super Saiyan 2 state. The next method is through strict training and discipline. The third method to achieving the state relates to circumstance. For example, if a Saiyan is in a situation that demands a fast and desperate solution, an instinctive and rapid transformation to Super Saiyan 2 can occur. The last method to achieve Super Saiyan 2 is through the reaction and response to the tingling sensation that saiyans sometimes experience on their backs.
Appearance
When achieving the Super Saiyan 2 form, Saiyans undergo a radical physical transformation. The hair of the saiyan spikes upward even more dramatically than it does in the first super Saiyan transformation. Likewise, the aura or force field around the user becomes more extreme, appearing more jagged and spiky as opposed to having a flowing, liquid form. This is due to the fact that the Saiyan is simply outputting more raw energy. The muscle mass of the user is left relatively unchanged, unlike the Super Saiyan 3 form. Another characteristic of the appearance of Super Saiyan 2 relates to electrical sparks that appear around the user. Though generally true, the above physical description of the form has some notable exceptions, as is the case of Dragon Ball Super, in which the difference of Future Trunks’ hair between Super Saiyan and Super Saiyan 2 states is hardly distinguishable.
Enhancements
In Dragon Ball Super it is revealed that the original Saiyan transformation can be upgraded and enhanced through intense training and discipline. It turns out the same is true of Super Saiyan 2, which, if mastered through extensive training, can be leveled up to Super Saiyan 3. There are also other methods to increase the power of Super Saiyan 2. For example, Vegeta is able to amplify the form using rage and an ability called Quake of Fury, first witnessed when Bulma is slapped by Beerus, causing Vegeta to become enraged and transforming into Super Saiyan 2 (enraged). Super Saiyan 2 can also progress to Super Saiyan rage and Super Saiyan berserk forms under the right conditions. Along with enhancements to the form, there are a number of other varieties and hybrid forms, including spirit bomb Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan c type and legendary Super Saiyan.
Other Trivia
The Super Saiyan 2 form is double the strength of the first transformation, which amounts to a 100X boost from the Saiyan’s base state. Super Saiyan 2’s first appearance in a film was in Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Unbound, where Gohan utilizes it to defeat Bojack and his henchmen. In Dragon Ball Z: Broly - Second Coming, Gohan uses the form to fight Broly. The Super Saiyan 2 form is taken on by Goku and Vegeta in the films Dragon Ball Z: Wrath of the Dragon and Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn, where it used in combat against Hirudegarn and Janemba, respectively. It shows up in many dragon ball z video games, including Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku II, where it is called “Super Saiyan Rage'' and Dragon Ball GT: Final Bout, where Vegeta can be played in the form. The first time Gohan is able to maintain the form occurs when he witnessed the Cell Juniors' attack on the Dragon Team and Android 16's death.
Links
Dragon Ball Series
Dragon Ball Z Series
Dragon Ball Kai Series
Dragon Ball Super Series
Dragon Ball GT Series
Super Dragon Ball Heros
Akira Toriyama