Super Saiyan God Transformation - Dragon Ball
Super Saiyan God is a transformation that is unique to Saiyans that grants them an unbelievable amount of power (more than that of Super Saiyan 3) and also gives its user the ability to use and sense divine ki. This transformation was first shown in Dragon Ball Z: Battle of the Gods (and, in turn, the God of Destruction saga from Dragon Ball Super).
History
Tadayoshi Yamamuro, the character designer of the Battle of Gods movie, first created a design for Goku’s Super Saiyan God transformation. This design featured an incredibly muscular Goku with long, grown out hair that resembled a combination of that from Super Saiyan 3 and Super Saiyan 4. Akira Toriyama, however, said that the transformation shouldn’t deviate from Goku’s base form too much. Toriyama created a design of his own and the two debated on the design until the final decision was made.
In the series itself, the concept of the Super Saiyan God transformation was nearly a long lost legend that had almost disappeared with time. The only known (non-omnipotent) beings that knew about how to transform into a Super Saiyan God were the Namekians, as they had recorded the method in their ancient book of legends. Goku and his friends were only able to learn about the ritual needed to turn Goku into Super Saiyan God by collecting the Dragon Balls and asking Shenron. Not only did the Dragon tell them about the ritual, but he also explains the myth behind the transformation. Long ago, the original Super Saiyan God appeared on Planet Vegeta to stop evil Saiyans from wreaking havoc, but ended up failing because of the transformations short time limit.
Transformation
In order to transform into a Super Saiyan God, certain requirements need to be fulfilled. These requirements take the form of a ritual that calls for a total of six pure-hearted Saiyans. Five of these Saiyans must channel all of their energy into the last remaining Saiyan, who will be the one to transform. Those involved in the ritual join hands and are all enveloped into a bright aura that is then channeled into the target Saiyan. Then, assuming the requirements are met, one of the Saiyans transforms into a Super Saiyan God. It appears that anyone with Saiyan heritage can participate in the ritual, even if they haven’t been born yet. Gohan, Goten, and Trunks, are all half-Saiyans that helped Goku ascend to the level of Super Saiyan God, while Pan is a quarter-Saiyan and was still developing inside Videl.
The transformation itself changes very little about its user physically, with the exception of their hair and eyes. While normal Super Saiyan transformations give the user yellow hair and blue eyes, transforming into a Super Saiyan God turns both their hair and eyes into a bright, vibrant red. Although Super Saiyans often become more muscular, Super Saiyan Gods actually seem to get a bit thinner, though they are in fact much stronger. Another unique ability of Super Saiyan Gods is that they only emit divine ki, which cannot be sensed by regular people. When powering up, those using the form will have a red and orange aura that flows like fire.
In terms of power, this transformation allowed Goku to actually stand a chance against Beerus before he powers up. The power unleashed by two gods colliding creates shockwaves that could have potentially destroyed the entire universe if not kept in check. While the transformation is unfathomably powerful, one of the biggest setbacks of the form is its incredibly short time limit and its massive energy consumption. Goku, however, seemed to be able to continue to tap into the power of Super Saiyan God even after losing the transformation, creating a new form that is often referred to as “God-like Saiyan”. In this form, Goku can use nearly all of the power given to him by transforming into a Super Saiyan God without actually transforming and, in turn, eliminating the form’s time limit and energy consumption.
In later appearances, Goku and Vegeta are seen transforming into Super Saiyan God at will, removing the previous requirements of the ritual and overcoming the original drawbacks altogether. Both Goku and Vegeta can quickly change between Super Saiyan God and Super Saiyan Blue to maximize stamina, as the former focuses on endurance and speed while the latter is used for stronger attack and defense.
Variations and Evolutions
God-like Saiyan: the ability to use the strength of Super Saiyan God without actually using the transformation.
Super Saiyan Blue: A hybrid transformation that combines the power of Super Saiyan God and the classic Super Saiyan transformation. Alternatively, a Saiyan can train with a deity to gain divine ki of their own and use that to transform.
God Broly: This transformation used by Broly only appears in a 4-D attraction at Universal Studios Japan called Dragon Ball Z: Super Tenkaichi Budokai. The form makes Broly even more muscular and gives him long, greenish hair similar to that of a Super Saiyan 3 transformation.
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