At the pinnacle of ridiculously strong anime transformations, riddled with screaming, shaking and all the other necessary components for a successful power up, is the Super Saiyan. It first graced the screen in its blonde-haired glory during Goku’s final showdown with Frieza on planet Namek. Ever since, it has been the level of strength to which other protagonists strive to reach. Saiyans are some of the strongest characters across all of anime and the more Super Saiyan transformations they unlock, the more powerful they become. So, it goes without saying, that they’ve accomplished some incredible feats of strength from Dragon Ball Z to Dragon Ball GT and most recently, Dragon Ball Super.
Before we get into the list, let’s set up a couple of parameters for how these entries were chosen. If we were to go exclusively by raw power exhibited by Super Saiyans across every Dragon Ball series, then this list would be comprised completely of attacks from the latter half of Dragon Ball Super. Super Saiyan Blue Evolved Vegeta and Ultra Instinct Goku could simply flick their fingers to overpower their past selves and most other Super Saiyans. As a further disclaimer, we understand that Ultra Instinct isn’t strictly a Saiyan transformation. However, since Goku is a Super Saiyan, we’re going to include it on this list. So, to keep things interesting, these OP feats of strength are being judged by how powerful they are at the time they take place in the universe. Let us know if we missed any that you think should be on the list.
20 MAJIN VEGETA'S EXPLOSION
Vegeta’s lifelong quest for unparalleled strength has led him down a slippery, villainous slope on more than one occasion. During the "Majin Buu Saga", Vegeta allows himself to fall victim to Babidi’s magic and unlocks the power of Super Saiyan 2. After a brutal brawl with Goku, we were worried that the Prince of Saiyans may have been lost to the evil side once again.
However, in perhaps Vegeta’s first selfless act, he surprises us all by sacrificing himself to try and defeat Majin Buu. He channels all his power into his body and releases it in one huge burst which is powerful enough to destroy himself. Unfortunately, Buu, that powerful pink blob, is able to regenerate from being blown into thousands of pieces.
19 OVERPOWERING JIREN
In the climax of Dragon Ball Super, we’re graced with the battle of a lifetime between a fully powered up Jiren, and Goku, who has finally mastered the technique of Ultra Instinct. Jiren is regarded as the strongest fighter in the Tournament of Power -- his strength exceeds the Gods of Destruction and his actions show it. Throughout the tournament, he’s been able to overwhelm opponents while hardly needing to exert himself.
Enter Ultra Instinct Goku. Jiren unwisely attacks the allies of Universe 7 and unleashes the rage of the most powerful form of Goku we’ve ever seen. What follows is a one-sided beatdown, where Goku proves to everyone watching the tournament, that he too has surpassed the power of the gods.
18 GOKU DEFEATS FRIEZA
By Dragon Ball Super standards, Goku’s original Super Saiyain transformation during the "Frieza Saga" is like a minnow swimming around with a school of sharks. But when he taps into his rage for the first time after the demise of Krillin, he was by far the strongest fighter in the history of the Dragon Ball series. Up until this point, the Evil Emperor Frieza has been decimating human, Namekian and Saiyan warriors with relative ease.
But the evil warlord’s fears about the rumoured Super Saiyan are all too true and he experiences a humiliating defeat for the first time. From this moment on, we knew that when a Saiyan’s hair changes colour, some seriously powerful stuff is going to go down.
17 ONE-ARMED KAMEHAMEHA
We’re used to Goku being the one to save the day but by the end of the "Cell Saga", it’s Gohan who proves to be the strongest of the Super Saiyans. Gohan unlocks the power of Super Saiyan 2 and trounces Cell in their first fight. But he injures his arm after saving Vegeta from a blast from the regenerated and vastly more powerful Cell.
With Cell charging up a Kamehameha that could easily destroy the earth, Gohan has no choice but to try and stop him with one of his own. With only one good arm, he’s being overpowered by Cell’s blast, but a pep talk from the ghost of Goku allows him to unleash his full power and destroy Cell for good.
16 TOYING WITH BUUHAN
Fans just can’t get enough of Vegito -- the fusion of Goku of Vegeta when they put on the Potara earrings. He’s an incredibly powerful Saiyan with the carefree spirit of Goku, the pride of Vegeta and strength that far outclasses either one of them individually. After Super Buu absorbs Mystics Gohan, he becomes Buuhan, the strongest version of Majin Buu.
But even this version of Buu is a mere plaything for Super Saiyan Vegito who effortlessly tosses him around like a ragdoll. Buuhan zaps Vegito, turning him into a piece of candy, but even as a sweet treat no bigger than a Malteser, Vegito is still more than enough to pulverize this evil djinn.
15 LIFTING A CITY
This is definitely one of the more straightforward exhibits of strength on this list. Dragon Ball GT is like the red headed step child of the Dragon Ball series but still, we can’t overlook the power of the ape-ish Super Saiyan 4 Goku. By tunnelling underneath of it, Naturon Shenron causes widespread damage to a city. So much so that a huge chunk breaks off and begins sinking into the ground.
Super Saiyan 4 Goku dives down into the crater formed by the destruction and lifts the chunk of city back into place, fitting stone into stone like a massive jigsaw puzzle.
14 SPIKING BUU-BALL SLAM
Despite the fact Gotenks is just a fusion of two kids, his Super Saiyan 3 form is one of the strongest in the Dragon Ball Z series. Gotenks is never content with a normal attack, because normal attacks aren’t cool. The Spiking Buu-Ball Slam involves sealing Majin Buu in a ball of his Galactic Donuts and sending him careening into the ground with a volleyball inspired spike.
Needless to say, Piccolo wasn’t a huge fan of the childish attack. But the destructive force of the move is clear when we see the massive crater it leaves in the face of the earth. Like Gotenks says, meteors have left smaller holes in the ground.
13 PUNCH SHOCKWAVES
Beerus is able to blow up an entire planet in a matter of seconds. Super Saiyan God Goku could do the same if he was so inclined. So, when these two fight, you can only imagine how much power they give off. When their fists clash, they generate shockwaves that get stronger and stronger the further they travel from the origin point.
Old Kai says that if the shockwaves continue the universe will crumble like a stale piece of bread. We even see a planet disintegrate to dust as the waves move past it. Goku doesn’t help the case when he fires a god-like Kamehameha at Beerus. If that’s what the shockwaves can do, imagine what would happen if you were actually hit by one of these punches.
12 CUTING THROUGH CELL JUNIORS
No one seemed able to stop Cell once he achieved his perfect form. Goku gave up and Gohan was being manhandled, and to make matters worse, Cell ‘gave birth’ to seven Cell Jr’s; tiny versions of himself that were commanded to dispatch of the onlooking Z Fighters. With only Trunks and Vegeta being able to hold their own, it seemed like Earth was doomed.
But Cell’s folly was awakening Gohan’s rage and making him stronger than anyone could have ever imagined after unlocking Super Saiyan 2. Like a searing hot knife through a slab of butter, Gohan quickly and easily tears through every one of Cell’s spawn, proving that he was infinitely more powerful than any other of Earth’s heroes.
11 DESTROYING TOPPO, GOD OF DESTRUCTION
One of the biggest twists in the Tournament of Power was when Toppo released his power and embraced becoming a God of Destruction. In this form he squashes Golden Frieza and completely overwhelms the power of Super Saiyan Blue Vegeta, but the prideful prince of Saiyans doesn’t allow himself to be taken down so easily.
Pushed to the edge once again he unlocks the power of Super Saiyan Blue Evolved and proves he has enough power to overcome even a God of Destruction. In fact, he uses the same explosion attack he used on Majin Buu but is powerful enough to survive it and knock Toppo out of the tournament at the same time.
10 GOKU’S SPIRIT BOMB
The card up Goku’s sleeve, the Spirit Bomb, has been the bane of alien warlords and magical djinns since the Dragon Ball Z series. The most powerful Spirit Bomb in Dragon Ball history was the one Goku generated to finally destroy Kid Buu. With the help of Hercule, he was able to gather energy from nearly everyone on earth.
Kid Buu was able to initially resist the Spirit Bomb because Goku is exhausted from their previous fight. But the Dragon Balls were used to recharge Goku to full strength, so he can turn Super Saiyan once again. At full strength, he’s able to launch the Spirit Bomb towards Buu with enough power to turn the pink menace into space dust.
9 ANDROID 19’s ARMS
This is one of the rare occasions in the Dragon Ball series where Vegeta manages to surpass Goku. Goku is sick with a heart disease and in his weakened form, is completely overpowered by Android 19. Enter Vegeta, with his ever-famous pride and the blonde hair of a Super Saiyan. No one expected Vegeta to unlock the power of Super Saiyan so quickly.
Being the merciless warrior he is, Vegeta exhibits his newfound strength in an incredibly brutal way. Android 19 tries to absorb Vegeta’s power through his hands, but in his Super Saiyan form he’s just too strong. He plants his feet on Android 19’s face, pulls, and the Android’s arms pop off like the cork in a champagne bottle.
8 GOKU'S SACRIFICE
Not a single punch or attack is thrown in this sequence but it’s one of the most iconic moments in the Dragon Ball Z series. After being humiliated by Gohan, Cell reverts back to his imperfect form. He inflates like a balloon, ready to explode and destroy Earth. Even a severely powered up Gohan is unable to do anything as any attack would cause Cell to explode prematurely.
Ever the selfless warrior, Goku decides the only way to save the Earth is to transport himself and Cell to King Kai’s planet. It’s not necessarily a strong attack but transporting a villain who is essentially a ticking nuclear bomb with enough power to destroy a planet to a safe location is a pretty OP move.
7 BROLY DESTROYS MOST OF THE SOUTHERN GALAXY
If a Super Saiyan decided to go on a steroid-fueled body building bender, the end result would look something like Broly. This beefed up berserker may be non-canon but he’s proved more than a match for many of the Z Fighters. It’s a well-known fact that pretty much every major character in the Dragon Ball series could destroy a planet.
Broly takes it one step further and destroys most of the Southern Galaxy. It’s a widely debated topic among fans as to whether he actually destroys the entire galaxy with one attack or just goes on a rampage through the galaxy destroying whatever is in his path. However you want to slice it, decimating an entire galaxy is a ridiculously powerful feat.
6 BROLY OVERLOADS
It wouldn’t be a Dragon Ball battle if the fight didn’t end with a ridiculously powerful single attack that destroys the villain. Such is the case in the eighth Dragon Ball Z movie, Broly - The Legendary Super Saiyan. After swatting away the likes of Trunks and Vegeta like flies, it’s Goku’s turn to take on Broly.
After receiving a pummeling for the books, Goku pleads the other Z Fighters to transfer their power to him. In the final clash between Goku and the berserker, Goku lands a devastating hit and transfers loads of energy into Broly’s body. The sudden influx in energy is too much for Broly to handle so his body cracks like an old sidewalk and explodes in a burst of green Ki.
5 THE SWORD OF HOPE
Leave it to Future Trunks and his sword to take care of any villains intent on the destruction of Earth. The Sword of Hope works in a similar fashion to the Spirit Bomb. Trunks channels the energy of every living being on Earth into his sword, transforming it into a massive blue blade. Imagine the power of a Spirit Bomb shrunk down and focused on the blade of a sword.
Zamasu tries to fend off Trunk’s attack but he is just too strong to be held back while wielding his new weapon. Without getting too graphic, let’s just say that Zamasu is literally half the man he was after Trunks is done with him.
4 KEFLA OUSTED IN THE TOURNAMENT OF POWER
The Potara earrings gave birth to fan-favorite, Vegito. In the Tournament of Power, Universe 6’s two female Saiyan warriors, Kale and Caulifa, use them to fuse into Kefla. Kefla is a cocky, headstrong fighter who is powerful enough to challenge Goku in his imperfect Ultra Instinct form. While dodging a barrage of laser-like blasts, Goku charges up a Kamehameha for his final attack.
Kefla fires her Gigantic Burst at Goku while he’s midair and thinks she’s won. But Goku uses the ball of energy in his hands to glide up Kefla’s attack like Tony Hawk grinding on a rail. He delivers a point-blank blast that knocks her out of the tournament for good.
3 SS TRUNKS DEFEATS FRIEZA & KING COLD
In Future Trunk’s first appearance, we learn just how powerful he is. When Mecha Frieza, pieced together with cybernetic implants after his defeat on Namek, and King Cold invade Earth, we thought another lengthy showdown would be en route. Not the case -- not when Trunks is involved.
Frieza is diced like an onion and scattered across the land as the ashes of the once feared alien warlord. To show off his strength, Trunks gives his sword to King Cold and effortlessly stops his slash barehanded. King Cold is turned into a block of Swiss cheese by Ki blasts and eventually turned to ashes to join his son Frieza.
2 GOKU REVEALS SSB KAIO-KEN
Hit is the leader of Team Universe 6, a legendary assassin and one of the toughest enemies Goku has ever had to face. His Time-Skip ability which allows him to manipulate time and skip forward 1/10th of a second is one of the most unique techniques in the world of Dragon Ball. Hit is one of the opponents that forces Goku to break through his limits.
While in Super Saiyan Blue Form Goku amplifies his power even further with the classic Kaio-Ken technique. He states that he only has a one in ten chance that it will actually work, but it pays off in the end. It gives him the necessary power to overcome the Time Skip and finally defeat Hit.
1 VEGITO BLUE’S FINAL KAMEHAMEHA
We’re super fans of Vegito. We’re super fans of Super Saiyan Blue. So, when Super Saiyan Blue Vegito came out to fight Merged Zamasu, we were basically drooling with excitement at our TV screens. The self-proclaimed god vs possibly the strongest Super Saiyan to ever exist in the series was a throwdown of epic proportions. It has all the energy blasts, planet crushing attacks and screaming you’d expect from a truly great battle.
Unfortunately, the Potara earrings run out before Vegito can finish the job but not before firing off a Final Kamehameha at Zamasu. The fusion of the two fighters’ signature attacks is not something any character, god or not, wants to take head on.