5 Best Transformations in Dragon Ball Z That Are Not Super Saiyans

Dragon Ball Z is the second part of the main story, covered right after the original anime was concluded. While the original series sets up the foundation of the story, the second part helped popularize the franchise, setting a high benchmark for future Shonen series. The series revolutionized the Shonen genre by heavily focusing on transformations, rivalries, family dynamics, and many other tropes that are used in Shonen to this day. Dragon Ball Z takes place after a time skip where Goku is living a peaceful life with his wife and four-year-old son, Gohan. However, trouble always seems to find him as his peaceful days are short-lived when Saiyans, a warrior race from another planet, come looking for him and expose the true reason Goku was sent to the planet.

Goku learns about his origins and the horrifying nature of the Saiyans. Naturally, he chooses to protect the planet he grew up on. As the story continues, several more allies and villains show up, with Goku and the others leveling up after each major battle. The transformations in the series rely on hype and rage moments, often creating a much bigger impact than intended. While Super Saiyan forms are the most popular, DBZ offers a bunch of exciting transformations to keep fans on the edge of their seats.

5) Majin Vegeta

Vegeta has always considered Goku his rival and strived to surpass him no matter the cost. His obsession with power became extremely dangerous in Buu Saga when he allowed Babidi to turn him into a Majin and gained a major power boost. He gained a mark on his forehead and remained in control despite the villain trying to turn him into a puppet. Vegeta committed all kinds of atrocities to force Goku into a duel, and he finally got his way.

4) Kid Buu

From the moment he showed up, Buu was wrecking everything in his path and kept evolving due to enormous powers. His final form, Kid Buu, was the pure evil version of himself, which he separated from his main body. He wiped out entire planets and almost erased the universe before the alliance between Goku and Vegeta finally took him down. His actions and constant transformations make him one of Dragon Ball Z’s most terrifying and iconic villains ever. 

3) Frieza’s Ultimate Form

As the galactic tyrant, the villain needed to have unparalleled strength to command such authority. Unlike most transformations that grant the fighters a massive boost in power, Frieza actually used transformations to suppress himself. He was always in a state of transformation, but he had to unleash his true strength in the Namek Saga. He used many transformations before revealing his final and ultimate form.

2) Perfect Cell

Cell was already a formidable opponent long before he began consuming powerful characters. He achieved his full strength after absorbing Androids 17 and 18, who were designed with the sole purpose of helping the villain achieve his perfect form. On top of instant regeneration, he is capable of using even the most unique abilities of Goku and the other Z Warriors, making him unstoppable, until Gohan unlocked a new power hidden within him.

1) Ultimate Gohan

While this isn’t a conventional transformation that dramatically changed his appearance, it grants Gohan immeasurable powers. Gohan has always shown more potential than even his father, and thanks to Elder Kai, he unlocked the true extent of his father. This form turned out to be even more powerful than Goku’s Super Saiyan 3 form without the need for the actual transformation. With his newfound strength, he could have defeated Super Buu all on his own, but a moment of carelessness resulted in a frustrating defeat.

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