Top 20 Awesome Dragon Ball Power Up Scenes
Their combined power is far beyond 9000! Join Ashley as we look over the best transformation sequences across the franchise
Transcript
00:00 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the coolest, craziest, or
00:11 most legendary surges of strength in all of Dragon Ball.
00:24 Most of the time, getting beaten to a pulp and slammed into a pit isn't a great way
00:28 to win a fight.
00:30 But no need to worry, Piccolo had a backup plan by the name of Shenron.
00:47 The wish-granting dragon unlocked the Namekian's latent potential, and the results are plain
00:52 to see.
00:53 Erupting from a pillar of orange energy, Piccolo's return to the battlefield is the very definition
01:00 of epic.
01:01 If you want to know just how strong this form is, look no further than the fact that Piccolo
01:06 doesn't even flinch at Gamma-2's attacks anymore.
01:11 Its resident Namekian was long overdue a transformation, and thankfully, Orange Piccolo's debut was
01:17 worth the wait.
01:27 Over the years, there's been a lot of gilded transformations in Dragon Ball, from Goku,
01:32 Gohan, Vegeta, and yes, even Frieza.
01:38 But, although we've already seen the Space Tyrant try on the golden look, this scene
01:46 sells the weight of the power-up like never before.
01:49 The sharp and detailed animation fills the screen with so much gold, the glow of it can
01:55 literally be seen from space.
01:57 It's more than a mere paint job, though.
02:00 The only thing cooler than the transformation itself is watching Frieza use his new power
02:05 to utterly obliterate the poor assassins.
02:13 After a power boost like this, those guys never stood a chance.
02:27 What a transformation without some dramatic flair.
02:31 To Goten and Trunks, the answer is nothing.
02:34 That's why, when push came to shove, they still held onto their trump card until the
02:39 very end.
02:41 It's only when they're trapped in the hyperbolic time chamber with the fate of the Earth hanging
02:54 in the balance that they finally unveil Super Saiyan 3 in all its glory.
02:59 In principle, the roar that triggers the iconic golden mullet just can't be beat.
03:04 But it's even more memorable because of how much character is packed into its hilarious
03:09 context.
03:10 In the end, Gotenks got their wish.
03:13 They saved the day and looked damn cool while doing it.
03:23 Number 17 – Evil Boo, Majin Boo You really don't want to make this guy mad.
03:29 Not just because Boo's an all-powerful villain with no moral compass, but also because he
03:34 has some serious anger management issues.
03:43 So much so that Majin Boo's fury manifests into a whole other version of himself.
03:49 That's right, two Boos for the price of one, and neither is particularly friendly.
03:55 But, as if the grey-skinned Evil Boo wasn't frightening enough, he then eats his original
04:01 form, transforming again into the new and improved Super Boo.
04:06 Each form is scarier, cooler and more insane than the last.
04:11 And from a character like Boo, we shouldn't be surprised.
04:23 Number 16 – Legendary Super Saiyan, Broly With one ki blast and one hell of a monologue,
04:30 Freeza triggered one of the most iconic Super Saiyan transformations in decades.
04:35 Now what if we said that was just the start?
04:43 Dragon Ball Super Broly doesn't skimp in the animation department, and that's no
04:48 clearer than when its title character finally lives up to his potential.
04:52 There's no other way to put it, Broly's explosive final transformation is a pure spectacle
04:58 through and through.
05:00 But rest assured, it's got some serious power behind it too.
05:04 Not just anyone can keep up with Gogeta himself.
05:07 After witnessing Broly's jaw-dropping strength, it's obvious why they call him the legendary
05:13 Super Saiyan.
05:22 Number 15 – Super Saiyan God, Goku To unlock the red hair dye, it took a threat
05:28 to Earth, an ancient ceremony and the power of five Saiyans.
05:33 Yet somehow, Super Saiyan God was worth it all.
05:37 Trading golden hair for a divine aura, this new style proved that Goku could still tussle
05:43 with the best of them, even literal destroyer gods.
05:52 While the red hairdo is certainly a nice change of pace, the real meat of this glow-up comes
05:57 from Goku's high-flying spat with Beerus.
06:01 In just one fight, Super Saiyan God earned itself a place as one of the most impressive
06:06 Saiyan skills to date.
06:08 And there's a lot of them.
06:19 Number 14 – Super Saiyan Rosé, Goku Black By Dragon Ball Super, we'd pretty much seen
06:26 the whole Saiyan rainbow.
06:28 But then, Goku Black came along.
06:31 Instead of the standard gold, red or blue, the doppelganger went with pink.
06:36 And just like that, Super Saiyan Rosé was born.
06:43 The look on Trunks and Vegeta's face says it all.
06:47 This is unlike anything we've seen before.
06:49 It's new, it's intimidating and most of all, it's stylish as hell.
06:54 As a test drive, Goku Black dices through Super Saiyan Blue Vegeta like it's a warm-up.
07:01 Super Saiyan Rosé isn't the last new form introduced in the "Future Trunks" arc,
07:06 but it's still the most memorable.
07:15 Number 13 – Super Saiyan – Trunks Back in the day when "classic Super Saiyan"
07:26 still meant something, few debuts did it as well as Trunks'.
07:31 Taking place in a timeline devastated by the androids, you can practically feel the Saiyan's
07:36 heartbroken rage.
07:37 Especially since he's sitting over the body of his dead mentor, Gohan.
07:42 The rain, the music, the voice acting – altogether it's an emotional gut punch you simply can't
07:48 look away from, no matter how hard you try.
07:53 There's not many transformations in all of Dragon Ball that are this tragic, but then
08:00 again that's precisely why Trunks turning Super Saiyan is one for the history books.
08:06 Number 12 – Super Saiyan 4 – Goku Love or hate it, at least something good did
08:20 come out of Dragon Ball GT.
08:22 After a less than stellar 34 episodes, things finally started to pick up halfway through
08:27 the baby saga.
08:29 After transforming into Golden Usaru, audiences were treated to a brief look into Goku's
08:35 fractured mind before Super Saiyan 4 is unleashed.
08:42 The design is pretty divisive, but the experience was sweet all the same, due to how long fans
08:48 were left waiting to see Goku as an adult once again.
08:55 Number 11 – Ultra Instinct – Goku A precursor to the awesomeness to come, Dragon
09:08 Ball Super's universe survival arc does not lack capable warriors, with Universe 11's
09:14 Jiren being absurdly strong.
09:20 After overpowering Goku and returning his spirit bomb, the Saiyan loses consciousness
09:26 and falls right into the massive ball of energy.
09:29 At first, people assume the worst, before Goku is reborn in an entirely new form.
09:35 The shimmering aura proves to be the tipping point needed to finally put Jiren and his
09:40 universal cronies on the back step.
09:49 Number 10 – Super Saiyan Blue – Kaioken – Goku
09:53 Once Super Saiyan was introduced, Kaioken quickly became obsolete.
09:58 Created by King Kai, Goku successfully uses the technique multiple times during the Saiyan
10:04 and Namek sagas.
10:11 Fast forward more than two decades, and the power-up is suddenly resurrected for Dragon
10:16 Ball Super.
10:17 In the final battle of the Universe 6 tournament, the assassin Hit has Goku on the ropes, so
10:23 the Saiyan activates Kaioken while in his Super Saiyan Blue form.
10:28 Quite the color combo.
10:32 Number 9 – Final Form – Freeza
10:43 Self-proclaimed "Ruler" and Dragon Ball's "Baddest of Bads," King Cold's second
10:48 son is arguably the most iconic villain of the franchise.
10:52 Born with enough power to destroy entire planets, Freeza did not need to train a single day
10:57 in his life.
10:59 While fighting Vegeta on Namek, the sadistic ruler goes through a handful of transformations,
11:05 with each one being bigger than the last.
11:14 After announcing there is "one more change," Toriyama subverted expectations by having
11:20 Freeza's final form be way smaller, but much scarier.
11:29 Number 8 – Super Saiyan God – Super Saiyan – Vegeta
11:33 You can always count on Vegeta to take a moment of despair and turn it into a crowd-pleaser.
11:39 With Goku laying helpless on the floor, Freeza summons Vegeta and asks him to prove his allegiance
11:46 by killing off Kakarot.
11:50 Instead, the prince transforms effortlessly into Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan, more commonly
11:59 known now as Super Saiyan Blue, wiping the smirk off Freeza's face.
12:06 Considering Vegeta used to be terrified of the tyrant, this role reversal provided much
12:11 needed closure.
12:19 Number 7 – Perfect Cell – Cell Vegeta's pride ruins the day once again.
12:34 Semi-Perfect Cell was far from a pushover, but Vegeta and Trunks had the upper hand during
12:40 their fight.
12:41 Unfortunately, the Saiyan prince prioritized his own ego and refused to deliver the final
12:47 blow until Cell achieved perfection.
12:50 After swallowing up Android 18, we are treated to a mesmerizing light show as the villain
12:56 slowly reveals his final form.
13:07 As one of the best villains in the franchise, this transformation is fondly remembered as
13:12 a standout moment of the series.
13:20 Number 6 – Beast Gohan – Gohan Shattering your limits must run in the family.
13:26 When both his daughter and Piccolo are put on the chopping block, Gohan becomes so angry
13:32 he gets a new kind of power all to himself.
13:35 And of course, it comes with one hell of a jaw-dropping debut.
13:47 Gohan's enraged roar is, well, bestial.
13:50 With a power level as big as his new hair, the beast form is the best part of Gohan's
13:55 character, all wrapped into one spine-tingling fight scene.
13:59 Fittingly, it's against none other than Cell Max.
14:03 Just try not to blink through it.
14:05 Beast Gohan is so overpowered, our only complaint is we wanted to see more of it.
14:17 Number 5 – Super Saiyan – Vegeta Well, better late than never.
14:25 After seeing Goku and Trunks beat him to the punch, Vegeta finally manages to tune Super
14:30 Saiyan after pushing himself to near death.
14:34 As far as transformations go, this one is rather short and straight to the point, with
14:45 the prince delivering his classic one-liners before powering up.
14:53 While still very much in his arrogant anti-hero phase, witnessing Vegeta attain this level
14:59 of strength was quite something, especially with the beatdown that followed.
15:10 Number 4 – Mastered Ultra Instinct – Goku You know you're doing something right when
15:15 even the gods of destruction stand to offer their respect.
15:19 Throughout the Tournament of Power, Goku's uphill fights against Jiren pushed him to
15:23 near divine levels of strength.
15:26 And in the eleventh hour, it all paid off in a scene that speaks for itself.
15:36 Sporting incredible build-up and top-rate animation, the unveiling of Mastered Ultra
15:42 Instinct is by and large the crowning moment of all Dragon Ball Super.
15:47 It manages to culminate the tournament, Goku's character, and the entire arc of the show
15:52 in one breathtaking moment.
15:55 Even if Goku surpasses his limits again one day, there will never be anything quite like
16:00 Ultra Instinct.
16:05 Number 3 – Super Saiyan 2 – Gohan Everyone has a breaking point.
16:15 A sensitive and quiet boy, Goku's son does not really enjoy fighting, but he is willing
16:21 to do anything to protect those important to him.
16:28 Perfect Cell spends episode after episode tormenting Gohan to try and awaken his real
16:33 power, before the death of Android 16 sends the young Saiyan over the deep end.
16:48 From Super Saiyan 2's electrifying design to that bone-chilling scream, Cell got more
16:53 than he bargained for, and then some.
17:02 Number 2 – Super Saiyan – Goku It's the form that changed everything.
17:14 Prior to this historic transformation, fans were still waiting to see if the legendary
17:19 Super Saiyan myth held any water.
17:22 Believing that Goku's fierce spirit bomb put Freeza down for the count, Krillin and
17:27 Piccolo are defenseless as the tyrant launches a counterattack.
17:35 Fueled by the explosive death of his best friend, Goku loses control and taps into his
17:41 inner Saiyan, going golden in the process.
17:50 Even today, this scene still gives us goosebumps.
18:13 Number 1 – Super Saiyan 3 – Goku – The Scream to End All Screams
18:19 Super Saiyan 3 might be Goku's least utilised form, but the transformation was beyond perfect.
18:36 While most power-ups tend to happen out of nowhere and rather quickly, Goku achieved
18:41 Super Saiyan 3 deliberately after around five minutes of build-up.
18:46 This sequence is intercut with shots of tsunamis, earthquakes and a panicking King Kai, suggesting
18:54 Goku's new form might not be the greatest idea given the magnitude of force it is able
19:00 to exert.
19:01 But damn if it isn't amazing to behold.
19:06 What's your favourite Dragon Ball power-up?
19:11 Don't be shy, let us know in those comments below.
19:28 Thanks for watching.