Dragon Ball is known for having some of the best transformations in anime. Transformations define the shōnen genre, and no series does it better than Akira Toriyama's masterpiece. Transformations are so great in anime because of how simple and effective they are. If a series wants to show that one of its characters has undergone an important change, they will show the change through a striking visual that lets everyone know just how different a character has become.

There are tons of characters with great transformations in Dragon Ball, and that's part of what makes the series so great. From the best heroes, to the worst villains, there's no shortage of amazing and iconic transformations in the series. While there are plenty of villains with great transformations, no characters do it better than the series' protagonists.

7 Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta

Gogeta's Appearance In Dragon Ball GT Was One Of The Series' Peaks

Unfortunately, Dragon Ball GT is often regarded as the worst Dragon Ball series in the franchise. It's not canon, copies a lot of the major elements from other entries in the Dragon Ball universe, and doesn't do a great job through its 64-episode runtime. Overall, Dragon Ball GT isn't all bad, and one of the highlights of the series is Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta.

Before the video games and Dragon Ball DAIMA, Dragon Ball GT was the first series to introduce Super Saiyan 4 to the franchise. Goku was the only character to achieve Super Saiyan 3 in Dragon Ball Z, but in GT, both Goku and Vegeta are able to ascend to the great level of Super Saiyan thus far.

Even though both Goku and Vegeta were able to transform into Super Saiyan 4s, they were no match for Omega Shenron. In a last-ditch effort to defeat the evil Dragon and one of the best villains of Dragon Ball, Vegeta and Goku used the Metamoran Fusion Dance to combine their powers and transform into Gogeta. Because the pair were both in their Super Saiyan 4 forms, Gogeta was immediately a Super Saiyan 4 as well.

Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta's entry into Dragon Ball GT is not only a series highlight, but one of the best moments in the entire franchise. He comes with bright red hair, the iconic Metamoran half-jacket, and enough power to blow Shenron away. With one look of his eyes, he bats Shenron away with ease.

6 Super Saiyan God Goku

Goku And The Z Fighters Get Introduced To Godhood

Goku's transformation into a Super Saiyan God is one of the most unique transformations in Dragon Ball. The series is no stranger to amazing transformations, but none were quite like Goku's entry into Godhood. Most transformations in Dragon Ball include a ton of shouting, huge amounts of rage, and Earth-shaking energy.

Super Saiyan God is the exact opposite. Not only did Goku need five other Saiyans to help with his new form, but the transformation was calm compared to the rest. Even though Super Saiyan God is much stronger than Super Saiyan 3, nobody would be able to tell by looking at the transformation.

Goku ascended to Godhood with the help of his family and friends. He looks skinnier, younger, and comes with bright red hair. It was the first major transformation in Dragon Ball Super, showing that while Dragon Ball was coming back yet again, the series still had a lot of fresh ideas to bring to the table.

5 Super Saiyan 2 Gohan

The First Time Super Saiyan 2 Was Introduced To The Franchise

Super Saiyan 2 Gohan might be the most emotional transformation in Dragon Ball because it's a transformation that Gohan never wanted. He never wanted to be a fighter, but because of his unreal potential, he had to be. At two points in Dragon Ball Z, Gohan was the strongest fighter in the entire series.

The second moment was when the Elder Kai unlocked his full potential, creating Mystic Gohan. The first, and much sadder, was when Cell killed Android 16 right in front of Gohan's eyes. Gohan let his rage flow through him for once, becoming the first character in the series to transform into Super Saiyan 2.

"At last, the beastly power has been harnessed. Gohan has awoken."

Gohan's Super Saiyan 2 form was finally strong enough to beat Cell. It would have been a lot more simple if Gohan had better control of his arrogance, but that has always been his downfall. Mystic Gohan also got too arrogant against Buu, never learning his lesson from when Gohan got too arrogant against Cell. Still, Gohan's transformation will always be one of the best in Dragon Ball Z and the entire series at large.

4 Super Saiyan 4 Goku

Dragon Ball DAIMA Brought This Amazing Form Back To The Canon

Dragon Ball DAIMA was surprisingly good for a 20-episode series. While Dragon Ball DAIMA is still unknown, the 20 episodes that were presented will always be memorable for being the funniest entry in the Dragon Ball franchise. Dragon Ball DAIMA prioritized humor before action, and it still had several of the greatest transformations in the series.

Two of the greatest transformations were Goku's when he turned into the legendary Super Saiyan 4 Form. Goku's Super Saiyan 4 usage in DAIMA raises some questions about DAIMA's canon status, but as a transformation, there aren't many better. Goku transformed into a Super Saiyan 4 twice: once with the help of Neva as a kid, and a second time after Glorio used the Demon Realm's Dragon Balls to turn Goku back into an adult.

Both transformations are amazing. The first (with Goku as a kid), was less of a regular transformation and more of an awakening. Neva used his powers to give Goku the jump start he needed to bring Super Saiyan 4 to the battlefield against Demon King Gomah. The second was when Goku was already an adult, and the power he summoned to complete the transformation shook all three Demon Realms at once.

3 Super Saiyan 3 Vegeta

Nobody Saw This Form Coming In Dragon Ball DAIMA

Super Saiyan 3 Vegeta has been featured in a few video games, but that was about it. Even though Vegeta became a Super Saiyan 4 in Dragon Ball GT, he skipped Super Saiyan 3, or at least never took the form to the main series. That all changed in Dragon Ball DAIMA.

In a fight against Tamagami Number Two, Vegeta was forced to give it his all. He was winning the fight fairly easily. Neva, the creator of the Tamagamis, wanted to see how strong the Z Fighters really were. He empowered Tamagami Number Two, making him much stronger right as Vegeta was about to close the fight out.

Vegeta was starting to lose handily. Even his Super Saiyan 2 form wasn't cutting it. Out of nowhere, Vegeta uses all of his energy to turn into the iconic Super Saiyan 3 form, turning the tables on the Tamagami in an instant. It's one of Vegeta's best moments in the entire series, as the Saiyan takes the new transformation to entirely new levels.

Vegeta looked his best in Super Saiyan 3. He fought with his hands folded across his chest, telling everyone that the opponent in front of him wasn't even worthy of getting hit by his hands. It's wonderfully arrogant in only a way that Vegeta could be.

2 Ultra Instinct Goku

The Transformation That Broke The Internet

A lot of people wondered how Dragon Ball Super was going to breathe life back into the Dragon Ball franchise. It had been years since Dragon Ball Z ended, and for all its strengths, Dragon Ball GT just didn't cut it. Dragon Ball Super proved that not only does the franchise still have gas in the tank, but Goku and the gang might still have their best days ahead of them.

Super Saiyan God was a brand-new form introduced in Dragon Ball Super. It was the first time the main characters got a taste of the divine, and it truly was only a taste compared to Ultra Instinct.

Goku's transformation into Ultra Instinct Sign, the first level of the form, quite literally broke the internet. He looked like he was going to be knocked out of the Tournament of Power when Jiren redirected Goku's Spirit Bomb towards the Saiyan, but it only powered him up.

When Goku mastered Ultra Instinct, even the Gods rose to their feet. It's Dragon Ball by some measure. He's able to go toe-to-toe with Jiren evenly, even taking advantage in several moments of their fight. Goku is still working on mastering Ultra Instinct outside of battle, and when he's got it down completely, even Lord Beerus should watch his back.

1 Super Saiyan Goku

The Transformation That Started It All

Goku has gotten a lot stronger since the early days of Dragon Ball Z. Since his days on Namek, he's mastered the Instant Transmission technique, been able to turn into a Super Saiyan God, and even has the same ability that Whis and the rest of the Angels use continuously. Still, without his initial Super Saiyan transformation, none of this would have been possible.

His fight with Frieza is one of the best fights in Dragon Ball, and this transformation is a big part of it. Goku became the first Super Saiyan on-screen in an amazing scene. He had just watched Krillin, his best friend, get killed by Frieza mercilessly. Goku then let out a planet-shaking scream, unleashing all of his energy and turning Super Saiyan. He had golden hair, a golden aura, and a face that let Frieza know he had gone too far.

Goku's first-ever transformation into a Super Saiyan is one of the most iconic transformations in anime. It's a moment that made every viewer around the world want to turn Super Saiyan with Goku. He even couples this moment with his "I Am" speech, letting Frieza know that he's the hope of the entire universe in an incredible sequence.