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VegetaRaditzAndNappa
Saiyan
Homeworld Unknown planet, then Planet Vegeta, finally Earth
Average Height Similar to the average Human

Saiyans (サイヤ人, Saiya-jin) are an almost extinct race in the anime and manga Dragon Ball and its sequels, Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball GT. In the series, the Saiyans are a naturally aggressive warrior race who were the strongest warriors in the fictional universe. Most of the Saiyans were obliterated by Frieza himself.

The Saiyans are a powerful warrior race and play a central role in Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball GT once it is revealed that the main protagonist, Son Goku, is actually a Saiyan.

The Saiyan Race[]

History[]

SaiyansDBKK

Some early Saiyans.

Although the manga does not tell of the origins the Saiya-jin race, the complete history of the Saiyans was revealed in the Dragon Ball Z OVA. The Saiyans were a group of barbaric aliens who came to the Tuffle's cities to take their territory and technology. When the Saiyans first arrived they met the friendly Tuffles, an advanced scientific race who had no way knowing the Saiyans would eventually take the whole planet for themselves and destroy their race. One day a civil war broke out and the Saiyans tried many times to overthrow the Tuffles but were unsuccessful, although the Saiyans were bigger in size and much stronger, they were fewer in number compared to the Tuffles. What also gave the Tuffles a upper hand was that they had technology to read the power levels of the Saiyans and advanced weaponry to hold them off. Then one night the Saiyans were able to transform into Great Apes thanks to the fullmoon that only came once every twenty years, with this they finally annihilated the Tuffles and had the planet renamed (Planet Vegeta). After their victory the Saiyans built a rocket ship and traveled to a near by planet called Arcose were they meet the Arcosians (little is know about this race as they are only mentioned once in the series by King Kai), now the Arcosians had money and technology but the planet Arcose was a dump, so they hired a group of Saiyans to take over a planet for them and in return they would share their technology with them. Over the years the Saiyans also learned how to use the Tuffle's advanced equipment and become smarter and less barbaric, although they still lusted for fighting and destruction. At some unknown time following the Saiyan victory the planet was conquered or annexed by Frieza's empire and the Saiyans (like many other races) were drafted to serve as soldiers in Frieza's military. Because of the Saiyans' innate strength and penchant for violence, they were considered to be useful mercenaries and assisted in the conquering of many planets, or if assignment called for, eradication of the planet's population. (Even Saiyan children were considered powerful enough to conquer some of the weaker planets, such as Earth.) Eventually, seeing how quickly some of the more gifted Saiyan warriors were gaining power through battle, Frieza grew concerned with the potential of the Saiyan race and thought that they would grow strong enough to face him or even become the fabled Super Saiyans, able to defeat him in battle so the maniacal warlord destroyed Planet Vegeta, almost eradicating the Saiyan race. Only four pure-blood Saiyans survived the destruction, Kakarot (Son Goku), Vegeta, Nappa and Raditz as they were not on the planet at the time. Once the latter three discovered that their planet's destruction, Frieza lied to them that a comet had hit their world, and offered them continued employment in return for eventual wealth.The Saiyans were avenged when Son Goku defeated Frieza on Namek. Frieza later met his end on Earth when Future Trunks killed him. In the anime only, four more Saiyans survived the catastrophe, appearing in the Dragon Ball Z movies. Turles, Broly, Paragus, and Tarble. As a side note, a common racial slur towards Saiyans is the term "monkey" or "ape".

Homeworld[]

PlanetVegetaBeforeItWasD

Planet Vegeta, before it was destroyed.

Planet Vegeta is the current homeworld of the Saiyans in the beginning of Dragon Ball Z, they shared it with the Tuffles. Planet Vegeta was conquered by the Saiyans after the defeat of the dominant race, the Tsufurujin, an incredibly intelligent but physically weak race. Lead by Vegeta's ancestor, also named Vegeta, the Saiyans were victorious and took the Tuffles cities and technology and renamed the planet Vegeta. After King Vegeta was crowned king it was prophesied that the fabled Legendary Super Saiyan would be born from his bloodline, later on in the series it was proven false and left Prince Vegeta with a deep wound caused by the humiliation.

The planet has a natural gravity that is 10 times that of Earth which helps give Saiyans a greater natural strength than most races.

After the warlord Frieza decided that the Saiyan race could potentially pose a threat to his tyranny, the planet was completely obliterated from space taking most of the Saiyan race with it. There are legends that say that the Saiyans came to planet Vegeta from an earlier homeworld, that was destroyed when the last Super Saiyan self-destructed. After the destruction of Planet Vegeta, Earth becomes the homeworld of the remaining true-blooded Saiyans Goku and Vegeta and their hybrid children.

Appearance[]

Saiyans are outwardly very similar to humans, except for their increased natural strength, ability to manipulate ki with great ease and their monkey-like tails. They are commonly seen to have deep black hair although there have been rare occasions when they have also been shown to have brown hair.

In the episode "Saiyans Emerge", Vegeta states that the hair of a pure-blooded Saiyan does not deviate from its appearance the day the Saiyan is born. This is not the case with half-Saiyans like Gohan and Trunks who are shown to have several different lengths of hair, ad wear their hair in different styles throughout the series. However, Nappa (a pure-blooded Saiyan) used to have hair, as shown in the Bardock special, but lost it sometime before he and Vegeta went to Earth. Both of Vegeta and Bulma's children inherited their hair color from their mother's side. Goku's children both have black hair like him, but then their mother Chi Chi also has black hair.

Saiyans also all have dark eyes though half-breeds do not always share this trait as Vegeta's son, Trunks, and daughter, Bulla, inherited blue irises from their mother's side. Goku's sons, Gohan and Goten, have dark eyes and his granddaughter, Pan, also has dark eyes.

Personality[]

Vegeta-1

Vegeta's not worried.

Saiyans tend to share common personality traits, even at young ages. Being a war-like people; they share an innate enjoyment for conflict and fighting; choosing violence over peace with other races. Saiyans are typically very aggressive and hard-headed, with short explosive tempers. They are an intensely proud people, with a society heavily based around honor and social hierarchy. Most of them are inclined to be arrogant at times, leading them to allow enemies to gain advantages in battle just for fun. It appears (as demonstrated by Vegeta, Nappa, and Bardock) they have a tendency to let their emotions get the better of them when roused in stimulating situations - resulting in them at times making rash decisions. They also appear to lack sympathetic emotions as though by choice rather than by nature as shown by their relative lack of fear of death and uncaring attitude towards siblings, i.e. Raditz brutal beating of his long-lost brother Goku and Vegeta's indifference to his father's death. A possible reason for that (theoretically according to some fans) could be that their society was corrupted in that area as a result of generations of being under Freeza's occupation. Clearly, Vegeta nor Nappa never showed any signs of sympathy for their fallen comrade Raditz when he was killed, they merely laughed and stated that he was only a "weakling". Vegeta and Nappa themselves had a good degree of camaraderie between them, but Vegeta did not hesitate to kill Nappa later on when he displayed weakness by panicking at Goku's power. (However, in Dragon Ball Z: Budokai, he himself claimed that he gave Nappa a noble warrior's death.). Also, Raditz implied in the storyline Fateful Brothers that Saiyans may have been uncaring and battle-starved due to having guilt, as he says to Gohan that he and his race did "terrible things as punishment for their sins".

In Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 Bardock is stated as being a good guy, (You can see by the color of his Dragon Ball in the Custom Characters menu) and in the movie special Dragon Ball Z: A Final Lonesome Battle Bardock is shocked and saddened at seeing his crew, as well as his best friend Toma slaughtered by Dodoria. Bardock's final words before dying "This is for all the people we killed in your name" also states that he wasn't all evil. After the destruction of Planet Vegeta, Bardock talks to Goku from the other side saying "I wish I could have held you in my own two arms". Bardock may possibly be the first Saiyan to show true emotions. Another indication is that in Supersonic Warriors 2 after meeting Goku in the Other World and helping him defeat Frieza and Cell, he offers Goku to help him take over the Other World, Goku declines and rather than trying to destroy him and do the deed by himself he peacefully accepts and promises he won't try to take over himself.

Racial traits[]

Though Saiyans share aesthetic similarities to humans, they are fundamentally different on a biological level, possessing many unique abilities. Saiyans have a wide array of special abilities. They possess incredible natural strength, the ability to use ki energy, super speed, amazing reflexes, an extremely sensitive sense of smell, great hearing, incredible vision, and are naturally born to fight and destroy. It has also been stated in the Character Reference area of Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 by Chi-Chi that Saiyans do not age after reaching adulthood.

Fighting[]

GokuVsVegetaEp230

Goku and Vegeta face off. AGAIN.

Saiyans have an inborn need to fight. Most Saiyans will spend their lives training to become stronger so that they can prove themselves in battle. When Frieza hired the Saiyans as his planet brokers, he knew of their amazing fighting skills and used that to his advantage. However, Frieza began to notice how powerful the Saiyans were becoming and began to fear that one day one of them would overwhelm him as the most powerful being in the universe. This eventually lead to Frieza's destruction of Planet Vegeta and all the Saiyans on it. Saiyans like Goku and Vegeta are frequently seen training and improving their fighting skills to keep up with each other's skills and the appearance of new, more powerful foes.

Many of the Saiyan/Human hybrids that appear throughout the series possess extreme fighting potential. It is also very common for them to develop the ability to transform into Super Saiyans at childhood, thought to be particularly likely when the hybrid's Saiyan parent had achieved the transformation prior to conception. With the exception of Future Trunks, they do not tend to share the interest in fighting and becoming stronger that pure Saiyans like Goku and Vegeta do.

In Dragon Ball GT, Saiyan hybrids seem to have less potential than full-blooded ones, and female hybrids appear to be weaker. Of particular note is Pan, who fails to achieve even the first Super Saiyan transformation, though her grandson Goku Jr. still had enough Saiyan blood to wield it.

Strength[]

Goku pushes

Goku pushing apart a mountain.

Saiyans have a naturally higher strength than many different species, and are quintessentially built for fighting. They are capable of easily lifting things that weigh many tons. The naturally high gravity of Planet Vegeta develops their strength further making them incredibly strong at young ages. Even weaker Saiyans are capable of conquering most planets alone. Through tough training, Saiyans are able to reach new levels of power, and the more intense training and fights they go through, the stronger they become.

Speed and agility[]

Saiyans have great speed and ability to suck. They also have much faster reflexes than an average human; reflexes so fast that they can avoid a bullet or energy beam without much problem. Super speed can easily be seen in their fighting skills; their movements occur in fraction of seconds which are not visible to human eyes. Their agility is also substantial in their battles and training. These movements can be improved by training, transformations, and other methods.

Energy[]

Saiyans possess a natural affinity to the manipulation of ki energy allowing them to utilize flying and energy-based attacks with incredible ease as well as unlock great depths of power when needed, or lending energy to others in battle when it's really necessary. Lost energy is regained by the Saiyan in a very short span of time, regardless of the amount of energy lost. Sometimes, the Saiyan's energy is doubled or tripled when regained, as hinted by Vegeta.

Appetite[]

GokuEating

And this is just a snack.

Saiyans are also noted for being ravenous trenchermen with seemingly insatiable appetites. Owing to their immense strength and intense aura, their energy and nutritional intake needs are a great deal higher than most human beings'. They are often shown eating plate after plate of food, resulting in many dishes piling up, often eating more food than logically possible. At the end of the 21st Tenkaichi Budoukai, Goku, when he was only 12 years old, hastily consumed a 50 course meal (57 in the dub) in one sitting. In Daizenshuu 4, it is stated that they have no preferences when it comes to food; this is hinted with Vegeta munching on the flesh of an alien creature on the planet he and Nappa were on before departing for Earth. Note that this is not restricted only to full-blooded Saiyans, as even the normally polite Gohan has been seen eating large quantities of food in this way.

Tail[]

Gokuweakness

Tails are a great weakness.

All pure-blood and 1/2 hybrid Saiyans possess a tail, monkey-like in appearance and covered in brownish fur. The tail is a particularly sensitive area for Saiyans when grabbed or injured, it causes great pain to the owner, and temporarily immobilizes the whole body. However, elite class Saiyans can train themselves to overcome this weakness - as did Nappa, Vegeta and also Goku (when he was preparing for the upcoming Budokai on Papaya Island, after being reminded by his grandfather at Baba's), and the tail becomes no more fragile than any other limb. The tail is very prehensile, and can be used to grasp things like many other primates. It has been mentioned in Dragon Ball that a Saiyan with a tail gains more power than one without a tail.

The tail also provides a unique gift in that it allows a Saiyan to transform into a Great Ape and potentially a Super Great Ape. If the tail is removed, this power is lost. Some Saiyans have the ability to grow back their tails at various times, but at some point in life this regenerative ability is lost. Gohan for instance, who is not even a pure blooded Saiyan, grows his tail back numerous times after having it removed, however, it never seems to grow back after it is cut off by Vegeta. Vegeta has his tail cut off during battle, but it is important to note that he is an adult and it never grows back, except through artificial means in Dragon Ball GT.

Goku is similar, his tail is cut off many times in Dragon Ball (anime) (mostly to stop him from being an Great Ape and wrecking the city), that he also never gets his tail back while an adult. The exception to this rule is when Goku is transformed into a child in GT; it required the training of the Elder Kai to regrow his tail. This is presumably due to the influence of the Dragon Balls artificially suppressing his age. It is reasonable to conclude that Goku at that time was in fact a child only in appearance, hence explaining why his tail could not be re-grown naturally and required the Kai’s assistance. This is also supported by the fact that the magic of the dragon balls could be temporarily overcome by transforming into Super Saiyan 4, clearly showing Goku in his adult form.

Gohan is the only half breed Saiyan seen with a tail in the series. Other half breeds like Trunks, Future Trunks, Goten, and Bulla are not seen with tails, presumably because they were cut off at childbirth to prevent them from transforming into Great Apes.

Healing[]

If a Saiyan survives a near-death experience through extreme injury to the body then when the body recuperates the Saiyan grows much stronger than they were previously, their body adapting to compensate for the damage dealt. The duration of recovery does not seem to hinder this ability as Saiyans have healed through natural, technological and mystical means and still gained substantial increases in strength. Saiyans also appear able to heal from injuries at a faster rate than humans and possess a greater deal of durability to damage.

Aging and lifespan[]

Goku comparison

Goku at 15, 23, and 28.

Although Saiyans remain in their youth and prime longer than Humans, their lifespan is about the same according to Daizenshuu 4. As explained by Vegeta in the final chapter, they stay young longer so that they can enjoy battle longer. This is seen when Nappa, who was Vegeta's attendant when Vegeta was a child, is in his prime still long after Vegeta has become an adult, but in actuality Nappa is about 50 years old. Chi-Chi complained of this in Dragon Ball GT when Goku was reduced to a child, thus making the fact that she was getting older faster that much more apparent. This is again demonstrated in the GT finale when Pan is seen one hundred years later still strong but with gray hair despite being only a quarter Saiyan. In Dragon Ball, when Goku and Bulma first meet, she guesses him to be about 5-years-old but was shocked to learn he was actually 12-years-old. From age 12 to 15, his size remained the same, but by age 18, he had a growth spurt that made him taller than most of the other characters. Saiyans' aging from childhood to adulthood varies, example when comparing Goku to Vegeta, who looked 12-years-old when he was 5-years-old and became shorter than Goku as an adult. Also some humans appear to lack any signs of aging (like Yamcha or Tenshinhan) so one can conclude that persons with greater power level and strength age slower than ordinary humans.

In regards to lifespans, it's implied by Old Kai that Saiyans, or at least Goku, may live for about a thousand years. This is shown when Goku grew back up into an adult; 100 years later he still looked like he was in his prime.

Saiyan Hybrids[]

Ryun

Ryun, a hybrid Saiyan-Human.

Due to their similar physiology, Saiyans and Humans are capable of interbreeding. While this was always possible, it became necessary for the survival of the Saiyan race when all the female Saiyans were exterminated. The resulting offspring generally possess the same enhanced strengths of the Saiyans, developing their abilities far more easily than Humans, but lack the same drive and instinct for combat. Hybrid Saiyans possess the potential to become Super Saiyans, but it is unclear how many generations removed from their Saiyan ancestor a hybrid can be before the transformation becomes unavailable to them. This is principally called into question because of Pan's supposed inability to transform as she is only quarter Saiyan, yet in the special Dragon Ball GT: A Hero's Legacy, descendants of Goku and Vegeta are able to turn Super Saiyan, despite their Saiyan heritage being even more diluted than Pan's.

It is unclear if these hybrids possess a naturally greater potential than their Saiyan parents. Gohan repeatedly demonstrated a 'hidden' power that, when harnessed, made him more powerful than even Goku or Vegeta, and when he and Goku trained to battle Cell, he not only caught up to Goku, but overtook him even before making his Super Saiyan 2 transformation. Also, he, Trunks, and Goten were able to make the transformation to Super Saiyan at a far younger age then their parents, with Trunks and Goten showing such ease at obtaining the first form that they treated it almost like a "child's play thing (as stated by Vegeta in the FUNimation dub". Goten and Trunks' fusion as Gotenks shows much, much more ease in obtaining even the final form, entering the Hyperbolic Time Chamber whilst being unable to make the first transformation. In no more than about a week in the room, they emerged as a fused Super Saiyan 3.

A Hybrid Saiyan's potential may be held in check by the fact they lack the same desire for combat as pure Saiyans, and thus tend not to train as much, in times of peace, as a pure Saiyan would. For example, Gohan actually became less powerful during the seven years between his battle with Cell and the emergence of Buu, allowing Goku and Vegeta to catch up to and then surpass him. It is also during this time that both Goku and Vegeta make the transformation to Super Saiyan 2 as Gohan did, with Goku surpassing it to ascend to Super Saiyan 3, the last form displayed in the canon manga and in the Dragon Ball Z anime.

Further, it is unknown if quarter Saiyans, such as Pan, have a lesser potential than half Saiyans or pure-blooded Saiyans due to their further diluted heritage or if their comparative weakness, exhibited by Pan, is simply the result of lacking the Saiyan drive to train coupled with growing up in peaceful times. The latter would seem more likely as Bulla, Vegeta's second child, appeared to be no stronger than Pan despite her stronger Saiyan heritage.

Due to Pan and Bulla's apparent weakness, and not demonstrating the ability to transform to Super Saiyan, it is unclear if female Saiyan hybrids are weaker than male ones or if this is simply a reflection of them lacking the same instincts as pure Saiyans combined with not finding themselves in a situation likely to trigger the transformation.

List of Saiyans[]

  • Goku Son (birth name Kakarot) - Grew up on Earth and becomes the universe's savior.
  • Vegeta - Prince of Saiyans and Goku's arch rival/ally.
  • Raditz - Goku's older brother; killed by Goku and Piccolo.
  • Nappa - Vegeta's partner; killed by Vegeta.
  • Bardock - Goku's father; died during Planet Vegeta's destruction.
  • Turles - Killed by Goku and the Z Fighters.
  • Broly - Defeated by Goku, later defeated twice by Trunks and Goten; considered the legendary Super Saiyan.
  • Paragus - Broly's father; killed by Broly.
  • Tarble - Vegeta's younger brother.
  • King Vegeta - Vegeta and Tarble's father; killed by Frieza.
  • JT a saiyan grew up on earth.He Is from a diffient plants.

List of Saiyan-Human hybrids[]

  • Gohan Son - Oldest son of Goku; 1/2 Saiyan.
  • Trunks Brief - Son of Vegeta; 1/2 Saiyan.
  • Goten Son - Second son of Goku; 1/2 Saiyan.
  • Bulla Brief - Daughter of Vegeta; 1/2 Saiyan.
  • Pan Son - Daughter of Gohan and granddaughter of Goku; 1/4 Saiyan.
  • Goku Jr. - Grandson of Pan and great-great grandson of Goku; 1/16 Saiyan.
  • Vegeta Jr. - Great-great grandson of Vegeta; 1/16 Saiyan.
  • Vegeta Jr.'s mother - Great-granddaughter of Vegeta; 1/8 Saiyan


Saiyans
Pure Saiyans BardockBorgosBroly/Bio-BrolyFashaGoku/Future GokuHikaruKing VegetaNappaOriginal Super SaiyanOriginal Super Saiyan GodParagusRaditzReiten/Future ReitenShugeshTarbleToraTurlesVegeta/Future Vegeta
Sadala Saiyans AsperBituCabbaCalifluaKaleLettMataOriRensoSallaSeireitouSharottoUniverse 6 Saiyan King
Saiyan Deities BlackCitrusOrehRikiVegeta Jr.Zaiko
Saiyan hybrids BullaBulma LeighChizuCumaGohan/Future GohanGoku Jr.GotenPanRigorRikuRyunToraTrunks/Future TrunksVetora
Saiyan fusions GogetaGokuleGotenksGoketaSeiryunTrunketaTrunksVegetunksVegito
Saiyan transformations

Great Ape
Super Saiyan (PseudoRestrained Super SaiyanPower Stressed (Second GradeThird Grade) • Full PowerSuper Saiyan 2Unleashed Super SaiyanSuper Saiyan 3Super Saiyan RageBerserker Super Saiyan)
Legendary Super Saiyan (Super Saiyan 2Super Saiyan 3)
Super Saiyan God
Super Saiyan Devil

Hybrid Saiyan transformations

Super Kaio-ken
Spirit Bomb Super Saiyan
Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan (Blue (Kaio-ken (X10) • Completed) • Rosé
Golden Great Ape (Super Saiyan 4 (UltraDarkSaiyan God Primal) • Super Saiyan 5 (Saiyan Rage 4)
Legendary Great Ape (Legendary Saiyan 4 (Full))

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