You’ve been battling your opponent for a while and painstakingly saving your Ki for this exact moment. The battle’s climax approaches and it’s finally time to take things to the next level and transform!

Transformations have been a staple in anime for years now but it all started with Dragon Ball, ever since the days of the Kaioken and the legendary Super Saiyan. Whether it be through hard work or a sudden burst of emotional strength, transformations can bring any fighter to a new level of power. Transformations are primarily learned from masters sprinkled all across Conton City but a select few can be purchased from vendors.

Transformations come in all shapes, colors, and even sizes. Some can only be used by certain races, others take more Ki to utilize, have varying status effects on the player or drastically change your appearance. 

Basically, not all transformations can be valued the same so I’ve compiled a list of the top ten best transformations in the game!

10. Future Super Saiyan (Powerful)

See Future Super Saiyan in action

Used by the Saiyans of the future, Gohan and Trunks, the legendary transformation aided them in the struggle against the android threat as the last members of the Z fighters and Earth's final hope. This transformation takes a while to get as it’s only obtained after completing all five distorted time rifts AND completing the future Gohan mission. 

Costing three bars of Ki, Future Super Saiyan increases all attack damage by 10% and buffs air and ground movement speed. It activates quicker than any other Saiyan transformation and has the best Ki preservation of the Super Saiyan variants.

Future Super Saiyan only goes up to the first level whereas the others can ascend to Super Saiyan 2 and three respectively.

Future Super Saiyan review

• Increased ground and airspeed
  • Not all transformations boost speed so this is a nice touch.
• Quick animation and Ki cost-effective
  • Costing only three bars of Ki with a quick animation and great Ki preservation does wonders in keeping Ki stored for other attacks.
• Obtained very late game
  • This move is only available after completing all time rifts and the Future Gohan mission and by then you’ve likely found a greater transformation than this one.

Future Super Saiyan details

• Used by Future Gohan and Future Trunks
• Charged Ki attacks will teleport the player to the target

9. Potential Unleashed (Powerful)

See Potential Unleashed in action

After training with the Kai’s to summon his latent Potential, Gohan returned to face Super Buu with a ferocious power that even the Majin feared. A straightforward process, all that is needed to gain this ultimate is a perfect Z-rank on every advancement test.

This transformation costs five bars of Ki, boosts all damage by 15%, reduces damage taken by 5%, increases ground and dashing speed by 11%, and airspeed by 7%.

Potential Unleashed review

• Well-rounded stats
  • This transformation affects all physical stats whereas most transformations don’t so that’s a huge plus. 
• Useable by all races
  • This ultimate isn’t race-exclusive and can be used by all CaCs.
• Mediocre
  • This transformation doesn’t have any outstanding effects or abilities and it’s bland in appearance but at least the stats are somewhat valid.

Potential Unleashed details

• Used by Adult Gohan
• Despite claiming to charge Ki faster than other modes, Potential Unleashed does NOT affect Ki charging

8. Super Saiyan (Powerful)

See Super Saiyan in action

Easily the most iconic transformation in anime history the legendary Super Saiyan is unlocked by reaching level 35 and training with Vegeta in the Capsule Corp time rift.

Costing three bars of Ki for Super Saiyan 1 and an extra bar of Ki for every subsequent transformation, Super Saiyan’s power grows with each ascension for a maximum 20% damage increase on melee and Ki attacks but a whopping 85% Ki reduction rate in Super Saiyan 3. 

Super Saiyan is by no means a bad skill but with no speed buffs, massive Ki reduction, and five bars of Ki necessary to reach its full power I can’t in good conscience rank it higher.

Super Saiyan review

• Great melee buff
  • 20% melee damage increase is nothing to scoff at and it makes Super Saiyan a terror to go up against in close combat.
• Large Ki cost
  • Five bars of Ki are needed to reach full power and then Ki regen is further reduced.
• Saiyan exclusive
  • As the name implies this transformation is exclusive to the Saiyan race

Super Saiyan details

• Used by all Saiyan characters except Raditz, Pre-Namek Goku, Pre-Android saga Vegeta, and Pre-Cell games Gohan variants
• Charged Ki attacks will teleport the player to the target

7. Purification (Powerful)

See Purification in action

An unassuming transformation with horrifying power, Kid Buu assumed this form and destroyed the Earth before facing off against Goku and Vegeta for the final time. This transformation is obtained by completing Majin Buu’s time rift as a Majin CaC.  

This transformation costs three bars of Ki and once activated the player will do an extra 15% damage on all attacks and get a modified version of Kid Buu’s moveset. This form cannot go into different areas in parallel quests and if the user is stamina broken the form will release. 

This is a Majin exclusive form but the reason it didn’t make the top five is the lack of customizability. While gaining Kid Buu’s moveset certainly isn’t bad it takes away a lot of a player's options when it comes to creating new strategies.

Purification review

• Unique transformation
  • This is one of the few transformations in the game that changes a player's moveset so you essentially enter fights with two movesets.
• Low Ki cost
  • For a transformation as unique as this, three bars of Ki seems like a low cost to pay.
• Stamina dependent
  • Unlike most transformations, being stamina broken will undo it.

Purification details

• Used by Kid Buu
• Cannot travel to other areas in Parallel Quests

6. Super Saiyan God (Powerful)

See Super Saiyan God in action

A Saiyan legend of even greater power than the Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan God was achieved by Goku with the help of his friends to battle against the G.O.D. Beerus. 

Wishing on the Dragon Balls while at max friendship with Goku, Vegeta, Gotenks, Adult Gohan, and Pan will grant the player the Super Saiyan God transformation.

Costing three bars of Ki to activate, Super Saiyan God provides a sixty percent buff to melee attacks and increases all travel speed by 13.5%. With the right super souls the melee buff can be maxed out to melt through health and on top of all this, Super Saiyan God is integral to unlocking further divine Saiyan transformations.

Super Saiyan God review

• High melee damage
  • This transformation does some of the most melee damage of any mode in the game.
• Speed increase
  • Speed across all modes of travel are buffed which makes taking advantage of this transformation all the easier. 
• No damage reduction
  • This mode does nothing to reduce damage taken.

Super Saiyan God details

• Used by Goku and Vegeta
• Charged Ki attacks will teleport the player to the target

5. Super Vegeta (Very Powerful)

See Super Vegeta in action

After witnessing Goku unleash the overwhelming power of a Super Saiyan on Namek, Vegeta was overcome by envy and a burning desire to surpass his rival which drove him to unlock the legendary Super Saiyan. This transformation can be unlocked by further training with Vegeta after unlocking Super Saiyan.  

Costing four bars of Ki at full power, Super Vegeta grants 10% extra melee damage, 17.5% extra Ki blast damage, 5% physical damage reduction, and 12.5% Ki blast damage resistance. 

Furthermore equipping the Super Soul “This Super Saiyan 2 is crazy strong!” will increase Ki regeneration and provide an extra boost to melee attacks. The only real con to this form is a lack of speed increase. 

Super Vegeta review

• Well rounded
  • The attack power provided by this transformation is decent and thorough.  
• Ki-cost effective
  • With the right super soul equipped, getting extra damage on Ki attacks with extra Ki regen is a nice deal.
• No speed increase
  • Super Vegeta doesn’t increase the player's speed so faster modes have that advantage over you.

Final Shine Attack details

• Used by Vegeta and Vegeta GT
• Charged Ki attacks will teleport the player to the target

4. Ultra Instinct (Very Powerful)

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The technique of the angels with the power to stand above divinity, Ultra Instinct is unlocked by defeating full-power Jiren in a fight who can be found behind the steps to the time nest.

Costing five bars of Ki to use, Ultra Instinct doesn’t increase any of the player’s stats but instead grants the ability to automatically dodge melee attacks and Ki blasts for one hundred stamina. 

During its activation, attacking the player will trigger a counterattack dealing 10% damage, and during a dodge pressing the jump command with also trigger a counterattack. The transformation is broken if the player runs out of stamina.

The two biggest drawbacks of Ultra Instinct are its stamina dependency and the inability to dodge supers and ultimates.

Ultra Instinct review

• Unique auto-dodge feature
  • Ultra Instinct is the only skill in the game that makes the player virtually untouchable while it’s active.
• Built-in Ki charge
  • Holding the block and jump commands at the same time will charge Ki while in this transformation. This eliminates the need to sacrifice a skill slot for a Ki charge.
• Stamina reliant
  • Having your stamina broken in any way during this transformation will end it.

Ultra Instinct details

• Used by Ultra Instinct Goku
• Changes Ki blasts to Soaring first and Spirit Pulse which prevents Ki blast canceling

3. Beast (Very Powerful)

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Awakened in a similar fashion to his Super Saiyan 2 transformation, Gohan ascended into the Beast transformation after watching Piccolo be defeated at the hands of Cell Max. 

This transformation is achieved by gaining maximum friendship with Adult Gohan and Piccolo and then talker to the latter which will present the option, “I want to train even more.” Proceeding with the dialogue with lead to a battle with Cell Max and upon completion will grant the Beast skill.  

Costing 500 Ki this transformation grants a 30% boost to all damage, causes light attacks and heavy attacks to teleport, gives the user a form-exclusive combo, and gives a 20% Ki restoration buff. The only drawbacks to the transformation are a 20% increase in incoming damage and a lack of physical stat increases.

Beast review

• High damage increase
  • A 30% increase in damage is a welcome buff no matter what character you are using.
• Ki regen increase
  • Despite having a large Ki cost this transformation makes up for it by granting the user a 20% Ki regen increase.
• Incoming damage increase
  • In exchange for this wondrous power, the user takes 20% extra damage from attacks

Prominence Flash details

• Used by Beast Gohan
• Useable by all races despite being a Saiyan transformation

2. Turn Golden (Very Powerful)

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Returned from the depths of hell with malice stretching to all Saiyan kind, Frieza obtained this transformation after training relentlessly to surpass Son Goku who’d by then already surpassed the power of a god. 

This transformation is available after reaching level sixty and training with Frieza and Cooler who after being defeated will teach the player the transformation.

Turn Golden boosts Ki blasts/skills by 30%, boosts all movement speed by 20%, and increases the speed of Ki blasts and attacks. The only drawback of this form is that incoming damage is increased by 20%. This form is INSANELY powerful and when entering a battle it’s a good idea to transform into it ASAP. 

Turn Golden review

• High Ki blast power
  • 30% Ki blast damage is second only to one transformation in the game and this is compounded by how fast said Ki blasts are.
• Incredible speed
  • A 20% increase in all speed stats makes this mode a speed demon and one that’s hard to catch if the user knows how to wield it.
• Race exclusive
  • This mode is so powerful one of the only cons is that Frieza’s race is the only one that can use it.

Turn Golden details

• Used by Golden Frieza
• Using the super soul “I am the Universe’s strongest!” will further increase Ki blast damage

1. Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan Evolved (Overpowered)

See Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan Evolved in action

Standing at the top of divinity and then overcoming that as well, Vegeta was pushed into this transformation by his resolve not to be left behind by his rival Goku who only seemed to be growing in power. 

This transformation is available at level 95 where the player must talk to mentor Whis with Super Saiyan God unlocked and maximum friendship with Vegeta.

This transformation is a mouthful to say but its absurd power makes up for it. For five bars of Ki, the user is granted a 35% increase to all damage, a 10% increase in damage resistance, and speed buffs all at the expense of Ki drain and nerfed Ki regen. 

This is the highest damage increase for a transformation in the entire game and as if that wasn’t enough you are given the speed and the damage reduction to make full use of it.

SSGSSE review

• Obscene damage
  • This mode has the highest damage increase in the entire game.
• Physical stat boost
  • Increasing the user’s speed and damage reduction was almost overkill.
• Ki drain
  • This transformation drains Ki faster than even Super Saiyan Blue but there are ways around this.

SSGSSE details

• Used by SSGSSE Vegeta
• The final Saiyan Transformation