If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.
Super Saiyan 3 is the cleverest story moment that Dragon Ball ever had
Fans complain that Super Saiyan 3 isn't used to defeat anyone in Dragon Ball, but that was kind of the point.
The world of Dragon Ball is built on a series of rules, with the most important one being that sometimes Akira Toriyama just liked to mess with his readers. Over the course of the manga, he frequently established tropes only to subvert them at the first opportunity. In this way, Super Saiyan 3 was his masterpiece of turning the rules of Dragon Ball on their head.
It is often decried as a “useless” transformation among Dragon Ball fans because it doesn’t actually accomplish anything in the original manga. Super Saiyan 3 is introduced in the Buu Saga as Goku’s ultimate weapon in his attempt to stop Majin Buu from wreaking havoc on Earth. A sudden, unexpected transformation that was as surprising as it was ridiculous to look at, SSJ 3 was a shocking reveal in the manga before being swiftly cast aside in favor of fusion
Subscribe to Popverse to read this article
Become a member and get first access to tickets and badges to our events, photo ops, exclusive content, and more.
Follow Popverse for upcoming event coverage and news
Find out how we conduct our review by reading our review policy
Let Popverse be your tour guide through the wilderness of pop culture
Sign in and let us help you find your new favorite thing.
Comments
Want to join the discussion? Please activate your account first.
Visit Reedpop ID if you need to resend the confirmation email.