Every Dragon Ball fan’s childhood dream was to fire a Kamehameha and undergo a golden Super Saiyan transformation. If Goku can do it, why can’t you? Unfortunately, Akira Toriyama has broken the dreams of every budding Super Saiyan by explaining why it’s never going to happen.
He explains that you need strength, hardwork and two more secret ingredients to achieve this legendary power-up.
Akira Toriyama Explains What it Takes to Become Super Saiyan
In an interview, Akira Toriyama shatters the dreams of thousands of Dragon Ball fanatics by claiming that not everyone can become a Super Saiyan. Being powerful, training thoroughly and anger are not the only necessary elements.
The most important ingredient is something that humans have never possessed: S-Cells.
It’s not like anyone can become a Super Saiyan through training and anger. In order to become a Super Saiyan, one’s body must contain something called “S-Cells”.
According to the author, once these S-Cells multiply to a certain amount, anger acts as a trigger and increases them explosively. This dramatic increase causes a change in the body of Saiyans, transforming them into Super Saiyans.
Well guess who have S-Cells? Saiyans. Humans do not have S-Cells unless they are a human and Saiyan hybrid. Most Saiyans have S-Cells in their bodies although it’s not enough to reach Super Saiyan.
This is why Goku and Vegeta’s children can also become Super Saiyans. They not only inherited S-Cells, but also grew up in the more nurturing planet Earth. Planet Vegeta, due to its hostile environment, is not the best for developing S-Cells.
How do S-Cells Increase to Become Super Saiyan in Dragon Ball?
Turns out that the secret to increasing S-Cells isn’t in frequent training and uncontrollable rage. In fact it’s the exact opposite. In order to significantly increase S-Cells, one must first be of gentle nature.
Having a gentle spirit is the best way to greatly increase one’s S-Cells, but most Saiyans have trouble with this, which I think is why no Super Saiyans appeared for such a long time that they became the stuff of legend.
Given the hostile environment on Planet Vegeta, along with the Saiyan attitude as a whole, it is expected that a gentle spirit cannot be cultivated on the planet. This is probably why Bardock, the good-natured father of Goku, was the only one to achieve Super Saiyan in Dragon Ball: Episode of Bardock.
Goku’s time on Earth also nurtured empathy in him, making him the next Super Saiyan. Even Vegeta, the die-hard hater of emotions, became friends with Bulma, turned a new chapter and only then did he achieve the Super Saiyan transformation.
No wonder Gohan, Trunks, Goten and other hybrids could transform so soon. Afterall, they were raised in loving families with determined and hardworking parents.
However, one can’t reach the quantity necessary for becoming a Super Saiyan simply by having a gentle spirit, so a certain amount of battle power is indeed necessary.
An appropriate mix of training, power and gentle spirit is necessary for becoming a Super Saiyan along with S-Cells. So if you had chosen Super Saiyan as your career path, then unless you are a Saiyan, you should think of looking at other avenues.
You can read Dragon Ball on Viz Media and watch the anime on Crunchyroll.
