Dragon Ball: The Strongest Non-Canon Transformations, Ranked

Dragon Ball is one of the most popular shonen series of all time that fans can’t get enough of. The late great Akira Toriyama’s legacy will be cherished by an entire generation of anime fans whose childhoods were dictated by Goku’s amazing feats of strength as he conquered numerous imposing threats without breaking a sweat.

Along with the many canon fights and storylines where warriors have unlocked powerful transformations to beat down their opponents, some of the non-canon storylines have also let viewers witness some funky transformations that are quite awe-inspiring in their own right.

8 Pseudo Super Saiyan

Goku Unlocks An Imperfect Super Saiyan Transformation While Fighting Lord Slug

• Debut: Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug

Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug is a great movie that takes place at a weird time in the canon. Technically, the Z Warriors should be at Namek, but they’re conveniently on Earth when the titular Namekian comes to take over the planet.

He uses the Dragon Balls to regain his youth and becomes a powerful fighter against whom Goku struggles quite a bit, but the Namekian becomes too cocky and starts talking about the brutal way he’d decimate Earth and its inhabitants. Rage wells up in Goku as he transforms into a Pseudo Super Saiyan, making the most of this temporary power-up to give Lord Slug a beatdown he’d never forget before reverting to his base form.

7 Cooler’s Fourth Transformation

Frieza’s Brother Reveals A Transformation That Was Never Seen Before

• Debut: Dragon Ball Z: Cooler’s Revenge

After Goku defeated Frieza, the tyrant’s brother decided to take on the Saiyan who humiliated his family. What follows is a one-sided beatdown, especially when Cooler reveals a unique transformation that even Frieza didn’t have access to.

However, this amazing power doesn’t stop him from being defeated by Super Saiyan Goku, who uses his rage to beat Cooler to a pulp before sending him into the sun, causing irreversible damage to his body.

6 Super Android 13

This Experimental Android Absorbs The Parts Of Its Brethren To Become Stronger Than Ever Before

• Debut: Dragon Ball Z: Super Android 13!

When three unknown Androids appear to destroy Earth, the Z Warriors must take the fight to a desolate location and engage with these warriors in battle. While Android 14 and 15 were relatively easy to defeat, the same can’t be said for the movie’s titular villain who was no joke.

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After absorbing the components of his fallen brethren, Android 13 undergoes a transformation that makes him even more fearsome in battle. It’s not until Goku accidentally absorbs the power of a Spirit Bomb in his Super Saiyan state that he unleashes a punch that causes Super Android 13 to implode.

5 Legendary Super Saiyan (Non-Canon Variant)

Broly’s Strength Was Unheard Of In His First Movie Appearance

• Debut: Dragon Ball Z: Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan

Before Broly’s character was fleshed out in the Dragon Ball Super movie, he was nothing more than a one-dimensional character whose motivations were laughable at best. However, that took nothing away from the immense power he wielded as a Legendary Super Saiyan.

So, it was equally disappointing to see that this imposing Saiyan was done away with courtesy of a single punch by Goku after he received the power of everyone battling this foe. Thankfully, the canon version of Legendary Super Saiyan Broly didn’t suffer from this poor writing and had to be overpowered by Super Saiyan Blue Gogeta before his defeat was all but assured.

4 Super Janemba

The Embodiment Of Evil Becomes Even More Sinister

• Debut: Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn

Not only is Fusion Reborn a cool movie that lets players witness Gogeta’s appearance for the first time, but it also introduces a malicious antagonist who embodies evil itself. Janemba’s original iteration as an infantile kaiju is far from intimidating, but things change for the worse when he transforms into Super Janemba.

This powerful fighter is no joke and was powerful enough to take out Goku and Vegeta with little to no effort. It wasn’t until the fighters fused that Janemba was finally defeated and balance was brought to the afterlife once again.

3 Golden Cooler

Cooler Makes An Emphatic Comeback In Super Dragon Ball Heroes

• Debut: Goku Goes Berserk! The Evil Saiyan’s Rampage! (Episode 2 of Super Dragon Ball Heroes)

Super Dragon Ball Heroes may technically be a glorified ad for an arcade game that’s all the rage in Japan, but that should take nothing away from the spectacle of these episodes. The fact that Cooler is brought back and reveals a new transformation in the second episode makes it clear that fans should just switch their minds off for this experience.

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Witnessing Cooler’s final form in a golden hue makes it a great visual when he teams up with his brother for a brief duration. It’s one of the many non-canon transformations present in Super Dragon Ball Heroes.

2 Evil Saiyan

Cumber Is No Joke, Revealing A Brand-New Form That Looks Intimidating

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• Debut: Goku Goes Berserk! The Evil Saiyan’s Rampage! (Episode 2 of Super Dragon Ball Heroes)

Super Dragon Ball Heroes introduces new antagonists who can reach immense levels of power in no time, and Cumber is no exception. His background as a Saiyan with corrupted morals helps him unlock new levels of power with his Evil Saiyan transformation.

The red hue of this imposing antagonist makes him look deadly as he smashes the Z Warriors to oblivion. It’s not until Goku unlocks Ultra Instinct once again that he finally puts this threat to rest with his impressive power.

1 Super Saiyan Rose Full Power

The Crimson-Masked Saiyan Shows The Full Extent Of Super Saiyan Rose’s Power

• Debut: Final Battle in the Pseudo Universe! Clash of Blue and Crimson (Episode 38 of Super Dragon Ball Heroes)

Crimson is a deadly antagonist, serving as a reincarnation of Goku Black who’s stronger than ever before. This can be seen in his Super Saiyan Rose transformations which look quite imposing.

This includes Super Saiyan Rose Full Power, where the Saiyan’s tail grows back as his hair retains the Super Saiyan 3 shape. It’s a cool design, and fans can’t help but wonder if this form will ever become canon in later Dragon Ball stories.

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  Release Date

  April 26, 1989

  Seasons

  9

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  Release Date

  July 5, 2015

  Seasons

  1

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  Streaming Service(s)

  Hulu