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With the passage of time and the expansion of the Dragon Ball franchise, a few of its exclusive transformations have become more accessible over time. To quote Vegeta in Dragon Ball Z, the Super Saiyan transformation was eventually “reduced to some child’s play thing” upon Goten and Trunks learning the form.
In the same breath, however, the Dragon Ball franchise has added more difficult and exclusive transformations and power-ups to the list. Dragon Ball Super, in particular, seems to be introducing new power-ups to the franchise in almost every arc.
Here are the five most difficult Dragon Ball transformations to achieve, and five more that have been reduced to child’s play.
Ultra Instinct and 4 other transformations are the most difficult in Dragon Ball
1) Super Saiyan God
The Super Saiyan God transformation requires one to undergo the Super Saiyan God Ritual. The Ritual involves one Saiyan being surrounded by five other Saiyans, who lock hands and pour energy into the former who then achieves Super Saiyan God status with this excess of energy.
While not inherently a difficult process, the stipulations on this transformation make it challenging. Goku and Vegeta are the only remaining pure-blooded Saiyans in the universe, meaning their half and quarter-Saiyan children and grandchildren had to fill the roles. Without their families, the form could never be attained.
2) Super Saiyan Blue
Super Saiyan Blue builds on the Super Saiyan God by incorporating God Ki into the transformation process. Learning God Ki is extremely difficult and it can alone render the powerup eligible for a spot on this list.
However, the true challenge here is that one must have achieved Super Saiyan God before reaching this level. Super Saiyan Blue cannot be attained without the former transformation, which means that one has to face double the problems.
3) Ultra Instinct
Ultra Instinct is undoubtedly one of Dragon Ball’s most difficult transformations yet. Goku had to be pushed to his limits by absorbing a Spirit Bomb to tap into the state, and even then it was an imperfect version.
He has since trained in the form, mastering it to a degree in which he is able to freely call upon it with sufficient energy. However, that does not change the fact that it is extremely difficult to attain. The ultimate transformation of Dragon Ball Super will likely remain the franchise’s most difficult one for quite some time.
4) Ultra Ego
Vegeta’s Ultra Ego transformation is just as difficult to acquire as Ultra Instinct, but one has to go down a different path. Whereas Ultra Instinct emulates Dragon Ball Super’s Angels and their style of fighting, Ultra Ego takes after the series Gods of Destruction.
Despite being different in philosophy and execution, the two share common ground in being the most difficult transformations in the series currently.
5) Super Saiyan Rage
Despite being a variation of the Super Saiyan 2 transformation, Super Saiyan Rage seems to be somewhat more exclusive than the standard form.
It's only been used once in Dragon Ball by Future Trunks, and, while extremely effective, hasn't been mentioned or used since. As a result, one can assume that it’s a difficult transformation to access.
Potential Unleashed and 4 other Dragon Ball transformations are reduced to child's play towards the end
1) Super Saiyan
As Vegeta makes clear towards the end of Dragon Ball Z, the original Super Saiyan transformation is eventually reduced to the level of children. Even if Goten and Trunks’ attainment of the form is respectable, it nevertheless proves how the original power-up has become trivial over time.
While still incredibly useful and powerful, as evidenced by Goku using it in Super, it has become the most accessible of all transformations.
2) Super Saiyan 2
Access to Super Saiyan 2 is no longer as gated and difficult as it was earlier in the franchise. Even though Gohan required a year of training and a traumatic moment to fully awaken the form, Dragon Ball Super sees Caulifla go Super Saiyan 2 in a matter of moments.
Unfortunately, what was once the franchise’s most powerful transformation has been reduced to a symbol of character growth and strength.
3) Potential Unleashed
While the Potential Unleashed form is exclusive in that one must know the Old Kai to attain it, there are no other barriers to entry beyond that. To complete the awakening ritual, one must simply sit there and let Old Kai draw the power out over several hours. It could even take days for the process to complete.
Apart from the initial exclusivity, Dragon Ball form is not difficult to achieve anymore.
4) Great Ape
The primary requirement for attaining the Great Ape form is to be a Saiyan with a tail. It is also important to have the moon or any other source of Blutz waves visible nearby for the transformation to occur.
While gaining control of the form requires training and experience, accessing it is not tough. Both Goku and Gohan unintentionally activate the form as children, proving the point.
5) Potara Fusion
Finally, achieving a fused state via Potara Fusion is as simple as one person wearing a Potara earring on their right ear, and the other on their left. The two are then fused into one being. This can be permanent if a Supreme Kai is involved, otherwise, the state remains for up to an hour.
The major roadblock to this transformation is attaining the Potara earrings from a Kai who wears them. Beyond this, however, there are no special rules, conditions, or knowledge required to utilize one of the most beloved Dragon Ball transformations.
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This article was modified on Thursday, June 29, at 6:56 pm.
