Saiyan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The saiyans, or saiyajin (サイヤ人) abbreviated SJ, are a fictional, almost extinct race in the Japanese anime and manga Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, and the self-parody Neko Majin Z.
The saiyans are a powerful simian warrior race and play a central role in Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball GT once it is revealed that the main character, Son Goku, is actually a saiyan.
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[edit] Name
The name is an anagram of yasai(野菜), which is Japanese for vegetable, followed by jin(人 or じん) which is Japanese for person. (This essentially means that "saiyajin" and "saiyan" stand for "vegetable person".)
All pure-blood saiyans that appear in the series and related movies are named using puns on various vegetables.
[edit] The saiyan race
[edit] History
In the manga, the distant history of the saiyans is not described. In the anime series however, it is described that there were two separate races on Planet Vegeta: the saiyans, a barbaric and backwards people, and the Tuffles (Tsufurujin), an advanced, scientific race. The Tuffles and the saiyans fought a civil war, but the saiyans were ultimately victorious thanks to their ability to turn into their Oozaru forms at the full moon. The saiyans then renamed the planet, calling it Planet Vegeta. Over the years they also learned how to use the Tuffles' advanced equipment and become somewhat smarter and less barbaric, although they still lusted for fighting and destruction.
At some unknown time following the saiyan victory the planet was conquered or annexed by Freeza's empire and the saiyans (like many other races) were drafted to serve as soldiers in Freeza's military. Because of the saiyans' innate strength and penchant for violence, they were considered to be useful mercenaries and assisted in the conquering of many planets, or if assignment called for, eradication of the planet's population (Even saiyan children were considered powerful enough to conquer some of the weaker planets, such as Earth).
Eventually, seeing how quickly some of the more gifted saiyan warriors were gaining power through battle, Freeza grew concerned with the potential of the saiyan race and thought that they would grow strong enough to face him or even become the fabled Super Saiyans, able to defeat him in battle. So the maniacal warlord destroyed Planet Vegeta, almost eradicating the saiyan race. Only a few pure-blood saiyans survived the destruction as they were not on the planet at the time.
[edit] Homeworld
Originally called Planet Plant, Planet Vegeta was the homeworld of the saiyans following their migration there from an unnamed world. Planet Vegeta was conquered by the saiyans after they exterminated the dominant race, the Tsufurujin, an incredibly intelligent but physically weak race. Lead by Vegeta's father, King Vegeta, the saiyans were victorious and took the planet as their own, re-naming it Vegeta.
The planet has a natural gravity that is 10 times that of Earth which helps give saiyans a greater natural strength than most races.
The saiyan overlord named Freeza realized that the saiyans were evolving, becoming stronger than they'd ever been, and hearing the legend of a saiyan being with colossal power called a Super Saiyan, he decided that if just one saiyan ever reached this power, the saiyan race could potentially pose a threat to his tyranny. He used his power to completely obliterate Planet Vegeta, leaving only a few survivors.
[edit] Appearance
Saiyans are outwardly very similar to humans, except for their increased natural strength, ability to manipulate Ki with great ease and their monkey-like tails. They are commonly seen to have black hair, usually spiky, although there have been rare occasions when they have also been shown to have brown hair.
Pure-blood saiyan hair never changes length or style once it has fully grown. This is not the case with half-breeds like Gohan and Trunks who are shown to have several different hair-styles throughout the series'. Both of Vegeta and Bulma's children inherited their hair color from their mother's side. Goku's children both have black hair like him, but their mother Chi Chi also has black hair. They can grow facial hair. Saiyans also all have black eyes, though half-breeds do not always share this trait as Vegeta's son, Trunks, and daughter, Bra, inherited blue irises from Bulma.
Similar appearances can be noted in:
- Goku looks like Bardock.
- Vegeta looks like King Vegeta.
- Gohan looks like Chi-Chi.
- Goten looks like Goku.
- Trunks is a male version of Bulma with slight similarities to Vegeta.
- Bra looks like Bulma.
- Pan looks like Videl.
- Goku Jr. looks like Goten and Goku.
- Vegeta Jr's mother looks like Bra and Bulma.
- Vegeta Jr. looks like Vegeta and King Vegeta.
[edit] Personality
Saiyans tend to share common personality traits, even at young ages. Being a war-like people; they share an innate enjoyment for conflict and fighting; choosing violence over peace with other races. saiyans are typically very aggressive and hard-headed, with short explosive tempers. They are an intensely proud people, with a society heavily based around honor and social hierarchy. They are inclined to be arrogant at times, leading them to allow enemies to gain advantages in battle for fun. It appears (as demonstrated by Vegeta, Nappa, Bardock and even Goku) they have a tendency to let their emotions get the better of them when roused in stimulating situations - resulting in them at times making rash decisions. They also appear to lack sympathetic emotions though by choice rather than nature shown by their relative lack of fear of death and uncaring attitude towards siblings, i.e. Raditz' brutal beating of his long-lost brother Goku and Vegeta's indifference to his father's death. A possible reason for that (theoretically according to some fans) could be that their society was corrupted in that area as a result of generations of being under Freeza's occupation.
Due to their high metabolism, saiyans are also quite well known for their immense appetites for food, possessing an almost insatiable hunger. It could be said that because of their high metabolism, they generate much more power than other races. As a child, Goku once downed a 50 course meal at a restaurant. Note that this is not restricted only to full-blooded saiyans, as even the polite Gohan has been seen eating like a hog. This may also have been simply a gag, as both Tenshinhan, Yamcha, and even the little Chaoziu have downed similar amounts of food (each) on North Kaio's planet.
[edit] Racial traits
Though saiyans share aesthetical similarities to humans they are fundamentally different on a biological level, possessing many unique abilities.
[edit] Strength
Saiyans have a naturally higher strength than a lot of different species, essentially built for fighting. The naturally high gravity of Planet Vegeta develops their strength further making them considerably strong at young ages. Even the weakest among saiyans are capable of conquering most planets alone. Through tough training saiyans are able to reach new levels of power and the more intense training and fights they go through, the stronger they become.
[edit] Energy
Every living thing possesses a force called Ki, and saiyans have evolved to specifically manipulate this force with ease. A saiyan is able tap into their reserve of Ki energy and focus it in battle to levitate, and even create explosive masses and waves. A select few also have huge amounts of dormant Ki that greatly enhances their maximum strength during battle when used. Dormant reserves of Ki are usually awakened through intense emotion like rage or out of mere desperation, and it rarely is accessible to the saiyan normally. By pumping himself up with Ki, A saiyan can become stronger and faster and even transform if he is forced to. Ki even allows them to perform Bukujutsu.
[edit] Tail
All pure-blood saiyans possess a tail, monkey-like in appearance and often coloured light or dark brown, getting darker with age. The tail is a particularly sensitive area for saiyans -- when grabbed, it causes great pain to the owner, as well as temporary immobilization and fatigue. Nontheless, they can train themselves to overcome this vulnerability, involving much mental and physical conditioning and desensitization -- as did Vegeta and Nappa. Contrary to common belief, the presence or absence of this weakness has nothing to do with a saiyan's social status (Elite or Low-class) - there are no official sources that state nor support such claims, and it has been proven otherwise in Dragonball. When Goku was grabbed by Krillin during their match at the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai, he surprised him that he wasn't affected by it as much as before. Three years before that tournament, Goku was reminded by his Grandfather Son Gohan (who was sent to Earth for a day by Fortune Teller Baba at his palace) to train/strengthen his tail and it worked, but some warriors such as Raditz, seem to have neglected doing so. The saiyan can control their tail with the ease of controlling an arm or leg. Most Saiyans wrap their tails around their waists like a belt, presumably in order to make it harder to grab, and also to prevent loss of balance if the tail should be removed. It has been mentioned in Dragon Ball that a saiyan with a tail gains more power than one without a tail.
The tail also provides a unique gift in that it allows a saiyan to transform into an Oozaru and potentially a Golden Oozaru. If the tail is removed, this power is lost. Some saiyans have the ability to grow back their tails at various times, but at some point in life this regenerative ability is lost. Gohan for instance, who is not even a pure blooded saiyan, grows his tail back numerous times after having it removed. Vegeta has his tail cut off during battle, but it is important to note that he is an adult and it never grows back, except through artificial means in Dragon Ball GT. Goku is similar, in that he also never gets his tail back while an adult.
[edit] Healing (seikan power)
If a saiyan survives a near-fatal injury or goes through an intense battle, the saiyan after recuperation gains power far greater than he had prior to the incident. A saiyan's body heals enough to compensate for the damage dealt. The duration of recovery does not seem to hinder this ability as saiyans have healed through natural, technological and mystical means and still gained substantial increases in strength. saiyans also appear able to heal from injuries at a slightly faster and more efficient rate than humans and possess a greater deal of durability to damage (e.g. Goku healed his broken legs in a month in the time between the saiyan saga and the Namek saga).
[edit] Life span
Saiyans and saiyan-human hybrids also have substantially longer life spans than normal humans. They also do not suffer the effects of aging, remaining more physically youthful even into advanced years. Chi-Chi complained of this in Dragon Ball GT when Goku was reduced to a child thus making the fact that she was getting older faster that much more apparent (she said he was already aging slower and now it was even worse). Vegeta explains in the final chapter of Dragon Ball Z that saiyans stay younger longer so they can fight even more. This is seen when Nappa, who was Vegeta's attendant when he was a child, is in his prime still long after Vegeta has become an adult when Nappa was 50 years old. This is again demonstrated in the GT finale when Pan is seen one hundred years later still strong but with grey hair despite being only a quarter saiyan.
[edit] Oozaru
Their tail also grants a saiyan special transformations. Though a painful weak-spot for saiyans unequipped to handle the pain associated with tension on it, the tail allows a saiyan to transform into a giant Oozaru beast when looking at a full moon. The saiyan grows incredibly in size and strength while drastically changing in appearance. If the tail is removed, this ability is lost. In this state, some saiyans have limited control, but their aggressiveness is at its peak and they often become mindless animals fuelled by destructive rage. Elite saiyans have mastered this form and are able to control it, as demonstrated by Vegeta.
[edit] Super Saiyan
The legendary warrior of the saiyan race, this advanced state of saiyan warrior has the ability to drastically augment his speed, strength and energy by transforming his body, thus becoming a Super Saiyan. The ability is rare and normally difficult to achieve, but the end result is a warrior that knows no limits. Highly evolved saiyans can train their bodies to reach several levels of Super Saiyan, each level's power greatly enhanced from the last.
Female saiyans have never been shown to be able to transform into Super Saiyans. Akira Toriyama simply stated that he didn't know what a female Super Saiyan would look like. He also stated that the only female saiyan that could've transformed just never had the motivation to do so. It is fair to assume that the same attributes apply to female Super saiyans, increasing their physical abilities and altering their physical appearance in a similar way to male Super Saiyans.
[edit] Reproduction
Humans and saiyans are able to interbreed, resulting in the offspring becoming more powerful than humans and maybe even full blooded saiyans. However, because many saiyans are extremely proud, this is not necessarily a welcome discovery. Half-saiyans appear to be nearly identical to full saiyans, except for some recessive genes (possession of a tail, for example, is not always passed down to children). It also seems that it is easier for half-breeds to achieve Super Saiyan levels, especially as saiyan blood decreases. It is unknown how the strength of half-saiyans compares to full breeds, but they are gifted with the ability to achieve the Super Saiyan form at young ages and without as much training. A trait that hinders half-breeds is that they do not have a heart for fighting; they seem to lose the true battle-lust of the saiyan with age. They do not enjoy fighting like the full blooded saiyans do, and this leads them to be careless and unenthusiastic in regard to their training. They do however share the saiyan appetite for great quantities of food.
[edit] Inter-species saiyans
It would seem that saiyan/human hybrids have more potential than full blooded saiyans. This was seen when Dragonball Z first began and Gohan's natural power level was higher than Goku's even though he had never trained. It was apparent again that saiyan/human hybrids have more potential than full-blooded saiyans when the half saiyans named Goten and Chibi Trunks were able to transform into Super Saiyans at young ages, with little to no training at all. There are two theories about saiyan half-breeds and their ability to become SSJ with more ease than regular saiyans:
- The more diluted saiyan blood becomes, the easier it is for that saiyan to achieve the Super Saiyan level (to a certain point), even though the motivation to fight or transform into a Super Saiyan is depleted.
- When a son is conceived after or around the time that his saiyan father becomes a Super Saiyan, it is easier or almost natural for that son to go Super Saiyan when he matures enough to fight.
The later explanation seems to be the most likely, as although Gohan was considerably strong at a young age, he still had to go through intensive training to attain Super Saiyan form, whereas Goten, who has the same level of saiyan blood as Gohan and the same mother, did not. Gohan was conceived before Goku had achieved Super Saiyan form while Goten was after. Another fact to support this is the fact that in the main Dragon Ball timeline, Trunks was born after Vegeta attained Super Saiyan form, whereas in Future Trunks' alternate future Vegeta never became a Super Saiyan. In this alternate timeline, Trunks could not become Super Saiyan at a young age and had to go through the same intensive training Gohan did.
[edit] Family
Saiyan families appear to be far different to that of a traditional human family. Children are kept in pod devices as infants and monitored by doctors whilst their parents are usually occupied by mercenary missions. Even as infants, their natural strength means that they are able to conquer planets like Earth single-handedly and so it is unlikely, they spend much, if any time with their parents or siblings. Saiyans do tend to have close relationships with their friends/comrades however, with whom they do spend a great deal of time in battle. Of the (pureblooded) saiyan families seen, none have had close relationships.
[edit] Ruler
The saiyan race is governed by a Royal family system lead by King Vegeta. King Vegeta lead the revolt against the Tsufurujin and the planet was named after him. It is assumed that he was the first King and it is mentioned that he was one of the smarter, more tactical saiyans, which helped lead the race to their victory. Vegeta, being the son of King Vegeta, was a prince and assumably next in line to the throne had the planet survived.
[edit] Character lists
In addition to the name "saiyan" being an anagram of the Japanese word for "vegetable", most pure saiyan characters in the series also have names with vegetable puns-- either in English or Japanese. Furthermore, the saiyan Royals are keeping in line with this, simply named Vegeta(ble).
[edit] List of full-blooded saiyans
- Bardock; father of Son Goku and Raditz
- King Vegeta; king of the saiyans, father of Vegeta
- Nappa
- Raditz; brother of Son Goku
- Son Goku; whose original saiyan name is Kakarot (Kakarotto in original Japanese version).
- Vegeta
- Tullece
- Paragus
- Broly
- Bio-Broly
- Onio (appears in Neko Majin Z)
- Seripa
- Totepo
- Toma
- Panbukin
[edit] List of partial saiyans
- Son Gohan - 1/2 saiyan
- Future Trunks - 1/2 saiyan
- Present Trunks - 1/2 saiyan
- Son Goten - 1/2 saiyan
- Bra - 1/2 saiyan
- Pan - 1/4 saiyan
- Vegeta Junior's Mother - 1/8 saiyan
- Vegeta Junior - 1/16 saiyan (Great Great Grandson of Vegeta)
- Goku Junior - 1/16 saiyan (Great Great Grandson of Goku)
[edit] List of saiyan fusions
- Gotenks (Goten and Trunks via the Metamarū Fusion Dance), (Names: Goten + Trunks)
- Vegetto (Vegeta and Goku via the Potara fusion earrings), (Names: Vegeta + Kakarotto)
- Gogeta (Goku and Vegeta via the Metamarū Fusion Dance), (Names: Goku + Vegeta)
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