The Saiyans are a powerful warrior race in the Dragon Ball universe. Originally from the planet Vegeta, the Saiyans were nearly wiped out when Frieza destroyed their home planet. However, a few Saiyans managed to survive the genocide. By the end of Dragon Ball Z, there were only 4 full-blooded Saiyans left alive. These 4 survivors went on to play pivotal roles in the Dragon Ball story. So who exactly are the 4 Saiyans left at the end of DBZ?
Goku
The most famous Saiyan, Goku is the main protagonist of the Dragon Ball series. Originally named Kakarot, Goku was sent to Earth as a baby to conquer the planet. However, a head injury as a child altered his programming and turned him into a kind-hearted warrior who would go on to become Earth’s greatest defender.
As a Saiyan raised on Earth, Goku values compassion over conquest. He constantly strives to improve his skills and push his limits, making him one of the mightiest fighters in the universe. Some of Goku’s signature moves and transformations include the Kamehameha, the Spirit Bomb, Super Saiyan forms, and Ultra Instinct.
Goku plays a central role in almost every major conflict in Dragon Ball. He defeats villains like King Piccolo, Frieza, Cell, and Kid Buu, protecting the Earth and the entire universe in the process. Even after dying a couple times, Goku never loses his love of fighting and desire to be the best. His determination and capacity for growth make him a legendary hero.
Vegeta
The proud prince of the Saiyan race, Vegeta starts out as a ruthless villain but later becomes an anti-hero and eventually a trusted ally. As a child, Vegeta witnessed Frieza destroy his home planet and wipe out the Saiyan race. This fuels his intense hatred of Frieza and quest for power.
Obsessed with surpassing Goku and reclaiming his Saiyan heritage, Vegeta allows himself to get enslaved and exploited by Frieza for years. After his liberation at the hands of Goku, Vegeta continues to work solo and pursue his own selfish interests. However, being around the Z Fighters slowly inspires compassion and loyalty in Vegeta’s heart.
While not as naturally gifted as Goku, Vegeta makes up for it with his fierce pride and relentless work ethic. Pushing himself to the absolute limit at all times, Vegeta also achieves the heights of Super Saiyan and beyond. His signature moves include the Galick Gun, Big Bang Attack, and Final Flash. Though he remains a loner, Vegeta eventually earns the trust of Goku and comes through for the team when needed most.
Gohan
The first-born son of Goku, Gohan demonstrates immense power and potential from a very young age. As a child, Gohan already exceeds his father Goku in raw power and lands the finishing blow against Cell. However, unlike his battle-hungry dad, Gohan dislikes fighting and prefers his scholarly pursuits. Still, when backed into a corner, Gohan will unleash his fierce Saiyan instincts.
Throughout Dragon Ball Z, Gohan repeatedly unlocks new levels of power to combat escalating threats. His transformations and moves include Unlocked Potential, Super Saiyan forms, and the one-handed Kamehameha. Gohan’s gentle soul offsets his Saiyan bloodlust, resulting in a kind young man with hidden wells of monstrous strength.
Though he retires from fighting after the Cell Saga, Gohan continues training and supporting the Z Fighters to protect the ones he loves. His blend of compassion and ferocity when enraged make him one of the most complex and powerful Saiyans alive.
Trunks
The half-Saiyan son of Vegeta and Bulma, Trunks originates from an alternate ruined future timeline. In his original future, the Androids killed all the Z Fighters except for Gohan. After Gohan trains him, Trunks uses a time machine to go back and change history, helping the Z Fighters defeat the Androids and Cell.
In the main timeline, Trunks is born and raised in a time of peace thanks to the changes made by his future counterpart. Still, this version of Trunks works hard to live up to his father’s royal Saiyan lineage and fights to defend the Earth alongside the other Z Fighters.
Like his mentor Gohan, Trunks has a gentle heart despite his Saiyan blood. He idolizes Goku and forges a close bond with Goten, Goku’s second son. Brave, kind-hearted, and determined to uphold justice, Trunks carries on the Saiyan legacy with humility and honor.
The Saiyans’ Power Levels
Here is a comparison of the 4 Saiyans’ known power levels at key points in the Dragon Ball Z series:
| Saiyan | Vs. Vegeta/Nappa | Vs. Frieza | Vs. Androids | Vs. Cell | Vs. Buu |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goku | 8,000 | 150,000,000 | 30,000,000 | 900,000,000 | 3,000,000,000 |
| Vegeta | 18,000 | 2,500,000 | 2,000,000 | 85,000,000 | 2,500,000,000 |
| Gohan | 1,500 | 150,000,000 | 500,000,000 | 900,000,000 | 3,500,000,000 |
| Trunks | N/A | N/A | 32,000,000 | 490,000,000 | 2,800,000,000 |
This table illustrates how the Saiyans continually grew in strength, breaking through boundaries to reach unprecedented power levels. While Goku and Vegeta have been training and fighting longer, Gohan and Trunks frequently surpass their elders thanks to their immense latent potential.
Unique Saiyan Traits
In addition to their staggering combat abilities, these 4 Saiyan survivors share other common traits of their race:
- Superhuman strength, speed, senses, and reflexes
- The ability to manipulate ki energy for flight and energy attacks
- Enhanced metabolism and appetite
- The Zenkai ability – they grow stronger after recovering from near-fatal injuries
- The ability to transform into Super Saiyan forms to amplify their power
- Tails, which can be used to transform into Great Apes if exposed to Blutz Waves
However, thanks to living on Earth, Goku, Gohan, and Trunks have lost their tails. Only Vegeta retains his tail throughout his life.
Differing Personality Traits
While they share common Saiyan abilities and instincts, these 4 survivors have quite distinct personalities:
Goku
- Pure-hearted, innocent, and carefree
- Loves fighting strong opponents and eating
- Devoted family man and loyal friend
- Strategic thinker but often needs help from smarter allies
Vegeta
- Proud, arrogant, and driven by his ego
- Seeks to reclaim his royal Saiyan status
- Ruthless and defiant, but comes to care for his family
- Highly intelligent with expert combat tactics
Gohan
- Gentle-natured and scholarly
- Dislikes fighting despite his hidden talents
- Fiercely protective of his loved ones
- Intelligent and analytical thinker
Trunks
- Brave, humble, and righteous
- Looks up to and trains with Goku
- Idolizes his mentor Gohan
- Responsible and wise beyond his years
So while they all express the Saiyan urge to fight and gain strength, their diverse upbringings result in unique perspectives and motivations. Their differences actually complement each other on the battlefield.
Hybrid Saiyans vs. Pure Saiyans
An interesting contrast exists between the pure-blooded Saiyan survivors, Goku and Vegeta, and their half-Saiyan sons, Gohan and Trunks. Some key differences:
- Hybrids find it easier to surpass their pure-blooded elders thanks to their immense potential.
- Hybrids tend to gain strength faster through moments of intense rage or need.
- Hybrids like Gohan only enjoy fighting when necessary; not for its own sake.
- Hybrids are more emotionally grounded by their human side.
Conversely, pure Saiyans like Goku and Vegeta live for battle and devote their whole lives to training. Overall, hybrid Saiyans represent the best of both worlds – incredible power harnessed by human conscience and compassion.
The Saiyans’ Dramatic Transformations
A major appeal of Dragon Ball is watching the Saiyan characters unlock new transformations that magnify their powers to unprecedented levels. Here are some of the most dramatic Saiyan transformations seen in DBZ:
Super Saiyan
Goku’s first Super Saiyan transformation on Namek provides one of Dragon Ball’s most iconic moments. The golden hair and teal eyes signify the immense power boost, which allows Goku to overwhelm Frieza. All 4 surviving Saiyans eventually gain the ability to transform into various Super Saiyan forms.
Super Saiyan 2
Gohan’s Super Saiyan 2 form debuts when Cell pushes him too far, unleashing his dormant power. The spikier hair and lightning aura amplify Gohan’s strength and speed, letting him dismantle Cell.
Super Saiyan 3
Goku unveils Super Saiyan 3 while dead, shocking everyone with his flowing golden mane and eyebrow-less appearance. This form massively drained his energy in life, but proved vital for fighting villains like Majin Buu.
Super Saiyan God
A ritual performed by Goku and other Saiyans unlocks Goku’s red-haired divine Super Saiyan God form. This power let Goku battle the God of Destruction Beerus and opened the path to his later ascension.
Super Saiyan Blue
Goku and Vegeta gained the ability to combine Super Saiyan with divine energy, resulting in the sleek blue-haired Super Saiyan Blue. This evolution gave them the strength to take on universe-ending foes.
Super Saiyan Rage
When Fused Zamasu brutally injures his allies, Trunks erupts in rage and gains the fiery Super Saiyan Rage form. This transformation allowed him to hold his own against the crossing timelines’ omnipotent threat.
These transformations demonstrate how the Saiyans shattered barriers to tap into inconceivable wells of dormant strength. Their ever-evolving forms kept fans excited to see what spectacular new levels awaited.
Their Martial Arts Styles and Training
To continually strengthen their powers and battle skills, these Saiyan survivors trained under some legendary martial arts masters:
Goku
- Started under Grandpa Gohan, Master Roshi, and Korin
- Trained in Otherworld under King Kai
- Learned Instant Transmission from Yardrats
- Achieved Ultra Instinct via Angel training
Goku is an instinctive prodigy who masters techniques through repetitive drilling. He trains using weighted clothes, climbing obstacles, and sparring stronger opponents.
Vegeta
- Trained rigorously under Frieza’s army from childhood
- Later trained solo through intense gravity training
- Unlocked higher forms through Yardrat meditation training
- Achieved Super Saiyan Blue Evolution through extreme training
Vegeta uses grueling solo training methods to reinforce his pride. He trains under extreme conditions to push past normal Saiyan limits.
Gohan
- Trained by Piccolo before fighting the Saiyans
- Taught by Goku in Hyperbolic Time Chamber
- Unlocked potential via Old Kai’s ritual
- Regained peak form through training with Piccolo
Despite lacking his father’s love of fighting, Gohan consistently steps up his training to protect his loved ones from harm.
Trunks
- Trained by Gohan in future timeline
- Sparred with Vegeta after warning about Androids
- Fused with Goten to become Gotenks
- Trained with Vegeta to attain Super Saiyan Rage
Trunks’ dedication to mastering his Saiyan abilities matches his desire to defend the peace of the future.
Their shared commitment to constant self-improvement lets these Saiyans reach such tremendous heights. But the next generation takes things even further.
The Saiyans’ Legacy
These 4 battle-tested Saiyan survivors left a lasting impact after Dragon Ball Z:
- Goku continues training and competes in tournaments to satisfy his love of fighting.
- Vegeta maintains his solo training while being an overprotective family man.
- Gohan retires from fighting and becomes a scholar, husband, and father.
- Trunks works for Capsule Corp while assisting the new generation of heroes.
Together, they ensured a lasting legacy training their descendants and inspiring future heroes. Their examples continue motivating the protagonists of Dragon Ball GT and Dragon Ball Super.
Goku and Vegeta’s younger sons, Goten and Trunks, inherited incredible power at a young age. As Gotenks, the boys push their limits through fusion. Goku’s granddaughter Pan also possesses great strength.
Gohan’s daughter Pan becomes Goku’s martial arts student, while Vegeta and Bulma’s daughter Bulla seems more interested in her looks. Nonetheless, the Saiyan bloodline clearly continues thriving for generations.
Conclusion
Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, and Trunks survived the Saiyans’ darkest hour to usher their race into a new era of prosperity on Earth. Their individual strengths, training, transformations, and family legacies shaped Dragon Ball Z’s epic narrative. These 4 remaining Saiyan warriors continued demonstrating the incredible potential of their species. Their stories reveal how perseverance, determination, and growth can overcome even intergalactic threats. If these Saiyans could come back from the brink of extinction, their saga shows that we too can surpass perceived limits.