Saiyan

Saiyans are an almost extinct race in the anime and manga Dragon Ball and its sequels, Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball GT. In the series, the Saiyans are a naturally aggressive warrior race who were supposedly one of the strongest races in the universe.

History
The Saiyans were a group of barbaric aliens who came to the Tuffles' cities to take their territory and technology. When the Saiyans first arrived they met the friendly Tuffles, an advanced scientific race who had no way knowing the Saiyans would eventually take the whole planet for themselves and destroy their race. One day a civil war broke out and the Saiyans tried many times to overthrow the Tuffles but were unsuccessful, although the Saiyans were bigger in size and much stronger, they were fewer in number compared to the Tuffles. What also gave the Tuffles a upper hand was that they had technology to read the power levels of the Saiyans and advanced weaponry to hold them off. Then one night the Saiyans were able to transform into Great Apes thanks to the full moon that only came once every twenty years, with this they finally annihilated the Tuffles and had the planet renamed (Planet Vegeta). After their victory the Saiyans built a rocket ship and traveled to a near by planet called Arcose were they meet the Arcosians (little is know about this race as they are only mentioned once in the series by King Kai), now the Arcosians had money and technology but the planet Arcose was a dump, so they hired a group of Saiyans to take over a planet for them and in return they would share their technology with them. Over the years the Saiyans also learned how to use the Tuffles' advanced equipment and become 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 Frieza's empire and the Saiyans (like many other races) were drafted to serve as soldiers in Frieza'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, Frieza 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 four pure-blood Saiyans survived the destruction, Kakarot (Son Goku), Vegeta, Nappa and Raditz as they were not on the planet at the time. Once the latter three discovered that their planet's destruction, Frieza lied to them that a comet had hit their world, and offered them continued employment in return for eventual wealth.The Saiyans were avenged when Son Goku defeated Frieza on Namek. Frieza later met his end on Earth when Future Trunks killed him. In the anime only, four more Saiyans survived the catastrophe, appearing in the Dragon Ball Z movies. Turles, Broly, Paragus, and Tarble. As a side note, a common racial slur towards Saiyans is the term "monkey" or "ape".

Appearance
Saiyans are outwardly very similar to humans, with the exception of their monkey-like tails. They are commonly seen to have deep black hair although there have been rare occasions when they have also been shown to have brown hair. In the episode "Saiyans Emerge", Vegeta states that the hair of a pure-blooded Saiyan does not deviate from its appearance the day the Saiyan is born (somewhat contradicted by the fact that young Vegeta is shown with strands of hair hanging in front of his forehead, but later has his characteristic widow's peak). This is not the case with half-Saiyans like Gohan and Trunks who are shown to have several different lengths of hair, and wear their hair in different styles throughout the series. However, Nappa (a pure-blooded Saiyan) used to have hair, as shown in the Bardock special, but lost it sometime before he and Vegeta went to Earth. 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 then their mother Chi Chi also has black hair.

Tail
All pure-blood and 1/2 hybrid Saiyans possess a tail, monkey-like in appearance and covered in brownish fur. The tail is a particularly sensitive area for Saiyans when grabbed or injured, it causes great pain to the owner, and temporarily immobilizes the whole body. However, elite class Saiyans can train themselves to overcome this weakness - as did Nappa, Vegeta and also Goku (when he was preparing for the upcoming Budokai on Papaya Island, after being reminded by his grandfather at Baba's), and the tail becomes no more fragile than any other limb. The tail is very prehensile, and can be used to grasp things like many other primates. It has been mentioned in Dragon Ball that a Saiyan with a tail gains more power than one without a tail.

Great Ape (Oozaru)
The tail also provides a unique gift in that it allows a Saiyan to transform into an Great Ape and potentially a Super Great Ape. 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, however, it never seems to grow back after it is cut off by Vegeta. 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.

Strength
Saiyans have a naturally greater strength than many different species — including humans — and are quintessentially built for fighting. They are capable of easily lifting things that weigh many tons. The naturally high gravity of Planet Vegeta develops their strength further making them incredibly strong at young ages. Even weaker 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. If a Saiyan survives a near-death experience through extreme injury to the body then when the body recuperates, the Saiyan grows much stronger than they were previously, their body adapting 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 faster rate than humans and possess a greater deal of durability to damage. Saiyans also possess a natural affinity to the manipulation of ki energy allowing them to utilize flying and energy-based attacks with incredible ease as well as unlock great depths of power when needed, or lending energy to others in battle when it's actually necessary. Lost energy is regained by the Saiyan in a very short span of time, regardless of the amount of energy lost. Sometimes, the energy the Saiyan regained is multiplied, as noted by their power level.

Speed
The Saiyans also have great speed and agility. They also have much faster reflexes than an average human; reflexes so fast that they can avoid a bullet or energy beam without much of a problem. Super speed can easily be seen in their fighting skills; their movements occur in fractions of seconds which are not visible to human eyes. Their agility is also substantial in their battles and training. These movements can be improved by training, transformations, and other methods. These natural powers of speed and reflex make nearly all Saiyan hand-to-hand combat exceedingly fas

Appetite
Saiyans are also noted for being ravenous trenchermen with seemingly insatiable appetites. Owing to their immense strength and intense aura, their energy and nutritional intake needs are a great deal higher than most human beings'. They are often shown eating plate after plate of food, resulting in many dishes piling up, often eating more food than logically possible. In Daizenshuu 4, it is stated that they have no preferences when it comes to food, although they appear to prefer meat over anything else; this is hinted with Vegeta munching on the flesh of an alien creature on the planet he and Nappa were on before departing for Earth. Note that this is not restricted only to full-blooded Saiyans, as even the normally polite Gohan has been seen eating large quantities of food in this way.

Aging and lifespan
According to the Daizenshuu, their lifespan is about the same as an Earthling's. Although Saiyans remain in their youth and prime longer than Humans. As explained by Vegeta in the final chapter, they stay young longer so that they can enjoy battle longer. This is seen when Nappa, who was Vegeta's attendant when Vegeta was a child, is in his prime still long after Vegeta has become an adult, but in actuality Nappa is about 50 years old. 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. This is again demonstrated in the GT finale when Pan is seen one hundred years later still strong but with gray hair despite being only a quarter Saiyan. Also some humans appear to lack any signs of aging (like Yamcha or Tien) so one can conclude that persons with greater power level and strength age slower than ordinary humans. In regards to lifespans, it's implied by Old Kai that Saiyans, or at least Goku, may live for about a thousand years. This is shown when Goku grew back up into an adult; 100 years later he still looked like he was in his prime (though this may be because Old Kai gave his life energy to Goku and even said he only had about a thousand years or so left).

Reproduction
Saiyan reproduction is assumed to be similar to that of humans in at least one parent provides DNA to create the offspring. The only main full-blooded Saiyans seen, Goku, Raditz, Turles, Broly, Paragus, Vegeta and Nappa are never shown to have mothers so their true origin is unknown. However, since they can produce offspring with humans it is plausible that they share similar genes to humans and share similar reproductive habits. One female and (presumably) pure-blooded Saiyan named Fasha has been shown (Although a number of unnamed female Saiyans were seen too in a bar), but this was in the Bardock TV Special and thus its canonicity is questionable. However, it is noteworthy, that when Raditz tells Goku about the destruction of their home planet, he mentions that their parents died along with it.

Inter-species Saiyans
When a hybrid of Saiyan and Human heritage is born, it is very common for them to possess extreme fighting potential. Generally the male hybrids are the most powerful, far exceeding the powers of their full Saiyan parent. It is also very common for them to develop the ability to transform into Super Saiyans at childhood. Due to their Human emotions and Saiyan abilities these hybrids have almost limitless potential, but with the exception of Future Trunks, don't tend to share the interest in fighting and becoming stronger that pure Saiyans like Goku and Vegeta do. Saiyan Hybrids tend to become easily distracted from training. Other partial Saiyans like Pan seem to lack the qualities hybrids have, age much more like Humans do, and have weaker power levels.

Family
Saiyan families appear to be far different to that of a traditional human family. Children are kept in pods as infants and monitored by doctors whilst their parents are usually occupied on mercenary missions. Even as infants, their natural strength means that they are capable of conquering 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 (pure-blooded) Saiyan families seen, none have had close relationships except Prince Vegeta and his Father (and maybe even Paragus and Broly, to a lesser extent). In the Bardock TV special when Bardock was asked by Tora if he remembered what day his new born son was born. He replies, "No, but that was a long time ago," possibly referring to his elder son Raditz. Fasha then goes on to say that it was the day before, and that he should go see him.

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. Most of them are inclined to be arrogant at times, leading them to allow enemies to gain advantages in battle just for fun. It appears (as demonstrated by Vegeta, Nappa, and Bardock) 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 as though by choice rather than by nature as 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 (as suggested by Vegeta's final words on Namek) could be that their society was corrupted in that area as a result of generations of being under Frieza's occupation. Clearly, Vegeta nor Nappa never showed any signs of sympathy for their fallen comrade Raditz when he was killed, they merely laughed and stated that he was only a "weakling", although Nappa did suggest bringing Raditz back to life with the Dragon Balls. Vegeta and Nappa themselves had a good degree of camaraderie between them, but Vegeta did not hesitate to kill Nappa later on when he displayed weakness by panicking at Goku's power. (However, in Dragon Ball Z: Budokai, he himself claimed that he gave Nappa a noble warrior's death.). Also, Raditz implied in the storyline Fateful Brothers that Saiyans may have been uncaring and battle-starved due to having guilt, as he says to Gohan that he and his race did "terrible things as punishment for their sins". Most Saiyans also possess a keen fighting sense and understanding of battle, which allows them to acquire many new skills, such as overcoming the weakness of their tails, learning to detect ki, and achieving new fighting forms and transformations.

Fighting
Saiyans have an inborn need to fight. Most Saiyans will spend their lives training to become stronger so that they can prove themselves in battle. When Frieza hired the Saiyans as his planet brokers, he knew of their amazing fighting skills and used that to his advantage. However, Frieza began to notice how powerful the Saiyans were becoming and began to fear that one day one of them would overwhelm him as the most powerful being in the universe. This eventually lead to Frieza's destruction of Planet Vegeta and all the Saiyans on it. Saiyans like Goku and Vegeta are frequently seen training and improving their fighting skills to keep up with each other's skills and the appearance of new, more powerful foes. Many of the Saiyan/Human hybrids that appear throughout the series possess extreme fighting potential. It is also very common for them to develop the ability to transform into Super Saiyans at childhood, thought to be particularly likely when the hybrid's Saiyan parent had achieved the transformation prior to conception. In Dragon Ball GT, Saiyan hybrids seem to have less potential than full-blooded ones, and female hybrids appear to be weaker. Of particular note is Pan, who fails to achieve even the first Super Saiyan transformation, though her grandson Goku Jr. still had enough Saiyan blood to wield it.

Protection
Saiyan Armors are standard armor of Saiyan Warriors and later standard issue for Frieza's army. They're made of an unknown material, which is said to be stretchy yet hard (Gohan once remarked "one size fits all"). Even Gohan is able to wear armor that was meant for adults without having any size issues. However, they are known to shatter when dealt enough damage, showing that they are indeed hard and solid. The most commonly seen ones have dual shoulder guards and some form of skirt armor or crotch guard. Matching boots (often white in color, but others do exist) are standard issue, as is a pair of white gloves or fingerless wrist guards. Standard armor has large shoulder plates, but some simply have reinforced shoulder straps. Many also have skirt armor or plate shielding the groin. Most Saiyans wrap their tails around the armor's waist, appearing as if they have a furry belt.

Colored Saiyan armor
We see Vegeta wear this when he is traveling to Earth in the Saiyan Saga. When he actually arrives on Earth the armor is much more like the armor Nappa is wearing in the next image. The only thing that sets it apart from regular Saiyan armor is it's coloring. It should be noted though that this only occurs in the anime as, at the time the scene was animated, no official colored scenes of Vegeta or Nappa had been introduced in the manga so TOEI had to make up their own color schemes.

Other models
Paragus wore a unique Saiyan armor during his appearance in Movie 8. Its overall design resembled the clothing of those on Yardrat. His gloves and boots were purple throughout most of Movie 8, though in a few flashbacks his gloves, boots, and armor were differently colored (I.E yellow/orange).

Great Ape (Oozaru)
Their tail also grants a Saiyan special transformations. Though a painful weak-spot for lower-class Saiyans (most upper-class Saiyans appear to have trained to eliminate the weakness), the tail allows a Saiyan to transform into a giant Great Ape beast with tremendous power when looking at a full moon. The Saiyan grows incredibly in size and tenfold in 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 fueled by destructive rage.

Golden Great Ape (Golden Oozaru)
Is the far stronger transformation of the Great Ape. Their offensive capacities have become much greater, and their rage is even more intense than the Great Ape's. While in the legendary Golden Great Ape state, the power and strength of a Saiyan increase extraordinarily. Only a few Saiyans achieved this transformation: Goku, Baby Vegeta, and Vegeta.

Super Saiyan (Super Saiyajin)
The most powerful ability of a Saiyan however, is the ability to drastically augment their speed, strength and energy by transforming into a Super Saiyan. The ability is rare and difficult to achieve normally but gives the Saiyan incredible enhancements to their normal abilities. Saiyans possess several Super Saiyan transformations, each different in appearance and the power they provide. For the majority of the Super Saiyan forms, the Saiyans muscle mass increases slightly, their irises turn bluish-green and their hair turns blond/golden. In Dragon Ball GT however, a fourth form was achieved where the Saiyans body becomes covered in a crimson fur, the hair becomes darker and longer, and the irises alter color (Although the eye color appears to be different for each Saiyan.) Female Saiyans have never been shown to be able to transform into Super Saiyans, however Akira Toriyama has stated that there were no female Saiyans to transform until the introduction of Pan and she never had the motivation to transform. 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. Due to their healing abilities and the legend of the power of Super Saiyans, Frieza destroyed Planet Vegeta, bringing the Saiyan race to the brink of extinction.