Among Dragon Ball's most iconic Super Saiyan transformations, few are more memorable than the Super Saiyan God. The form sparked a trend in Dragon Ball Super wherein transformations no longer follow a linear line. Previously, new Saiyan iterations were known to build off their prior form, but not the Super Saiyan God. It has one of the most unusual triggering mechanisms, requiring external assistance along with internal growth.
Despite the short-lived history of the Super Saiyan God, various elements make this form rather distinct compared to other transformations. Super Saiyan God disappeared after the appearance of Super Saiyan Blue, and, as a result, these five facts may have slipped fans' minds.
Super Saiyan God Aura Works Differently From Normal Ki
Becoming a Super Saiyan God means gaining the Aura of Gods, a unique form of Godly ki that functions very differently from ordinary ki. It isn't just red because it looks cool. The Aura of Gods allows one to sense divine ki like that of Beerus, who would ordinarily be invisible to even the best-trained warriors' senses. A newly transformed Super Saiyan God likewise becomes invisible to those who cannot sense Godly ki.
This divine energy affects how the user's body functions and reacts to transformations, resulting in an entity whose base power grows even higher. Additionally, the Aura of the God can absorb and assimilate energy and attacks flung at it, only to discharge any excess energy from the user's palms. The aura itself can be used to paralyze foes, making it impossible to move as energy waves bombard and trap them.
Super Saiyan God Aura Can Regenerate Flesh
Saiyans have always been good at healing. However, between Senzu Beans and healing tanks, their bodies couldn't heal the same way a Namekian's flesh could. This is where the Super Saiyan God form became incredibly useful, as the Aura of the God can regenerate damaged flesh while transformed. This results in Goku being able to recover or heal from damage while in this new form.
The healing factor isn't as dramatic as Piccolo or Cell's healing factors, but it does allow Goku to keep fighting until the aura dissipates. Once he falls out of his Super Saiyan God form, the regeneration becomes far less extreme. In addition, healing while in Super Saiyan God form does consume energy, meaning the more Goku has to heal, the weaker his energy levels become. Even Goku can't just take hits.
Super Saiyan God Forms Value Evasion
Goku and Vegeta fight very differently as Super Saiyan Gods than they do in prior and later forms. This is down to two factors. The Super Saiyan God form allows the individual to predict where a target is going to attack, giving them the chance to make a defensive strategy. This is why Goku's first fight with Beerus resulted in him infrequently trading blows. When Goku or Vegeta are Super Saiyan Blues, however, they use more of an offensive strategy.
The other potential reason for this is that the Super Saiyan God form is dangerous to use offensively. In Goku's first battle with Beerus in Dragon Ball Super, the sheer act of punching caused damage to the fabric of reality. If Goku had been as aggressive as he is in Super Saiyan Blue form, the entire world would have been annihilated in nanoseconds.
Goku & Vegeta Switch Between Super Saiyan God & Blue Strategically
One unique component in the Dragon Ball Super manga is that Goku and Vegeta use their Super Saiyan God and Super Saiyan Blue forms differently -- on purpose. They know the Super Saiyan Blue form burns through their energy levels despite also allowing them to hit harder. Ergo, they strategically switch between their Blue and God forms early on in their training to better conserve and utilize energy.
The manga shows this in the early battles with Hit and the entire fight with Zamatsu, where they utilize Super Saiyan Blue's more intense striking force while using Super Saiyan God to nimbly evade oncoming attacks. This allows them to fight for far longer while also utilizing the immense power of Super Saiyan Blue. We don't often see this strategy in Dragon Ball Super, but it's effective all the same.
Frieza Knew About Super Saiyan God When He Destroyed Planet Vegeta
The Dragon Ball Minus manga retconned much of the old-school Dragon Ball lore. However, one of the more surprising parts was the fact that Frieza knew about the Super Saiyan God legend rather than the standard Super Saiyan legend. He feared not only an individual Super Saiyan rising against him, but a team of them channeling their force into a single Saiyan, turning into a Super Saiyan God.
This is partly why he blew up Planet Vegeta -- to keep a legion of Super Saiyans and Super Saiyan Gods from turning against him. Little did he realize it would take only one Super Saiyan to bring him down. Naturally, this was not the original intention of the Dragon Ball Z manga. But as Dragon Ball Minus has completely retconned what happens in Dragon Ball's past, this, alongside the flashbacks during Dragon Ball Super: Broly, is now the current story upon which the saga is built.
