In Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball universe the Saiyans, who count protagonist Goku among their member, are an indomitable warrior race. These aliens possess the ability to transform into Super Saiyans, granting them awe-inspiring levels of power and durability. While Goku, Gohan and Vegeta's Super Saiyan forms are indeed mighty combatants, one Super Saiyan stands out among the rest.
Ever since his introduction, Broly was known as the Legendary Super Saiyan. Not just a title, the Legendary Super Saiyan moniker is backed up by exclusive attacks, forms and powers unseen in others of his kind. From power increasing anger to oddly verdant hair, Broly is unlike any other opponent in the series. Here are some of the facts behind Paragus' son's trembling body and power.
Broly's Signature Attack Is the Eraser Cannon
Broly's signature attack is the Eraser Cannon, a move with destructive power that more than justifies its name. The attack is a green wave of energy that surrounds Broly's body before gathering within and being released from either his palm or his chest. The power of just one such blast can be devastating to even the greatest fighters, but its various upgraded versions are even deadlier.
The Eraser Shot variant involves Broly summoning the energy to create bullet versions of the move. He uses this attack to effortlessly destroy entire cities in a fell swoop. Other versions are capable of even destroying planets! Before Dragon Ball Super, the move was exclusive to Broly, though his clone Bio-Broly was capable of using the attack.
Broly Gets a Massive Power Boost from Anger
Broly's animosity toward Goku in the original movies stemmed from his memories of Goku's constant wailing as a baby. This aggravated the already volatile Broly to no end, essentially causing a form of PTSD. Upon encountering Goku again as an adult, Broly's anger and power both ascend to new heights. The upgrade to his strength and power level is so great that it allows Broly to break through the mental commands given to him by his father.
Eventually, this hatred of Goku allows Broly to once again transform into the Legendary Super Saiyan, with his size and strength far eclipsing his rivals. This blind rage at the mere mention of Goku even shows up in several Dragon Ball Z video games, with the ensuing effects putting Broly into MAX power mode, increasing his strength and making him unable to flinch.
His Father Uses Machines to Keep Broly in Line
Due to Broly's immense and uncontrollable power level, his father Paragus sought a way to bring his violent tendencies to heel. Both versions of Broly are kept at bay via a mental control device created by Paragus. The psychological effects of trying to restrain his incredible anger manifest in Broly's body, as well, which can be seen whenever Broly transforms into a Super Saiyan.
When he still wore the device, Broly's Super Saiyan form had violet hair instead of the usual golden blonde. It also makes his skin noticeably paler, insinuating that using extra power to overcome the devices drained Broly more than it would a normal Saiyan. This is backed by Paragus' suggestion that the device also intentionally kept Broly's power level lower than Paragus' own. The device works over long distances, but once Broly's anger becomes too much for it to handle, it's destroyed. Broly's Super Saiyan form has a more typical appearance afterwards.
Legendary Super Saiyan Isn't Just a Title
DBZ Broly's huge amounts of power allowed him to access the Super Saiyan transformation far more easily than even Goku and Vegeta. In fact, his initial Super Saiyan form had several different levels. The first of these has purple or blueish hair, which turns green once he surpasses this initial level. In these forms, Broly is able to fend off both Goku and Vegeta.
Eventually, Broly accesses a form called Legendary Super Saiyan. The green of his hair and aura become deeper, and his physical appearance changes dramatically. His muscles bulge to an unforeseen degree for a Saiyan, and his height increases to a gigantic 9 feet tall! His eyes also lose all color, evoking the appearance of a soulless warrior made only for battle. He is not only faster than ever, but almost impossibly resistant to harm. He casually shrugs off not only the attacks of his opponents, but also hot molten lava!
Broly's Healing Factor Rivals Even Wolverine's
Broly also has an incredibly advanced healing factor compared to other Saiyans. This ability is first shown when he's an infant. King Vegeta was actually afraid of the child's already massive power level, and ordered for the baby to be killed. Broly is mortally stabbed in the stomach and left to die and not only survives the ordeal, but shields himself and his father during Planet Vegeta's destruction.
His original appearance ends with him being blown up by pure energy, but he is apparently able to heal from this ordeal rather easily and return to vex Goku again. He is later seemingly killed again by being blasted into the sun, but in Dragon Ball Z: Dragon Battlers, he was not only able to heal from this as well, but even used the traumatic experience to attain a Legendary Super Saiyan 3 form. This healing factor could also explain why his moribund and devolved clone Bio-Broly still managed to have such extreme power itself.
