Broly isn't just a big guy with green hair. When people talk about the dbz legendary super saiyan, they usually picture the hulking monster from the 1993 movie Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan, or maybe the more sympathetic powerhouse from the 2018 Dragon Ball Super reboot. But the lore is actually a mess. It's a beautiful, chaotic mess that spans decades of Toei Animation filler and Akira Toriyama’s original manga notes.
The concept was first teased by Vegeta during the Namek Saga. He kept rambling about a warrior who only appears once every thousand years. A bloodthirsty god of destruction. Honestly, back then, we all thought he was talking about Goku. It made sense. Goku hit the gold hair, beat Frieza, and saved the day. But the "Legendary" tag became its own beast entirely when the movies got involved.
The Thousand-Year Glitch
The legend says this specific Saiyan is a freak of nature. While Goku and Vegeta had to train until their bones nearly turned to dust, a dbz legendary super saiyan is basically born with a cheat code enabled. In the original Z-era films, Broly’s power level was 10,000 at birth. For context, that’s higher than Goku was when he fought Nappa. Imagine a literal infant that could wipe out a whole city just by sneezing. It’s terrifying.
This form isn't just about strength; it's about the "Berserker" state. Most Super Saiyan transformations are triggered by a need, not a desire. Goku needed to stop Frieza. Gohan needed to protect his friends from Cell. But for the Legendary variant, it's more like a floodgate breaking. The user's body overflows with more energy than it can actually hold. That's why Broly is always screaming. He’s not just angry—he’s literally exploding from the inside out and needs to vent that power through those massive emerald-colored energy spheres.
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Why Broly Changed Everything
Before Broly, Super Saiyan was the peak. Then, suddenly, we got this guy who looked like he ate a whole gym. His muscles grew so large his skin looked like it was going to tear. Fans often debate the "canon" status of the dbz legendary super saiyan, and for a long time, the answer was "it's complicated." The original Broly was a movie-only character created by Takao Koyama. Toriyama did the design, but he didn't write the story. This created a huge rift in the fandom. You had people who worshipped the non-canon Broly and others who dismissed him because he wasn't in the manga.
Then 2018 happened. Dragon Ball Super: Broly changed the game.
Toriyama took the concept and polished it. This new version isn't a psychopath who hates Goku because he cried in a nursery. He’s a tragic figure. A victim of King Vegeta’s jealousy. His "Full Power" form is still the Legendary state in everything but name, though the official marketing often calls it "Super Saiyan Full Power." Regardless of the label, the green aura and the massive frame are dead giveaways. It represents the raw, primal power of the Saiyan race before they learned things like "mercy" or "meditation."
The Biology of a Monster
Let's get into the weeds of why this form is different from a standard Super Saiyan 1 or 2. In the standard forms, the user manages their Ki. They keep it tight. In the dbz legendary super saiyan state, the Ki is described as "limitless," but that's a bit of a marketing lie. It’s not that they have infinite power; it’s that their power is constantly rising.
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Think of it like a cup under a waterfall. The cup is the Saiyan's body. The water is the energy. If they don't keep pouring the water out (attacking), the cup breaks.
This is why the legendary form is so dangerous to the user. In the 1993 film, we see Broly’s chest literally crack open with light because he can't expel the energy fast enough. It’s a mutation. It’s a biological error that shouldn't exist. This adds a layer of body horror to Dragon Ball that we don't usually see outside of Cell's transformations or Frieza's weird third form.
Comparing the Eras
It's weird looking back at the 90s version compared to now. The old Broly was a force of nature. He didn't have a character arc; he was a disaster movie. The new Broly, however, shows us that the dbz legendary super saiyan can actually be a good person. He’s gentle. He likes his friends. He eats giant green monster ears for snacks.
This shift is important because it redefines what "Legendary" means. It's no longer a synonym for "evil." It's just a different branch of evolution. While Goku and Vegeta are chasing godhood through Blue and Ultra Instinct, Broly is exploring the "Inner Great Ape" path. His power comes from the Oozaru form but condensed into a human shape. That's why his hair turns green—it’s the mixing of the yellow Super Saiyan light with the dark, primal energy of the Great Ape.
What Most People Get Wrong
People often think Kale from Dragon Ball Super is just a "female Broly." While she was definitely designed as a tribute, her version of the dbz legendary super saiyan (officially called Super Saiyan Berserk) functions a bit differently. It's tied more to her self-esteem and her relationship with Caulifla. When she finally masters it, she shrinks down. She gets control.
This suggests that the "Legendary" state isn't just a permanent berserker mode. It's a stage. It's a wild horse that can be tamed. If Broly ever learns to control his Full Power form the way Kale did, the power scaling in the series is going to be completely broken. He’s already stronger than a God of Destruction in short bursts.
The Impact on the Franchise
The legacy of the dbz legendary super saiyan is why we have so many forms today. It proved that fans loved the "freak" transformations. Without Broly, we might not have gotten the bulky Super Saiyan Grade 3 (the one Trunks used against Cell) or even the over-the-top designs of Super Saiyan 4 in GT.
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It's about the spectacle. There’s something visceral about seeing a character who doesn't care about martial arts technique. Goku is a master of styles. Vegeta is a tactical genius. The Legendary Super Saiyan is just a sledgehammer. Sometimes, you just want to see a sledgehammer hit a wall.
How to Track the Lore Yourself
If you’re trying to catch up on the history of this form, don't just stick to the main show. You have to jump around.
- Start with Movie 8 (Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan). It sets the tone. It’s where the "Kakarot!" obsession started.
- Watch Dragon Ball Super: Broly. This is the modern standard. It replaces the old lore but keeps the soul of the character intact.
- Check out the Dragon Ball FighterZ or Xenoverse 2 interactions. The games actually do a great job of explaining the "unlimited energy" aspect through gameplay mechanics.
- Read the Dragon Ball Super manga (the Moro and Granolah arcs). While Broly isn't the focus, the way the characters discuss "latent power" often references the heights he reached.
The dbz legendary super saiyan remains one of the most popular topics in the community because it represents the "what if" scenario. What if a Saiyan never stopped growing? What if the legends Vegeta heard were actually understated?
It’s the ultimate power fantasy in a series built on power fantasies. Whether it’s the 90s monster or the modern-day misunderstood warrior, the green glow is a signal that things are about to get chaotic.
For fans looking to dive deeper into the mechanics of Saiyan transformations, your best bet is to look into the Daizenshuu guidebooks. These were official books released in Japan that explain the multipliers and the biological triggers for these forms. While some of the info is dated, it’s the closest thing we have to a "Science of Dragon Ball." Focus on the entries regarding "Super Saiyan Grade" variations to see how the legendary form deviates from the standard path. Keep an eye on the manga's current direction, as Broly is now training on Beerus's planet, suggesting we haven't seen the true ceiling of this power yet.