The Saiyans in Dragon Ball Z are iconic characters who have withstood the test of time in anime fandom. From Goku to Gohan, many of the Saiyans dominate the series by driving it forward as the main protagonists.
The anime’s nine seasons focus only on four pure-blooded Saiyans, while the others are half-bloods who were born on Earth to human and Saiyan parents. So, who are they?
First, for some housekeeping: this list contains all of the Saiyans that were impactful during Dragon Ball Z’s main anime canon, which excludes the likes of Bardock, King Vegeta and the nameless warriors who resided on Planet Vegeta and were briefly seen in the series. It also won’t include fused characters, specifically Vegito and Gotenks. Further, the information will reflect the Dragon Ball Z anime only, not the manga. With that said, let’s get started!
Saiyans: a brief history
King Kai explained the Saiyan race’s history to Goku ahead of Vegeta and Nappa’s invasion in Dragon Ball Z‘s first season.
They existed on Planet Plant alongside another tribe, the Tuffles. The Tuffles were described as an “advanced civilization” residing in cities with high-tech infrastructure and modern conveniences. On the other end, the “primitive” Saiyans — who were physically much larger than the Tuffles and had an affinity for fighting — and lived in the “arid wastelands.”
Even though the Saiyans were highly outnumbered by the Tuffles, the tailed warriors eventually attacked them and war broke out. The Tuffles used their technology to help ward off the Saiyans. However, the Saiyans came out on top after a full moon presented itself over Planet Plant, something that only happened once every eight years. The Saiyans used their abilities to transform into massive apes to level the Tuffle’s cities and ultimately destroy the race. They’d eventually rename their home Planet Vegeta.
The Saiyans then worked with the Arcosian, a race from another planet, and they’d engage in planetary domination in exchange for money and technology. A short time later, the Saiyans made contact with King Cold, and they served him until his son, Frieza, destroyed Planet Vegeta and virtually the entire Saiyan race.
When King Kai told Goku the Saiyan’s story, he said they were wiped out by meteoroids. But, later it’s revealed that Frieza was responsible for their slaughter, as he feared their tendency of becoming stronger after every battle. King Kai later admitted he didn’t want Goku to know of Frieza because he feared the hero would seek out the immensely powerful foe.
Now, let’s get into the individual Saiyans from Dragon Ball Z.
Goku, the leader of the Z-Fighters and Earth’s ultimate hero
Goku, also known by his Saiyan name Kakarot, is the franchise’s main protagonist. The star of Dragon Ball Z, he was first introduced in the anime’s predecessor, Dragon Ball. Fans learned about the Saiyans alongside Goku, who didn’t know anything about his race as he was sent to Earth as a baby.
As the Z-Fighters’ leader, Goku was responsible for saving the world — and the universe — on several occasions. Whether it was halting Frieza’s quest for the Dragon Balls on the Planet Namek or silencing the maniacal Kid Buu, Goku constantly redefined power and perseverance in Dragon Ball Z.
Vegeta, the Saiyan prince who turned to the good side
Vegeta is the son of the Saiyan’s former leader King Vegeta and was Dragon Ball Z’s second major antagonist who developed into an anti-hero. Fueled by the knowledge of his race’s downfall, Vegeta and henchman Nappa arrived on Earth during season 1 in search of the Dragon Balls. With the mission of achieving immortality through the wish-granting dragon Shenron, the power-hungry Vegeta was indirectly responsible for the deaths of several Z-Fighters: Piccolo, Yamcha, Tien and Chiaotzu. But, he’d end up fighting alongside them in the future.
Goku, Gohan, and Krillin (and yes, Yajirobe), nearly killed Vegeta and he was forced to retreat. During season 2, Vegeta came into contact with Krillin and Gohan on Planet Namek, and the three were forced to team up to combat Frieza and his gang. This ultimately led to the “Prince of All Saiyans” calling Earth home, and thereafter he’d fight on the frontlines as one of its main protectors.
Gohan, the son of Goku who has a knack for coming in clutch
Like Vegeta (and the rest on this list, for that matter), Gohan wasn’t introduced until Dragon Ball Z. He’s the first son of Goku and a main focal point of the series. He joined the Z-Fighters at five years old under the guidance of Piccolo, who witnessed Gohan’s immense hidden power in their battle with Raditz.
Fans watched Gohan transform from a terrified toddler to one of the show’s most powerful forces — especially when he toppled Perfect Cell when all hope seemed lost. By the end of Dragon Ball Z, Gohan was grown and had a child of his own with Videl, who they named Pan.
Trunks, a warrior from the future and present
The son of Vegeta, Trunks first appeared on the show as a teenager from another timeline. He traveled 20 years into the past to warn the Z-Fighters about Doctor Gero and the imminent Android attack. He also carried with him heart medicine to save Goku’s life from a disease he’d succumb to in the future.
In his grand entrance, Trunks cut down a revenge-fueled Frieza and took out King Cold, thus saving Earth. He stuck around and helped the Z-Fighters defeat the Androids and Cell — although the latter killed him. After he was revived by the Dragon Balls, Trunks went back to the future and silenced the villains there.
Present-day Trunks was born to Bulma and Vegeta while teenage Trunks was in their timeline. Along with his best friend Goten, Trunks becomes a Super Saiyan at eight years old. During Dragon Ball Z’s final arc, the two youngsters fuse to create Gotenks in an effort to end Super Buu’s rampage.
Goten, the youngest Super Saiyan in ‘Dragon Ball Z’
Goten is Goku and Chi-Chi’s second son and was born in the latter part of Dragon Ball Z. He achieved the level of Super Saiyan at seven years old, making him the quickest in the series to achieve the feat. As mentioned, he and Trunks fused to make Gotenks, a wildly powerful figure.
He was a meaningful part of other arcs as well, specifically the Great Saiyaman saga, when viewers were first introduced to him, as well as the World Tournament saga when he and Trunks snuck into the adult division disguised as Mighty Mask. Goten didn’t meet his dad until he was seven years old, as Goku remained in the afterlife after saving the planet from Cell’s self-destruction.
Nappa, the destructive follower of Vegeta
Nappa was the muscled-up, bald-headed brute who stormed Earth alongside Vegeta during Dragon Ball Z season 1. Although much weaker, he was the Saiyan prince’s right-hand man and was responsible for the deaths of Piccolo, Tien and Chiaotzu — Yamcha died to a Saibaman.
When all hope seemed lost, Goku arrived on his Flying Nimbus and saved Gohan from Nappa’s massive foot. Goku then showed off the new level he had reached under the tutelage of King Kai, leaving Nappa immobilized. But, it wasn’t the man known to them as Kakarot who finished off Nappa. Instead, a less-than-impressed Vegeta threw his ally into the sky and obliterated him with an energy blast.
Raditz, Goku’s brother and the anime’s first big bad
Raditz was Dragon Ball Z’s first antagonist, as well as Goku’s brother. His arrival on Earth forced Goku and longtime rival Piccolo to join forces. The long-haired Saiyan traveled to the planet to find his brother while also figuring out why Goku’s mission to destroy Earth failed. Further, he wanted to recruit Goku to join him alongside the other two pureblooded Saiyans, Vegeta and Nappa, on their conquest.
Goku didn’t accept Raditz’s offer, and he and his brother died fighting each other. Although short-lived, Raditz’s time on Dragon Ball Z was extremely important to the storyline. If it wasn’t for him, Goku may have never met and trained under King Kai, and Gohan wouldn’t have been taken under the newly converted good-guy Piccolo’s wing. Also, the Z-Fighters wouldn’t have used the next year to prepare for the Saiyan invasion — although none of them stood a chance against Nappa and Vegeta besides Goku anyway.
Broly and Turles, Saiyan villains who appear in the ‘Dragon Ball Z’ movies
Two more pure-blooded Saiyans are part of Dragon Ball Z but did not contribute to the anime’s canon. The Tree of Might is the third movie under the Dragon Ball Z banner and it featured Turles, a low-tier Saiyan who made his way to Earth. He used the planet to grow an almighty tree that bore a unique fruit. The evil Saiyan ultimately ate the fruit and gained unreal strength, thereby threatening Earth’s existence. But, after a hard-fought battle, Goku destroyed Turles and the Tree of Might with his Spirt Bomb.
The anime’s eighth movie introduced fans to one of the most iconic characters in the franchise. Son of King Vegeta’s right-hand man Paragus, the hulking and stoic Broly gave the Z-Fighters all they could handle in three different movies, starting with Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan. He then reappeared in Dragon Ball Z’s 10th and 11th movies, Broly – Second Coming and Bio-Broly, respectively. Due to his popularity among Dragon Ball fans, Broly was the subject of Dragon Ball Super’s first movie, coined Dragon Ball Super: Broly.