Every time the Great Ape form is used in a Dragon Ball anime

The Dragon Ball The series has always been known for having some of the most epic twists in anime history. From screaming Super Saiyans to iconic final forms, Dragon Ball Fans have seen it all. But one of the best, albeit rare transformations in the series is the Great Ape transformation. It is from the original Dragon Ball The series was a force to be reckoned with, especially at the beginning Dragon Ball Z.

The best thing about the Great Ape Change is that it is deeply connected to Saiyan lore. Whenever Saiyans look at the full moon, they transform into giant apes ten times more powerful than their human form. Frighteningly, this transformation comes at no cost to stamina or Ki and parallels Piccolo's gigantic form. This form is largely believed to be the reason Saiyans are feared throughout the galaxy.

8 Dragon Ball – When Emperor Pilaf traps Goku and his friends

Goku transforms on-screen for the first time

The adaptation of the Great Ape is seen for the first time in this series. Emperor Pilaf captured Goku, Bulma, Yamcha, Puar, and Oolong in a room to amplify the sun's rays. His idea was to burn Goku and his friends to death. However, as they are locked in a room on a full moon night, Goku ends up seeing it and transforms into a great ape for the first time on screen.

While this is the first time viewers see Goku transform into the Great Ape, it's not the first time he's done it. Canonically, Goku is transformed into a great ape who killed his adoptive parents, Grandfather Gohan, in the series when he came to Earth as a child.

7 Dragon Ball – 21st World Martial Arts Tournament

During Goku's fight against Jackie Chun

The second and final time we see Goku canonically transform into the Great Ape Dragon Ball series when he fought Jackie Chun in the 21st World Martial Arts Tournament Dragon Ball. Jackie Chan is Goku's mentor, disguised as Master Roshi, fighting Goku to test his abilities and push his training to the limit.

Goku is significantly stronger than his former mentor, but the fight is still an entertaining one. Goku has grown his tail back to the point where he sees the full moon and after transforming for the last time. He transforms into a great ape, and Yamcha considers cutting off his tail again to return him to normal, but Jackie Chun fires a Kamehameha wave at Goku, seemingly killing him in his great ape form, only for Goku to emerge unharmed. After his regular humanoid form and finish the fight.

6 Dragon Ball Z – In the desert of Piccolo

Gohan changed for the first time

After Goku's death in battle against Raditz, Piccolo kidnaps his son Gohan and takes him to the desert to train him, angered by his immense power and thinking of training him to be his protégé. His way of training Gohan is to throw him into a desert full of wild animals and other challenges, the first step in training him is to survive the night.

It turns out to be a full moon night and after several days of survival in the desert, Gohan, exhausted, climbs a narrow cliff to get some sleep in a safe place. He looks at the moon and turns into a big monkey. Piccolo destroys the moon, returning Gohan to normal. Piccolo also nibbles on Gohan's tail while he's sleeping for good measure.

5 Dragon Ball Z – Goku vs Vegeta

The prince of all Saiyans turns into a monster

During the Sion saga Dragon Ball ZAfter Nappa's defeat at the hands of Goku, Vegeta brutally kills him out of sheer desperation and challenges Goku to a duel. Vegeta turned out to be a much bigger threat than Goku had anticipated, putting up a fierce battle against Goku, who pushed his body to its limits using the Kaiokane Times Three technique.

Angered by Goku's ability to sustain his strength in battle, Vegeta decides to transform into a great ape to finish the job. Much to his dismay, he realizes that Earth's moon has been destroyed. However, he reveals that the Saiyans have learned to create artificial moons to transform into a Great Ape at will, which he does. Eventually, Yajirobe cuts off his tail when he is distracted by Gohan, Krillin and a crippled Goku, transforming the Saiyan prince back into a humanoid.

4 Dragon Ball Z – Gohan transforms again

Great Ape Gohan crushes the injured Vegeta

After transforming Vegeta into a regular Saiyan, he is severely injured and frustrated by the resilience of Earth's warriors. He proceeds to bide time by beating up Yajirobe for cutting off his tail. Meanwhile, he forgets that he left his artificial sun, which Gohan ends up looking at. Gohan's tail has grown back at this point since it was last taken out by Piccolo. Unlike Vegeta, Goku and Gohan both grew their tails at least once in the anime.

This leads to Gohan turning into a giant ape. Vegeta, to his credit, is also able to avoid Gohan's wrath, though mostly by dodging it. He ends up using the Destructo Disc to cut off Gohan's tail. Unfortunately for him, this causes Gohan to fall on him as he slowly transforms into a regular Saiyan kid, crushing Vegeta in the process.

3 Dragon Ball GT – Goku transforms into the Golden Great Ape

A Super Saiyan Great App

Dragon Ball GT The next time we see the Great Ape's appearance is specifically during the Baby Vegeta saga. When even Super Saiyan 3 isn't enough for Goku to fight the alien parasite baby in Vegeta's body, he is pushed to the side. Old Kai believes that the only way Goku can win is by regrowing his tail, so he does that for Goku. The battle takes place on a nearby planet from which Earth is visible. Goku, even with his tail, is no match for Baby Vegeta, who has become extremely powerful at this point.

Goku stares at Earth as he is beaten to the ground, desperate to save his friends. This leads to him transforming into a great ape, only this time it's golden, meaning it's a Super Saiyan Great Ape. He is much stronger than Baby Vegeta in this form, but is too primitive to stay focused and only goes up a ramp. Until Pan talks him into control, he turns back into a regular Saiyan, except this time in a new Super Saiyan 4 form.

2 Dragon Ball GT – Baby Vegeta Transformation Using Blutz Wave Generator

The first non-Syan to transform into an ape

Goku battles Baby Vegeta in his newly unlocked Super Saiyan 4 transformation. Pushed aside against Goku's new form, Baby Mind controls Bulma to use his Blutz Wave Generator, allowing him to turn Vegeta's body into a Golden Great Ape. He is evenly matched with Goku in this form, and is able to use a non-Saiyan form for the first time in the series.

Because Baby is a parasite using only Vegeta's body, he is still able to maintain control over the Golden Great Ape form until Goku works with Majub (combined with Majin Buu Uub) to defeat Baby Vegeta in his Golden Great Ape form.

1 Dragon Ball GT – Vegeta uses Bulma's Blutz Wave Generator

Finally unlocks Super Saiyan 4

In the final battle of Dragon Ball GT, Omega Shenron, who has fused with the other Shenrons, proved too much for even Super Saiyan 4 Goku. Vegeta firmly believes that the only way they can defeat him is with the power of two Super Saiyan 4s. Noticing that Goku has achieved the transformation by turning into the Great Ape and gaining control over the form, Vegeta asks Bulma to use the Blutz Wave Generator she made for Baby.

Unlike Goku's Super Saiyan 4 transformation, Vegeta transforms into a regular Great Ape, and much like Goku, goes on a rampage until Goku talks him down and Vegeta is finally able to transform into Super Saiyan 4. This is a departure from Vegeta's original Greatness. The monkey transformation is because Vegeta is able to maintain his stream of consciousness even in his great ape form when he first fights Goku. on earth