Goku goes super saiyan for the first time

As Gohan and Krillin are wondering if they are the only ones who survived the Spirit Bomb, Piccolo suddenly emerges from the water and climbs onto a nearby island with Goku. Gohan and Krillin fly over to their allies and they are reunited.

On King Kai's Planet, King Kai relays the news to Yamcha, Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu. Recoome, Guldo, Burter and Jeice are skeptical, but the Z-Fighters continue the battle against them and ultimately force them off the planet and into Hell. Enraged, they try to escape, but only succeed in bumping their heads on the clouds above, which Goz and Mez attempted to warn them of earlier. King Kai then inadvertently reveals that he invited the Ginyu Force to his planet to give the Z-Fighters a test. Bulma also regains consciousness from the events of the Spirit Bomb blast, and after noticing Ginyu trying to sneak away, and still furious with him for the trick he pulled on her earlier, grabs him and orders him to to scout out the area for Goku and the others.

On Namek, Goku, Piccolo, Krillin and Gohan prepare to leave to find Bulma and go back to Earth. Krillin also humorously expresses horror upon learning they had forgotten about her, causing some tension due to their thinking that he saw Frieza survive with Krillin admitting he feels Bulma's temper was scarier. Piccolo openly hopes that Guru and the rest of the Namekians can now rest in peace. As Krillin asks how Piccolo knows about Guru, he freezes in terror upon looking at a nearby cliff. The other fighters look and are also shocked: Frieza is still alive, only with a damaged tail and eye, and angrier than ever. Krillin is in disbelief, as he was certain that a direct hit from the Spirit Bomb would have killed him.

Goku goes super saiyan for the first time
Goku goes super saiyan for the first time

The iconic image of Goku's first Super Saiyan transformation in this episode

Frieza fires a Death Beam straight at Goku, but Piccolo pushes him aside and takes the hit. With this act, Piccolo's true loyalty is finally revealed: having risked his own life to save Goku's, he no longer considers him his enemy. Meanwhile, back on King Kai's planet, King Kai is equally shocked to learn of Frieza's survival and barely manages to inform Yamcha, Tien and Chiaotzu of this terrible turn of events. Back on Namek, Frieza sarcastically congratulates Goku for coming the closest anyone has to destroying him with his Spirit Bomb. Bordering on the edge of his rage, Goku orders Gohan and Krillin to take the gravely injured Piccolo, find Bulma and leave Namek in her spaceship immediately. Gohan initially refuses, with Frieza stating that Goku's "sorely mistaken" if he thought they can escape his wrath before launching a beam at Krillin causing him to levitate slightly off the ground. In an act of retaliation for coming back and slicing his tail in half with a Destructo Disc, Frieza launches Krillin into the air and, despite Goku's desperate pleas, detonates the ki inside of him, blowing him to smithereens. King Kai reels back upon witnessing it, and solemnly tells the others that Krillin has been killed. Back on Namek, Frieza pushes Goku's final button by threatening to kill Gohan next (In the Funimation dub, he instead cracks a sick joke about Krillin's death).

Goku goes super saiyan for the first time
Goku goes super saiyan for the first time

A terrified Gohan looks on as Goku prepares to make Frieza pay for his evil deeds

Angered by the senseless murder of Krillin, who now cannot be revived with the Earth Dragon Balls, Goku's rage finally erupts and he undergoes a strange transformation: resulting in him gaining a golden aura, golden-blonde hair and bluish-green eyes. Goku orders Gohan once again to take Piccolo, find Bulma and leave Namek as soon as possible, and this time, Gohan complies. Goku then sets his furious eyes on a now-horrified Frieza, determined to make him suffer for all the evil he's done.

Meanwhile, Ginyu the Frog returns to Bulma's location and tries to tell her of what's happening. She then notices a distant island where a huge aura is emitting, the same island where Goku's transformation has just occurred.

What episode does Goku goes Super Saiyan for the first time?

Goku transformed into a Super Saiyan for the first time in Dragon Ball Z Season 3 Episode 21 (Episode 95 overall) "Transformed at Last." It happened while Goku was in a fit of rage after watching Frieza kill Krillin, his best friend since childhood. To say this episode left fans stunned would be an understatement.

What does Goku say when he goes Super Saiyan for the first time?

"Let's go!" "I am a warrior pure of heart, awakened by rage... I am the legendary Super Saiyan, Son Goku!"

What episode does Super Saiyan 1 appear?

The Super Saiyan form first debuted on March 19, 1991, within chapter 317 of the Dragon Ball manga, entitled "Life or Death". It made its anime debut in April 1991, within Dragon Ball Z episode 95, "Transformed at Last".

Who was the first Super Saiyan 1?

Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama has confirmed that the character who actually reached this level first was Yamoshi [via Kazenshuu]. According to Toriyama, Yamoshi was a heroic warrior who fought beside five other Saiyans against his people.