Awaken, Legendary Warrior! Goku the Super Saiyan!

Goku releases the colossal Spirit Bomb directly at Frieza. The tyrant manages to catch the sphere and attempts to hold it at bay, but the sheer volume of cosmic energy proves too great. The Spirit Bomb detonates with catastrophic force, engulfing Frieza in a blinding explosion that reshapes the Namekian landscape.

In the aftermath, the surviving fighters allow themselves a moment of cautious celebration. Plans form quickly to gather the Dragon Balls and return to Earth. The nightmare appears to be over, and relief washes over the exhausted group.

Frieza Returns

Their hope is short-lived. Frieza emerges from the devastation, badly damaged but very much alive and still powerful enough to threaten them all. He wastes no time demonstrating this by firing a Death Beam at Goku. Piccolo shoves Goku out of the path and takes the blast himself, collapsing with a grievous wound that leaves him barely clinging to life.

Frieza turns his cruelty toward Krillin next. With a mocking question about whether the small fighter is afraid of heights, Frieza telekinetically lifts Krillin into the sky. Before anyone can react, the tyrant detonates Krillin's body from within, killing him instantly in one of the series' most shocking moments.

Goku watches his closest friend die right in front of him. The combination of grief, horror, and volcanic rage triggers something deep within his Saiyan biology. His eyes shift to green, his hair turns golden and stands rigid. The ground trembles as an unprecedented surge of power erupts from within him. The legendary transformation that Frieza feared above all else has finally occurred.

This episode holds the distinction of being the highest-rated installment of Dragon Ball Kai, drawing a 12.3% audience share in Japan against the series average of 9.4%. The reason is clear: Goku's first Super Saiyan transformation is one of the most celebrated scenes in anime history.

The emotional buildup is masterfully constructed. Krillin's death serves as the final catalyst for a transformation rooted in loss and fury rather than training or willpower. Goku orders Gohan to take Piccolo and flee, signaling that the battle ahead will be unlike anything that came before.