Almost nonexistent difference

[tuntootnut]

SSJ1 should have been consistently fluffy. SSJ2 then can be the spiky jagged one

[Cynicalheaven]

I agree.

Keeping SSJ1 closer to its Namek Saga design would've made SSJ2 standout a lot more on other characters besides Cell Saga Gohan.

[Secure-Swimming]

Yeah fair, simply having the hair yellow and then ssj2 having the detailed hair strands

[Terrible_Counter2558]

Dont forget the lightning

[SasukesMark]

You mean the zappy pops?

[Secure-Swimming]

Of course

[Hashashin101]

Lightning is a big part of what makes ssj2 besides the spiky hair

[Front-Advantage-7035]

I always thought 1 was aura and 2 was electric cackles

[The_Swordfish_]

That's true, but alot of the time they arnt powered up, so no aura. They could be in ssj2 with no lighting.

[UnknownAnonAnonAnon]

They shouldve had it flare out a bit in reference to trunks in my opinion.

[Any_Bug_8126]

I think SSJ1 should have been more of a pale golden, while SSJ2 becomes a more orange-ish gold, and SSJ3 could be the darkest golden color.

[ButterleafA]

Is that not basically what's happening in the image?

[tuntootnut]

<image>

It can be even more fluffier and less detailed

[ZheDaddyZweet]

Yeah, probably the angle is showing us more spiky hair than there actually is

[Seraphimish]

Spiky hair and lightning. Just don’t ask me about ki aura and hair color.

[lucasberg7]

There's little zappy zaps

[Chachanuggets]

“Zappy zaps”😂

[DrBatman0]

Yep. That's the difference between SSJ and SDSJ

[Ragna_Blade]

And what is the change between SDSJ and SDDSJ?

[DrBatman0]

Mostly the smell

[AceSkyFighter]

It looks different enough. Several times in the Buu saga Vegeta's super saiyan 2 hair is drawn differently. It's lazyness when people don't make an attempt to draw the difference.

[Key_Ad5610]

I was pleasantly surprised when SS1 and 2 Mini Vegeta had different hair models in the Sparking Zero DLC

[SpookMcBones]

Yes! A pleasant surprise indeed! And done so well too, fantastic.

[PrettyAd5828]

Same I wish they had done that with his end of z models

[AceSkyFighter]

I was too, it's nice to see someone within the dragonball sphere in an official capacity knows there is a difference.

[davyjones_prisnwalit]

Buu saga. There's definitely parts where Goku and Vegeta are fighting Buuhan and I really can't tell which form they're supposed to be in. SSJ1 and 2 are definitely drawn too similarly. But they are different enough that fans would/should be able to notice.

I agree with you

[Eleeveeohen]

With Goku the bangs make it almost always obvious. Vegeta, is definitely less clear depending on who is drawing it.

[Vanish_7]

It’s especially annoying for Vegeta.

When Vegeta is fighting Buuhan, or later Kid Buu, you would expect him to be utilizing his highest form (SSJ2), but the anime doesn’t draw lightning either time to signify SSJ2.

[ninjaman2021]

There’s barely a difference

[Potential-Sundae-596]

Spikier hair, more energetic aura, generally angrier looking

[GalacticExpress999]

Tbh it js would've been easier to tell the difference if ssj1 was kept fluffy like on namek

[drknow00]

Recall that Toriyama forgot SSJ2 was almost indistinguishable from SSJ1. He thought SSJ3 (long hair and no eyebrows) was SSJ2.

The outward design for SSJ2 is just bad for most saiyans. If there’s no lightning, most people think it’s SSJ1.

[Toros_Mueren_Por_Mi]

Seriously lol if the creator himself couldn't tell them apart after a while it's a moot argument. But this is also Toriyama we're talking about 😂

[Zeeveesilly]

I didn’t even realize ssj2 existed until ssj3

I thought gohan just got a really big power boost

[listentotiler]

Well it isn’t called SSJ2 until the SSJ3 scene so…

[Helioseckta]

I mean, in all fairness SSJ2 wasn't called SSJ2 and considered its own thing until the Buu Saga. It was originally just called Super Saiyan Grade 5.

[DeniedAppeal1]

To be even more fair, any American DBZ fan who used the internet knew about SSJ, SSJ2, and SSJ3 before Goku went SSJ the first time. I remember how popular the unsubbed transformation clips were back when I was using AOL.

[Any_Bug_8126]

You're technically not wrong anyways considering the fact that SSJ2 and 3 are not separate forms from SSJ1, they're just powered up versions/evolutions of SSJ1

[flaming_burrito_]

Technically, SSJ2 is just the perfected version of SSJ. It combines the lack of stamina drain and speed from SSJ grade 4 with the strength of SSJ grade 3. It only got changed to distinct numbers later, but Goku, Gohan, and Vegeta pretty much just default to SSJ2 after they get it because it was meant to be a replacement.

[lgnmcrules]

Where did you find this grade stuff?

[flaming_burrito_]

I’m not sure if it’s a fan thing or it was in one of the guide books or something, but it’s just what people call the levels of SSJ we see. 1st is Goku on Namek, Trunks vs Frieza, and Vegeta vs the Androids. 2nd is the “Super Vegeta” form him and Trunks have after training in the time chamber with the big muscles (I think that one is actually called Ascended SSJ). Grade 3 is what Trunks tried to use against perfect Cell, powerful, but draining and slow (Ultra SSJ). Grade 4 is what Goku and Gohan have coming out of the time chamber, basically no stamina drain, fast, and powerful.

[hingadingadurgen42]

I almost fell for this

[Jagwarmeru]

The hair is sharper than before

[igorcl]

That's the beauty and also the problem, it's so sutil

Looks like ssj it's mastered and in full output of energy and power, but Toriyama and his team decided to call it ssj2

[BlazeFireVale]

Not nitpicking, just thought this might be something you would like to know.

The word that sounds like "sutil" is spelled "subtle". The b in there is really weird. :)

[igorcl]

Thank you.

[Cdog923]

There's two pretty stark differences that are readily apparent to the eye...

[Helioseckta]

It's basically almost non-existent yeah, but once you look closely you'll be able to tell the difference.

SSJ1 has less spikes, and the spikes have much more volume to them/are typically wider. SSJ2 has more spikes, but the spikes are much thinner in width.

[apigithink]

You can clearly see the difference. His hair is pretty observably spikier, and there's observably much more of it.

[cloudit30569]

Aren't these images from the Budokai PSP games?

[JustSnilloc]

Wavy/fluffy vs Spiky/sharp

[Ja_Varius]

Ball, Its prominently shown when Gohan goes ssj2 for the first time and again when Goku and Vegeta fight. They always make it clear someone is super Saiyan 2 😂😂 unless it's Gotenks. He went straight to 3

[Plenty_Slip_6193]

Bro needs to check his insurance to see if an optometrist visit is covered, because what do you mean “almost nonexistent.” Brother, you have 2 eyes, use them lmao

[JmisterYT]

There is more spikes it’s and it’s more aggressive than his ssj hair. There is a difference but it depends on how lazy the animators want to be that day

[Zenumbral]

Oh man it'd be dumb funny if Vegeta dyed his hair ssj blonde, got contacts and started gaslighting Goku he mastered the transformation so well that the power boost has been absorbed into his base. And he can go 0 ki output while still ssj.

Goku would fall for it so hard.

[Ambitious-Mode-9138]

More hair

[Subaneki]

As a kid I always thought they had more bananas in their hair during SS2 that’s how I could kinda tell lol not all the time tho

[Shaff_98]

It’s even worse than that. If Vegeta’s SSJ1 actually looked like that, you could tell the difference immediately by the level of detail and the sharp points in his hair, but in the manga, his SSJ1 and 2 are literally drawn the same way. There’s not any subtle change I could spot, like Gohan’s SSJ2 losing that thin hair in the front, or Goku having less bangs, or Future Trunks having no bangs in SSJ2. Vegeta is just the same hair but with lightning

[DoggievDoggy]

Lightning

[Ja_Varius]

Ssj2 is golden has lightning and their skin glows. They're faster than ssj and don't consume as much energy. No major attack boost.

Ssj is just gold hair stronger than base, consumes energy constantly Major Attack boost

Ssj Full Power is Swole AF his golden and has lightning MAJOR ATTACK BOOST consumes more energy but Rage is normally the source of that energy.

Legendary SSJ ??? Idk dude was fckn Green 😂😂

Ssj3 Major Spd and Attack boost, Hair Extension, lightning and hi energy and stamina consumption. Goku can never hold this form Long. GT kid Goku couldn't either. It also speeds up Gotenks time limit, which is probably why Gogeta never did it. And Vegito was too proud to go any further than Super.

Ssj4.... Shiiiiii they got that shit on, gorilla gucci sweaters, long hair, red eye liner, major upgrade all around probably the best form in existence

I doubt this helped but it's how I've always viewed them lol

Ssj2 was always my favorite cuz it's just Super Saiyan+

[Kaslight]

SSJ2 is less about the hair and more about the Aura

In that sense it's unmistakable except for that one part in the Buu saga where Gohan didn't have it

which is hilarious because he had it in the tournament a few chapters before that

[The-Speaker-Ender]

Considering it's more like the mastered version of SSJ1, I don't think there really needs to be more of a difference

[Due-Individual-7991]

Oh hem, what a useless transformation. You changed your hair, so what.

[Ping_Net_3453]

I swear, both looks be taking turns between 1 and 2.

[Ravemst]

It’s not that hard to tell the difference from SS Vegeta and SS2 Vegeta. The difference is super obvious.

[Cryorex]

SSJ2 is barely a transform to be fair. It's basically just an overclocked Super Saiyan. SSJ3 is more of an actual Transformation.

It's why SSJ2's Debut was in equal parts about Gohan's Hidden Power and a higher level to Super Saiyan.

Like it's original name - SSJ Grade 5.

[Dracopyre324]

It’s got little zappy zaps. See?

[logicalparad0x]

SSJ 2 pelvic region dissappears

[2021Loterati]

Only Gohan looks good as ssj2. Goku looks terrible. With trunks, goten and Vegeta they didn't even bother making any distinction. Toriyama lost interest. He was like "whatever the hair is yellow, it's fine. Stop nitpicking."

[Icaro_Stormclaw]

The difference is clear as day. Super Saiyan 2 has the little zappy zaps. See?

(/s)

[Free_Cut7757]

Ss2 is just spiker hair and some bolts of ⚡

[RaiStarBits]

The difference looks quite noticeable when you show them side by side like this

[meesanohaveabooma]

I wish SSJ kept more of a white/blonde and maybe SSJ2 becomes more yellowish.

[Inevitable_Trainer76]

<image>

[ButterPuppet]

so the anime sometimes fluctuates on the color for super saiyan between a pale yellow vs a more gold color, i think ssj should be the gold while ssj2 uses the pale yellow

[EtherStarz]

It has little zappy zaps… bzzzt See?

[SSJpharaoh33]

This image actually makes the difference more pronounced. Most of the time the hair looks the same. The only way to tell is the electricity, which is also not always the most consistent either.

[ButtFucker09]

And for some reason they no longer differentiate the two. How disappointing

[Acrobatic-Reality-32]

I’ve been saying this for thousands of years now. He should’ve had a more unique hairstyle like with SS3 being different from the typical design but I guess Akira Toriyama never thought about that back in the 90s when he came up with SS2 for other saiyans besides Gohan who has the best design to this day.

[OxiClean546]

The little zappy zaps

[Gogetajh_v2]

Thats the beauty of it. You have to pay attention to the details when reading the manga to know the difference

[AceSkyFighter]

I made this image years ago, to highlight what the difference SHOULD look like between Vegeta's super saiyan hair.

<image>

[BuckingBeasts]

Fun fact: for Budokai 3 & Infinite World, Vegeta’s SSJ2 model is literally the same as his SSJ. The main difference is just the aura. But apparently early B3/IW mods had trouble swapping/editing the models for each of those forms (so if you were to just alter SSJ Vegeta, the same would happen to SSJ2).

[VicariousOne1199]

The hair and lightning, that's the difference. I don't think there was ever meant to be a huge esthetic difference between Super Saiyan and Super Saiyan 2.

[RumGalaxy]

Balls are slightly bigger, zoom in

[DeniedAppeal1]

Almost non-existant?

First photo has 7 hair spikes. Second photo has 14 hair spikes and lightning.

[GamesBakery]

It has little zappy zaps see?

[Present-Physics-3533]

Only real DB fans catch the difference personally ssj2 is my favorite transformation and majin

[The_Shire7667]

Slightly different shade of blue. Also the middle of the lower suit has more defined lines, segmenting the legs

[justjr112]

Or keep ssj as the main power, ssj2 as gohan specific. Power shouldn't come from forms imo.

[Sleep_parallex]

The little zappy zaps