Toei Animation did the unthinkable by finally giving Vegeta a Super Saiyan 3 transformation, a form many thought the Prince of the Saiyans would never receive.
However, while Dragon Ball Daima may be the first time Vegeta reaches Super Saiyan 3 status according to the series, the Saiyan Prince has a long history with this transformation.
If you're wondering when Vegeta first achieved Super Saiyan 3 form, you might be surprised to learn that it wasn't in the anime. Dragon Ball Z: Dragon Battlers launched in Japan in 2009 as a video game that incorporated cards into its design, quite similar to the recent Dragon Ball Heroes. This is where fans got their first glimpse of what this former villain would look like when transformed into a Super Saiyan 3.
In the above video game, Vegeta was not the only one to gain this form for the first time, as the legendary Super Saiyan Broly would also reach Super Saiyan 3. Dragon Battlers opened the door for Super Saiyan 3 Vegeta to appear quite often in the future.
Vegeta's Super Saiyan 3 is just the beginning
Super Saiyan 3 Vegeta makes a quick return in the game Dragon Ball Z: Raging Blast, but in Dragon Ball Heroes, almost every Saiyan introduced in the series reaches this level. The Raging Blast game focuses on the multiverse of the shonen series, giving characters like Nappa, Bardock, Raditz, Trunks, Gohan, Goku Black, etc. the ability to rely on this transformation. Funny enough, in Nappa's case, SSJ3 only caused his beard to grow long and turn yellow, since Vegeta's former accomplice had no hair on the top of his head.
Super Dragon Ball Heroes – the anime adaptation accompanying the video game, features two Vegetas, who either face off or team up to fight the greatest threats to their universe. Time Patrol's Vegeta has the ability to transform into Super Saiyan 3, and also go further to become Super Saiyan 4, and will become even stronger with a power called “Limit Breaker”.
Vegeta Super Saiyan 3's past with Daima
Before Dragon Ball Daima, Vegeta's previous “out of time” Super Saiyan 3 transformations were largely influenced by what we've seen with both Goku and Gotenks. Both Son Goku and the fusion warrior Goten and Trunks are the only characters in the official Dragon Ball timeline to use this form, so it would make sense for video games to emulate the Super Saiyan appearance 3 of the other characters follow them.
Instead of having his hair extending all the way to his feet, the Super Saiyan 3 version of Vegeta has his hair sticking up outwards. Although not officially claimed to be inspired by Akira Toriyama's original SSJ3 design, there are many similarities between the original sketches the manga creator had for the transformation and Vegeta's new appearance.
