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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO is the best overall choice if your priority is playing as the widest range of Saiyan transformations in battles. Choose Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot for a story-led journey in which forms arrive as part of the campaign and downloadable episodes, Dragon Ball XENOVERSE 2 to build a custom Saiyan and keep adding transformation-related content, and Dragon Ball FighterZ only if competitive 2.5D fighting matters more than changing forms during a match.
Which Dragon Ball game is best for Saiyan transformations?
The four games take fundamentally different approaches to transformations. Sparking! ZERO treats forms as a huge selectable roster for 3D arena battles. Kakarot makes transformations milestones in an action-RPG retelling of Dragon Ball Z. Xenoverse 2 gives a created Saiyan access to a long-running progression and downloadable-content ecosystem. FighterZ uses a curated 2.5D fighting roster, so its strength is competitive team combat rather than a transformation catalogue.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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Dragon Ball Sparking Zero - Compatible for PS5 - UK PAL | $43.90 | Buy on Amazon |
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Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero, 1 PS5-Blu-ray Disc | $48.48 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero (Multi-Language) | $59.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Amazon Exclusive Edition - PlayStation 5 | $44.95 | Buy on Amazon |
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| Game | Best for | Transformation approach | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO | The broadest current selection of playable forms | Many named character and form variants selected for arena battles | 3D arena fighter |
| DRAGON BALL Z: KAKAROT | Experiencing forms inside a narrative campaign | Story progression and DLC unlocks, including god forms | Action RPG |
| DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE 2 | Creating and developing your own Saiyan | Avatar transformations plus characters and forms added through DLC | Story missions, hub activities and battles |
| Dragon Ball FighterZ | High-level competitive fighting and animation | Limited, roster-specific representation rather than free transformation switching | 2.5D team fighter |
1. DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO — best overall for transformation variety
Sparking! ZERO is the clearest answer to “Which Dragon Ball game has the most Super Saiyan forms?” Bandai Namco Entertainment America announced 181 playable characters at launch on October 8, 2024. A later Bandai Namco corporate release, dated February 4, 2025, described a 182-character roster. The two figures refer to different announcements, so treat 181 as the launch count and 182 as the later reported roster rather than as a contradiction.
That scale matters because the game represents fighters across eras and power levels instead of making you use one generic Saiyan moveset. The documented line-up includes Super Saiyan 2, Ultra Instinct, Broly variants and Gogeta variants, alongside the base characters from which those forms are drawn. You can therefore choose a form as a distinct roster option and take it directly into an arena match.
#1 Best Overall
- UK PSN Account Requirement: UK PSN account may be required for any online features
- Legendary Budokai Tenkaichi Gameplay: Experience the iconic gameplay of the Budokai Tenkaichi series elevated to new heights with enhanced mechanics and controls
- Extensive Character Roster: Learn and master an incredible roster of playable characters, each with signature abilities, transformations, and techniques
- Authentic Dragon Ball Combat: Harness the destructive power of the strongest fighters ever to appear in DRAGON BALL with faithful recreations of their abilities
- Regional Compatibility: Physical game disc compatible with PlayStation 5 consoles in UK PAL regions
How transformations work in Sparking! ZERO
The game’s central appeal is the contrast between selecting a form before battle and transforming during a fight. Bandai Namco’s February 2025 description specifically highlights battles in which “turning Super Saiyan” can turn the tide. In practice, that makes transformation a tactical decision: build the resources needed to change, decide whether to spend them on a form or another ability, and accept that a transformation can alter your momentum rather than merely provide a cosmetic effect.
Episode Battle adds authored scenarios with branching What If paths. Those routes are useful if you want your transformations connected to alternate outcomes instead of only versus matches. Custom Battle and other battle-focused modes provide room to test different forms, teams and match-ups without committing to a long campaign.
Why it suits transformation-focused players
- The largest documented current roster among the four games in this guide.
- Named forms are represented as separate, recognizable choices, making it easy to compare versions of a character.
- Three-dimensional arenas let transformations matter in the flow of a battle, not only in a cutscene.
- Episode Battle gives the roster a story context while preserving the game’s arena-fighter emphasis.
Its limitation is equally important: Sparking! ZERO is not a traditional open-world role-playing campaign. If you want every form to arrive as a carefully staged story event with exploration and side activities, Kakarot is a better fit.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2. Dragon Ball Z: KAKAROT — best for a story campaign with transformations
Kakarot is an action RPG built around a retelling of the Dragon Ball Z story. You follow the major arcs, train, explore, complete side content and fight in a progression designed around the narrative rather than a character-select screen. Transformations consequently feel like milestones in Goku’s journey and the wider cast’s battles.
Story progression and downloadable episodes
The base campaign presents transformations as part of the events you are playing through. Official Kakarot materials also document Goku’s Super Saiyan 3 transformation. Its downloadable content expands beyond the original Z storyline: an official episode has you train with Whis to awaken Super Saiyan God and then test your strength against Beerus, while the DLC catalogue also includes Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan, commonly called Super Saiyan Blue.
This structure makes Kakarot the strongest option for readers asking, “Is Kakarot better for the story than Sparking Zero?” For a linear, authored retelling, yes. Kakarot explains why a form appears, what conflict surrounds it and how it fits into the campaign. Sparking! ZERO offers more breadth in playable forms, but its roster-first design does not replace an action-RPG narrative.
What you do between transformations
- Explore areas from the Dragon Ball Z setting and travel between objectives.
- Fight story bosses and regular enemies using an action-RPG combat system.
- Complete side missions and development activities that support your characters.
- Use DLC episodes to continue into divine transformations and battles beyond the original campaign beats.
Kakarot is less suitable if your main goal is to switch among dozens of alternate fighters in local or online matches. Its value comes from inhabiting a specific story role and watching the power curve unfold.
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- Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero takes the legendary gameplay of the Budokai Tenkaichi series to a whole new level.
- Use the destructive power of the strongest fighters ever competed in Dragon Ball!
- Learn and master an incredible group of playable characters, each with individual skills, transformations and techniques.
3. Dragon Ball XENOVERSE 2 — best for creating a Saiyan avatar
Xenoverse 2 answers the question “Which game lets me create a Saiyan?” directly: you make a custom avatar, choose the Saiyan race and develop that character through missions, training and downloadable content. The avatar framework gives transformations a personal progression that the fixed rosters of Sparking! ZERO and FighterZ cannot provide.
Transformation range and DLC
Official Xenoverse 2 pages list transformation-related content involving Super Saiyan 2, Super Saiyan 3, Super Saiyan God and Super Saiyan Blue, as well as Super Saiyan 4 characters and forms. Availability is tied to the game’s edition, updates and downloadable content, so check the specific platform bundle and DLC list before buying. The game’s long DLC runway means its exact line-up can differ from an early release version.
Super Saiyan 4 deserves a qualification: the documented material establishes Super Saiyan 4 characters and forms in Xenoverse 2 content, but it does not mean every transformation is available to every avatar under identical conditions. Your created character’s race, progression and the content you own determine what you can use.
Why an avatar changes the experience
Your Saiyan is not simply a costume swap. You build a moveset, allocate development choices and take that character through the game’s hub, story missions and training activities. That creates a different kind of transformation fantasy: instead of selecting Goku’s established form, you work toward making your own fighter feel like a Saiyan from the series.
- Choose the Saiyan race during avatar creation.
- Advance through the main story and unlock training opportunities.
- Acquire transformation-related skills and content as your progression permits.
- Add DLC packs when you want more forms, characters or missions.
Xenoverse 2 is the best match for long-term customization, but it requires more attention to edition and DLC ownership than a self-contained roster-based purchase.
4. Dragon Ball FighterZ — best for competitive 2.5D fighting
FighterZ is a 2.5D fighting game built around teams, precise input, assists and tournament-style competition. Bandai Namco has reported more than 10 million cumulative shipments, a useful indicator of its scale and enduring audience. It is the right recommendation when animation quality, neutral-game skill and competitive play outrank the number of transformations you can access.
Why it is not the transformation leader
FighterZ does not let you freely cycle through a large set of forms during a battle. Its roster presents particular characters and versions in a tightly balanced fighting system. That design produces clear match-up identities and spectacular attacks, but it is less suited to a reader whose first question is whether a specific Super Saiyan form can be selected or activated.
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- BREATHTAKING 3D FIGHTS - Engage in heart-pounding, high-speed 3D battles that stay true to the anime and video game series, with breathtaking visuals and authentic combat moves like beam clashes, rush attacks, movements too quick for the eyes to see, and planet-razing ultimate attacks
- THE GROUND WILL SHAKE - Step into an arena that reacts to your every action. As you transform or unleash your most devastating attacks, watch the environment respond with stunning realism. Leave a trail of destruction in your wake as you battle to your heart’s content
Choose FighterZ if you want to learn a serious 2.5D fighter, build a three-character team and practice online or locally. Choose one of the other three games if transformation breadth, an RPG journey or a custom Saiyan is the deciding factor.
Can you transform during fights?
Yes, but the answer depends on the game. Sparking! ZERO explicitly builds transformation into its arena-battle design, with Bandai Namco describing Super Saiyan changes as a way to turn a fight around. Kakarot ties forms primarily to story and DLC progression, so the transformation appears within the action-RPG’s authored encounters. Xenoverse 2 lets your avatar use transformations you have unlocked through its progression and content structure. FighterZ generally treats different forms as separate roster choices rather than a broad, freely switchable transformation system.
| Question | Sparking! ZERO | Kakarot | Xenoverse 2 | FighterZ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Many named forms to select | Strongest option; 181 at launch and 182 in a later corporate description | Not its primary structure | Available through avatar progression and DLC | Limited by the competitive roster |
| Transformation during battle | Core tactical feature | Mostly tied to campaign encounters | Available after unlocking the relevant avatar abilities | Not a broad free-switch system |
| Custom Saiyan | No | No | Yes | No |
| Story emphasis | Episode Battle and branching What If scenarios | Highest; full action-RPG retelling of Dragon Ball Z | Story missions plus avatar development | Fighting-focused modes and team competition |
Which game has the most Super Saiyan forms?
Based on the documented rosters, Sparking! ZERO has the broadest current transformation selection. Its launch announcement counted 181 playable characters, and a February 2025 corporate release referred to 182 characters. The roster includes Super Saiyan 2 and other named forms such as Ultra Instinct, Broly variants and Gogeta variants.
Xenoverse 2 is the stronger answer if “most forms” means forms you can pursue with a personal avatar over time. Its official content lists Super Saiyan 2, Super Saiyan 3, Super Saiyan God, Super Saiyan Blue and Super Saiyan 4-related characters and forms. The difference is that Sparking! ZERO gives you immediate roster breadth, while Xenoverse 2 distributes access across progression and DLC.
Is Kakarot better for story than Sparking! ZERO?
Yes, if you want an authored retelling with exploration, character development and transformations introduced as narrative events. Kakarot’s official positioning is an action RPG based on Dragon Ball Z, and its DLC extends the story into Super Saiyan God and Super Saiyan Blue material. Sparking! ZERO is better for branching battle scenarios and quickly choosing from a large number of fighters, including forms that may never be the focus of one continuous campaign.
Does Xenoverse 2 have Super Saiyan Blue or Super Saiyan 4?
Yes. Official Xenoverse 2 pages identify content involving Super Saiyan Blue and Super Saiyan 4 characters and forms, as well as Super Saiyan 2, Super Saiyan 3 and Super Saiyan God. Confirm the exact edition and downloadable-content ownership for your platform; the game’s expanding catalogue means the available package depends on what you purchase and install.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which game should you buy on PS5?
For a PS5 player who wants transformations first, start with Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO PS5. It offers the largest documented current roster and the most direct arena-battle use of forms. Pick Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot PS5 instead when the priority is replaying the Dragon Ball Z story and unlocking forms through campaign and DLC progression.
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Bandai Namco’s official store lists physical editions of Sparking! ZERO and Kakarot, along with physical products for FighterZ and Xenoverse 2 where offered. Edition names, stock, regional packaging and DLC inclusion can change, so verify the exact PS5 listing and included content at the time of purchase.
How the four games differ in practice
Choose Sparking! ZERO when breadth comes first
Select it for the largest documented roster, named form variants and battles where transforming can change your tactical situation. It is the closest match to a “play as every Saiyan form” wish, especially if you enjoy versus battles more than character-building.
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Choose Kakarot when context comes first
Select it when you want to understand where a transformation sits in the Dragon Ball Z timeline. Super Saiyan 3, Super Saiyan God and Super Saiyan Blue are presented through a campaign and its episodes rather than as disconnected roster entries.
Choose Xenoverse 2 when ownership of the character matters
Select it when the fantasy is “my Saiyan,” not only “Goku in another form.” The avatar system, training loop and DLC catalogue support a longer personal progression, with the trade-off that the complete transformation range depends on content and unlocks.
Choose FighterZ when mastery matters more than form count
Select it for a focused competitive fighter with dramatic 2.5D presentation, team strategy and a large established player base. Its reported shipment milestone does not change its core design: it is about balanced matches, not an encyclopedic transformation sandbox.
Sales and longevity context
Bandai Namco’s February 2025 corporate release reported more than 5 million units sold worldwide for Sparking! ZERO, including more than 3 million in its first 24 hours. Those are publisher-reported sales figures, not a measure of transformation count or gameplay quality, but they help explain why the game has become the most visible current arena choice.
Bandai Namco also reported more than 10 million cumulative shipments for Xenoverse 2 and FighterZ in 2023. Shipment totals include units supplied through distribution and do not indicate identical active-player populations, yet they show that both games have substantial histories beyond their launch windows.
Final buying decision
- Want the most forms and the ability to transform in arena combat? Buy Sparking! ZERO.
- Want a Dragon Ball Z story where forms are campaign milestones? Buy Kakarot.
- Want to create and evolve your own Saiyan, including later DLC forms? Buy Xenoverse 2.
- Want tournament-oriented 2.5D team fighting? Buy FighterZ.
For most transformation-focused players, Sparking! ZERO is the best first purchase. Kakarot is the stronger story alternative, Xenoverse 2 is the custom-Saiyan alternative, and FighterZ is a specialist choice for competitive fighting rather than transformation collecting.
Quick Recap
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