The Dragon Ball series by Akira Toriyama has been the gateway show for many current anime and manga fans. The series was promoted to young boys and teens for decades in Japan. When the series was localized in North America, all children began watching the shows equally.

Fans who have watched Dragon Ball Z know what to expect: hot-headed young men who live to fight or are forced to fight to live. The women in the series, like Videl, may start off being hardened fighters but end up becoming tame housewives as soon as they’re married. Fans hoped to see tough female Saiyan fighters enter the battle during DBZ, but were only left disappointed. Toriyama stated there were characters capable of transforming, but he didn’t know how to draw their transformations. For years, fans accepted the disappointing news but continued to hold an interest in the adventures of Goku.

Things changed once Dragon Ball Super debuted. The series brought new life to Dragon Ball, including seeing a shocking change in Videl. She used the Saiyan power of her unborn, half-Saiyan daughter Pan to partially transform, but has not transformed after that. Caulifla’s debut changed everything. She was not only a pure Saiyan, but she had capabilities other female Dragon Ball characters had not yet displayed.

Our list compiles some facts about Caulifla, one of the series' mightiest fighters in Dragon Ball Super. Before you proceed, beware of the major spoilers on our list.

20 Is Used To Being A Winner

By the time Caulifla makes her debut in Dragon Ball Super, most of the other characters have gotten married and had children. Their lives are mostly calm, except when aliens threaten their homeworld, Earth. When Caulifla comes to Earth looking for a fight, she expects everyone to be weak.

Unfortunately, Caulifla didn’t realize that some Z-Fighters love to fight for fun.

She made the grave mistake of challenging Goku. Caulifla wasn’t able to defeat him alone, and not even with the fusion form, Kefla. She threw a fit. Caulifla was so used to having the upper hand in the battle that she didn’t want to accept defeat. She eventually accepted that Goku was more powerful than her at that moment.

19 Doesn't Have To Fight Alone

Caulifla lives like a stereotypical delinquent from manga and anime. She's slightly lazy and always has a witty retort. As one of the toughest fighters on Planet Sadal, she forms her gang. Along with her best friend Kale, they form the Saiyan Gangsters. Also known as the League of the Saiyan Punks, her group loves to show off their strength to those weaker than them. Their group loves to fight for fun and cares little for those who stand in her way. Though she does love to show off her power, Caulifla is still a teenager who loves to have fun. Her bratty behavior at the beginning of Dragon Ball Super may annoy you, but she is forced to tone down her behavior as the series progresses.

18 It’s Not Like She Likes Him Or Anything

When we're first introduced to Caulifla in the series, she doesn't seem to have much interest in anything except eating and fighting. She meets Cabba, who is a fellow Saiyan from her area, Universe 6. After some discussion with the stranger, she learns that he can help her become stronger. Of course, when any two characters appear together on screen, eager fans immediately begin drawing fanart and writing fanfiction to fuel their head-canons.

Caulifla has to make it clear to other characters in the series that there's nothing between the pair.

When her friend Kale hints that there might be something more, Caulifla firmly states "Kale! Don't get the wrong idea! I'm not so cheap to fall for someone like this!"

17 Doesn’t Want To Be Your Friend

There are several powerful female fighters in the Dragon Ball series. Videl not only assisted her city’s police department but learned how to fly. Bulma uses her wits and intelligence to build incredible fighting machines. Chi-Chi separated from her father, The Ox King, as a child, to save her kingdom. Saiyan Caulifla is a powerful fighter who impresses others in the series. While Videl and Bulma are quick to make friends with the Z-Fighters, Caulifla is the opposite. When she first meets Goku and Vegeta, she laughs. She’s not impressed by how weak they look. She wrongly assumed that the men became less powerful after growing older and raising families. Caulifla has only forged one bond over the course of Dragon Ball Super with her protégée, now best friend, Kale.

16 Wields A Powerful Trump Card

Potara earrings are normally seen on the Supreme Kais. They all have different abilities. Some are used to fuse people or to use the Time Ring. When Caulifla and Kale arrive at the Tournament of Power, Champa gives the pair a set of Potara Earrings. He believes this will give them a secret advantage in battle.

Caulifla and Kale refuse to accept the earrings, insulted that they would need any extra advantages in the battle that no one else has.

They outright refuse to accept them. Champa doesn't accept their answer. He insists they keep the Potara Earrings to use, if not in the Tournament of Power, then afterward. The Earrings turn out to have a huge advantage that neither Caulifla or Kale would discover until after they face off against Goku.

15 Only Respects A Hired Hand

Hit the Infallible has made history in Universe 6. He's known to many as the "Legendary [Life Taker]" who is an expert in destruction. He never backs down from a challenge. He's gotten so good at his craft that he appears to have become almost devoid of emotion. At the same time, his loner nature has made him so poor at socialization that he can't handle even the most basic of courtesies. Caulifla, who is also a resident of Universe 6, was impressed by Hit as soon as they met. He may be hired to hurt others, but he still retains a sense of respect on the battlefield. Out of all of the other characters in the series, Caulifla speaks to him with respect and honor.

14 Wins By Any Means Necessary

Caulifla is the leader of a street gang, a tough older brother named Renso, and is highly respected on Planet Sadal. She hasn't had to do much to win the respect of those weaker than her. When she meets the other Z-Fighters, she assumes they're just as weak as the others. She doesn't train because she always believes she will win. That attitude doesn't last long.

As a street fighter and not a seasoned martial artist, Caulifla doesn't have the experience to take the Tournament of Power seriously.

She just wants to win, even if it means taking some unhonorable moves. She has to learn the hard way how to hone her skills if she wants to be a powerful opponent.

13 Didn’t Learn On Her Own

Like most fighters in the Dragon Ball series, Caulifla wants to become a powerful fighting force. At first, she didn’t take much interest in cooperating with anyone. She wanted to become a one-woman fighting force. It was already known that all Saiyan males could transform into at least the base Super Saiyan mode when in a fit of rage. There wasn’t another notable female of the series in her Universe who had changed, so Caulifla didn’t think much of it. She believed that she might reach Super Saiyan mode on her own someday. When Cabba offered to help her, she immediately accepted. Honestly, she didn’t know how to reach such ultimate power on her own. Caulifla trusted the newcomer to help her become stronger.

12 Has An Unclear Relationship

Dragon Ball Super portrays Caulifla and Kale to be the best of friends. They're so close that they're often never seen apart on-screen. Caulifla is highly-protective of her friend and will do anything to protect her.

Anime fans may be surprised to learn that Caulifla and Kale are not close friends in the Dragon Ball manga.

Kale is only seen as a member of Caulifla's gang and has no special attachment to her. Cabba only recruits Kale because he sees potential in her, unlike the anime series. Caulifla underestimates Kale's abilities so much that she tells Kale to treat the Tournament of Power like a vacation. In both series, Caulifla learns to respect Kale as a powerful friend instead of a third-wheel.

11 Helped Inspire A Transformation...

During the Tournament of Power, Caulifla and Kale's bond is almost unbreakable. Caulifla tells Kale that she's the best friend she's ever had. She no longer thinks of Kale as a protégée but as a sister. Caulifla only wants the best for her friend. When it was time for Kale to learn how to transform into Super Saiyan mode, she failed. Cabba stated it was due to her lack of drive. She couldn't focus energy on her back like Caulifla. It wasn't until Kale sensed that she was losing her best friend to Cabba did Kale transform. She did not just turn Super Saiyan, but she reached "Uncontrollable Saiyan" or "Berserker Super Saiyan" mode. Kale only returned to normal after exhausting her stamina.

10 ...Which Was Prompted By A Serious Fit Of Jealousy

When Caulifla first witnessed Kale transform into Berserker Super Saiyan mode, she had every right to be scared. Kale was an unstoppable fighting force that couldn't be tamed. She was scared that she would lose her best friend to Cabba. Heartbroken at the thought, Kale attacked Cabba with all her might. She was prepared to eliminate Cabba to protect her relationship with Caulifla.

Cabba had already won Caulifla's respect.

Grateful that he taught her how to transform, she knew she had to stop Kale. After admitting how highly she thought of Kale, especially how they were like sisters, finally managed to calm Kale down. If not for Caulifla's kind words, Cabba would not have made it out of the fight alive.

9 Is A Teenage Powerhouse

Caulifla has spent her few years of life fighting in the streets, either alone or with her band of gangsters. She continues to fight as long as she finds it entertaining. Before meeting the Z-Fighters at the Tournament of Power, she doesn't believe she can be defeated. She's earned her massive ego after being champion for so long. Caulifla turned out to be one of the strongest fighters of Universe 6. She's so strong that Cabba specifically goes out to find her to help him win the Tournament of Power. Though she becomes distracted with defeating Goku, she puts up a tough battle against the older, slightly wiser, warrior. She may start off as over-confident, but Goku eventually earns her respect in battle.

8 Forged A Bond To Defeat Goku

When Caulifla and Goku faced off in battle, she wanted to win more than anything. It became a personal battle instead of a fight to protect their Universes. Before the fight began, she already believed that she could be crowned champion against all of the Z-Fighters.

Caulifla made the same mistake that many other Dragon Ball villains make: she underestimated him.

Goku proved to be a much stronger fighter than she expected. Goku was amused because he saw himself in her. Caulifla wasn't going down without a worthy battle. While in Super Saiyan God mode, Goku was almost invincible, though weakened by his previous battle with Jiren. Things looked tough for Caulifla, but she remembered she and Kale still had the Potara Earrings. These earrings allowed her and Kale to fuse into Kefla.

7 Can’t Be Controlled In Battle

The Z-Fighters have spent decades training themselves for the next battle to save Earth. Goku is so interested in fighting that he will leave his family for months to train. He's harnessed himself into a tough fighting machine, while Caulifla has done the opposite. Her skills, though powerful, have not been refined. Caulifla isn't able to transform into the first Super Saiyan mode without Cabba's training. When she reaches Super Saiyan 2, she admits to Goku she's unable to reach the form of her own free will. He suggests that she learn how to strengthen it before moving into Third Grade, which sacrifices speed for power. Her inexperience in battle is a setback, but luckily for her, Goku was willing to help his opponent.

6 Accepted Wisdom From A Rival

Caulifla is hot-headed and stubborn. She wants to be the very best and doesn’t want to work hard for more power. She was initially grateful to Cabba for the knowledge on how to transform into Super Saiyan mode. Caulifla believed that it was the ultimate form and that the surge in power could defeat anyone. When she initially fought Goku, she struggled.

Caulifla's mere years of brawling on the streets were nothing compared to Goku's years of training.

It wasn’t enough to defeat the main character of the series. He defeated their fused form and Caulifla finally learned he was a respectable warrior. Thankfully, Goku is impressed by her fighting abilities. He tells her there are greater forms to achieve if she works harder.

5 Thought Outside Of The Box

Transforming into Super Saiyan mode has often come after witnessing a traumatic event. Goku transformed after seeing his best friend, Krillin, be mortally wounded. To transform into the very first form, it takes a strong surge of emotions. Cabba tried to bring out these emotions in Caulifla, but it didn’t work. He further explained how the transformation felt as if there was a tingling in between her shoulder blades. Inspired by the new information, Caulifla concentrated her power to her back. That caused her to transform to the first Super Saiyan mode without a change in emotion. Grateful to learn the ability, Caulifla became more determined to help Cabba win the Tournament of Power. Some fans believed her transformation came so easily that it was unfair.

4 Eating Is More Interesting Than Fighting

Caulifla may appear to be a tough fighter, but she lacks the training and morals of the Z-Fighters. When their world is in peril, she is more interested in feasting and napping. Cabba knows how powerful that Caulifla is and asks her to help him save Universe 6. Their universe is known for protecting others.

Caulifla isn’t interested in helping anyone at first.

She would rather fight for fun and feast on delicious food. It wasn’t until Cabba twisted the situation around to tell her how she would benefit that she would take an interest. He said that he could help her reach Super Saiyan mode and achieve more power than she had as an ordinary Saiyan. Caulifla accepted his request for the opportunity to become stronger.

3 Shares A Common Interest With Goku

Fighting is what keeps many viewers watching each new episode of Dragon Ball Super. We want to see if a conflict will be resolved with wits or fists. Any viewer knows that Goku is more interested in fighting than providing for his family. He even accepts a giant suitcase of Zeni, the currency of the Dragon Ball world, from Hercule because he knows it’ll keep Chi-Chi off his back. Caulifla shares this interest with Goku. She loves watching a good fight and seeing how other brawlers use their techniques to win. She sees fighting as a fun activity and not a matter of mortality. If Caulifla would learn to stop seeing every meeting as a confrontation, she could befriend Goku in the future.

2 Made Dragon Ball History

For decades, the Dragon Ball series has not had a Super Saiyan female. A lack of Super Saiyan females in the series was not due to Toriyama’s unwillingness to add one. He just didn’t know how to draw one. When Videl transformed due to her half-Saiyan child, fans were blown away. They believed that Videl or Pan would be the first Super Saiyan fighters of the series. Unfortunately, that turned out to be false. Videl stopped fighting, and Pan didn’t transform in either DBZ or Dragon Ball Super.

Fans have often debated which female was the first to make their Super Saiyan debut.

The first real Super Saiyan transformation fans witness in the series is by Caulifla. The next groundbreaking transformation would later be by Caulifla’s best friend, Kale.

1 Part Of A Healthy Trend

Saiyans are a dominant alien race in the Dragon Ball series that takes center stage. Most of the main characters have either half or full-blooded Saiyans that can take total advantage of their heritage. Caulifla is part of this race of powerful fighters. Not only does she have all of the capabilities of her relatives, but also some of the quirkier traits. All of the full-blooded Saiyan characters of the series have names that are vegetable puns. That includes Raditz, Nappa, Vegeta, and Bardock. The main character of the Dragon Ball series, Goku, has a Saiyan name, Kakarot. Though it sounds ridiculous, Kakarot is an interesting pun on the vegetable carrot. Caulifla continues the tradition with her name, which is a pun of cauliflower.