The Dragon Ball universe is filled to the brim with all sorts of crazy and colorful characters, many whom aren’t even human (and even the humans have some distinctively inhuman features, like Tien’s third eye, Krillin’s missing nose and... whatever the heck Chiaotzu is supposed to be). Even the non-fighting background characters consist of oddball denizens such as talking dogs, dinosaurs, and too many deities to keep track of (who in turn have their own deities, which in turn abide by even higher beings of unimaginable power).

But amongst all the Namekians, Majins, and Androids that have come and gone throughout the series, no race is more synonymous with the Dragon Ball name than the Saiyans. Even though it wasn’t until halfway through the series when main protagonist Goku discovered his outer space origins, the race of super-powerful, sometimes-tailed warriors have defined the series in both spirit and especially merchandise, with new additions to the endangered clan being added constantly and nearly all of them capable of transforming into Super Saiyans.

There are so many crazy factoids surrounding the Saiyan mythology that even the most dedicated fans may have trouble cataloging them all. Fortunately, this handy list will help keep track of the craziest facts associated with the battle-hungry fighters, from some of their more commonly known quirks to recently revealed revelations that creator Akira Toriyama totally didn’t make up on the spot. Nope, it was all meticulously planned like a Game of Thrones novel.

25 Their Hunger For Battle

Getting the obvious factoid out of the way, Saiyans are known to be obsessed with fighting, constantly seeking out strong opponents but also having no qualms about eliminating weaker prey.

This obsession appears to be hereditary, as even a half-breed pacifist like Gohan will occasionally remark how excited he gets when watching his father fight against a powerful opponent. The only Saiyan who seems devoid of this trait is Future Trunks, who has experienced a lifetime of horror and always seeks the most pragmatic outcome to a situation rather than test out his strength.

24 Their Hunger For... Food

Battles aren’t the only thing that Saiyans are constantly hungry for. It seems their bellies are as bottomless as their Power Levels, as evidenced as early as Goku’s younger days, where he once ate an entire restaurant’s worth of food. It cost Master Roshi his prize money from winning the World Martial Arts tournament.

Even a prideful fighter as Vegeta has no shame in scarfing down platefuls of meat, making him every bit the glutton that his eternal rival is.

23 They Have Particular Tastes

As comical as it is to see Goku scarf down mountains of meat in an instant, it’s much less pleasant to reminisce about the other delicacies Vegeta and the other Saiyans have partaken in.

When Vegeta and Nappa are introduced, the former is seen munching on a weird thing.

Raditz seemed just as carnivorous during one sequence that showed the half-gone remains of a bear and other animals. Good thing Goku has a loving wife to keep him full every day.

22 They Like Strong Women

Many fans have often wondered how Goku and Vegeta ended up hitched to Chi Chi and Bulma, respectively. It turns out that Saiyans like their mates the same way they like their opponents: strong.

Years later in an episode of Dragon Ball Super, a random exchange between Goku and Vegeta has the latter revealing that Saiyans are instinctively attracted to strong people. This was news to Goku and an outright shock to Piccolo, who overheard the conversation and seemed to ponder the very question on why they found themselves married to these two particular Earth women.

21 The Great Ape Power-Up

Prior to Super Saiyan transformations, the source of a Saiyan’s greatest power was in their tails, though that doesn’t refer to the actual strength of their appendage. Instead, the tail allows them to transform into a Great Ape when exposed to moonlight.

Transforming doesn’t just grant an increase in stature... it also raises a Saiyan’s power tenfold. This tends to suggest that if Goku and Vegeta had kept their tails, their power would have reached even greater heights (a theory that Dragon Ball GT played with by bringing the tails back for Super Saiyan 4).

20 Getting Stronger With Every Fight

In the Namek Saga, Vegeta had revealed that Saiyans have the incredibly convenient ability to become stronger after having a mortal injury from every fight. This ability retroactively explains how Goku seemingly got stronger after his toughest scrapes and was also used to explain Bardock’s stronger-than-average Power Level as he too frequently had several close calls in his battles.

Once the saga ended, however, this factoid never got referenced again. It is unknown if this remains an unspoken rule or if Toriyama quietly decided to nix the idea.

19 They Breathe In Space (Sometimes)

When Frieza chose to destroy Planet Namek during his battle with the newly-transformed Super Saiyan Goku, he stated that he could breathe in space, while Goku would be unable to even with his newest power-up.

But we have seen Saiyans floating in space many times before, from Bardock to Vegeta. Even some of Goku’s battles, later on, would occasionally have him fighting far above the Earth. Another goof by Toriyama, or are they just conveniently holding their breath during these moments?

18 Super Saiyans Used To Be Unique

When Goku managed to transform into a Super Saiyan, it was a once-in-a-lifetime miracle, hence the reason that it was considered a legend that many Saiyans didn’t even believe in.

But this was later retconned to be a transformation that any Saiyan was capable of performing, so long as they received the right amount of training. By the time Kale and Caulifla were introduced, the once-legendary transformation was simplified to be nothing more than “a tingly feeling” one needed to focus on to achieve.

17 Nappa Used To Have Hair

The massive bruiser that once fought alongside Vegeta as his partner/retainer (at least until Vegeta decided to blast him to another place), Nappa’s most distinguishing characteristic after his massive size was his bald head.

But it turns out he once had a bit of hair, as seen during flashbacks such as the Bardock episode special (and soon, the upcoming Broly movie). It is unknown what exactly caused the dimwitted Saiyan to lose his last few precious strands, especially considering the other factoid involving Saiyan hair...

16 Pure-Blood Saiyans Retain Their Hair Shape

It is a known fact that Goku and Vegeta maintained their singular hairstyles throughout the entirety of Dragon Ball, while Gohan and Trunks sport all sorts of unique ‘dos. The reason? According to Vegeta, pure-blooded Saiyans don’t grow their hair, keeping a single shape from birth all the way to adulthood.

Half-breeds like Gohan don’t share that trait, allowing for frequent trips to the barber.

Interestingly, this doesn’t seem to apply to facial hair, considering Goku and Vegeta have sported both beards and mustaches, respectively.

15 Raditz And Turles Were Pals

Turles is one of the more obscure Saiyans found in the series: an exclusive villain for the third movie, the villainous Saiyan perfectly resembled Goku, though the resemblance is apparently coincidental.

Oddly enough, a Raditz spin-off manga revealed that he and Turles used to hang out during their younger days until the destruction of their home planet permanently separated the two. Ironic that Raditz would have a friend in the man who resembled his brother Goku (who was still a baby at the time of this story).

14 Broly Had A Power Level Of 10,000 (As A Baby)

The berserker Super Saiyan with the maximum Power Level, Broly literally came out of the womb with enough destructive power to destroy every planet in the nearest galaxy.

As a baby, Broly possessed a remarkable Power Level of 10,000. This resulted in a decree by King Vegeta to take out the child and his father, as his power greatly exceeded that of his son, the prince. Turns out he didn’t have to worry about his throne being usurped, as Frieza shortly destroyed the planet, leaving an injured baby Broly one of the few survivors.

13 Goku Had A Power Level Of 2 (As A Baby)

Meanwhile, the young baby who would grow up to be the most powerful Saiyan of all time wasn’t nearly as gifted as his crib-neighbor Broly. Known as Kakarot at the time, Goku’s Power Level upon birth was just a measly 2, which put him among the very weakest of potential Saiyan warriors.

This, of course, was to demonstrate how the underdog Goku had to work tirelessly in order to get stronger, always pushing himself beyond his limits to take out far stronger foes. It was Goku’s low-class heritage that caused the proud prince Vegeta to swear revenge, ultimately motivating him to become stronger as well.

12 Saiyan Armor Can Stretch

Though often considered an iconic garb for most Saiyans, the armor that Vegeta and other warriors wear are actually standard-issue uniforms belonging to Frieza’s forces.

More interestingly, the suits can stretch to suit any wearer’s size, including when a Saiyan transforms into a Great Ape.

This is how Vegeta is able to keep his dignity after transforming, while Goku and Gohan have previously been less fortunate as they would often be left in nothing but their birthday suits after returning to normal forms.

11 Tails Are A Weakness (For Some)

It was previously stated that tails are the source of a Saiyan’s great strength, referring to their Great Ape transformations. But for lower-class Saiyans, it is also their greatest weakness.

As a kid, Goku would often be paralyzed with pain when anyone tried to grab his tail. This also worked against Raditz, a strategy that would have paid off were it not for Goku’s naive act of mercy. The tail grabbing proved ineffective against Nappa and Vegeta, as their immense strength protected them from such tricks.

10 Planet Vegeta Belonged To The Tuffles

While the Saiyans all originally came from the same home planet, it wasn’t always known as planet Vegeta. The barbaric Saiyans actually shared the planet with a race of weaker beings with advanced technology known as Tuffles.

At first, the Saiyans were no match for the Tuffles’ advanced weaponry, but thanks to their Great Ape transformations, they eventually wiped out the civilization and took complete control of the planet, renaming it after their king Vegeta. The last surviving Tuffle swore revenge years later in Dragon Ball GT.

9 The Destruction Of Planet Vegeta Had A Different Outcome

One of the big risks of writing filler for anime is that it can often lead to contradictions with the official narrative. Such was the case with Dragon Ball Z’s anime, which originally had a different fate for the Saiyan race.

Before Frieza was even conceived, the anime chose to blame the destruction of Planet Vegeta to the Guardian of that planet (just like Kami, who is the Guardian of Earth), who rained down asteroids in order to punish the sinister Saiyans.

8 They Are Named After Vegetables

It should be no secret to anyone that Akira Toriyama likes to name his Dragon Ball characters after a type of food (or in the case of Bulma and her family, clothing).

It should also be no secret that all of the Saiyans throughout the series are named after vegetables.

Kakarot and Vegeta are self-explanatory, but there are even crazier and pun-tastic names for future characters, including Paragas, Kaulifla and Tarble. Even the parallel Saiyan homeworld that Cabba comes from shares the naming convention (Sadala).

7 There Were Female Saiyans

Before Kale and Caulifla came onto the scene and stole the hearts of fans everywhere in Dragon Ball Super, female Saiyans were an incredible rarity (and female Super Saiyans were practically non-existent beyond create-a-character versions found in games like Dragon Ball Xenoverse).

During a few flashbacks of Planet Vegeta, we did get brief glimpses of unnamed lady Saiyans. The most prominent was Fasha, a member of Bardock’s group and was once theorized by fans to be Goku’s mother (which was proven false many years later).

6 Half-Breed Saiyans Are Much Stronger

For a good majority of Dragon Ball Z, Gohan was reported to have the greatest hidden potential out of all the Saiyans, even Goku and Vegeta. This was theorized early on by Vegeta himself to be the result of mixing human and Saiyan DNA, resulting in more powerful half-breeds. Vegeta even jokingly refers to this new type of Saiyan as a “Super Saiyan.”

This genetic power-up also applied to Trunks and Goten, and supposedly Pan as well (there were originally plans to have Pan go Super Saiyan in Dragon Ball GT, only for the idea to get scrapped).