Yamoshi

Yamoshi (ヤモシ) is an ancient Saiyan who could first transform into a Super Saiyan, predating Goku's transformation by a millennium. After his death, Yamoshi's spirit wandered, seeking six pure-hearted Saiyans to create a ritual that would bring forth the first Super Saiyan God. This ceremony and the subsequent transformation were key to the birth of the Super Saiyan God legend.

In Saiyan lore, Yamoshi is remembered as the Legendary Super Saiyan, a myth until Goku achieved the transformation during his battle with Frieza.

Names	Yamoshi (ヤモシ) The Legendary Super Saiyan
Gender	Male
Race	Saiyan/Saiyajin
Occupation	Warrior
Origin	Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods (ドラゴンボールＺゼット 神かみと神かみ|Doragon Bōru Zetto Kami to Kami lit. Dragon Ball Z: God and God)
Alignment	Good
Age	Over 1000
Created By	Akira Toriyama
Height	Not Stated
Weight	Not Stated

Personality

Yamoshi’s personality stands out as unusually righteous for a Saiyan, as he and his five comrades aimed to eliminate the evil within their race. In his Super Saiyan form, however, Yamoshi’s fierce nature contributed to the legend of the Super Saiyan as both powerful and destructive.

Biography

Background

Yamoshi was a Saiyan with an unusually righteous heart who lived long before the Saiyans inhabited Planet Vegeta. With five allies, Yamoshi led a rebellion against the evil Saiyans of his time. During the battle, he was forced into a corner and underwent the legendary transformation into a Super Saiyan, but ultimately, he ran out of energy and was defeated. However, Yamoshi’s spirit continued to roam, searching for someone worthy to become the next Super Saiyan God.

A sympathetic Namekian elder recorded Yamoshi’s story in the Namekian Book of Legends, preserving it for future generations.

Super Saiyan Legend

The legend of the Super Saiyan, which Vegeta mentions, describes a warrior who appeared around a thousand years before the events of Dragon Ball Z (three thousand years in the Ocean dub). The focus of the legend centers on the warrior’s immense power rather than his identity. This distinction likely arose because later Saiyan generations descended from the evil Ancients who eliminated the righteous Saiyans, erasing Yamoshi's influence.

In the Dragon Ball Z anime, a filler scene in the episode "Goku's New Power" portrays Yamoshi in a Great Ape form with golden fur instead of the usual brown. In this depiction, Yamoshi attacks people around him, and his tremendous power eventually destroys the planet he was on.

The myth of the Super Saiyan was thought to be just that—a myth—until Vegeta suspects Goku of being a Super Saiyan after he swiftly defeats the Ginyu Force on Namek. Vegeta's suspicions are confirmed when Goku transforms into a Super Saiyan during his fight with Frieza, proclaiming himself the legendary warrior.

Dragon Ball Super: God of Destruction Beerus Saga

The God of Destruction, Beerus, had a prophetic dream in which he saw Yamoshi's spirit, who appeared as a powerful warrior. This vision stuck with Beerus, and many years later, when Beerus encountered Yamoshi's spirit again while destroying a planet, he mistook it for the Super Saiyan God he sought.

During Goku's battle with Beerus, Goku initially believed he had reached the limit of his Super Saiyan God power and was on the verge of defeat. However, the "Super Saiyan God power" spoke to Goku, urging him to persevere. This encouragement allowed Goku to draw upon even more of the divine power and continue his fight against Beerus.

Trivia

• In the Dragon Ball manga, Vegeta's explanation of the Super Saiyan legend is delivered through his monologue, but it does not include any visual depiction, unlike the anime.
• Yamoshi's name is a play on the Japanese word "Moyashi" (もやし), meaning "bean sprouts." This pun aligns with the Saiyan naming tradition based on food items and symbolizes Yamoshi as the "seed" from which the legends of Super Saiyan and Super Saiyan God originated.