Dragon Ball has a long history of wacky gags and humorous panels but perhaps none have been as over the top as one particular promotion which gave a set of unfamiliar characters extraordinary power. This official piece of art gives fans the Yamcha gag they have so righteously earned after years of this character being dragged through the mud. Super Saiyan Three Yamcha is as hilarious as it is nonsensical and even speaks to fans' deeper desires to see earlier characters become relevant again.
It's no secret Dragon Ball's Yamcha is not a Saiyan, and neither is his shapeshifting accomplice Pu'ar. Yamcha is an Earthling, and was once a powerful and feared bandit who roamed the deserts. It's even implied that Yamcha had no problem killing anyone he came across if they didn't hand over their valuables. Though he may have originally possessed a battle-hungry mind like a Saiyan, the character was certainly far from the paragon of a warrior race. Yamcha was quickly relegated to a mostly exposition-delivering character, relying on his breadth of knowledge when it came to the world's martial artists and various fighting styles. In Dragon Ball Z, this Yamcha was even further humiliated thanks to his legendary death pose at the hands of the Saibamen, and his subsequent character assassination when it came to cheating on Bulma. Yamcha hasn't been able to catch a break for decades but one piece of official art shows fans what could have been.
For a Dragon Ball SD promotion celebrating the third anniversary of Saikyo Jump, there is a panel of Yamcha, Pu'ar and Kid Goku all transforming into Super Saiyan Three. Master Roshi and Krillin are also featured here, albeit less prominently and not with their own Super Saiyan forms. While transformed into a Super Saiyan Three, Yamcha adopts all of its classic traits. His hair grows out by a significant length, and his eyebrows seem to vanish. The same applies for Kid Goku, though Pu'ar funnily enough turns completely golden as he is covered in fur. This art is obviously a gag transformation as Yamcha and Pu'ar aren't even Saiyans and Kid Goku was never able to transform into any of the Super Saiyan forms.
Yamcha, Pu'ar, and Kid Goku As Super Saiyan Three
Though this transformation is clearly just a joke, it is a cheeky reminder of how far from grace Yamcha and Pu'ar have fallen. In Pu'ar's case, he was never much of a character to begin with, but Yamcha is a different story altogether. His fearsome Wolf Fang Fist and iconic status as Goku's first serious opponent have earned him a place in the hearts of many fans. Dragon Ball readers have always been clamoring for the Earthling fighters to become relevant once again after the Namek Saga left all of them but Krillin entirely irrelevant. Though it really shouldn't come in the form of Super Saiyan Three, it would be vindicating for Yamcha to receive a new transformation one of these days when Dragon Ball Super begins serialization once more,
Dragon Ball's Yamcha is one of the most beloved characters in the series, at least by his strangely dedicated cult following of a fanbase. Though he won't be turning into a Super Saiyan Three anytime soon, Dragon Ball SD's promotional panel gave readers a taste of Yamcha becoming at least slightly relevant once again.