GT doesn't count so we can probably just ignore what the Kai said although it would explain the ape like form in this picture
if Bardock became a golden Oozaru.
I just re-read the Android/Cell Arc and a common complaint about that arc was that the "aliens, superhumans and robots" were always winning and I gotta say, virtually all of the "aliens, superhumans and robots" got the short end of the stick in that arc. The only person who seemed to get as much as he put him from it was Future Trunks.
Goku - Was on the verge of beating Android 19 but started to suffer a heart virus which put him out of action until the Cell Games and by that point he had fallen so far down the pecking order in terms of strength he had to invent a new form of Super Saiyan just to keep up and it still wasn't enough to defeat Cell.
Gohan - Became the strongest of the Z Fighters by a wide margin, defeated Cell and saved the universe but in the process went through a borderline case of Character Derailment that caused the deaths of Goku and Future Trunks. Only one of them were brought back to life.
Vegeta - After saving Goku's life and owning Android 19 its pretty much downhill for Vegeta after that point. He gets his ass kicked by a girl, for a brief period became the strongest character in the show... and did jack-shit except make situation even worse and was eventually beaten senseless by Perfect Cell... twice.
Future Trunks - Absolutely owned Frieza, King Cold, King Cold's soldiers, killed Larva Cell, destroyed Dr Gero's with Krillin's help, laughably beaten by Android 17 & 18, became the strongest character in the show at one point... still wasn't enough to beat Cell, goes back to his timeline and effortlessly destroys Android 17 & 18 and Cell and saves the world in his timeline.
Piccolo - Become the strongest character in the show... again. And still can defeat a significant villain... again. The best he could do was cut off Dr Gero's arm and fight evenly with Android 17 until Cell arrive and nearly killed him. Piccolo never fought again after that.
Cell - Ran rings around the Z-Fighters in his Imperfect form. Curb stomped Piccolo, Android 16, Android 17, Android 18, Vegeta (Twice!), was so much stronger than Goku during their battle he didn't even use a fraction of his power, beat the hell out of Super Saiyan Gohan and nearly destroyed the Solar System. His greatest failure... intentionally holding the Villain Ball during his fight with Gohan.
Android 16 - Good Lord. He arguably got the worst treatment of any character in that whole arc. He gets his ass kicked by Cell twice and then gets one-shotted and killed by Cell during the Cell Games and is never heard from again.
Android 17 - Fought evenly with Piccolo but was then curb stomped and absorbed by Cell and is never heard from again, save a cameo appearance in the Majin Buu Arc.
Android 18 - Beat Vegeta's ass six ways to Sunday and was eventually absorbed by Cell. Miraculously lived after being spat out by Cell, but was then Demoted to Extra in the Majin Buu Arc.
Android 19 - Nearly killed Goku but was then humiliatingly killed by Vegeta
Dr Gero - Got one of his hands cut off by Piccolo and was then effortlessly killed by Android 17
edited 9th Feb '14 3:09:09 AM by FireShadow
Note, transformations don't count as separate characters and you gain new ones for the characters by leveling them up. Also, there's 5 races for customization. (Saiyan, Majin, Android, Namekian, Changeling)
Also, neither Google Drive nor Mediafire are working for me for some reason.
edited 8th Feb '14 9:06:46 PM by Rinsankajugin
You're making me want to just write out all the transformation branches... so I will! To the best of my knowledge, anyway.
SAIYANS
Base —-> (False Super Saiyan) —-> Super Saiyan Grade I —-> Super Saiyan Grade II —-> Super Saiyan Grade III
Base —-> (Restrained Super Saiyan) —-> Super Saiyan —-> Legendary Super Saiyan —-> Legendary Super Saiyan 3
Base —-> Mastered Super Saiyan —-> Super Saiyan 2 —-> Super Saiyan 3
Base —-> Oozaru —-> Golden Oozaru —-> Super Saiyan 4
Base —-> Saiyan God
FREEZA-CLAN
3rd Suppression <—- 2nd Suppression <—- 1st Suppression <—- Base —-> Bulked-Up
Base —-> Super Form
MAJIN BUU (his transformations really don't work like the others)
Good: Good Buu <—- Fat Buu —-> Mister Buu (?)
Pure: Kid Buu —-> Buff Buu
Evil: Super Buu —-> Buucccolo —-> Buutenks —-> Buuhan
PERFECT CELL
Base —-> Powered-Up —-> Power-Weighted
Base —-> Super
OTHER
Makyans: Base —-> Super Form
Herans: Base —-> Super Form
Zarbon: Suppressed Form <—- Base
Super Nameks: Base —-> Giant Form
edited 9th Feb '14 2:44:01 AM by sockpuppet1
Good god, no.
That crappy fighting game level-up system. Oh hey, you won a fight without losing any health, here's some experience points!
GOKU has reached LEVEL 3! SUPER SAIYAN SKILL is unlocked for MULTIPLAYER!
edited 9th Feb '14 5:37:36 AM by FOFD
Bardock doesn't seem like the type to learn how to fully master Super Saiyan (let's for a second ignore how much I hate that they gave him Super Saiyan). He never seemed like the type to actively train, but the type to depend on Zenkais. He just threw himself onto the battlefield against stronger and stronger opponents, healed up and then did it again.
What I'm getting at is he shouldn't have Super Saiyan 2.
edited 9th Feb '14 9:14:24 AM by Cruherrx
"If you weren't so crazy I'd think you were insane."

I never noticed Tien was that much taller than Goku.
edited 8th Feb '14 2:16:52 PM by Kostya