You’re hovering over Conton City, looking at your custom character, and it hits you. You’re weak. Or maybe not weak, but you aren't "Super Saiyan Blue Kaioken" strong yet. Transformations in Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 aren't just flashy hair color swaps; they are the literal engine of the game’s meta. If you pick the wrong one, you’re basically fighting with one hand tied behind your back, especially when you jump into the sweat-fest that is Ranked PVP.
Honestly, it’s a bit overwhelming. Back when the game launched in 2016, we had a handful of options. Now? Between the free updates and the DLC drops like Legendary Pack 2 and the Hero of Justice packs, the list is massive. You’ve got Beast, Power Unleashed, Ultra Instinct, and a dozen flavors of Super Saiyan.
The Saiyan Bias is Real
Let’s be real for a second. Dimps loves Saiyans. If you’re playing a Human or a Namekian, you’ve probably felt that pang of jealousy watching a Saiyan player cycle through five different stages of power. Super Saiyan is the bread and butter. It’s simple. You’ve got the standard 1, 2, and 3. Most people ignore these now because the strike and ki blast buffs are outclassed by newer forms, but Super Saiyan 3 still has that niche utility of massive physical defense and strike damage.
Then there’s Super Vegeta. It’s for the spammers. If you want to sit in the back and chuck Final Flashes, this is your go-to because it prioritizes Ki Blasts over everything else. But then things got weird with Future Super Saiyan. It’s faster. The stamina recovery is actually decent. It’s arguably the best "standard" form for people who play aggressively and don't want to deal with the ki drain of the god forms.
The Blue Problem
Speaking of god forms, Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan (SSGSS)—or just Blue—used to be a nightmare to use. The ki drain was so aggressive you basically had to build your entire Super Soul setup around just staying transformed. It felt like a chore. However, after several balance patches, the drain was nerfed. Now, if you pair Blue or Blue Evolved with a Super Soul like "Our powers combined! Ga-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga!" or "Right then, let's begin the experiment," you can maintain that 35% damage boost indefinitely. Blue Evolved is the nuclear option. It gives you a 35% boost to all damage. That’s absurd. You will melt health bars, but if you lose focus for one second and your ki hits zero, you’re detransformed and vulnerable.
Why Everyone is Using Beast Right Now
If you’ve played a single online match recently, you’ve seen the hair. The giant, silver, gravity-defying hair. The Beast transformation, added in the Hero of Justice Pack 2 update, changed the game because it's universal. It doesn't matter if you're a Frizzie (Frieza Race) or a Majin; you can go Beast.
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The damage is terrifying. We are talking about a 30% increase across the board.
But there is a catch. There's always a catch.
You take more damage. Significantly more. It’s the ultimate glass cannon build. If you get caught in a stamina break while in Beast form, the match is basically over. You’ll watch your health evaporate. Also, the transformation animation is long. Really long. If you don't knock your opponent away or break their stamina first, they will just heavy-hit you out of the startup and you’ll waste five bars of ki for nothing.
The "Quiet" Power of Potential Unleashed
While everyone is chasing the newest shiny aura, the veterans are often sticking with Potential Unleashed. Why? Because it’s consistent. It requires five bars of ki to activate, but it doesn't drain anything. It gives a solid 15% boost to everything and increases your ki recovery.
It’s the "safe" pick.
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In a high-stakes PVP match, consistency beats raw power almost every time. You don't have to worry about your hair turning black mid-combo because you ran out of juice. You just fight. It’s boring, sure, but it wins tournaments.
What Most People Get Wrong About Ultra Instinct
When Ultra Instinct finally dropped as a playable transformation for CaCs (Create-a-Characters), the community lost its mind. But then people actually used it.
It’s tricky. It’s not a damage form. If you’re looking to hit harder, UI is a disappointment. Its primary function is the auto-dodge. While standing still or moving, you’ll automatically dodge basic strikes at the cost of stamina. This is a trap for bad players. They stand there, let the opponent hit them, drain their own stamina, and get broken in thirty seconds.
The real secret to Ultra Instinct in Xenoverse 2 is the counter. The Surging Spirit ki charge and the unique counter-movements make it a defensive masterpiece in the hands of someone who knows how to manage stamina. It’s a flex. It’s telling your opponent, "I don't need a damage buff to beat you."
Race-Specific Forms: The Good and the Ugly
- Golden Form (Frieza Race): This is still arguably the best ki-blast form in the game. It turns your basic ki blasts into literal death beams. You can win entire Parallel Quests just by pressing the circle/B button.
- Giant Form (Namekian): It’s been nerfed into the ground, then buffed, then nerfed again. It’s fun for a laugh, but the stamina drain makes you a huge target.
- Purification (Majin): Most people hate this because it changes your moveset to Kid Buu’s. But if you actually learn Kid Buu’s combos, it’s one of the most oppressive forms in the game because of the speed and the "Quick Sleep" recovery move.
- Power Pole Pro (Earthling): Just... don't. Unless you’re doing a themed challenge, the lack of a block makes it a liability in any serious fight.
The Math Behind the Damage
If you're a numbers person, you need to understand how these stack. Transformations in Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 use multiplicative or additive modifiers depending on your Super Soul. For example, using Super Saiyan God (the red one) doesn't actually give you a massive boost to Super moves. Instead, it gives a massive 50% boost to your basic attack power and ki recovery on hits. It turns you into a combo machine.
If you pair Super Saiyan God with a Super Soul like "I'll make you regret that!" you can reach basic attack numbers that outpace most Ultimate attacks. It’s a completely different way to play the game than the typical "spam ki blasts" meta.
Choosing Your Path
Don't just pick what looks cool. Well, do that if you're just playing the story, because the story is easy. But if you're hitting the Expert Mission Tours or the DLC 16/17 content, you need a strategy.
- For Raids: Go Blue Evolved or Golden Form. You need maximum damage in a short window.
- For Long Parallel Quests: Potential Unleashed or Super Saiyan God. You need sustain.
- For PVP: Future Super Saiyan or Beast (if you're confident in your vanish timing).
The reality is that Xenoverse 2 is a game of resource management. Your transformation is your biggest resource. If you treat it like a cosmetic, you’re going to lose. If you treat it like a tactical buff, you’ll dominate.
Next Steps for Your Build
Go to the Training Area and check your damage numbers with "Potential Unleashed" versus "Beast." You might find that the 15% extra damage from Beast isn't worth the 20% extra damage you take, especially if your health stat is low. Check your Super Soul descriptions carefully; many of them only activate after you transform, meaning the first 30 seconds of the match you're playing at base power. Sync your transformation's strengths with your QQ Bang to maximize your efficiency. For example, don't run Super Vegeta if your QQ Bang has a -5 in Ki Blast Supers. Align your stats, and you'll see why these forms are the core of the Xenoverse experience.