Goku’s Super Saiyan 3 transformation was Goku’s best moment in the Buu Saga, but the event was ruined by how it was treated years later in Dragon Ball Super. In Dragon Ball canon, the Super Saiyan 3 form, which is characterized by the user losing their eyebrows and gaining significantly longer hair, is a powerful transformation that’s only been accessed by Goku and Gotenks. It lets Goku uses every ounce of his strength and multiplies it by a great deal, but the drawback is that takes a toll on his body.
In Dragon Ball Z’s Buu Saga, Goku intentionally held back his power when he fought Vegeta, and didn’t show how strong he really was until he fought Majin Buu one-on-one. It was then that Goku transcended the power of a Super Saiyan and entered into Super Saiyan 3 for the first time. His new power pushed him to new levels that allowed him to temporarily overpower Majin Buu, who was easily the strongest opponent Goku had faced at that point. In fact, at Super Saiyan 3, Goku was even more powerful than Buu, and nearly as powerful at Kid Buu.
Goku’s initial transformation into his Super Saiyan 3 form was one of Goku’s most memorable moments in the anime, and one of Goku’s best abilities. The ease in which Super Saiyan 3 Goku dealt with Majin Buu was one of the most impressive displays of Goku’s fighting ability. Also, for some unexplained reason, his Super Saiyan 3 form brought out a more serious aspect of his personality, which is something that is rarely seen from Goku. Unfortunately, as visually unique and powerful as Super Saiyan 3 was in Dragon Ball Z, it lost its allure in the next anime, Dragon Ball Super.
In Dragon Ball Super, Goku for the most part moved on from Super Saiyan 3 after the discovery of his Super Saiyan God and Super Saiyan Blue transformations. As is often the case with the Dragon Ball series, certain concepts are left behind as characters evolve and their powers increase, and this is exactly what happened to Super Saiyan 3: the form is now obsolete.
The Dragon Ball franchise has circumvented the issue of obsolescence in the past, and on multiple occasions the show found ways to keep Goku’s signature powers relevant, even as the character developed new techniques. Goku still consistently uses his first Super Saiyan form, his Kamehemeha, the Kaio-Ken technique, Instant Transmission, and more.
Super Saiyan 3, on the other hand, is barely utilized now in Dragon Ball Super. Goku uses Super Saiyan 3 only a few times in the sequel series, and each brief transformation has only minimal significance to the story. What was once Goku’s most impressive ability in the Buu Saga isn’t so special at all in Dragon Ball Super.
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