Dragon Ball Z: What Does SSJ Mean?

Dragon Ball is a household name, and almost everyone has heard the term Super Saiyan before. Goku's episodes-long power ups, and his transformation from messy black to spiky yellow hair have become iconic – both inside and out of the anime fandom. Yet, there's still a detail about Super Saiyans that remains a mystery to many: the meaning and purpose behind the common naming convention "SSJ." For Dragon Ball fans, SSJ standing for Super Saiyan is nothing new. In fact, it's pretty obvious based on how people use the term in the fandom. When Goku turns SSJ4 in Dragon Ball GT, everyone understands that he's turning Super Saiyan Four, just as Gohan's SSJ2 form during the Cell Saga is clearly referring to his Super Saiyan Two transformation. However, like many terms people use on a daily basis, the actual etymology behind SSJ is complicated. After all, there's no J in Super Saiyan. SSJ has become like many words and phrases that people use every day and take for granted, but its true meaning...