about one million years ago, a peaceful race of aliens landed on a high-gravity jungle world, established several colonies, and began sharing their technology with the Bronze-Age locals.

This was considered a huge mistake by everyone.

The natives, once getting a basic grasp of the tech, turned against the colonists, reverse-engineered their technology, traveled to the colonist's homeworld, wiped out the species, and re-named the planet after the current king at the time: Vegeta.

The Saiyans had made their impact.

Saiyans are primatoids that stand 25-30 feet tall on average. Since they are originally from a high-gravity world, however, they are not only ridiculously strong, but are surprisingly fast. While easily provoked, they can usually be reasoned with. However, it should be noted that Saiyans are prone to a monthly breeding cycle, usually coinciding with the lunar cycle of the local moon. During this time, they become little more than animals that destroy everything in their way.

Saiyans are extreme omnivores, and require massive amounts of food to sustain themselves.

an unusual aspect of the saiyans is that they are partial lithovores, like dragons. They metabolize certain minerals, metals, and gems, creating a volatile gas, which, upon contact with the ground remains of these items on their molars, ignites, creating a blast of fire/plasma (The exact classification is uncertain, as few who see this phenomenon up close live.

Saiyans have a certain "caste system" among their kind. All those shown so far are of the "Commoner" or worker caste, simple warriors and laborers.

Albinos are the lowest caste, and are often treated as only a little better than animals. Albinos are often kept among the slave populace on the Saiyan's colonies.

Elite Saiyans are indistinguishable from commoners, but happen to be of the "correct bloodline" to be rulers. These are often the rulers of a Saiyan colony at any given time.

Highly uncommon, Golden Saiyans are considered akin to gods given form by their people, but rather than be rulers, often are seen as high priests.

Red Saiyans are the rarest, and one has never actually been seen. These are considered the highest caste, trumping even the Elite and Gold Saiyans.

It should be noted here that female Saiyans are a caste all their own, no matter the caste of their fathers.

Female Saiyans are considered to be the more intelligent of the two sexes. While the males are warlords, generals, farmers, or warriors, it is the female Saiyans who are the strategists, tactical officers, peacekeepers, hunters, and starship captains.

In many ways, this makes them higher on the ladder than even the gold or elite Saiyans. When a female Saiyan is talking, all the males SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO HER.

When a female is talking, all the males SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO HER.

I'm sure that's one of the laws of reality

3915601 preaching to the choir, bro.

So... They're just ape-shaped beings in this reality? Not usually-human-looking like the original story?

I honestly wish I was familiar with the original storyline in its entirety, but... I was rather sheltered as a child. So I can't, by rights, even consider thinking of pulling Goku or someone else like him in myself... Dang.

5124036 Yep, they're just ape-like beings.

Magic's pretty rare once you get off the pony planet, so there was no logical way to explain how they got over the Law of Conservation of Matter that allows a 5 to 6 foot humanoid to turn into a 25 to 30 foot tall primatoid

5126280

They're aliens. It's all the excuse they need.

Mayhaps super accelerated cellular growth? Accentuated by the ki/chi/whatevs they use in-universe for their attacks, plus adrenaline?

5126376 *shrug* I just like this idea better

5126447
K then.