‘Dragon Ball Super’: Akira Toriyama Reveals His Inspiration for Goku Black

Goku Black was the coolest villain in Dragon Ball Super, and the inspiration behind the character just might surprise you.

Goku Black was first introduced in Dragon Ball Super‘s “Future Trunks” arc, and in an interview printed in volume four of the manga, creator Akira Toriyama revealed how this cool mirror villain came to be:

Stating that Goku Black was a type of villain he wanted to try at least once, Toriyama likens Goku Black to “False Ultra Man” or “False Kamen Rider.” He essentially wanted to create a “False Son Goku.” As for the character’s name, Toriyama jokes that it is “like Kamen Rider Black.”

For those unfamiliar with Toriyama’s reference here, he is joking about a common trope in most Tokusatsu – a Japanese live-action genre that features a ton of special effects -programs where a villain with powers comparable to the hero appears and sets the series on a new path. Kamen Rider Black in the eighth installment in Toei’s Kamen Rider series, and followed the two step brothers Kotaro and Nobuhiko as they were placed into a cyborg making program.

Kotaro decided to fight against the corporation that forced him into this and became Kamen Rider Black, while his stepbrother fell into the more villainous path and transformed into Shadow Moon, a superior Rider mostly composed of machinery.

Kamen Rider Black and Dragon Ball Super‘s “Future Trunks” arc share a parallel story at least in its roots. Goku Black was a villain who destroyed the Earth, and the last remaining remnants of humanity in Future Trunks’ parallel timeline. Goku Black had all of the powers that Goku had, and their shared fighting prowess meant Black was increasing in strength every time they fought. Goku’s usual trick of getting stronger than the villain when losing was not a valuable strategy here.

Fans quickly drew to Goku Black because of his insane strength, and Masako Nozawa’s brooding performance. Black also introduced a notable first to the series, Super Saiyan Rose, which was not only a form comparable to Goku’s Super Saiyan Blue, but even stronger.

Dragon Ball Super airs on Crunchyroll Saturday evenings at 7:15 p.m. CST. Adult Swim airs the English dub during its Toonami block Saturdays evenings at 11:30 p.m.

Does Goku Black come from a place you didn’t expect? Talk to me @Valdezology.