'Dragon Ball' Fan Animates Goku Going Super Saiyan 5

Dragon Ball is all about the power-ups, and in recent years Goku has given us plenty of them to fawn over. And yet, as this talented fan animator demonstrates, we still haven't seen everything yet. Watch the video above for, a fan rendition of Goku's Super Saiyan 5 transformation!

This video from Rayjii fan animations is taken from the fan-fiction series "Dragon Ball AF," and shows a fight between fan-fic character Xicor (a "son" of Goku created from mixing his DNA with a Supreme Kai's), and Goku. When Xicor unveils his special transformation (some akin to SSJ4.5), Goku must keep pace by unveiling his own power-up: Super Saiyan 5!

In this fan version, SSJ5 takes on a unique and imaginative form. It's incorporates SSJ4's mix of SSJ spikey hair and sharp features and an ape-like aesthetic, while also working in the silver themes of Ultra Instinct. It's almost like a balance between the wild savagery of a Saiyan in beast mode, with the divine calm and focus of UI - which is actually a very interesting concept to think, in the future of the Dragon Ball series. We've already made the case for why Ultra Instinct needs more focus in the anime's next installment - but there are so many fun way it could evolve and change, as you can see above.

The great thing about the Dragon Ball franchise at the moment is that fan projects like these aren't just wishful indulgences anymore - they could be legitimate auditions for ideas that could be incorporated into the franchise! Right now, the door for fan-driven Dragon Ball content is wide open, with projects like the fan-fic arcade game Dragon Ball Heroes now adding its own anime series to the lineup. If that anime can highlight non-canon crossover battles like Goku Xeno SSJ4 vs. Goku SSB, then there's no reason that characters and elements from something like Dragon Ball AF couldn't also be incorporated. At 5M views, the concept is clearly one fans are interested in.

From the advanced Super Saiyan forms of the Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball GT eras, to the divine transformations of Dragon Ball Super, Goku has leveled up in bigger ways than we could ever imagine. What do you think the next one will be? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Dragon Ball Heroes is the new promotional anime series now streaming online in Japan. Dragon Ball Super: The Movie will be released in December. Dragon Ball Super airs its English Dubs Saturday nights on Cartoon Network's Toonami.