Dragon Ball Super Illustrator Breaks Down the Symbolism Behind Moro's Design

Dragon Ball Super's manga has been pushing the series storyline forward while the anime has been on hiatus - and that includes introducing a fearsome new villain into the Dragon Ball franchise: Planet-Eater Moro. The ancient sorcerer/warrior has revealed a deeper backstory that ties him to Dragon Ball Super's divine beings - with dark magic so powerful that it even rivals the power of the gods themselves. Moro also has the distinguishing factor of having his age regress with every lifeforce he consumes, giving the villain an evolving look. In a new interview Dragon Ball Super mangaka Toyotaro breaks down the finer details of Moro's character design - and the deeper meaning behind it!

As Translated from Dragon Ball News by @Cipher_db:

"Moro he wanted to feel completely evil—a guy who, just like Piccolo Daimao, you could look at and instantly feel he has to be defeated. He didn't want to leave the feeling that this was a villain who might end up becoming an ally afterward. To accomplish this, he based Moro's design off of Western-styled demons and gave him a cloak invocative of the grim reaper."

Many Dragon Ball fans loved the first version of Moro that debuted in Super's latest arc: he appeared to be an old humanoid goat in a monk's robes, a geriatric demeanor that hid the true fearsome might, fighter's physique, and sadistic ruthlessness that Moro actually possesses. It was a nice surprise to see the villain's true power unveiled - even if Moro dynamic personality and distinct character have greatly cooled as he reached his 'Perfect' form. It's interesting to hear that Toyotaro based the villain's look off of the Western world concept of the Grim Reaper, as Moro's look and life-draining powers definitely convey that connection, on a subconscious level (that, or a Count Dracula vibe).

Interestingly enough, though, Toyotaro continues by revealing that the hardest part of Moro's character design is actually one of the most minor details of the character - namely, his horns:

The horns are the most difficult part of drawing Moro for him. Unlike a normal goats' horns, they curl upward at the end. Even though he designed Moro himself, he kind of regrets that one element. He was having trouble getting Moro's horns exactly right without reference, so he went in search of physical goat figures to work off of, but couldn't find one that met his needs. Eventually he wound up adding to a goat figure's horns with putty to create his own reference model."

You can read new Dragon Ball Super chapters online HERE.