Dragon Ball Daima’s Finale Explains Super Saiyan 4’s Origin (And Fans Might Not Like It)

Since Son Goku unleashed the power of Super Saiyan 4 in Dragon Ball Daima, many shonen fans have been wondering where it comes from. Was this a power that Neva The Namekian only had access to? Was Goku able to tap into his Saiyan ancestry to achieve the form? Why wasn’t it featured in Dragon Ball Super if Daima is canon? The mystery of where “SSJ4” comes from has been revealed in the twentieth episode of the new anime and fans might not be too thrilled to learn just how Goku managed to achieve the form that first made its appearance in Dragon Ball GT.

Warning. If you don’t want to be spoiled on Dragon Ball Daima’s final episode, which has already aired in Japan, be forewarned that we’ll be dropping massive spoilers. When Neva was able to place his hand over Mini-Goku, many anime fans believed that the Namekian gave the Z-Fighter the power of Super Saiyan 4. In a wild twist, Goku confirms in the series finale that he had always had the power to transform into this state, thanks to training in the background following the fight against Majin Buu. What Neva did was awaken his ability to use the form in his child-like body, helping him to stand a chance against Gomah the Demon Lord. Needless to say, it will be interesting to see how the fan community responds to this reveal.

[RELATED: Dragon Ball Daima: Everything We Know About The New Super Saiyan 4]

A Super Saiyan Blunder?

Unfortunately, the Super Saiyan 4 origin does line up with several other transformations from the shonen series. Super Saiyan 3 was explained in a similar fashion, as Goku used training in the afterlife to achieve the form against Majin Buu. On a similar wavelength, Goku and Vegeta achieved Super Saiyan Blue by training with Beerus and Whis in Dragon Ball Super, not needing the death of Krillin or Android 16 to help them achieve greatness.

While this origin might be a disappointment to many, Goku did put the transformation to good use in the series finale. Super Saiyan 4 aided the Z-Fighters in defeating Gomah, blowing a hole in his chest and giving Majin Kuu the opportunity to knock the Evil Third Eye off his forehead. With Gomah now defeated, Kuu has become the new king of the Demon Realm in quite the twist, looking to bring about a new age of prosperity as the Z-Fighters depart.

Dragon Ball Super: Super Saiyan 4?

The question now remains, if Goku could always go Super Saiyan 4 in Dragon Ball Daima, why did he never do so in Dragon Ball Super? It’s understandable that transformations like Super Saiyan God, Super Saiyan Blue, and Ultra Instinct are stronger but in his initial confrontation with Beerus, he states that Super Saiyan 3 was the highest that he could go transformation-wise. It is entirely possible, with artist Toyotaro looking to continue the manga following Akira Toriyama’s passing, that Goku could unleash the form in Dragon Ball Super’s future but this big reveal will leave many scratching their heads.

Ultimately, deciding to make it so that Goku learned Super Saiyan 4 off-screen will be a bitter pill to swallow for many fans. Dragon Ball GT saw Son achieve the level in the fight against Baby thanks to connecting with his Saiyan lineage and receiving a boost from his granddaughter Pan, while Vegeta found a workaround thanks to help from Bulma. Throughout Daima’s run, the anime has been listed as “canon”, taking place between the death of Kid Buu and before Beerus arrived on Earth, though now, that fact will be questioned quite often.

Despite the fact that Dragon Ball fans might be disappointed with this explanation, Daima was still one of the final works from creator Akira Toriyama, adding quite a bit to the Z-Fighter lore. The finale itself aired on the anniversary of the manga artist’s passing, working to honor Toriyama once again for his contribution to the world. Fingers crossed that elements from Daima will be a part of the series’ future moving forward.

Want to keep up with the backlash on Super Saiyan 4? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on Dragon Ball Daima and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.