The Super Saiyan 4 transformation in the Dragon Ball franchise stands out as one of its most iconic offerings. Though it is a form that requires a Saiyan to ascend beyond their normal state, what truly sets this transformation apart is the distinct physical appearance of Goku and Vegeta in this form. Steering away from the traditional blonde hair, Super Saiyan 4 introduces a unique design that emphasizes traits rooted in Saiyan heritage. Most notably, this transformation highlights their primal ape origins.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Not only is the design itself distinct, but the method of acquiring this transformation for the first time is also different. In Dragon Ball GT, Goku obtains this form by gaining control over his Golden Great Ape transformation. Meanwhile, Dragon Ball Daima portrays Goku achieving the transformation through Neva’s magical powers. The visual depiction in Daima clearly shows Neva’s magic altering something within Goku to awaken his primal ape form. Both instances confirm that Super Saiyan 4 is unlike other transformations, requiring special assistance to attain initially. This is why Goku’s conversation with Vegeta during the finale of Daima seems misleading or underplayed, as it doesn’t clearly explain how Goku was able to achieve the transformation in the first place.
Goku Only Hints at How He Managed to Access Super Saiyan 4 in Daima‘s Finale
In the finale of Dragon Ball Daima, near the end of the episode, fans finally witness Vegeta asking Goku a crucial question: was Goku keeping Super Saiyan 4 a secret? Goku’s response is either misleading or heavily undersold, which led many fans to believe that he had already attained the transformation and was simply hiding it. However, a closer interpretation of his words reveals that even Goku himself was uncertain whether Super Saiyan 4 was truly possible. Goku tells Vegeta that after the events with Buu, and realizing just how formidable Buu was, he trained relentlessly and wasn’t sure if “it” would work. This vague statement gives the impression that he developed Super Saiyan 4 on his own.
But it becomes evident that Goku was referring to whether achieving a new transformation beyond Super Saiyan 3 was even possible. His uncertainty implies that Super Saiyan 3 might be the furthest a Saiyan can push through training alone, and surpassing that level would require external assistance. Considering that Neva’s magical intervention clearly altered something within Goku, possibly even his DNA, it suggests that outside help was indeed necessary. This mirrors how Goku first achieved the transformation in GT, where he became a Golden Great Ape after his eyes were exposed to 17 million Zenoes of Blutz Waves, a special lunar energy. Daima merely adapted this concept, using Neva’s magic instead. This is what makes Goku’s statement in the Dragon Ball Daima finale either an outright lie or something he significantly undersold, failing to acknowledge that he needed Neva’s magical powers to attain the Super Saiyan 4 transformation.
Dragon Ball Daima can be streamed on Crunchyroll and Netflix.
Most Viewed
-
Image via THQ Nordic -
image courtesy of 20th Century Studios -
A closeup of a PlayStation 5 with a controller on top.
