the fan-favorite Super Saiyan 4.

After a long period of inactivity, Dragon Ball resumed production with two films in the early 2010s, which eventually steered the series towards the Dragon Ball Super canon timeline of events. The introduction of Super Saiyan God effectively drove Dragon Ball GT into non-canon status, and along with it, went its most beloved Saiyan transformation. Now, nearly three decades after Super Saiyan 4 was introduced, the form has returned better than ever before.

Dragon Ball Daima Has Returned Super Saiyan 4 to Canon Status

The Long-Time Fan-Favorite Form Is Finally Back

Newer fans of the Dragon Ball franchise might have a difficult time believing that, long before battles between gods and extinct warrior races were even a thought in Akira Toriyama's mind, Super Saiyan 4 was the pinnacle of Dragon Ball. Goku and Vegeta had reached their peaks, and the culmination of Saiyan pride and power was represented in a form which called back to the Giant Apes that once terrorized planets throughout the universe. For years, when Dragon Ball went dormant, fans around the world ed their time by researching Super Saiyan forms that might follow.

When Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods released in 2013, dreams of mythical Super Saiyan 5s, which often involved huge hair and color swaps with Super Saiyan 4, were crushed. Now, in a development so few saw coming, Super Saiyan 4 has returned, likely scratching an itch fans of GT could never quite reach. Daima's take on the form isn't exactly identical to the original design, however, and is more of a modern reimagining that pays respect to GT's Super Saiyan 4, while offering something new.

Daima's Super Saiyan 4 Is a New Take on the Classic Transformation

The New Super Saiyan 4 Comes With a Sleek Redesign

The original Super Saiyan 4 design was created by Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru, a longtime character designer and animator for many of Dragon Ball's anime adaptations. Akira Toriyama once claimed that he often had trouble differentiating Nakatsuru's drawings from his own, and only once realizing that a character's muscles were drawn better than he was capable of drawing them, would he be able to tell the difference. That's high praise to receive from a manga master.

Nearly 30 years later, Nakatsuru once again designed Super Saiyan 4 for Dragon Ball Daima, and created a form that respected his original design, while adding some new flavor. Goku's hair, fur, and tail are near identical to GT's version of the transformation, with major differences coming in the colors of the form. The Saiyan's hair now takes on a red color, similar to Gogeta or Dragon Ball Heroes' Super Full Power Saiyan 4 Limit Breaker. His pupils are also red, while his entire body is enveloped in a white glow.

The most notable difference in the new-look Super Saiyan 4 comes with Goku's enlarged hands and forearms, similar to those of an ape. Though the fight with Gomah was short-lived, Goku took on a sort of ape-like fighting style, most evident in the way he charged towards the ruler of the Demon Realm. Nakatsuru's original goal with the form was to express a primal power, and his new Super Saiyan 4 design incorporates even more of the Saiyans' Giant Ape roots.

Daima's Finale Might Come With a Super Saiyan 4 Surprise

Another Member of the Group Deserves to Use the Transformation

Though Daima has already done Vegeta a service by giving him Super Saiyan 3, the prince has fallen behind his rival once more. If the anime truly wants to revisit its Grand Tour roots, the proudest Saiyan warrior might very well Goku in unlocking the new transformation. Gomah overpowered Dragon Ball's protagonist even after his large power-up, and there is no better candidate to offer some help than Vegeta.

If two Super Saiyan 4 fighters still aren't enough to take down the evil king, fans might just be treated to the an all-new one-shot chapter, and with the return of Super Saiyan 4, fans will want to be on the look-out for the form in future installments.

Source: Dragon Ball Z TV Anime Guide, Akira Toriyama x Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru (translations by Kanzenshuu)