In Dragon Ball GT, Goku and Vegeta managed to attain a level of power that, until the release of Dragon Ball Super and Dragon Ball Daima, was the be-all end-all transformation in a series chock-full of them. Dubbed Super Saiyan 4, this form not only looked badass but gave Goku and Vegeta abilities that made all their previous transformations look tame in comparison, with Super Saiyan 4 originally foreshadowed by a character hailing not from Dragon Ball GT, but from Dragon Ball Z!

Premiering in an episode of Dragon Ball GT titled “Goku’s Ascension,” Super Saiyan 4 was a mind-blowing transformation that saw Goku supercharge his abilities in a way that put him leagues above anyone he went up against, with the uncharacteristic ego acquired from the form’s ultimate power being the only thing stopping Goku from wiping the floor with his enemies in an even simpler manner.

Though Super Saiyan 4 is heralded as one of the few saving graces of Dragon Ball GT’s divisive 64-episode run and set the standard for power level ceilings well before Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods introduced Super Saiyan God, the debut of Super Saiyan 4 was once foretold by a mysterious character from Dragon Ball Z named Yamoshi, the “Legendary Super Saiyan” of myth.

Yamoshi Likely Reached Super Saiyan 4 Well Before Dragon Ball GT Ever Introduced It

Yamoshi Clearly Transformed Into a Golden Ape in Dragon Ball GT

Introduced in the Dragon Ball Z episode titled “Goku’s New Power” when Vegeta mentions that Goku is the first Saiyan to go Super Saiyan in over a thousand years, the anime then cuts to images of a Saiyan in the Great Ape form thrashing about with distinct yellow fur, implying that Yamoshi is indeed in the Golden Great Ape form that acts as the first step in unlocking Super Saiyan 4. Foreshadowing a transformation that wouldn’t even be hinted at until almost halfway through Dragon Ball GT, this seemingly inconsequential scene became an incredibly prescient promise of what would come.

Following with the observation that Yamoshi was in his Golden Great Ape form during his brief Dragon Ball Z appearance, it stands to reason that he could have transformed into Super Saiyan 4 next, with his status as the “Legendary Super Saiyan” only bolstering Yamoshi’s chances at attaining it as he was already a once in a millennium warrior. Furthermore, the Dragon Ball GT: Perfect File supplemental books even state that Yamoshi had probably unlocked the Super Saiyan 4 form at some point before his death, bringing this theory into plausible territory, at least where Dragon Ball GT is concerned.

Yamoshi May Have Been the First Super Saiyan 4, but Goku Perfected the Form

Goku Transformed Into Super Saiyan 4 in Dragon Ball GT and Dragon Ball Daima

Unseen in any other capacity save for a brief mention of him when Beerus spoke about Yamoshi’s ties to the Saiyan ritual needed to bring about Goku’s Super Saiyan God form in the Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods film, Yamoshi is still the first person to potentially reach the Super Saiyan 4 level, despite him not being the last. Commanding power that was unheard of at the time, Super Saiyan 4 Goku’s might increased exponentially after Vegeta ascended and fused with Goku to create the nigh-omnipotent Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta, attaining a power that Yamoshi could only dream of.

While it’s never officially been confirmed that Yamoshi has ascended to any Super Saiyan level other than the first, it could be argued that, since he’s referred to as the “Legendary Super Saiyan,” Yamoshi, much like the other Legendary Super Saiyan in Broly, could have tapped into this power too. Regardless, from the limited information fans have about Yamoshi mixed with the brief glimpse of him sporting golden fur in his Great Ape form, it’s safe to say that Yamoshi, as first seen in Dragon Ball Z’s anime, hinted at Super Saiyan 4 well before Dragon Ball GT ever did!