Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball didn’t begin as a series that was obsessed with transformations, yet these triumphant milestones have become one of this story’s most celebrated elements. It’s easy to overlook Dragon Ball’s Great Ape transformation as a relic of the past, but Dragon Ball’s first transformation was the start of Goku’s iconic Super Saiyan legacy.
Toriyama developed all sorts of transformations throughout the Dragon Ball franchise, leading all the way to Goku’s Super Saiyan 4 ascension during Dragon Ball DAIMA’s final episodes. Goku’s Great Ape and Super Saiyan 4 transformations aren’t his most iconic forms, but there’s a beautiful symmetry to how they frame his heroic adventures.
Goku’s Great Ape & Super Saiyan 4 Forms Connect to His Animalistic Roots
A big reason that Dragon Ball moved away from its Great Ape transformation is that Goku and Gohan cannot control themselves in this state. For Goku, especially in the original Dragon Ballthis transformation represents Goku’s wild, rabid nature. Dragon Ball‘s iconic hero loses control of himself and truly taps into something feral that is beyond his control.
In the original Dragon BallGoku’s Great Ape form is responsible for Grandpa Gohan’s death, the destruction of Emperor Pilaf’s castle, and its surprise appearance during the 21st World Tournament even leads to the moon’s destruction. Goku’s tail is eventually removed entirely because of the dangerous liability that it presents.
Alternatively, Goku’s Super Saiyan 4 transformation reflects the same ideas, albeit in a way that takes ownership and control of these animalistic tendencies. Super Saiyan 4’s introduction in Dragon Ball GT requires the individual to first transform into a Golden Great Ape and harness that strength before it’s then redistributed into Super Saiyan 4 power. This strenuous process requires Goku to grow back his tail and return to a feral state, one in which he nearly kills his granddaughter, Pan.
It’s a temporary moment of darkness, but one that feels appropriate for Goku’s complex relationship with his Saiyan roots. Super Saiyan 4 is Goku taking an aspect of his life that was once dangerous and feared, but turning it into something heroic and beautiful. Dragon Ball GT represents Super Saiyan 4 power as the truest Saiyan ideal, which makes sense considering that it combines elements from both the Saiyans’ two extremes.
Super Saiyan 4’s surprise return in Dragon Ball DAIMA foregoes the Great Ape precursor. However, this transformation still brings back the Saiyan tail and pushes Goku into a more animalistic state. To that end, Goku’s movements while he’s in his Super Saiyan 4 Mini form mirror the frantic, frenzied gestures of Goku’s Crazy Monkey Technique from the original Dragon Ball.
Goku may not return to his Great Ape state in Dragon Ball DAIMAbut the anime’s reimagining of Super Saiyan 4 still feels like it naturally incorporates Goku’s animal instinct. If nothing else, the notable fur that covers Goku’s body in his Super Saiyan 4 form uniquely calls back to the Great Ape transformation. There’s a real poetry to how Goku’s Saiyan journey begins with this barbaric form, only for him to evolve that strength and make it his own by the end.
Goku’s First & Last Transformations Perfectly Bookend Dragon Ball’s Story
So much of Goku’s life throughout Dragon Ball‘s story has to do with the journey between these major milestones and how he’s grown, not just as a person, but also a martial artist, father, and Saiyan. It’s significant that Goku’s Great Ape and Super Saiyan 4 forms neatly represent the two sides of his journey and literally become catalysts in his life.
Goku’s Great Ape form is responsible for Grandpa Gohan’s deathwhich is ultimately what begins his adventure in the first place. It’s likely that Goku would never have left with Bulma to collect the Dragon Balls if Grandpa Gohan was still around to look after him. The tragedy is out of Goku’s control, but it’s still rather poignant that Goku’s Saiyan nature is what destroys the one pillar of humanity meant to help keep him grounded as he grew up.
Goku’s Super Saiyan 4 transformation is equally important. Super Saiyan 4 becomes essential in Dragon Ball DAIMA when Legendary Namekian Neva helps Goku awaken new power. It’s also worth pointing out that Goku’s Super Saiyan 4 transformation becomes his most useful tool in Dragon Ball GT. Super Saiyan 4 helps save the Earth from Baby, and it’s just as important in the final fight against Omega Shenron.
Goku grows in more ways than he realizes throughout Dragon Ball. Fans even poke fun at his exaggerated naivety and how certain elements of his character seem to be stuck in stasis. However, it’s really quite moving to consider that Goku’s Great Ape form kicks off his adventure as an obstacle, while Super Saiyan 4 becomes a heroic symbol that saves the day and concludes his journey. It’s an extremely satisfying and moving arc that’s too subtle for some fans to even pick up on.
Super Saiyan 4’s Return In Dragon Ball DAIMA Nostalgically Contextualizes Four Decades Of Storytelling
There’s a satisfying thematic symmetry between Goku’s Great Ape and Super Saiyan 4 transformations. These powerful Dragon Ball transformations hit extra hard because they’re steeped in memories of the franchise’s past. Dragon Ball DAIMA‘s Super Saiyan 4 calls back to Dragon Ball GT‘s ’90s references to the original Great Ape form from the ‘80s.
It’s easy for modern Dragon Ball to get so caught up in new developments that it loses sight of its history. Dragon Ball DAIMA’s use of Super Saiyan 4 and Dragon Ball GT’s incorporation of the Golden Great Ape were used as powerful throwbacks to past eras. The return of these transformations is so that Dragon Ball can build upon these ideas, reclaim them, and push them to new places.
In doing so, Super Saiyan 4’s role as Dragon Ball DAIMA and Dragon Ball GT’s final statement is so much more symbolic than if a completely new form was introduced instead. The decision to bring Super Saiyan 4 back is a full-circle moment that celebrates the entire history of Goku – but also Dragon Ball as a whole – including elements from the past that were once considered to be clunky or outdated.
Dragon Ball Super’s endgame will almost certainly introduce even more iconic transformations, but it’s hard to imagine that they’ll have the same circular elegance and impact as Akira Toriyama’s first and last Dragon Ball transformations.
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Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero
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