Akira Toriyama Redesigns Super Saiyan 4 for Dragon Ball Daima

At the Made in Asia Spring 2025 event in Brussels, Belgium, animator and character designer Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru revealed that Akira Toriyama, the creator of Dragon Ball, personally redesigned Super Saiyan 4 Goku for Dragon Ball Daima. The interview was conducted by DB Times, with a translation shared on Twitter by user Venixys.

Akira Toriyama Redesigns Super Saiyan 4 for Dragon Ball Daima

Nakatsuru, known for creating the original Super Saiyan 4 design for Dragon Ball GT, was asked if he was responsible for the new look in Daima. He clarified, “This time… in Daima… it was Toriyama-sensei who designed Super Saiyan 4. He made it ‘Daima’s Super Saiyan 4’.”

Differences Between Super Saiyan 4 in GT and Daima

While the Super Saiyan 4 forms in GT and Daima share similarities, there are notable differences. In GT, Goku has black hair and a cocky battle attitude. In Daima, both mini and adult Goku have magenta-crimson hair, resembling the Super Saiyan God form. Additionally, his fighting style is more monkey-like, paying homage to the Saiyan “Great Ape” lineage.

Although Toriyama did not design the original Super Saiyan 4 in GT, he did create an illustration of the character for the anime staff during the series’ DVD release.

All episodes of Dragon Ball Daima are available on Crunchyroll, with the English dub premiering on January 10, 2025.

Source: Interview