There has been a longstanding rumor about the creation of Super Saiyan 4, with some fans attributing it to Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru and others to Akira Toriyama. However, the truth behind its origin is quite simple, as we will explore in this article.
Who Created Super Saiyan 4?
Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru was the designer of Super Saiyan 4, and Akira Toriyama himself approved of its design.
Prior to the debut of Dragon Ball GT, Toriyama revealed three coloured images in the 52nd issue of Weekly Shonen Jump in 1995. These images were later incorporated into the episodes of GT, sparking rumors after the series was released. In addition, Toriyama contributed designs for the main characters and the series logo. However, he entrusted the remaining responsibilities to the production and design team.
After his role as the chief animator and character designer in episode 200 of the Dragon Ball Z TV series, Nakatsuru continued his work at Toei Animation. Due to the overwhelming success of the show, the studio decided to move forward and produce Dragon Ball GT as a continuation of the series. However, it wasn’t until the latter half of the show that Super Saiyan 4 made its debut.
During an interview, Nakatsura mentioned how he was chosen by the producers to create the character. Despite the design being somewhat unconventional, he expressed his fondness for it and added,
“The thought behind that hairstyle was to take it in a different direction than Super Saiyan 3, and make it wild. I made the fur red because it pretty much just seemed strong; I place a lot of importance on those sorts of impressions.”
Akira Toriyama’s sketch of Super Saiyan 4 Goku byu/aj-xp inDragonBall_GT
Despite being exhausted from meeting the deadline for Dragon Ball Z, Akira Toriyama still managed to provide an illustration of Super Saiyan 4 Goku. In doing so, he also recognized Nakatsura’s original design. Due to his fatigue, Toriyama left Dragon Ball GT entirely in the hands of the anime staff, as he stated,
“Nakatsuru-kun is amazingly skilled, and mastered the peculiarities of my drawings in no time at all, to the point where there were even times when I couldn’t tell whether I had drawn a certain character design, or if he had. For instance, one of Nakatsuru-kun‘s designs was “Super Saiyan 4,” which appears in GT, and the picture above is a portrait that I drew looking off it. Did I draw it well?”
Super Saiyan 4: Canon or Non-Canon?
Super Saiyan 4 is a beloved transformation among Dragon Ball fans for its unique appearance compared to the traditional Super Saiyan forms. However, it is not considered canon in the Dragon Ball universe. This is because the series in which it was first introduced, Dragon Ball GT, is not considered canon.
Despite GT’s intention to carry on the storyline of Dragon Ball Z, it was not considered part of the official Dragon Ball canon as it was not created by the original manga’s author, Akira Toriyama.
Why is Dragon Ball GT Considered Non-Canon?
Despite being set before Dragon Ball GT, Dragon Ball Super (DBS) was released in 2015 and is considered canon for many reasons. Unlike GT, which lacked Toriyama’s involvement, DBS had the surprising involvement of Toriyama. This caused confusion for many fans who had previously deemed GT non-canon.
In contrast to GT, DBS focused heavily on the development of the main character and plot. Dragon Ball Super featured the introduction of Super Saiyan God forms, Goku mastering the Ultra Instinct form, and Vegeta unlocking Ultra Ego, all of which were absent in GT.
In addition, there was a significant disagreement regarding the appearances of returning characters. In GT, Emperor Pilaf’s group ages, whereas in DBS, they are reverted to their childhood forms. In GT, Supreme Kai remains fused with Kibito, but in DBS they separate. While Frieza is resurrected in DBS, he remains deceased in GT, implying that he has been dead since Future Trunks’ encounter in DBZ.
Despite all of this, it can be concluded that Dragon Ball GT is now regarded as a spin-off and is not considered part of the official storyline of the original franchise.
About Dragon Ball GT
Dragon Ball GT is not an adaptation of the original manga, but rather an anime-exclusive series that serves as a sequel to Dragon Ball Z. Its initial release was from 1996 to 1997.
The initial anime series depicts Goku’s transformation into a child and his subsequent journey with Pan and Trunks to explore the vastness of the universe.
The series features the Black Star Dragon Balls Saga, the Baby Saga, the Super Android 17 Saga, and the Shadow Dragons Saga.
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