Dragon Ball Z’s transformations have influenced even Godzilla

The enduring impact of Dragon Ball Z may have served as inspiration for many of the most renowned anime series still popular today. One Piece, Naruto, and various other Shounen series may have drawn inspiration from the series and its creator, Akira Toriyama.

Nevertheless, there are a few allusions in different fields that may escape the knowledge of fans. In fact, the recently released Hollywood film Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, which premiered in late March 2024, contains a reference to one of these. Surprisingly, the Creature Designer of the series himself unveiled that one of the dinosaur monsters in the movie was influenced by Goku’s Kaio-ken.

A user named @BasedPota18 shared the comments of the Creature Designer for the latest Godzilla film. The designer responded to a skeptic questioning the origins of a dinosaur monster with rose-scaled skin. While there was a misconception among fans, the designer quickly cleared it up.

Fans’ Reactions to the Dragon Ball Z Easter Egg in the Latest Godzilla Movie

The fifth installment of the Monsterverse franchise in the Godzilla series, titled Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, was released on March 29, 2024. As anticipated, the film was a worldwide success, with its plot revolving around a battle between Godzilla and Kong, a colossal gorilla-like creature.

Upon noticing the pink scales on the Godzilla in the series, a fan drew a connection to the transformation of Goku Black, Super Saiyan Rose, in Dragon Ball Super. However, any confusion was quickly dispelled when the creature designer of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire responded and clarified the similarity.

Goku in his Kaio-ken form (Image via Toei Animation)

Despite being a good source of inspiration, Super Saiyan Rose was not the original basis for the Godzilla form in the series. Instead, the foundation for this transformation can be traced back to an older Goku form known as Kaio-ken, which was introduced by King Kai during the Dragon Ball Z series.

The technique demanded precise manipulation of one’s ki and amplified it with each passing pulse. The X practitioner disclosed this information, causing immense excitement among fans for this significant revelation.

Godzilla fans thrilled by Kaio-ken nod in latest film appearance

The internet has been buzzing with excitement as fans react to one of the most iconic anime transformations being acknowledged in Hollywood. While some fans praised the design, others speculated about the future of the series and the possibility of even more references from Dragon Ball Z.

“Bro is absolutely going to show up with Gold Scales next movie.”

Vegeta in his Super Saiyan form (Image via Toei Animation)

One fan speculated that future sequels to Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire could potentially feature the dinosaur monster with golden scales, which would be reminiscent of the powerful Super Saiyan form in the series.

The Super Saiyan transformation was initially unlocked by Son Goku during his epic battle against Frieza on Planet Namek. This powerful form is attained by pushing beyond the boundaries of a Saiyan’s capabilities and tapping into intense emotional states. Given that Kaio-ken has already been utilized, there may be a possibility of the Super Saiyan form being referenced in the future.

“Even the King of the Monsters can learn a thing or two from Goku.”

Gohan feasting on a dinosaur's tail (Image via Toei Animation) — Gohan feasting on a dinosaur’s tail (Image via Toei Animation)

A fan playfully remarked that Son Goku could teach the King of Monsters, Godzilla, a thing or two. This statement may seem ironic because in the series, dinosaurs were considered to be emergency food by the Saiyan, similar to the time when Gohan ate a dinosaur’s tail every day.

“That’s funny to think about considering Cell Max was inspired by Shin-Godzilla.”

A fan contributed another reference inspired by the discussion, but it went in the opposite direction. In the Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO, Cell’s transformation paid tribute to Shin-Godzilla, the dinosaur monster from the 2016 film. This further demonstrated the mutual appreciation between Akira Toriyama, the creator of Dragon Ball, and Godzilla, as Toriyama incorporated elements from the latter’s series.

The rarest Super Saiyan form in Dragon Ball appeared only once in Dragon Ball Z (& was missed by everyone).