There are many anime that have built devoted audiences and communities over the years, but Dragon Ball is certainly one of the series to experience the most success. Dragon Ball has remained popularity for decades and it’s arguably just as popular now as it was during its prime in the ‘90s. It’s been exciting to watch the Dragon Ball universe grow over time and add more powerful characters and transformations into the mix.
There are many different things to love in Dragon Ball, but it’s these spectacles of transformations that get the most attention. Dragon Ball GT isn’t the most popular addition to the franchise, but its introduction of Super Saiyan 4 is a major turning point to the series. Super Saiyan 4 is a flashy sight, but there’s still a lot about it that goes misunderstood.
15 Is It Canon?
Dragon Ball GT is a contentious chapter in the Dragon Ball saga, but many viewers at least concede that Super Saiyan 4 is one of the more interesting components of the anime. The existence of Dragon Ball Super introduces Super Saiyan God to follow Super Saiyan 3, but Super Saiyan 4 is never addressed. It's pretty clear that in the main series Super Saiyan 4 isn't canon, but it's still very popular in the video games and promotional anime spin-offs.
14 Is A Tail Necessary For Super Saiyan 4?
Goku and Vegeta are the only non-fused characters to achieve Super Saiyan 4 in Dragon Ball GT and in both circumstances it's necessary that the Saiyans have their tails so that they can become Golden Great Apes. The video games get a little loose with Super Saiyan 4's requirements and characters like Gohan are able to turn into Super Saiyan 4 without a tail.
13 Is Super Saiyan 4 Stronger Than A God Of Destruction?
The Xenoverse video game series throws as much Dragon Ball lore into the games as possible and doesn't worry about what's supposedly canon or not. The games allow Beerus and Whis to witness Super Saiyan 4 and the Saiyans even contemplate that this form could conquer a God of Destruction. This isn't proven, but it does lead to Whis discussing with Goku the opportunity to become a God of Destruction, based on the form's power.
12 Can A Child Become Super Saiyan 4?
The stages of Super Saiyan come with tremendous boosts of power, but it's shown that children can still handle the transformation, including Super Saiyan 3. This is not the case with Super Saiyan 4 as it's too severe a power boost for a child's body to endure. When young Goku in Dragon Ball GT accesses the form, his body is temporarily turned into an adult so that he can endure it.
11 Does Super Saiyan 4 Have A Time Limit?
Super Saiyan 3 was a big boost for Goku in his fight against Buu, but a major setback is that it drains so much energy from the user that Goku can only use it for a brief time. A similar situation exists for Super Saiyan Blue. Super Saiyan 4 has no restriction and users stay in the form for a long time.
10 Can It Absorb Energy?
A major advantage present with Super Saiyan 4 beyond its brute strength is that it's actually able to absorb its enemy's attacks and repurpose them as energy. This is also something that's present with Super Saiyan God, but it drains the user. Here there are no consequences and it helps Goku gain the advantage several times.
9 Does The User Have To Become A Golden Great Ape First?
Super Saiyan 4 is an unusual Saiyan transformation due to how it connects more to the primitive Great Ape component of the Saiyan's past. A Saiyan has to first transform into a Golden Great Ape and then after taming the form, the user can distill that strength into Super Saiyan 4. It's a complex process and involves the effects of Blutz Waves.
8 Can Saiyan Hybrids Turn Super Saiyan 4?
Super Saiyan 4 is about Saiyan's roots more than any other transformation so it'd be understandable if only pure Saiyans could achieve the form. However, the video games allow Gohan to become Super Saiyan 4, which means that Saiyan hybrids can unlock it– although Gohan may be a unique situation since he had a tail throughout his youth.
7 Was Super Saiyan 4 Foreshadowed In Dragon Ball Z?
There’s a very interesting moment during Goku’s first Super Saiyan 3 transformation in Dragon Ball Z where he experiences a primal flashback to his people’s past. Goku sees flashes of his Great Ape form, but there’s also a moment where he sees a hybrid of his human form with his monkey form that bares a strong resemblance to Super Saiyan 4. It’s entirely possible inspiration for the design came from this brief scene.
6 How Did Vegeta Turn Super Saiyan 4?
Super Saiyan 4 has many more requirements than the other Super Saiyan transformations and one of the most important aspects is the Saiyan’s exposure to Blutz Waves. Goku is able to organically experience this during his time on New Planet Tuffle, but Vegeta stoops to alternative methods. Bulma manufactures artificial Blutz Waves to achieve the form, but it works, which shows that alternative methods can be utilized here.
