There has been much debate as to how and when Goku actually unlocked Super Saiyan 4 in Dragon Ball DAIMA. At face value, it looks like Neva pulled the SSJ4 out of Goku, but dialogue later in the series suggests that he actually already had access to the Super Saiayn 4 all along and just couldn't transform on his own in his mini body. Things got even muddier when Dragon Ball Z: KakarotDAIMA DLC released with a brand new ending added on top of anime lore.
Adding more fuel to the fire is the inclusion of Super Saiyan 4 Goku Dragon Ball FighterZ. Arc System Works went out of their way to include a line of dialogue between Goku and Kid Buu that is a direct contradiction Kakarot's ending cutscene. More importantly, however, Dragon Ball FighterZ strongly based on Dragon Ball DAIMA anime, using evidence from the series to confirm once and for all the true way Goku unlocked Super Saiyan 4 — and in the end, it turns out he didn't need Neva's help.
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Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot implies Goku never used Super Saiyan 4 before the fight with Gomah
IN Dragon Ball Z: KakarotIn the DAIMA DLC, Goku tells Panzy in the game's final cutscene, “This might sound crazy, but I JUST got used to being tiny. I mean, I got to Super Saiyan 4 and everything…”. The wording of his comment strongly suggests that he didn't use Super Saiyan 4 until he was in his miniature body. From Kakarot contains lore based on Akira Toriyama's notes for the series, it wouldn't be amiss to take Goku at face value. At the same time, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot uses this piece of dialogue to introduce the Mini Bugs, allowing Goku to temporarily become a child again.
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In retrospect and in light of new evidence from Dragon Ball FighterZThe purpose of this scene is clearly to justify the game allowing players to still control Mini Goku after the final battle, as opposed to hard and fast confirming that he only unlocked SSJ4 with Neva. The only gray area is the fact that Goku raised Super Saiyan 4 at all. That said, since the post-game DAIMA DLC doesn't allow players to use Adult Goku, this goes back and is simply a bridge to help make sense of the game.
Goku Unlocking Super Saiyan 4 itself is supported by Dragon Ball DAIMA anime
While fighting Kid Buu Dragon Ball FighterZ reveal trailer for Super Saiyan 4 Goku, Goku tells Buu, “Thanks for pushing me to my limit. I trained harder because of you.” This is a direct link to Goku and Vegeta's conversation Dragon Ball DAIMA Episode 20. Vegeta accuses Goku of keeping the transformation from him, to which Goku replies, “You mean Super Saiyan 4? Buu was really strong, so I trained a lot after the fight with him.” This piece of dialogue basically confirms that Goku unlocked Super Saiyan 4 not through magic, but through intense training after his fight with Kid Buu.
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The main evidence against Goku unlocking Super Saiyan 4 on his own is that he says he wasn't sure if the form would work, but he could be referring to SSJ4 in reference to his mini body. There's also the fact that Goku wouldn't have been able to use Super Saiyan 4 in a real fight by then. Dragon Ball DAIMAThe producers confirmed that Akira Toriyama personally wrote all the dialogue in the anime. Arc System Works has also made a name for itself by trying to be as accurate as possible Dragon Ball manga and anime as possible Dragon Ball FighterZright down to how the characters move and talk to each other.
When it comes down to it, KakarotThe implication that Goku unlocked Super Saiyan 4 because of Neva only exists as a justification for the game, while Dragon Ball FighterZThe dialogue between Goku and Kid Buu is rooted in Dragon Ball DAIMA anime. All these signs confirm that Goku unlocked Super Saiyan 4 after the battle with Kid Buu and only needed Neva's help because he was in a smaller body and couldn't use all of his Ki.
- Release date
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2024–2025
- Network
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Fuji TV, Kansai TV, Tokai Television Broadcasting, Fukui TV, Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting, Iwate Menkoi Television, Sendai Television, SAGA TV, TNC, OHK, Ishikawa TV, Kochi Sun Sun Broadcasting, TV Shizuoka, UMK TV Miyazaki, Television Shin Hiroshima, Sa Tkuranbo TV, NTS, NTS Broadcast, NTS NIB, KKT, Fukushima TV, TOS, AKT, Toyama Television, Okinawa Television Broadcasting
- directors
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Kazuya Karasawa, Ryuta Kawahara
- Writers
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Akira Toriyama
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Masako Nozawa
Son Goku (mini) (voice)
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Koki Uchiyama
Gloria (voice)
