Dragon Ball's Best Super Saiyan Transformation Is Unsanctioned & Totally Unhinged
Before the "Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods" movie picked up the "Dragon Ball" series 17 years after the conclusion of "Dragon Ball Z," fan content was widespread and popular online among a certain subset of the franchise's fanbase. In fact, fans didn't stop sharing their own original creations even after "Dragon Ball Super" overtook "Dragon Ball GT" as the hit anime and manga series' canonical continuation. One particular short film animator Agent Mystery Meat released to YouTube in 2022 features a new Super Saiyan form that, while far from official, is well worth the attention of "Dragon Ball" fans.
The short is titled "Legend – A Dragon Ball Tale," and, as specified in its opening credits, is not tethered to "Dragon Ball "canon but an original story inspired by its world and characters. Leading up to its climax, Goku becomes enraged after seeing his future wife Chi-Chi injured and transforms in a unique manner that emphasizes his simian features. First, a dark, energetic pattern appears on his chest and lower neck before his forearms sprout extraneous body hair. He then breathes fire that warps back to envelop his head, becoming glowing hair and shrouding his face in darkness. Japanese text on-screen reads "天風の救済者," translated into English via subtitles as "the savior from heaven."
Unlike canonical Super Saiyan transformations, which typically just change Goku's hair color and enhance his natural abilities, this form revamps his fighting style completely.
Goku's transformation in A Dragon Ball Tale turns him into an ape-like berserker
In this new Super Saiyan form, Goku's tail, forearm hair, eyes, and signature hairdo all glow gold while his face is otherwise darkened. His mouth, meanwhile, is no longer human but akin to that of a vicious ape, his teeth now fanged. Matching his animalistic appearance, Goku approaches his opponent Broly running on all fours. When he unleashes his final attack alongside Vegeta, fire-like energy emanates from his mouth, once again making his significant power appear more out of control than usual. The length of time he spends fighting in this form is altogether brief, likely a byproduct of the famously strenuous nature of animation. Nevertheless, Agent Mystery Meat and his Studio Stray Dog team showcase an altogether unique spin on classic "Dragon Ball" material even in this short amount of time.
"Legend – A Dragon Ball Tale" caught on with "Dragon Ball" fans upon its release, amassing more than 12 million views on YouTube. In a popular Reddit thread, one of the top comments, by user levi2207, is dedicated entirely to its new Super Saiyan form. User Just_a_user_name_ likewise wrote, "the different take on Goku's transformation was superb." This comment received more than 90 upvotes.
Even if it's unsanctioned, Goku's transformation in "A Dragon Ball Tale" deserves to be seen by fans interested in something left field of what is typical for "Dragon Ball" that nevertheless respects what the series is at its core.