Goku's Surprising Evolution: Super Saiyan 4 in Dragon Ball DAIMA

Episode 18 of Dragon Ball DAIMA completely upended the expectations of many anime and manga fans. In this installment, Goku reaches the legendary Super Saiyan 4 to face King Gomah, a villain who bursts into the story with a menacing power capable of putting all of Earth's defenders in check. The most intriguing part is that this event, considered non-canon for years due to its origin in Dragon Ball GT, is now officially part of the narrative, endorsed by none other than Akira Toriyama himself.

The episode, titled "Awakening," features an all-out battle in which Goku and his allies struggle against the overwhelming power of the Third Eye, the technique that turns Gomah into a true machine of destruction. At the last moment, the appearance of Super Saiyan 4 changes the rules of the game. The drama intensifies thanks to a detail that the most devoted followers of Japanese culture are already discussing on social media: the possibility that this new transformation is only accessible in the mysterious Demon Realm, a parallel space where power operates under different rules than the ones we know.

A twist in the official Dragon Ball timeline

What's fascinating is that the story of Dragon Ball DAIMA takes place between the end of the Majin Buu saga and the beginning of Dragon Ball Super. According to the official chronology, this occurs in the year 775, just after the defeat of Kid Buu. However, nothing had suggested that Goku had the Super Saiyan 4 transformation in his repertoire during future events like the Tournament of Power. This apparent plot gap could be explained by the form depending on unique conditions tied to the Demon Realm and the intervention of characters like Neva, the mysterious Namekian responsible for forging the Demon Realm Dragon Balls.

The animation is handled by Toei Animation and, despite the series concluding on February 28, expectations keep growing. Various outlets specializing in manga and anime point out that the plot, supervised by Toriyama, is bringing a new dynamic to Japanese culture surrounding Dragon Ball, a phenomenon that never stops reinventing itself. The voice cast adds a special charm, with Masako Nozawa reprising the role of Goku and a team of seiyuus that includes popular names like Tomokazu Seki and Yoko Hikasa, among other industry talents.

Many fans speculate that Super Saiyan 4 could be an ephemeral resource that disappears once the conflict with King Gomah ends, which would justify the absence of this form in later arcs of the official chronology. In any case, this episode confirms that, at least in Dragon Ball DAIMA, Super Saiyan 4 is now part of the canon. The result is a tribute to Toriyama's creativity, who continues to surprise with unexpected twists and expand the horizons of a universe that, decades later, still sets the pace in pop culture.

Will there be repercussions beyond this episode? Many are waiting to see how this transformation will (or won't) be integrated into future animated projects or manga adaptations. What's certain is that fans' passion has been ignited once again, and the debate over the limits of Dragon Ball canon is far from over. With or without Super Saiyan 4, Akira Toriyama's work proves that there is always room for innovation within one of the most beloved sagas of Japanese culture.