Goku Black observations

[Travis Touchdown]

I was wondering your thoughts on these two observations . If these were already pointed out, let me know.

1. Goku Black is darker complected than Goku. Do you think he’s meant to represent Dragon Ball GT given GT’s general unpopularity? Goku was similarly tanned in GT. Or do you think I’m just looking too far into a design choice?

2. Given the way his eyes were drawn and how he matched SS2 Goku, do you think Zamasu unlocked Goku’s power in the same vein as Elder Kai did Gohan, meaning Goku Black was actually Ultimate/Mystic Goku Black?

[Firebolt]

1. It's probably just an artistic choice to seperate Goku Black from Goku. Similarly, Black's hair was also coloured all-black, unlike Goku who had some highlights on his hair.

2. I see it as Zamasu's divine ki fusing with Goku's making him a lot stronger, but you can interpret it however you like. I don't think he could go Rose if his power was unlocked though.

[Neon Z]

I was wondering your thoughts on these two observations . If these were already pointed out, let me know.

1. Goku Black is darker complected than Goku. Do you think he’s meant to represent Dragon Ball GT given GT’s general unpopularity? Goku was similarly tanned in GT. Or do you think I’m just looking too far into a design choice?

Toriyama uses a darker skin tone for Goku than the one used by the anime (It varied during the manga's run, but afterwards he mostly went with this darker color). Although Yamamoto revamped most of Toriyama's designs in BoGs, and also Freeza's, Goku's and Vegeta's in RoF's, during most of Super he was following Toriyama's new art very closely, even regarding proportions and color choices, so Black ends up tanner and thinner than Goku due to sticking closer to Toriyama's current art style.

2. Given the way his eyes were drawn and how he matched SS2 Goku, do you think Zamasu unlocked Goku’s power in the same vein as Elder Kai did Gohan, meaning Goku Black was actually Ultimate/Mystic Goku Black?

That wasn't a Kai power though, it came from a witch, so, no.

[SupremeKai25]

1. Goku Black is darker complected than Goku. Do you think he’s meant to represent Dragon Ball GT given GT’s general unpopularity? Goku was similarly tanned in GT. Or do you think I’m just looking too far into a design choice?

He's also thinner than Goku, so I think it's just a visual indication to make Goku Black stand out from normal Goku. I think it also gives him a more eerie and menacing look.

2. Given the way his eyes were drawn and how he matched SS2 Goku, do you think Zamasu unlocked Goku’s power in the same vein as Elder Kai did Gohan, meaning Goku Black was actually Ultimate/Mystic Goku Black?

In the manga, It is revealed that initially Black had trouble accessing Goku's powers upon gaining his body, and he could not even become a regular Super Saiyan. Upon traveling to different worlds and killing the gods in each world, and from his constant fights with Future Trunks, Black exploited the Saiyan Power ability by letting Future Zamasu heal his injuries every time to grow stronger and likewise more adjust to his Saiyan abilities as he unlocked Super Saiyan. I don't know if this information is valid for the anime as well, but this would explain how Base Black was able to match SSJ2 Goku and even land a devastating kick to SSB Vegeta's guts.

[Lord Frieza]

To answer question 2.

In the manga, Goku Black is not different then Goku other then he originally has less control of Goku's body, his SS forms look slightly different and he has Rose.

Anime Black is very different. One way they are similar is that it seems to have taken some time for Zamasu to master Goku's body as, while he is more powerful then Trunks, he has noticeable limitation Goku lacks such as not being able to sense ki until just before the arc started. However he's nowhere near as handicapped as Manga Black.

Now we come to the differences. Black is the first official case of Zenkai really coming into play since the Frieza arc. Since then its never really been a factor. However while Manga Black's Zenkai operates normally Anime Black's seem to have been improved upon, with his power growing from any damage he receives rather then a power up post healing a sever injury or battle. This is not obvious at first but as Black's power begins to sky rocket even in the middle of battle and post his full master of Goku's body it's blatantly clear.

Then we come to the point you made. Anime Black dose not use any of the regular SS forms Goku's body is capable of. Instead as he power up his aura grows darker and gains some purple. Yet by doing so he can easily match SS2 Goku and Trunks's suggest that he is likely a match for SS3. This dose admittedly have some similarities to both "Ultimate" and the now discarded "Saiyan Beyond God" (a form that was hinted at in RoF but appears to have been dumped as of the U6 Tournament) but dose not seem to function quit the same way do plus Zamasu would have no knowledge of the former.

then you have the most obvious change Super Saiyan Rose.

The most likely answer is that Zamasu's Soul and God ki within Goku's body caused unforseen alterations in Goku's physical makeup resulting in these changes. Ironically while Zamasu's soul altered Goku physcially Goku's Body seems to have altered Zamasu mentally giving him a saiyan lust for battle.