Previous SSJ4 Design!

[MDSTSSJ]

Don't know if this was discussed before but I bring it here.

Apparently, This would be the SSJ4 Goku who had originally planned the GT character designers and others responsible for Toei Animation before the final inclusion of SSJ4 Goku within the GT anime.



Mention that apparently is not a fake, it's an original that was published in 1996 to promote the GT cards and before final design appeared in the anime in 1997.

The Super Saiyan 4 Kakarotto first appeared in a special glossy cards in 1996, while in the anime did not appear until at least February / March 1997.

I don't know this is true but I really like the design.

[TheDevilsCorpse]

The Carddass cards, and products related to them, tended to use a lot of altered color schemes, even for anime exclusive content. That specific one was never officially in the running for the form's color scheme according to the man who created the form.

Super Saiyan 4, which appears in the later half of GT, was one of your designs, but I was surprised at how unusual the design was.
There were a lot of varied opinions about that design. It was my idea to make the body red. “GT” was made as a continuation, and when the producers told me to draw Super Saiyan 4, I went “Ee———-h!?” (strained laughter). Personally, I felt that since they had gone so far as to use stuff like Fusion and merging in the original story, did we really have to continue even further? It was an incredible assignment. Goku’s transformations are an important part of the program, and so I agonized over what would be best to do.

The hairstyle and red fur all over the body are what really makes Super Saiyan 4 stand out.
The thought behind that hairstyle was to take it in a different direction than Super Saiyan 3, and make it wild. I made the fur red because it pretty much just seemed strong; I place a lot of importance on those sorts of impressions (laughs). Right from the planning stage images, the idea had been to bring together Oozaru Goku and Super Saiyan Goku. “Goku with primal power”, that sort of thing.

So that’s why his entire body is covered in fur. In addition to the final design, were there any rough designs?
There was no design besides the single final draft. It was just that with the colors, and I also made a gold-haired version. However, I thought that black hair looked better, and decided upon that version. The combination of black and red is a more dynamic color scheme.

That said, I prefer the color scheme we got better. Sure the brown may make more sense, but I have to agree with Nakatsuru here: red was more dynamic and it grabs attention better.

[TheMightyOzaru]

Is that even brown? It looks more silver or gray to me. I've always liked the idea of brown fur on SSJ4 though. Goku's fur comes off as pink sometimes, which is annoying. Vegeta's fur looks just fine.

[KentalSSJ6]

Is that even brown? It looks more silver or gray to me. I've always liked the idea of brown fur and SSJ4 though. Goku's fur comes off as pink sometimes, which is annoying. Vegeta's fur looks just fine.

I noticed that too. It does look rather greyish and this may be due to the angle and lighting, but his eyes seem blue to me.

[SaiyaJedi]

Interesting find. It's basically a finished version of the lineart that Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru did as the initial design for Super Saiyan 4 (this was published with his interview in the anime artbook The Golden Warrior).

[Herms]

There's a different colored version of the same (originally black and white) rough draft line art on page 10 of GT Perfect File Vol.2. That version is colored the same as the final TV design. The big difference between it and the final design is that there's less hair on Goku's chest; his entire six pack is hairless. Interestingly, the oddly colored version here doesn't seem to have that feature.

The original black and white version is featured in PF Vol.1 (where they note the less hairy chest), and the Golden Warrior art book as Julian linked to above.

[KentalSSJ6]

Been looking all over for a copy of Golden Warrior. Can never find one.

[TheDevilsCorpse]

Is that even brown? It looks more silver or gray to me. I've always liked the idea of brown fur on SSJ4 though. Goku's fur comes off as pink sometimes, which is annoying. Vegeta's fur looks just fine.

It's not actually brown, but it's very similar to some of the Ōzaru colorations we see in the series (the ones that use the grayish highlights and then typically color in the ape mostly black). Those aren't technically brown either, but most of us don't argue that the form magically turned black for an episode or movie. So I just went with it.

Oh, and Goku's doesn't come off as pink, it's lightish red magenta.

[TheMightyOzaru]

It looks pink to me. Magenta is still pink-ish.

[Bullza]

The Super Saiyan 4 design wasn't so bad but I think it the colour scheme let it down a lot. It just doesn't seem to fit in well with the others.

In GT Goku turned into an Golden Oozaru but when he turned into SSJ4 for some reason he was red. Why red? it just doesn't make sense.

I think the form would have looked much better had it looked this like.

[TheDevilsCorpse]

I think the form would have looked much better had it looked this like.

I am so, so glad that it didn't. Color balance be damned; that looks absolutely hideous, That piece specifically looks even worse than a lot of the other gold Super Saiyan 4 pictures because of the inconsistent outlining. Using those specific shades without the black outline on the hair and fur is just blinding.

[Bullza]

I think the form would have looked much better had it looked this like.

I am so, so glad that it didn't. Color balance be damned; that looks absolutely hideous, That piece specifically looks even worse than a lot of the other gold Super Saiyan 4 pictures because of the inconsistent outlining. Using those specific shades without the black outline on the hair and fur is just blinding.

It's just an example picture obviously the anime would have had the black outline. The SSJ4 design itself is fine and unique looking but doesn't match up with the rest of the Super Saiyan lineup. At the very least the hair should have remained Gold. Gold fur and Black hair would have been something aswell but Black hair with the red/pink fur makes it look like it has nothing to do with the others at all, it's too different. It doesn't look like the Oozaru or the Super Saiyan.

He looks like he's fused with Pink Pather.

[kei17]

I think the form would have looked much better had it looked this like.

*snip*

That looks terrible.

[KentalSSJ6]

Gold hair and fur can work, but Goku has to be wearing something that isnt orange or the colors bleed together. If its his End of Z or GT outfit, it looks fine to me. Though, the fur should be a darker shade than the hair.

Spoiler:

Those colors work because the shades are opposite enough to clearly tell the difference.

[DBZGTKOSDH]

I can't stand the "what Super Saiyan 4 should have looked like" and the "what Super Saiyan God should have looked like" fan-arts. The Super Saiyan 4 we got already looks awesome, and Super Saiyan God looks nice as well.

[B]

If there's one thing that puts me off about Super Saiyan 4, it's the color scheme. The pinkish red fur and khaki pants just look odd together. Maybe if the pants could magically change color I'd like it more. In that respect, this beta design pleases me.

I guess I could also do without the wild mane, but they're going for the primal look so I get where that comes from.

[Blade]

If there's one thing that puts me off about Super Saiyan 4, it's the color scheme. The pinkish red fur and khaki pants just look odd together. Maybe if the pants could magically change color I'd like it more. In that respect, this beta design pleases me.

I guess I could also do without the wild mane, but they're going for the primal look so I get where that comes from.

I think almost the total opposite - I think the red/pink furr, eyeliner and the black hair are incredibly striking - and a much needed change from the 'golden spiky hair' trope.

[goku the krump dancer]

Funny the beta design looks like SSJ4 Goku's alternate look in Budokai 3 and the games that follow.

[KentalSSJ6]

Funny the beta design looks like SSJ4 Goku's alternate look in Budokai 3 and the games that follow.

I'm willing to bet the image in the OP is where that alt scheme came from.

[TheGmGoken]

Is that even brown? It looks more silver or gray to me. I've always liked the idea of brown fur on SSJ4 though. Goku's fur comes off as pink sometimes, which is annoying. Vegeta's fur looks just fine.

The color is like a dead brown. So its dull in color