Dragon Ball Fans Will Never See The Strongest Super Saiyan Form For A Good Reason

"Dragon Ball" is arguably the most influential anime series ever made. It almost single-handedly redefined the battle shonen and inspired the next 40 years of the genre after its release — far exceeding the expectations of its creator, Akira Toriyama. Though "Dragon Ball" is a daunting franchise to get into, it's also impossible to quit upon taking your first steps down the path of Goku's journey.

Among the staples of the "Dragon Ball" franchise that've become synonymous with anime are the power-ups, each of which comes with a physical transformation that results in the property's characters (usually) growing increasingly complex as they gain more power. The moment Son Goku first went Super Saiyan, it triggered a chain of events that has forever changed the manga and anime mediums. Yet, for all the transformations and power-ups that've followed over the years, there is one Saiyan form we'll never see — Super Saiyan 5.

While the original "Dragon Ball Z" manga and anime only show up to Saiyan 3, the anime sequel "Dragon Ball GT" (which is not based on Toriyama's manga) introduced Super Saiyan 4. This form is a sort of combination of a Super Saiyan transformation and the Great Ape form. In the anime version of "GT," Vegeta and Bulma wonder if he can surpass Super Saiyan 4 and reach a hypothetical Super Saiyan 5.

If the idea of a Super Saiyan 5 is unfamiliar, it's because neither the manga nor anime ever got around to showing it. The only time fans have been able to witness this epic transformation has been in an unauthorized fan manga called "Dragon Ball AF" (yes, that's the title), itself inspired by fan art depicting what looks like Goku in a new Super Saiya form and which circulated all over the internet in the early 2000s.

The original "Dragon Ball Z" only got up to Super Saiyan 3 in the manga, which was already a pain to draw, according to its animators. Toriyama did address further forms once in 2014 during a Q&A on Twel-Buu Mysteries, saying that the second and third forms are just "powered-up variations of Super Saiyan." He also reminded readers that Goku himself realized after his fight with Beerus that further Super Saiyan forms were a waste of energy, and it was better just to master his normal state and Super Saiyan state.

Indeed, the best thing about Toriyama as a writer is how often he's avoided the obvious tropes he himself has popularized. When his villains started transforming and getting stronger and more menacing with each form, he would make their final form simpler, more round, and less menacing — just look at Majin Buu. When it came to the Super Saiyans, Toriyama abandoned the idea of new forms almost as quickly as he introduced it, deciding instead to go for incremental power-ups without drastically changing form (most of the time).

Then along came "Dragon Ball Super," which introduced another form in Super Saiyan Blue. Though technically not a new Saiyan form, it did give a Super Saiyan the powers of a god. That manga and anime series continued to play around with powered-up techniques rather than forms from there, culminating in the introduction of the Ultra Instinct technique wherein Goku harnesses his emotion to achieve ultimate power. This technique surpasses even gods and led to Goku undergoing a slight physical transformation, giving his hair silver highlights and bringing him closer to the imagined Super Saiyan 5.

There may not be an ultimate Super Saiyan form, but "Dragon Ball" will never stop finding ways to power-up Goku.