Dragon Ball GT might not be fondly remembered by fans, but it did bring one of the strangest transformations in the entire saga: Super Saiyan 4. This form is notoriously bizarre, sporting black hair instead of gold, adding fur rather than removing eyebrows, and involving unusual methods to reach. It is unlike anything else in the Dragon Ball series.
Here are five lesser-known facts about Super Saiyan 4, offering some key insight into what exactly the form is and the odd elements that make it stand out from the rest of the Super Saiyan family.
Super Saiyan 4 Can Absorb Energy
Super Saiyan 4 is not unique in that it can absorb energy. Super Saiyan Gods can also assimilate energy projected at them. However, Super Saiyan 4 uses energy in a strange way, being able to absorb whatever is thrown at it (albeit inconsistently). Goku absorbs the energy of various Saiyans in order to enter into his fully-powered Super Saiyan 4 form, which he uses to ultimately defeat Baby Vegeta.
However, he can also absorb energy flung at him as part of an offensive attack. Take again Goku's fight with Baby, where he absorbs the power of Baby's Revenge Death Ball Final, then channels that same energy into a 10x Kamehameha Wave. What makes this even stranger is that this absorption technique doesn't require any effort on Goku's part. He's able to consume the power, then spits it right back at his target without suffering any cost.
Super Saiyan 4 Requires Blutz Waves (Unless You Have a Tail)
Super Saiyan 4 requires a lot of energy to achieve. Even after the user transforms, they require Blutz Wave energy in order to return to that form. When Vegeta finally fell out of Super Saiyan 4 while fighting Omega Shenron, he couldn't transform back without Bulma's Blutz Waves machine. This doesn't indicate that he needs to transform into a Golden Oozaru first, rather that he needs those Waves in order to achieve the form.
That is unless you're Son Goku. Goku can transform into a Super Saiyan 4 at will, making him truly unique in this sense. Then again, this might be because Goku still has a tail at this time. Vegeta, lacking a tail, required the Blutz Wave machine to regrow a tail. This indicates that the Super Saiyan 4 form is tied into having a tail. If Goku as a kid had his tail ripped out, it's likely he'd lose the ability to naturally turn into a Super Saiyan 4.
Super Saiyan 4 Transformations Repair Clothing
One small detail that many viewers might overlook is that transforming into a Super Saiyan 4 repairs a Saiyan's clothing. Usually, when a Saiyan transforms into a new form, their clothes often disappear, either obliterated in the aura or shredded as their muscle mass increases. But strangely enough, their clothing re-materializes after they leave Super Saiyan 4. Goku, shrinking back to a child, regrows his old gi. Vegeta, on-screen, shrinks back to normal and his clothing regrows over him.
This indicates that the Super Saiyan 4 form either absorbs and replaces a person's clothing -- as seen by Goku getting pants that fit his adult body -- or that the aura itself absorbs fabric, only to discharge it once the form is dismissed. There is no obvious answer to this quagmire since Dragon Ball GT never elaborates on how this element works.
Super Saiyan 4 and Super Saiyan CAN Be Stacked
The Ultra Fusion form from Dragon Ball Fusion might be the strangest component yet to the Super Saiyan 4 lore. While non-canon, the game introduces the concept of a five-way fusion. If it's is initiated by a male Saiyan, however, the Ultra Fusion form resembles a Super Saiyan 4 crossed with a regular Super Saiyan. The Saiyan's hair becomes gold both on their head and their body.
This bizarre form shows that Super Saiyan 4 and Super Saiyan forms can be stacked in much the same way that Super Saiyan and Super Saiyan God can be stacked. The incredible power output makes the Ultra Fusion form unbelievably strong. It also raises the question of whether Super Saiyan 4 can be grouped together with the other Super Saiyan forms -- or if, much like Super Saiyan God, it exists as its own separate line of transformations. After all, in order to become a Golden Oozaru, the Saiyan must first achieve the original Super Saiyan form. This indicates that the two forms are connected, but not necessarily part of a linear transformation line. This leads to ultimately the biggest trivia detail about Super Saiyan 4...
Super Saiyan 4 Might Be The True Legendary Super Saiyan
The Super Saiyan 4 transformation might very well be the Legendary Super Saiyan form discussed in the ancient legends. Curiously, the potential evidence of this primarily comes from Dragon Ball Z. When Vegeta discusses the legend, he associates the Legendary Super Saiyan with the Golden Oozaru transformation, which wouldn't appear until years later in Dragon Ball GT.
This introduces a couple of key questions. If this is the true Legendary Super Saiyan form, then why is the standard Super Saiyan form confused for this legendary state? Few Saiyans even achieved the original Super Saiyan form, which is a requirement to become a Golden Oozaru. If few Super Saiyans are born, then even fewer Golden Oozaru are likely to materialize.
The second question is, if Super Saiyan 4 is the form of legend, how does this mesh with the Legendary Super Saiyan form achieved by Broly? He has a unique Golden Oozaru transformation, seen in Dragon Ball Heroes. In this form, his fur is a shade of green, much like his hair. After gaining control, he then becomes a Super Saiyan 4. The entire transformation line is affected by Broly's nature as the Legendary Super Saiyan, making his attainment of Super Saiyan 4 the potential pinnacle of the form's all-powerful status.
