Super Saiyan Blue Was Created For a Simple Reason Most Dragon Ball Fans Missed

Dragon Ball Super hasn’t been shy about introducing new transformations for Goku, and one of its most iconic, the Super Saiyan Blue form, actually has a surprisingly simple origin story, according to series creator Akira Toriyama. It all dates back to Dragon Ball‘s revival in the Battle of Gods film, and the new form revealed in that film: Super Saiyan God.

It’s no secret that Battle of Gods laid much of the foundation for the modern iteration of Dragon Ball, with its introduction of God of Destruction Beerus and his Angel attendant, Whis, opening the door to a whole new broader cosmology that grew and built into the multiverse fans know today. Goku would need new power to battle these new opponents, and Super Saiyan God was designed specifically to resemble Goku’s base form as much as possible, such that even his hair, while changing color, remains the same style.

But when the next movie came around, and it was time for Goku to receive another power-up, how exactly was it decided that the next level would be blue?

Super Saiyan Blue’s Color is Super Saiyan God’s Opposite

The Super Saiyan Blue state is also known as “Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan,” because it works by having the user ascend to the Super Saiyan state while already in Super Saiyan God form, meaning the connection between Super Saiyan Blue and God is the same as that between regular Super Saiyan and a Saiyan’s base form. The hair changes to the Super Saiyan style, and needed to change color as well. How did Toriyama pick what color? It’s simple: in an interview translated by fans at Kanzenshuu.com, Toriyama tells his partner on the Dragon Ball Super manga, Toyotaro, that he chose blue specifically because he’d used red in the previous film.

“In Battle of Gods it was red, so I figured for Revival of “F” I should go with blue. That’s all (laughs). Well, actually I was thinking about having it be white, but then it would color-clash with the “next enemy”… so I figured I should save it for another occasion (laughs).”

Blue seems to have been chosen specifically for its contrast with Super Saiyan God’s red hue, to help emphasize the transformation by creating a dramatic difference in appearance. Interestingly, Toriyama states that he considered a hypothetical Super Saiyan “White” here, but decided it was too close to their plans for the next villain. Based on hints towards the Future Trunks arc of Super in the interview, it’s likely Toriyama is referring to Zamasu and his white hair, both in his natural state and the “Fused Zamasu” final form of Goku Black. The silver gray tone that Goku’s hair takes on in Ultra Instinct may be a revival of that idea, by having Goku’s ultimate form be effectively colorless.

Super Saiyan Blue ended up being one of the most powerful forms ever seen in the series, and quickly became a mainstay in Goku and Vegeta’s arsenals throughout the rest of Dragon Ball Super, to the extent that the classic Super Saiyan forms are rarely seen anymore. It’s certainly interesting from a fan perspective that the now-iconic blue color was chosen so casually, and that the form nearly wasn’t blue at all. Dragon Ball Super‘s most recognizable contribution to the franchise was decided by Toriyama seemingly on a whim, and with it, a whole new level of power was established in the series’ universe.