While Goku is one of the most iconic anime heroes, he left one of his most powerful forms behind early on within Dragon Ball. Now, new fan art has brought back his ape form and matched it up with Shenron, the legendary dragon. The art is not only stunning, it calls to mind a question: what if Goku still had this form accessible to him with better control?Created by Akira Toriyama and released in 1984, Dragon Ball begins the journey of Son Goku as he meets Bulma and begins his first quest for the Dragon Balls. Due to his Saiyan heritage, Goku had a monkey tail - a fun nod to the story's inspiration, A Journey to the West. His Saiyan background and tail granted him the ability to become a giant ape. which is known as his Ozaru, or Great Ape, form. However, this ability disappears whenever the hero's tail is cut off.On Twitter, graphic novelist Soroush Barazesh (Kings of Nowhere), also known by his internet handle Koteri Ink, shared fan art of Goku, his enlarged ape form, and Shenron. This epic rendition of the hero shows not just one, but both forms of him, and a battle that he's never actually had to fight since Dragon Ball's Eternal Dragon has been a distant ally throughout the series. Nonetheless, it'd be an intriguing battle, especially if the Saiyan were able to transform into one of his most powerful iterations.
Goku vs. Dragons Typically Ends in the Saiyan's Favor
While Goku has never fought Shenron, the original Eternal Dragon, he has had encounters with other dragons. His family successfully faced the Shadow Dragons when Gotenks destroyed Black Smoke Shenron in Dragon Ball Heroes: Victory Mission. However, this series is a spin-off and not considered canon. It poses a fun what if, though considering the power of Goku and his friends, it certainly seems likely that they could take down dragons. There may be multiple universes and different Gokus, but his original form in Dragon Ball could be one of his strongest should a genuine dragon match ever prove necessary.
To transform into his Oozaru form, Goku requires his tail. It has been known to grow back, but it always ends up being removed. Additionally, the canon of certain regrowths is also thrown into question, such as the instance included in Dragon Ball GT. After it was first cut off in Dragon Ball it grew back and was recut by Kami. Vegeta also has a tail early into the series, but it was cut off by Yajirobe and has not canonically regrown. Nonetheless, tails are an important appendage for Saiyans that this fan art from Soroush Barazesh (Koteri Ink) uses brilliantly. Dragon Ball's Goku may not frequently use his Oozaru transformation, but it'd be incredible to see him face off with it against Shenron.
Source: Koteriink