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For decades, Dragon Ball fans have wondered how Goku’s story will ultimately end. Will the legendary Saiyan unlock one final transformation? Will he ascend to an even greater level of power? Or could his final form be something much simpler?

An obscure piece of artwork from 1989 is now reigniting that discussion.

The illustration, created by Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama for the Dragon Ball Z Anime Special book, depicts an elderly Goku many years into the future. While the image was originally created as a joke, fans are now revisiting it as a fascinating glimpse at what Goku’s final years could look like.

What makes the drawing even more interesting is its origin. This version of Goku was not created out of nowhere. It is based on an old sketch Akira Toriyama drew back in 1989 for the Dragon Ball Z Anime Special book. At the time, Toriyama jokingly imagined what Goku might look like as an old man after fans repeatedly asked him when the story would finally end and how Goku would look in it.

The sketch presents a much older version of the beloved hero, a stark contrast to the youthful and energetic fighter fans have followed for decades. Rather than sporting a new transformation or overwhelming aura, this Goku appears aged by time, offering a rare vision of a future that has never been explored in the manga or anime.

Goku [credit: Akira Toriyama 1989]

Since the illustration came from an obscure publication released long before the internet era, many fans had never even seen it before. Now that it has resurfaced, the image is sparking fresh conversations throughout the Dragon Ballcommunity. Some see it simply as a humorous drawing from Toriyama’s past, while others view it as an intriguing possibility for where Goku’s journey could one day end.

Of course, Dragon Ball has changed dramatically since 1989. Goku has gone on to achieve forms that Toriyama himself may never have envisioned when he first drew the sketch. From Super Saiyan to Ultra Instinct, the Saiyan warrior has repeatedly surpassed expectations and rewritten his limits.

Still, there is something compelling about seeing Goku not as an unstoppable fighter chasing greater power, but as an old man who has lived a long and extraordinary life. It is a reminder that even legends grow older, and perhaps the greatest ending for Goku is not one defined by power, but by peace.

Whether Toriyama ever intended the drawing to represent Goku’s true final appearance may never be known. But more than 35 years later, fans are once again asking the question:

Could this sketch from 1989 be our first glimpse at Goku’s final form?