Goku’s familiar orange gi is certainly not the only outfit that the late creator Akira Toriyama designed for his most famous character throughout the Dragon Ball manga. However, it remains the longest-standing look and the image most fans instantly associate with him.
As Dragon Ball enters a new era under Toyotarou, who is considered Toriyama’s successor, it seems like the perfect time for Goku to retire his orange gi and mark the start of a new chapter in the franchise’s history.
In fact, Toyotarou has already introduced a completely new outfit design for Goku that clearly sets apart Dragon Ball under his direction from Toriyama’s era.
Toyotarou Already Has a Perfect New Design for Goku
It wasn’t until chapter 33 of the Dragon Ball manga that Goku officially donned the Turtle School’s orange gi. Since then, this outfit has become one of the most iconic designs in Akira Toriyama’s entire career. Aside from his signature spiky black hair, the first image most fans think of when they hear Goku’s name is his orange gi.
In many ways, this outfit has become a symbol of Dragon Ball itself, just as Goku is the symbol of the entire franchise. That’s why Toyotarou’s decision to change Goku’s outfit can be seen as both a tribute to Toriyama’s legacy and a way to usher in a new phase of development.
Interestingly, Toyotarou came up with the idea for a new Goku outfit more than 20 years ago when he was creating the fanmade Dragon Ball AF manga in the early 2000s.
In Dragon Ball AF, Goku appears wearing a green gi. This design shares many similarities with the outfit Goku wore on the cover of the final volume of the original manga, while also incorporating ideas from popular fan art by artists like Young Jijii and TablosAF.
The reason for this change is simple: Dragon Ball AF is set after Dragon Ball GT, a time when Goku no longer wears the orange gi and instead sports the green outfit.
Dragon Ball Super Could Easily Explain This Change
While Toyotarou doesn’t have to reuse the exact green gi from Dragon Ball AF in future Dragon Ball Super arcs, having Goku switch to a new outfit makes perfect sense.
Since Dragon Ball Super takes place before the end of Dragon Ball Z, it offers a great opportunity to explain why Goku appears in a green gi at the conclusion of the original manga.
Beyond the story implications, changing Goku’s outfit carries significant symbolic weight. The orange gi has long represented Akira Toriyama’s entire legacy. Now that the legendary creator is no longer directly involved with the franchise, Toyotarou can use a new design to clearly mark the boundary between two Dragon Ball eras.
Dragon Ball Super Will Continue
Currently, the Dragon Ball Super manga is on an indefinite hiatus. However, both Toyotarou and the official Dragon Ball website have confirmed that the series will continue in the future.
While fans wait for the manga’s return, the Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero anime is scheduled for release this fall. According to multiple sources, the film is likely to premiere around October, although no official announcement has been made by the producers yet.