Shueisha Releases An Old Goku Sketch By Toriyama Before Dragon Ball’s Debut

Everything that the late Akira Toriyama drew is a work of art for the world. And most folks would agree that nobody can draw Goku like him.

On April 2, 2024, the Dragon Ball official site posted a rare image of early Goku before Dragon Ball began serializing in Weekly Shonen Jump.

There were early prototypes of Goku and the gang before Dragon Ball was even conceived but this one is special because it looks… like Goku and it’s one of the oldest in existence that’s not been available to the public until now!

So feast your eyes on these!

(Rare Goku sketch by Toriyama before DB was serialized)

About Dragon Ball:

Dragon Ball is a manga series by Akira Toriyama. It first began its serialization in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in 1984.

The manga was later adapted into a multitude of animated series, movies, and games.

The franchise consists of five different anime series, about 21 animated movies, and around 10 games spanning various platforms, from Famicon to Playstation and Xbox.

Synopsis of the Dragon Ball anime:

Goku Son is a young boy who lives in the woods all alone—that is, until a girl named Bulma runs into him in her search for a set of magical objects called the “Dragon Balls.”

Since the artefacts are said to grant one wish to whoever collects all seven, Bulma hopes to gather them and wish for a perfect boyfriend.

Goku happens to be in possession of a dragon ball, but unfortunately for Bulma, he refuses to part ways with it, so she makes him a deal: he can tag along on her journey if he lets her borrow the dragon ball’s power.

With that, the two set off on the journey of a lifetime.

Source: CBR