Latest Pink Godzilla Transformation Took Inspiration From ‘Dragon Ball Z’

[SPOILER WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire! Please proceed with caution.]

With more than 70 years of history under its belt, the King of Monsters has undergone various makeovers. There’s the chunky, costume-y look from the early days, now transformed into a majestic, intimidating kaiju seen in modern day cinema.

More recently, Godzilla was spotted with pink dorsal plates — first in the trailer for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, then in its entirety in the movie — which raises the question: where did the idea come from?

According to lead character designer Jared Krichevsky, Dragon Ball Z was a source of inspiration. In an AMA (short for Ask My Anything) thread on X / Twitter, he shared how one of Goku’s earliest power-ups influenced Godzilla’s new aesthetic.

“I didn’t see Goku Rosé until years later,” he said. “But I did base the transformation off of Kaio-Ken.”

Kaio-Ken is a unique technique in the series that served Goku well in his iconic battles with Vegeta and Frieza. Unlike his Super Saiyan form, it only offers a temporary burst of power, and has the major caveat of putting increased physical stress on Goku the longer a fight is prolonged.

Similarly, Krichevsky confirmed that Godzilla’s neon pink form will also be temporary. In the movie, it was revealed the visual change came from absorbing the DNA of another kaiju called Tiamat.

“The massive amount of energy required for his transformation would force him to burn all his extra fat away,” the character designer added. “This will change as he gains back full control.”

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire was released on 28 March in Singapore, and has since become a titan at the global box office. The kaiju flick racked up a staggering US$194 million in its opening weekend, scoring the biggest opening weekend of the year.