You've seen the thumbnail. A massive, spiky mane of silver or blood-red hair, fur covering a hulking chest, and eyes that look like they could burn a hole through a planet. It's the Goku Super Saiyan 10 transformation. It looks cool. It looks terrifying. It also doesn't exist.
If you grew up in the early 2000s browsing Geocities sites or watching grainy YouTube tributes set to Linkin Park's "In the End," you know exactly what I’m talking about. This form is a staple of "Dragon Ball AF," a fan-made fever dream that somehow became one of the most enduring urban legends in anime history. But here's the kicker: even within the chaotic world of fan fiction, there isn't just one version of SSJ10. It’s basically a digital campfire story that keeps evolving.
The Dragon Ball AF Connection
To understand why people still search for Goku Super Saiyan 10, we have to talk about Dragon Ball AF. For the uninitiated, "AF" supposedly stood for "After Future." It was the ultimate playground for fans who weren't ready to let go after Dragon Ball GT ended in the late 90s.
It started with a single image. An artist named David Montiel Franco (who went by the handle "Salvamakoto") drew a character that looked like a mix between Super Saiyan 4 and a deity. People lost their minds. They thought it was a leak. They thought Akira Toriyama had secretly returned to the drawing board.
He hadn't.
But the fire was lit. Fan artists began a metaphorical arms race. If Super Saiyan 4 was powerful, why not 5? Why not 6? Eventually, the numbers hit double digits. Super Saiyan 10 became the "final boss" of fan transformations. It represents the absolute ceiling of power creep, where the scales are so broken that the character is essentially a multiversal god.
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What Does Goku Super Saiyan 10 Actually Look Like?
Because it isn't official, the "look" of the form depends on which corner of the internet you’re hanging out in. Most designs lean heavily into the aesthetics established by Super Saiyan 4—the most popular unofficial "evolutionary line."
In the most famous fan renderings, specifically those associated with the Dragon Ball AF "Dark Angel" or "Forbidden" sagas, the form is extreme. We’re talking about long, flowing hair that reaches the ankles, often colored white, silver, or a deep, ominous black. Some artists add extra eyes or tribal markings. The idea is to make Goku look less like a martial artist and more like a cosmic force.
It's over the top. It's edgy. It's exactly what a 13-year-old in 2005 thought "peak power" looked like. Honestly, it’s kinda charming in its own way, even if it completely ignores the design philosophy Akira Toriyama actually used, which usually favored simplicity as power increased—think of how sleek Super Saiyan God or Ultra Instinct look compared to the bulky SSJ3.
Why Official Media Will Never Touch SSJ10
There is a massive gap between fan expectation and how Toei Animation or Akira Toriyama (and now Toyotarou) handle the franchise.
Dragon Ball Super took a completely different path. Instead of counting up to 10, they went "sideways" into God Ki. We got Super Saiyan God (red), Super Saiyan Blue, and eventually Ultra Instinct. These aren't just power multipliers; they are different states of being.
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Adding a "Super Saiyan 10" would basically break the narrative. If Goku can destroy 100 universes by sneezing in SSJ10, where do you go from there? The stakes vanish. Even in the current Dragon Ball Super manga, the focus is on refining techniques rather than just stacking more hair and bigger muscles. Ultra Instinct is about the mind. Ultra Ego is about the soul. Super Saiyan 10 is just... a lot of hair.
The Legacy of Fan Fiction
We shouldn't dismiss the Goku Super Saiyan 10 phenomenon as just "fake news." It actually paved the way for the modern Dragon Ball community.
Toyotarou, the man currently drawing the Dragon Ball Super manga and Toriyama's hand-picked successor, actually got his start in the Dragon Ball AF scene under the name "Toyble." He was one of the premier fan artists creating these wild stories. While he wasn't necessarily the one pushing the SSJ10 narrative, he came from the same culture of "What happens next?"
The fan community's obsession with these higher levels is what kept the brand alive during the "dark ages" (the years between the end of GT and the release of Battle of Gods). Without the crazy rumors of Super Saiyan 10 and AF, the global hype might have fizzled out.
Real Power vs. Fan Power
If we look at the "stats" fans have made up for this form, they are hilarious. Some fan wikis claim SSJ10 Goku has a power level of quintillions. To put that in perspective, the official power levels stopped being tracked after the Frieza Saga because the numbers became meaningless.
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In the fan-verse, SSJ10 is often achieved through "Forbidden" means—usually a combination of intense grief, divine intervention, or merging with some kind of ancient evil. It's a trope-heavy world. It lacks the nuance of the official series, but it satisfies a very specific itch for "more, bigger, faster."
How to Spot "Fake" Dragon Ball News
In 2026, with AI-generated art and deepfakes, it’s easier than ever to get fooled by a "LEAKED SSJ10 TRAILER." If you see a video claiming Goku is hitting a new numbered form like 10, 20, or 100, here is how you check the facts:
- Check the Official Source: If it’s not on the Dragon Ball official website or V-Jump magazine, it's not real.
- Look at the Art Style: Toei Animation has a very specific "model sheet" look. Fan art, even the good stuff, usually has slightly different line weights or uses "edgier" shading that doesn't match the show.
- The "Number" Rule: Official Dragon Ball has largely moved away from numbered transformations. Since 1995, we've only had one official numbered form added to the canon: Super Saiyan 3. Everything else has a name (Blue, Rose, Beast, Orange).
Actionable Steps for Fans
If you love the aesthetic of Goku Super Saiyan 10, you don't have to stop enjoying it. Just know what it is.
- Explore the Fan Manga: If you want to see SSJ10 in action, look up the various Dragon Ball AF doujinshi. Some of the artwork is genuinely incredible and rivals professional work.
- Play the Mods: If you own Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 or Dragon Ball FighterZ on PC, there is a massive modding community. You can literally download a Goku Super Saiyan 10 skin and play with it today. It’s the closest you’ll ever get to it being "real."
- Support the Official Release: Keep up with the Dragon Ball Super manga chapters. The way the story is heading—especially with the developments around Black Frieza—suggests we are getting something much more interesting than just another numbered Super Saiyan form.
Goku Super Saiyan 10 remains a fascinating relic of internet culture. It’s a testament to how much people love the character and how far they are willing to stretch the imagination to keep the story going. It’s not canon, it’s not "real," but in the hearts of fans who grew up on the wild west of the early internet, it’ll always be the ultimate power-up.
Next Steps for the Dragon Ball Fan: To stay grounded in the actual lore while enjoying the "what ifs," start by following the official Dragon Ball Official Site for monthly manga drops. If you want to dive deeper into the history of fan creations, look for archives of the original "Toyble" or "Young Jijii" Dragon Ball AF runs to see where the DNA of modern Dragon Ball actually came from. This will help you distinguish between the "New Form" clickbait and actual upcoming series developments.