When Akira Toriyama decided to create the manga series Dragon Ball (Dragon Ball), the author sketched several initial drafts for the characters, including Goku and Bulma, which were quite different from their final designs.
Goku’s journey began when he met the girl Bulma, and together they set off to search for the legendary Dragon Balls. Although many fans of the series recognize the significance of the first encounter between Goku and Bulma, it would be surprising to know that Akira Toriyama initially created different designs for these two characters.
In the drafts created by Toriyama during the early stages of Dragon Ball’s creation, Goku and Bulma had a completely different appearance. Comparing the designs from the drafts to the official images of the two characters, one can clearly see a significant change.
While Bulma in the official version has a more serious look, with clothing and hairstyles that seem less modern, in the draft, her design resembles that of a tall girl wearing boots and a loose dress… With this appearance, Bulma might remind some of the character Launch. Similarly, Goku’s early design depicted him as a small creature that later transformed into the iconic Saiyan warrior we know.
It’s certainly challenging to speculate on the personalities of these two characters in Dragon Ball as they would appear if depicted according to the initial drafts.
Throughout his creative process, Toriyama made several changes to the characters, culminating in the final version we recognize today, which was published in December 1984.
