That new Godzilla design from Godzilla x Kong was inspired by Dragon Ball

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire sees the titular giant lizard get an all-new look, turning bright pink when he powers up, and it turns out the transformation was inspired by one of the biggest anime of all time, Dragon Ball.

On Twitter, a fan asked the movie's lead character designer Jared Krichevsky if Godzilla's new, magenta look was inspired by Rose Goku, AKA a pink, powered up version of the character.

"I didn't see Goku Rosé until years later," Krichevsky wrote in a now deleted tweet (H/T IGN). "But I did base the transformation off of Kaio-Ken." Kaoi-Ken is another, colorful power boost.

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In the film, Godzilla gets his pink form after defeating Tiamat, which Krichevsky confirmed is a temporary look for the kaiju. "Yeah it was always supposed to be temporary transition," he wrote. "In the movie he absorbs the DNA of Tiamat."

Plus, the new look is taking a bit of a toll. "The massive amount of energy required for his transformation would force him to burn all his extra fat away," Krichevsky added. "This will change as he gains back full control."

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire sees the two kaiju join forces to battle a dangerous foe named the Skar King. Rebecca Hall, Dan Stevens, and Brian Tyree Henry co-star.

Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama recently passed away, and tributes have poured in – including one from Toonami, which credited the legendary manga creator for putting it on the map.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is in theaters now. For much more on the movie, check out our deep dives on:

I'm a Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film section. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.