Back in the Game

Episode 34 showcases the terrifying might of Goku's Golden Great Ape form. He easily surpasses Baby Vegeta in raw strength, swatting the Tuffle warrior around Planet Plant. However, the transformation comes at a devastating cost: Goku has lost all rational thought. He destroys everything in his path, friend and foe alike, with no ability to distinguish between the two.

On the Sacred World of the Kai, Old Kai explains the situation to his companions. Two options exist: either someone removes Goku's tail and ends the transformation, or Goku must somehow reclaim his consciousness. If the second option succeeds, Old Kai reveals, Goku will ascend to the ultimate Super Saiyan level, Super Saiyan 4. The Kais choose to cheer Goku on rather than cut the tail.

Pan and Mr. Satan arrive at the scene and spend much of their time dodging the rampaging ape. Then Goku pauses, gazing at the Earth suspended in the sky. Something in the sight calms him, and he climbs a mountain, staring at his home planet with an almost mournful expression. Pan sees her chance.

She approaches the towering beast and holds up the martial arts gi that Goku gave her when she was little. At first, it has no effect, and Goku resumes his destructive behavior. Then a photograph slips from Pan's backpack, and the great ape picks it up. The image shows Goku with his family and friends on a beach vacation, a snapshot of happier days.

Memories flood through Goku's mind: Pan as a toddler at the beach, the warmth of his family, the bonds that define who he is. Pan's voice finally penetrates the fog of the Great Ape's rage, and Goku begins to reassert control over his own body.

Elsewhere, Baby Vegeta retreats to his base, reasoning that if Goku can transform, so can he. He enlists the Tuffleized Bulma to engineer a solution, banking on her scientific genius. But as he flies away, he stops and looks back toward the mountain where Goku stands. With Pan's love as the catalyst, Goku regains full control and begins yet another transformation, one that will define the rest of this war.