Few alien races are as iconic as Dragon Ball Z's Saiyans, which is why a new piece of original art from series creator Akira Toriyama is so surprising. Though the art doesn't depict any named characters fans might recognize, it does show a very different side of the aliens that fans may be unaware of.

Released courtesy of a (now deleted) post from Dragon Ball's official website, Akira Toriyama's original Saiyans were an odd bunch. The designs were for an episode of the Dragon Ball Z anime called Goku's Ancestors. The Saiyans depicted here are far more primitive, almost appearing like cavemen rather than the futuristic fighting force most Dragon Ball fans would know them as. Eagle-eyed fans will recognize these as depicting ancient Saiyans during the Saiyan-Tuffle civil war.

Dragon Ball's Original Saiyans Confirm the Group's Bloody History of War and Violence

The Image Depicts Vegeta's People as They Were During the Saiyan-Tuffle War

The Goku's Ancestors episode of Dragon Ball Z may not be one of the series' most memorable episodes, but it's absolutely essential in order to understand the series' deeper lore, especially in regards to the Saiyans. The episode sees King Kai recounting the origin of the Saiyans to Goku. King Kai mentions how the Saiyans were in a civil war with a group known as the Tuffles over control of their home world, then named Planet Plant.

Much like many things in Dragon Ball, Tuffle is a play on a Japanese word. Tuffle is similar to the Japanese word for fruit, similar to how Saiyan is similar to the Japanese word for vegetable.

While the Saiyans are depicted with typical caveman attire, the Tuffles are shown in far more modern clothing with a more advanced civilization. Unfortunately, for all their technological prowess and access to things like guns, the Tuffles are ultimately eradicated by the Saiyans, which is why the Saiyan home planet was known as Planet Vegeta by the time Goku was born.

Dragon Ball's Original Saiyans Were Far More Brutal Than The Ones Fans May Recognize

The Ancient Saiyans Wiped Out Another Group Long Before Frieza Eradicated Them

Though Dragon Ball media made after the original series has done a great deal of work in making the Saiyans more morally complex, such as with the retcons to Broly's backstory in Dragon Ball Super, the original intention of the anime and manga was clearly that the Saiyans were a dangerous threat to the universe. While Frieza and other forces might have been worse, the Saiyans' complete decimation of the Tuffles is rightfully portrayed as horrific in the original Dragon Ball.

Vegeta's character arc as the former Prince of Saiyans, in particular, is strong given his people's history of conquest and destruction.

This all makes Goku's heroism and Vegeta's ultimate redemption all the more remarkable. Vegeta's character arc as the former Prince of Saiyans, in particular, is strong given his people's history of conquest and destruction. Ultimately, Akira Toriyama's design for the original Saiyans was meant to highlight their primal nature, and though the series might have taken them in a different direction much later on, these designs showcase an important part of Dragon Ball's deeper lore.