Could Ryūjō have avoided its stability problems?

Could Ryūjō have been built without becoming so top-heavy?

Possibly, but only through substantial redesign or reduced capability; the later displacement growth shows how little margin the original concept possessed.

The ship's later increase to roughly 10,600 tons suggests that correcting the original balance required meaningful growth. Its narrow hull and heavy upperworks made stability a structural problem rather than a small adjustment that designers could solve without sacrificing capability.