Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball covers a tremendous amount of ground that largely stays focused on Goku’s incredible adventures and heroic accomplishments. Goku is Dragon Ball’s main character and the glue that helps hold the series together. Goku matures from a precocious child into a humble grandfather over the course of the franchise, but hia courageous instincts and selflessness never waver.
Dragon Ball Z teases the idea that Goku’s son, Gohan, is destined for even greater things and that he has the potential to surpass his father’s strength. Dragon Ball has gradually pulled Gohan into the spotlight and he’s undeniably one of the series’ strongest characters. It hasn’t always been easy for Gohan to accept his role as Earth’s strongest hero. He’s essential in stopping Cell and Cell Max, but Gohan’s no stranger to failure – especially in Dragon Ball Super.
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Dragon Ball Super Disrespects Gohan From the Start
There’s some massive whiplash when Dragon Ball transitions from Dragon Ball Z to Dragon Ball Super. Gohan isn’t the one who defeats Buu, but Dragon Ball Z’s Buu Saga reinforces that Gohan is still one of the series’ strongest characters. Gohan’s prestigious Ultimate upgrade may feel inconsequential by Dragon Ball Z’s end, but it’s introduced as a major turning point designed to elevate Gohan to unprecedented heights.
Ultimate Gohan is inevitably trumped by Super Saiyan 3 Goku, Goku and Vegeta’s fusion into Vegito, and the totemic Super Spirit Bomb. Gohan gets one glorious opportunity to showcase his Ultimate power in Dragon Ball Z before it goes on to feel irrelevant. Dragon Ball Super could have remedied this issue by making Gohan’s phenomenal strength crucial to the God of Destruction Beerus Saga. Unfortunately, Dragon Ball Super reverses course and Ultimate Gohan feels completely forgotten & irrelevant.
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Ultimate Gohan Fails To Make Waves Against God Of Destruction Beerus
Dragon Ball’s heroe have faced increasingly strong enemies, but the whole point of Beerus is that he represents a whole new tier of power – a God of Destruction. Everyone falls short against Beerus, including Super Saiyan 3 Goku, which is meant to illustrate why a Super Saiyan God is essential for this task. That being said, Gohan’s contributions against Beerus are particularly embarrassing. Characters like Gotenks and Vegeta, while unsuccessful, still put on a decent show against Beerus. Gohan doesn’t alarm Beerus in the slightest and he fights the Saiyan off by using Buu as a weapon.
Beerus doesn’t take Gohan seriously and it’s a letdown for those who were expecting the Saiyan to at least be closer to Goku’s power level. Dragon Ball Super could have reminded the audience of Gohan’s potential by giving him a burst of strength comparable to Super Saiyan 2 (Enraged) Vegeta’s big moment. Gohan witnesses Goku, Piccolo, Goten, and Trunks all get beaten up by Beerus, which should have been more than enough to reignite his fighting spirit and briefly do some damage to Beerus.
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Gohan Fades Into The Background During The “Future” Trunks Saga
Gohan fails to make much of a dent in battle during Dragon Ball Super’s first two story arcs, but he’s at least present. Dragon Ball Super’s “Future” Trunks Saga actively leaves Gohan behind and he’s written off as a lost cause and not someone who would be able to aid the heroes’ in their battle against Goku Black and Future Zamasu. The “Future” Trunks Saga devises a compelling excuse to get Future Trunks back in the mix. Future Trunks becomes the saga’s MVP and his presence also prompts some interesting reflections on Gohan. Gohan is an adult and better resembles Future Gohan, who was Future Trunks’ mentor during the Future Androids’ reign of terror.
There’s a jarring homecoming when Future Trunks expects this version of Gohan to be just as hardened and gung ho for battle, especially after what Future Trunks witnessed during the Cell Saga. It’s difficult for Future Trunks to accept that Gohan has chosen a laid-back domestic life over one that revolves around martial arts. There are some sweet moments here, but none of them take advantage of Gohan’s strength or potential. No one even suggests bringing him along to Future Trunks’ timeline.
Gohan Gets Discarded & Left Behind By Goku, Vegeta & Future Trunks
The heroes are right to presume that Gohan would be no match for Goku Black and Future Zamasu. However, Dragon Ball Super could still find ways to make Gohan essential to this storyline. Gohan and Shin build a bond during his training on the Sacred World of the Kai, which could have been further explored here. Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO even features a fascinating “What If?…” storyline that involves Zamasu stealing Gohan’s body, rather than Goku, which leads to “Gohan Black.”
Gohan isn’t willing to take advantage of his dormant power, but someone else could push it to intimidating new places. In a perfect world, the “Future” Trunks Saga would have helped get Gohan back in the swing of things so that his actions during the Tournament of Power are more believable and natural. It’s harder to buy into Gohan’s power boost during the Tournament of Power when the previous story arc denigrates his strength.
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Gohan Doesn’t Spend His Timing Before the Tournament Of Power Wisely Enough
Dragon Ball Super’s Tournament of Power is a multiversal battle royale where elimination is tantamount to erasure. It’s extremely important that Universe 7 assembles the ten best fighters to represent their realm and Gohan receives the privileged title of team leader. Goku handles much of the recruiting, while Gohan is given the opportunity to weigh in and help devise strategies & battle plans. This vote of confidence in Gohan is incredibly encouraging, even if it does feel slightly unearned based on his performance in the rest of Super. Nevertheless, Gohan begins to find his rhythm again during the Tournament of Power. Gohan has a lot of training to do in order to meet the high expectations that he’s set for himself.
There’s a playful training match between Gohan and Krillin that’s designed to help both fighters prepare for the coming tournament. Gohan and Krillin both come from a similar place where their families have taken precedence over a dedicated training schedule. However, it still seems quite egregious that Krillin is able to defeat Gohan. There’s radical power scaling that’s all over the place during the Universe Survival Saga, which happens to come at Gohan’s expense here. The purpose of this fight is to help prove that Krillin is strong enough to join Team Universe 7. Dragon Ball Super accomplishes this task, but it doesn’t need to come at the expense of making Gohan look so weak.
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Gohan’s Loss Against Krillin Could Have Been Turned Into a Teaching Moment
Gohan’s fight with Krillin is followed up by a battle between Goku and Krillin, while Android 18 watches. Dragon Ball Super could have made this a two-on-two fight where Gohan’s shortcomings against Krillin could still turn into help against Android 18. Gohan’s fight against Krillin reveals that Krillin has developed powerful upgrades to his signature attacks. Dragon Ball Super should have done the same thing with Gohan. He’s in good shape when the Tournament of Power finally comes around, but more advantageous training before the proceedings would have been helpful.
More time between Goku and Gohan would also have made it easy to introduce a new transformation or power boost for Gohan that sets him up for greater success during the tournament. Alternatively, Gohan could have helped train characters like Master Roshi, Tien, and Krillin as a way to demonstrate his value and how far along he’s come. Dragon Ball Super is willing to give Gohan the team leader title, only to barely deliver.
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Gohan Amounts to Back-Up During Universe 7’s Fight Against Anilaza
Gohan’s talent during the first-half of Dragon Ball Super is understandably up for debate. Fortunately, Gohan is much more important during the Tournament of Power. Gohan – both by himself and as a team – helps hold back or defeat opponents like Dium, Botamo, Obni, and Jimizu. Gohan is responsible for some impressive Tournament of Power victories.
He and Piccolo valiantly defeat Universe 6’s Saonel and Pilina. Gohan later heroically sacrifices himself against Dyspo so that Frieza is able to keep on fighting. One of Universe 7’s toughest Tournament of Power battles involves Anilaza, an enormous fused amalgamation of Universe 3’s strongest fighters. Gohan fights against Anilaza alongside Goku, Vegeta, Frieza, and 17, but this collective dream team still nearly loses.
A Great Opportunity To Showcase Gohan’s Strength Goes To Android 17
Android 17 provides the necessary breakthrough that secures Anilaza’s elimination. It’s a great win for 17, but one that feels somewhat unnecessary considering that he later wins the Tournament of Power. The Anilaza fight could have been Gohan’s opportunity to go above and beyond. A new tier for Ultimate Gohan or some rage-based strength multiplier could have torn Anilaza to pieces and foreshadowed what’s to come later during the Super Hero Saga’s climax.
Too many of Gohan’s successes in Dragon Ball Super feel like they exist in a vacuum, rather than a meticulous progression that culminates in Gohan Beast. Dragon Ball Super had more than enough moments to properly build up to Gohan’s evolution. It’s just disappointing to see many opportunities go overlooked and the audience being forced to jump to conclusions and suspend their disbelief. If nothing else, Gohan is now one of Dragon Ball Super’s strongest characters.
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Gohan is a Major Liability Against Frieza
Dragon Ball Super’s Golden Frieza Saga is a mixed bag and yet another opportunity for Gohan’s power & potential to go to waste. Gohan may have a little more to do than he did against Beerus, but he gives an even worse performance. Gohan’s training has lapsed and he’s not at his strongest, but there’s no reason for him to be set up to fail and underwhelm. Frieza is the main event, but he brings with him a robust 1000-man Frieza Force army that facilitates an epic battle royale against Dragon Ball’s strongest Earthlings.
Gohan helps defeat generic soldiers, but this doesn’t mean much when weaker characters like Master Roshi and Tien are just as successful. Shisami and Tagoma are two of Frieza’s strongest soldiers and both leave Gohan greatly humbled. Gohan comes to Piccolo’s aid, only to find himself powerless against Shisami and Tagoma. Curiously, Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’‘s events give Gohan a little more dignity. Super Saiyan Gohan defeats Shisami with a single punch, but he’s just as overwhelmed when he’s up against everyone else. Gohan gets a little more leeway against Tagoma, but he’s still not responsible for the character’s defeat.
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Gohan’s Inexperience Fighting Frieza is Nothing Short of Humiliating
Any sense of accomplishment that Gohan might have felt against the Frieza Force is immediately erased once he becomes Frieza’s personal punching bag. Dragon Ball Super even tries to shamelessly recreate Piccolo’s iconic sacrifice to save Gohan from Nappa. Piccolo and Gohan both come across as woefully weaker than they should be and it’s disheartening to see Gohan get knocked out by a single punch, make silly mistakes, and seemingly squander whatever was awakened during his Ultimate upgrade. Gohan feels like a liability during Resurrection F, which is the last thing he should be.
Piccolo’s tragic death is a worthy excuse for Gohan to push his power to greater heights and show Frieza what he can do when he’s properly motivated. Super Saiyan Gohan could have been the one who prompts Frieza’s Golden transformation before Goku and Vegeta arrive to save the day. This would better respect Gohan’s strength and help him contribute to Frieza’s downfall. Frieza showed genuine respect and concern for Gohan during their fight in Dragon Ball Z, which makes Gohan’s regression here diminish his reputation in Frieza’s eyes.
