Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball Z is an iconic battle shonen series that’s largely become so successful because of its superpowered battle sequences, incredible transformations, and its suspenseful storytelling. Dragon Ball Z is rich in powerful and determined characters — both heroes and villains alike — who repeatedly surpass their limits and set new standards in strength. Dragon Ball Z continues to chronicle Goku’s heroic adventures, and he reaches some of his most impressive milestones in the series. That being said, Dragon Ball Z also begins with the introduction of Goku’s son, Gohan, and the anime is just as much a showcase of his strength and growth as it is for his father.
Dragon Ball Z follows Gohan’s development from frightened child to courageous parent and there’s copious evidence that suggests that he has what it takes to become even stronger than his father and stand out as Earth’s greatest hero. Gohan’s incredible potential has been teased as early as Dragon Ball Z’s introductory episodes and it’s extremely satisfying to see Gohan realize this potential and mature as a martial artist and hero. However, there are actually several strong reasons that explain why Gohan has such endless potential and has always been destined to be one of Dragon Ball Z’s strongest characters.
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Gohan was always meant to surpass his father’s strength, and some of his fights truly rival Goku’s best clashes — and sometimes, they’re even better.
Dragon Ball Z drops some major revelations in its opening story arc that irrevocably change the series’ scope. The biggest of these bombshells is the news that Goku isn’t human, but is in fact a Saiyan, which is an aggressive race of alien warriors. Goku’s extraterrestrial heritage retroactively explains some of his incredible accomplishments and why he’s always been such a natural fighter. Goku’s alien status is something that he struggles to make sense of and find peace with throughout the entirety of Dragon Ball.
However, this internal crisis also spills over into Gohan, who also gains Goku’s Saiyan DNA. What separates Gohan from Goku is that he’s a human-Saiyan hybrid, rather than a purebred Saiyan. This may seem inferior, but Dragon Ball Z actually explains that Saiyan hybrids are naturally more powerful and that their shared genetic material is an important asset. There’s a moment during Vegeta and Nappa’s plans for Earth’s invasion where they discuss the prospect of creating a new Saiyan race with Earth’s helpless population.
The main deterrent in their plan is that they’re both worried that these hybrids may overpower them and cause them to lose their control over the planet. Other Saiyan hybrids enter Dragon Ball— such as Trunks, Goten, Pan, and Bulla — but Gohan is significant for being the first of his kind. He’s also a special individual in the sense that he still has his Saiyan tail when Dragon Ball Z begins and gets substantial use out of his Great Ape transformation during the series’ Saiyan Saga.
Gohan is a standout Saiyan hybrid, but his daughter Pan may have even greater potential with the extreme progress that she’s already exhibited at such a young age. Pan is only one-quarter Saiyan, which further reinforces the idea that diluted Saiyan hybrids are naturally stronger.
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Gohan had numerous chances to become the leading star of DBZ, but Akira Toriyama had a good reason for continually bringing Goku back as the hero.
Gohan benefits from certain biological advantages that give him more potential than many of Dragon Ball Z’s characters. However, Gohan is hardly an ambivalent individual or someone who naturally expects to succeed without putting in the hard work. One of the biggest reasons that Gohan has such tremendous potential and power is that he’s undergone rigorous training with some of Earth’s greatest martial artists.
Gohan has trained under both Piccolo and Goku, who teach him fundamental lessons and understand how to push him past his limits and what’s necessary for him to grow as a fighter. This training also naturally equips Gohan with some of his mentors’ greatest abilities, like the Kamehameha and the Special Beam Cannon. Piccolo’s wilderness training is particularly fruitful for Gohan because he’s left to his own devices and gets to learn a lot about himself in the process. He also understands the value of weighted clothing and adopts this practice, too.
Gohan’s work with Goku also exposes him to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber where he technically experiences extra years of training, which gives him an inherent advantage where he’s able to overcome his young age. Later on in life, Gohan also gets sent to the Sacred World of the Kai where he learns crucial lessons under Old Kai, Shin, and Kibito, which is another rare privilege.
This training results in Gohan’s full potential being unlocked and tapping into his Ultimate form, which is later revealed in Dragon Ball Super to be a crucial precursor to Gohan’s exceptional Beast mode. This further builds upon the potential unlocking that Gohan experiences as a child, on Namek, courtesy of the Grand Elder Guru. Gohan’s martial arts mentors and the privileged potential awakenings that he participates in put him on a path to greatness.
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Although Gohan has been fighting enemies since he was a toddler, he is constantly coming up short and disappointing his fans as a result.
The original Dragon Ball begins Goku’s heroic adventures at the young age of 12. Part of the reason that he grows to become such a powerful hero is that he’s able to build upon important martial arts fundamentals from this young age. As impressive as this is, Gohan completely trumps Goku in this department and he’s someone who has had to spend his entire life in life-or-death combat. Dragon Ball characters are increasingly powerful at a young age, but few have the same level of experience as Gohan.
It’s unclear if even Vegeta has been fighting from as young an age as Gohan. His life is threatened, and Gohan takes on Raditz when he’s only four years old. Gohan’s role may be somewhat passive during this clash and he mostly responds out of pure rage, instinct, and defense mechanisms, but it’s an experience that sets an important baseline for Gohan. It’s at this point that he begins to train under Piccolo and he’s only five years old when he fights against Nappa and Vegeta.
Not only is this impressive, but he’s one of the few individuals to actually survive this battle. The same is true when he goes up against Frieza at the same age. Gohan survives, but his power is so intense that he gives Frieza’s third form pause and pushes him to transform into his final state. This is more than what Piccolo is able to accomplish, even after he’s fused with Nail and receives a significant power boost. Gohan only continues to grow in this regard.
He’s between nine and ten during the Android Saga, although physically ten or eleven, after he engages in a year of training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. This is an incredibly young age to become both a Super Saiyan and a Super Saiyan 2, which are milestones that Goku and Vegeta struggle to reach as battle-savvy adults. All of this trumps anything that Goku accomplished in the original Dragon Ball and he’s still younger than Goku was when the series began.
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Gohan was meant to be the main character of DBZ, & love for Goku hindered that, but there are moments that prove how Gohan deserved to be the MC.
Gohan showcases incredible strength from his earliest appearances in Dragon Ball Z. Goku may remain the franchise’s protagonist, but one of Dragon Ball Z’s biggest themes is the idea of passing the torch over to the next generation of heroes. Goku learns fundamental lessons that help him understand that there’s even greater value in preparing other heroes for what’s to come than to continually focus on his own growth.
After all, Goku would never be able to reach the places that he is today if Master Roshi and his other mentors didn’t help him grow and pass their knowledge onto him. Dragon Ball Z begins with Goku’s death in its fifth episode, which helps the hero better recognize his own mortality and that he won’t always be around to save the Earth from evil. It makes sense that Dragon Ball’s sequel would increasingly celebrate Goku’s son, rather than Goku, and reveal that this has really been his story.
Gohan has always been destined to become Dragon Ball’s main character, which is a privilege that he temporarily achieves during the start of the Buu Saga and then properly reclaims in Dragon Ball Super’s Super Hero Saga. A focus on Gohan is ultimately a richer and thematically stronger story, rather than another series that just focuses more on Goku’s continued accomplishments.
Goku has defeated so many villains that it practically feels inevitable and no longer holds the same weight, regardless of how strong he’s become. However, raising a son to become his stronger successor is a more meaningful milestone that can continue to do good for the world. It’s an accomplishment that will live far beyond him and set Earth’s future up for success, like with how Gohan is helping Pan in the same way and carrying on his father’s philosophy.
Gohan Is The Only Main Dragon Ball Character Who Never Dies
Gohan’s Continued Ability To Avoid Death Speaks To His Prolific Potential
Gohan Has Officially Become Dragon Ball Super’s Strongest Hero
Dragon Ball Super Chapter 103 features an unprecedented Saiyan showdown that reinforces Gohan’s role as the series’ strongest hero.
There are many unique factors that highlight a character’s strength and potential. Dragon Ball is a franchise where death is a common occurrence and the luxury of the Dragon Balls is able to give individuals second — and even third — leases on life. It’s not uncommon for important heroes to repeatedly perish in Dragon Ball and everyone from Goku to Vegeta to Piccolo to Krillin has died on multiple occasions. However, Gohan is a rare exception to this rule, and he’s someone who remains immune to death, even in Dragon Ball Super.
Dragon Ball always makes sure that Gohan is protected, even when he looks like he’s about to die. This also functions as the culmination of Gohan’s hard work and progress. He has this invincible quality that builds upon the main character angle that Dragon Ball Z has teased with him from its start. A lack of death technically applies to Goten and Trunks too, but these characters have never received the same degree of attention as Gohan.
The fact that they’re still children also makes it less likely that they’d be killed, since this would be particularly grim for Dragon Ball (although not impossible). Gohan’s continued ability to survive apocalyptic situations reinforces his prolific potential and power. He’s not just strong, but he’s a natural survivor and a Dragon Ball Z character who’s been consistently teased as the face of the future and someone who can actually carry on Goku’s totemic legacy.
