Dragon Ball has always been about strength, training, and transformation. But somewhere in the middle of all the epic fights and world-ending threats, there was injustice.Gohan, the soft-spoken son of Goku and Chi-Chi, was a prodigy. A fighter with power buried so deep that everyone around him, even those who loved him, kept trying to dig it up, no matter the cost.
Dragon Ball: All Of Gohan’s Transformations, Ranked
We’ve seen several forms of Gohan in the Dragon Ball franchise, Gohan Beast being the best one. Here, we have ranked Gohan’s every transformation.
From the moment he was introduced, Gohan was caught between two versions of himself. The boy who loved studying and animals and peace, and the fighter everyone needed him to become. What makes his story hard to sit with is how often his own needs were ignored.Over and over, Gohan was treated like a last resort, a secret weapon, a trump card for when things got too desperate.
10Raditz Saga: Thrown Into Battle Without Choice
Thrown into a War before He Knew What Fear Even was
Gohan was four years old when Raditz showed up. Still clumsy, scared of fighting, and unaware of what he was capable of. But when Goku and Piccolo were overwhelmed, they brought Gohan to the battlefield, hoping his latent power could make a difference.
Dragon Ball: Piccolo’s 10 Best Fights
Dragon Ball fans have seen Piccolo fighting several battles over the years, but these are surely some of his best fights in the franchise.
And it did. His rage burst through and cracked Raditz’s armor. But what came after was silence. No one asked how he felt. No one helped him understand what just happened.He was a kid who exploded in terror, and everyone nodded as if that proved something useful.
9Piccolo’s Training: Tough Love or Just Tough?
Left Alone to Survive in the Wilderness
After Goku died,Piccolotook Gohan under his wing. It’s one of the more meaningful relationships in the series, but it started with survival over care. Piccolo left Gohan alone in the wilderness for six months, forcing him to learn how to eat, sleep, and fight in the wild. It shaped him, sure. It made him strong.
But it also broke something. Gohan cried every night. He talked to himself to stay sane. And when Piccolo started actively training him, it was with discipline and danger, not with the warmth one should use with a 5-year-old. The reasoning was clear: they needed a fighter.The world was ending. But no one checked if the boy in front of them was okay.
8Saiyan Saga: Sent to Fight Nappa and Vegeta
A Kid on the Front Lines
Despite being a child, Gohan was put on the front lines against two of the deadliest warriors the planet had ever seen. Krillin fought. Tien fought. Yamcha died. And in the middle of that was Gohan, terrified and shaking, but expected to push through.
There were moments of bravery, no doubt. Gohan stepped up. He screamed, attacked, and did his best. But that’s the issue. He didn’t belong there in the first place.His power was always treated like a light switch. Turn it on when it’s needed, hope he doesn’t break.The idea that he might need safety instead of purpose never seemed to come up.
Saving a Planet While No One Asked If He Was Okay
On Namek, Gohan faced fear daily. Frieza’s army, the Ginyu Force, is the looming presence of death. There were glimpses of agency, him standing up to injustice, helping Dende, even stealing the Dragon Balls, but it was still war. And he was still a child.
During the Saiyan saga, there was a moment when Gohan cries over Piccolo’s death, and it feels like the one time anyone remembers his age. But by then, it’s too late. He’s already been forged into something sharper. Stronger. More useful.Not once did anyone say, “You shouldn’t have to do this.”
6Cell Games: The Ultimate Weapon Unleashed
A Hidden Power that was Provoked
This was the moment. The moment everyone waited for.Goku, believing Gohan had hidden strength, trained him harder than ever. He watched as his son struggled with power he didn’t understand, then sent him in alone to face Cell.
Gohan begged not to fight. He didn’t want to kill. But no one listened. Goku smiled. The others watched. Even when Cell tortured his friends, Gohan was told to let the rage come out.It wasn’t about who he was. It was about what he could do when pushed hard enough.
And when he finally snapped, when Android 16’s broken head and final words cracked his heart wide open, he transformed. And the cost was innocence. Pride. Maybe something even deeper. He won the fight, but it never felt like a victory. He looked like a weapon that had done its job.
5Majin Buu Arc: The Pressure to Be “Great Saiyaman” and Beyond
The Hero They Wanted, Not the Life He Chose
Years passed, and Gohan tried to live a different life. High school, friends, a superhero costume that was more goofy than intimidating. He wanted normalcy, and for a brief moment, he had it.
Then the Buu arc began, and everything fell apart again. He was dragged back into a world that only saw his power. Everyone asked why he wasn’t as strong as he had been before. Why was he not training? Why couldn’t he just step up?
When he unlocked his “Mystic” form, it was painted as a return. A correction. As if he was finally useful again.But behind the power-up was a young man being told, again, that who he was didn’t matter unless he could punch hard enough to save the world.
4Resurrection ‘F’: The Shame of Not Being Ready
Shamed for Choosing Peace Over Power
InResurrection ‘F’,Friezareturns. And when he does, everyone looks to Gohan again. He’s rusty. Weaker than before. And the disappointment is palpable. Even he admits he hasn’t trained seriously. The implication is that he let the world down by living peacefully.
There’s a scene where Gohan powers up and forces himself to transform just to stay in the fight. You can see the pressure breaking him apart. He doesn’t fight with pride. He fights with guilt.He’s not a warrior here. He’s a son and a father who feels like a failure.
3Dragon Ball Super: The Guilt and the Grind
Scholar by Choice, Warrior by Obligation
ThroughoutDragon Ball Super, Gohan is stuck between expectations. His desire to be a scholar. His responsibility as a fighter. He’s constantly reminded that if he trained more, he’d be as powerful as Goku. And when he starts training again, it’s framed as a form of redemption.
10 Best-Written Characters in Dragon Ball, Ranked
The Dragon Ball series has some tremendously well-written characters, but these ten stand out among the rest as the best of the best.
But it shouldn’t have been. He never did anything wrong. He just wanted to be someone outside of battle. Someone who could protect in other ways.The fact that the world won’t let him be that is a tragedy that’s never fully explored.
2Tournament of Power: The Silent Commander
An Underrated Leader
In theTournament of Power, Gohan took on a leadership role. He strategized, remained calm, and ensured the team worked together. He had strength, yes, but what stood out more was how he led.
And still, he was talked about like a disappointment. Viewers, characters, and even commentators compared him to what he once was. They wanted the boy who screamed and exploded with rage. Not the adult who tried to think and lead.He was measured against power instead of being praised for growth. Even at his best, he was treated like a reminder of what had been.
1Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero – Still the Backup Plan
Last Resort When Everyone Fails
In Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, Gohan is forced back into battle when Piccolo and Pan are in danger. Once again, he unleashes hidden strength. He unlocks a new form. And he wins the fight. But he’s still the last resort.Piccolo’s words echo what Goku once believed: Gohan has more potential than anyone else. The only problem is, that potential is only pulled out when disaster strikes.
He’s a safety net. A final option. A power to be unleashed, not a person to be understood. No matter how old he gets, no matter how hard he tries to live differently, people continue to expect the same thing. Power.
7 Times Vegeta Was The Best Dad In Dragon Ball Series
Vegeta may be a warrior at heart, but when it comes to his family, he’s all in. These moments show why he might just be the best dad in Dragon Ball.
Dragon Ball Z
Dragon Ball Z is an iconic anime from Toei Animation that continues the story established in the original Dragon Ball, taking the series and characters to new heights as they explore further out into the galaxy, encountering greater foes that challenge existence itself.
