Summary
Transformations inDragon Ballare some of the most common and easily identifiable aspects of the series. Ever since Goku went Super Saiyan for the first time against Frieza in Namek, many of the characters within the series have gotten stronger by unlocking a new form that, for a certain point in the story, makes them the strongest character.
Gohan is no stranger to this trend. Ever since his introduction, Gohan has served a pivotal role asone of the strongest charactersand his various transformations have come at some of the most crucial moments in the series. From his humble origins as a child in the Saiyan Saga to the last hope against powerful enemies such as Cell Max, let’s break down all of Gohan’s transformations throughoutDragon Ball.
Story Arc
The Saiyan Saga
The first episode ofDragon Ball Zwas quite interesting to witness, as the members of the cast that fans had seen as kids and teenagers were now all grown up. The biggest surprise came when Goku flew over to Kame House with his 4-year-old son. Gohan inherited Goku’s Saiyan tail and, throughout his time in theSaiyan and Namek Sagas, he would prove to be someone with limitless potential due to his unique nature as a Saiyan-Human hybrid.
Notable Feats
Even as a kid, Gohan’s power was staggering. Despite being kidnapped quite early on by Raditz, he eventually broke out of his pod and did substantial damage to the villain. He continued to prove himself in the Namek arc as he went up against even stronger villains, eventually training under Piccolo and having his potential unlocked by the Elder in Namek.
The Great Ape transformationis one that the Saiyans unlock upon staring at a full moon, allowing themselves to turn into towering monsters of incredible power. Gohan transformed into this form twice in the Saiyan Saga, which showed him to be far stronger than everyone else who was in his vicinity at the time, calling for desperate measures to finally bring him down.
In his first transformation in the canyon area with Piccolo, Gohan’s strength was shown to be immense, as he laid waste to most of the area with ease, causing Piccolo to blow up the moon in an effort to stop him. When Gohan transformed into this the next time in his fight against Vegeta, even the mighty Saiyan Prince could not hold back his power.
Namek Saga
Unlocking a warrior’s potential is nothing new for the world ofDragon Ballas this was something that many characters have gone through many times. For Gohan, the first time this happened was when the Elder Guru on Namek brought out his potential to its maximum, by making Gohan’s power level reach 18,000, which was thesame as Vegeta’s back on Earth.
As a result of Gohan reaching his peak at that time, his strength even passed that of Guldo, a member of the infamously powerful Ginyu Force. Even against Recoome, Gohan’s enemies were impressed at how strong he had gotten, as he was able to hold his own against the heavy hitter of the Force. Most impressively, however, was how well Gohan fared against even the Galactic Tyrant himself; Frieza.
Dragon Ball Z, episode 156, “Bow to the Prince”
Perfect Cell Saga
The Super Saiyan form was once the most coveted transformation of them all and was one that could only really be achieved through great suffering and hardship. Due to this, Gohan’s time with his father in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber proved to be very useful, as he finally unlocked the transformation,being the youngest Saiyan to ever do so. Since then, this form has become a staple in his arsenal that he continues to use to this day.
In his Super Saiyan form, Gohan was able to destroy the Cell Juniors, opponents who he tested the form to its maximum limits against as they were out to kill him, letting him go all out. In flashbacks, it was even shown that Future Gohan had achieved this form against the Androids in his timeline, though it was unsuccessful in doing much to his opponents.
After the events of the Cell Saga, Gohan had all but given up on training. Despite this, however, his using Super Saiyan in his late-teen/adult stage still proved to be a great power-up, as he used it againstmany new villains in the Majin Buu Saga, and even beyond that inDragon Ball Super.
When it comes to iconic moments in the franchise, there are only a few that are on the same level as Gohan’s first transformation into a Super Saiyan 2. After witnessing the death of Android 16, on top of all thesuffering that Perfect Cell had already caused, Gohan reached a tipping point, becoming the first Saiyan to move beyond the confines of a Super Saiyan. This new form was eventually dubbed the Super Saiyan 2, and would be the next step for everyone going forward.
After achieving one of the most iconic transformations in the entire series, Gohan goes on to defeat Perfect Cell in another iconic moment. By releasing a Kamehameha with a single hand, Gohan would get the help of his father from the afterlife, turning the attack intothe legendary Father-Son Kamehamehaand completely obliterating Cell by wiping him off the face of the Earth.
Gohan used his Super Saiyan 2 form even as an adult, where he showed the depths of his power despite taking a hiatus from training. His power was strong enough to contend with heavy hitters like Dabura, and it even showed in his fights against many participants in the Tournament of Power. Super Saiyan 2 Gohan was most recently seen inDragon Ball Super: Super Hero, where he fought againstthe formidable Gamma Androids.
It’s a secret we’ve known before Gohan could even form words in his mouth. Through fights with Raditz, Garlic Jr., the Ginyu Force, and even Frieza, we’ve caught glimpses of the child’s explosive power, but like an explosion, it always vanished with the moment. It couldn’t be controlled… until now. At last, the beastly power has been harnessed - Gohan has awoken!
Majin Buu Saga
Many fans were left quite disappointed with Gohan’s treatment in the Buu Saga, as the once strongest Saiyan warrior was made to be someone who neglected his training and became far weaker as a result. However, toward the middle of the arc, Gohan’s latent potential is released for a second time, transforming the Saiyan into a warrior with almost unequal power, eclipsing evenGoku’s incredible Super Saiyan 3 transformation.
When using the form properly for the first time, Gohan was stated to be stronger than even Super Saiyan 3 Goku, and his fight against Super Buu showed this. Ultimate Gohan humiliated Super Buu, which caused the monster to absorb Piccolo and Gotenks to match the power of his enemy in an attempt to defeat him. The resulting transformation for Buu was also his strongest, due to absorbing Gohan’s immense strength.
Ultimate Gohan was also used to great effectin the Tournament of Power, where he defeated many powerful opponents. In the manga, it was Ultimate Gohan who knocked Kefla out of the tournament, and the form was used to greatly damage the Gamma Androids in theSuper Heromovie.
Super Hero Arc
Gohan’s power has been consistently shown to be at its strongest when he sees a loved one in danger. After Android 16’s death, Gohan achieved the Super Saiyan 2 transformation and, in the same vein, Gohan unlocked a deep and primal strength upon seeing his mentor and best friend, Piccolo, seemingly dieat the hands of Cell Max. This resulted in Beast Gohan, a character many believe to be stronger than even Goku and Vegeta.
Gohan is actually stronger than anyone… or so it’s said, but lately, he hasn’t really gotten a chance to shine.
Gohan Beast is a relatively new addition toDragon Ball, so the true limits of his strength have not yet been shown. However, he killed Cell Max with very little effort, showing himself to be far superior to an extremely powerful villain who proved to be a great threat to the universe. Other than that, Gohan Beast was shown to have initiated a fairly equal spar with Ultra Instinct Goku, showing that this form is truly up there with the strongest in the series!
