5 Ways Gohan Has Grown Since Dragon Ball Z (& 5 He Hasn’t)
The son of Goku and Chi-Chi saw a lot of changes in Dragon Ball Super & Dragon Ball GT, but only some of them represented actual growth for Gohan.
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Plenty of anime series have gone on to become entrenched in pop culture and turned into evergreen properties, but Dragon Ball Z is an especially successful anime. Dragon Ball Z follows a typical shonen series structure where Goku and company fend off deadly threats.
However, some of the most entertaining aspects of Dragon Ball Z look at the new characters that get to grow throughout the anime, with Gohan being one of the most extreme cases. Gohan is one of Earth’s strongest fighters when Dragon Ball Z concludes, but the sequel anime series that have followed Dragon Ball Z present Gohan in a way that’s not always necessarily flattering.
10 Ways He’s Grown: He’s Now A Father
Characters change in psychological ways throughout the Dragon Ball series. These signs of growth are less easy to recognize, but characters will also change in more obvious physical ways, which in Gohan’s case includes his turn towards fatherhood.
Gohan and Videl’s relationship just begins to heat up towards the end of Dragon Ball Z, but the material that follows actually explores Gohan’s abilities as a parent. Dragon Ball Super depicts Pan’s birth and Dragon Ball GT turns her into a central character. Gohan’s attempts to negotiate this new area of life are a welcome new aspect to his character.
9 Ways He Hasn’t: His Relationship With His Younger Brother Still Suffers
Dragon Ball Z begins with Gohan as a young boy and depicts his growth into an adult before his father’s eyes, but the anime takes a surprising turn when Goku and Chi-Chi have another child, Goten, in the second half of Dragon Ball Z.
Goten most often operates as a unit with Trunks, but there’s a lot of potential in two Saiyan siblings that help each other grow stronger. Gohan barely spends any time with Goten throughout Dragon Ball Z and there’s not much done to rectify this in Dragon Ball Super, where Goten becomes an even more irrelevant character.
8 Ways He’s Grown: He Re-Prioritizes Fighting Over Domestic Life
One of the biggest conflicts that Gohan faces is the different ideas that his parents have over what his future should look like. Chi-Chi pushes Gohan to adopt a life that’s focused on school and heads in a domestic direction.
Dragon Ball Super begins with Gohan very much settled in this territory and his skills quite rusty because of his time away from battle. However, Dragon Ball Super gets Gohan back in the saddle and helps him reclaim his glory as a fighter as it slowly pushes him away from the life Dragon Ball Z set him up to have.
7 Ways He Hasn’t: His Mystic Upgrade & Ultimate Form Are Still Wasted
Dragon Ball Z’s concluding Buu Saga features some huge fights and big moments, but it’s also an arc of episodes that express a lot of confusion over who it wants to be the big hero. Gohan spends a ton of time with Old Kai to undergo the Mystic Upgrade and achieve his Ultimate form.
It looks like this will be the key to defeating Buu, but it ultimately just bides time. Dragon Ball Super, or Dragon Ball GT, for that matter, both have opportunities to actually make Ultimate Gohan practical, but it remains a confusing transformation footnote for the character.
6 Ways He’s Grown: The Trust He Has With Videl Has Never Been Stronger
Dragon Ball Z is full of violence, yet it’s also an anime that’s able to forge some emotionally fulfilling romances. Dragon Ball Z’s Buu Saga introduces Gohan’s first real love interest, Videl, Mr. Satan’s daughter. The two are sweet, but their relationship in Dragon Ball Z is predicated on a lot of lies and secrets that Gohan needs to keep from Videl.
Dragon Ball Super contains a fully transparent version of the couple where neither feel threatened by outside forces. Barry Kahn threatens both of their domestic lives, yet they never show any doubt towards each other.
5 Ways He Hasn’t: He Still Masquerades Around Town As The Great Saiyaman
Dragon Ball Z’s Buu Saga starts off with Gohan front and center as he heads into high school and also moonlights as a local superhero, the Great Saiyaman.
This alias helps bring out some of Gohan’s goofier behavior, but it feels like an aspect tied to his adolescence. It’s interesting to learn that in Dragon Ball Super Gohan is still fully committed to the Great Saiyaman routine and goes out in the silly costume. He’s certainly at a point where he can end this charade, but he doesn’t stop.
4 Ways He’s Grown: He’s Allowed To Be The Leader
Dragon Ball Z puts Gohan in the spotlight during the conclusion of the Cell Saga, but then it perpetually teases him about making this promotion official. Gohan remains in Goku’s shadow up until Dragon Ball Z’s conclusion and it doesn’t look like this is going to change when Dragon Ball Super begins.
Dragon Ball Super’s Tournament of Power arc finds a smart way to empower Gohan when he becomes the leader of Universe 7’s team. It puts a newfound level of responsibility and strategy on Gohan’s shoulders that’s long overdue.
3 Ways He Hasn’t: He’s Still Endlessly Devoted To Piccolo
One of the sweetest aspects of Dragon Ball Z is the surrogate father-son relationship that’s fostered between Gohan and Piccolo during Goku’s absence. It’s a bond that’s especially effective since Piccolo enters Dragon Ball as someone that’s supposed to kill Goku. Piccolo sacrifices himself for Gohan on more than one occasion and the gesture is not lost on the young Saiyan.
Gohan remains indebted to Piccolo throughout Dragon Ball Super and is almost willing to blindly follow him. This isn’t necessarily negative since Piccolo cares for Gohan, but it’s a level of codependence that might become problematic.
2 Ways He’s Grown: Future Trunks Is Able To Open His Eyes
Dragon Ball Super finds the right balance between new ideas and nostalgia. It’s very enjoyable to see some old characters return to help out and Future Trunks is perhaps the best example of this. Future Trunks once again travels through time to aid against an immense danger.
Future Trunks’ mentor was a grown version of Gohan and so it’s somewhat jarring for him to face this with this timeline’s Gohan, albeit in a much meeker package. Future Trunks is able to spend time with Gohan and help bring out a more well-rounded version of the character.
1 Ways He Hasn’t: His Transformations & Techniques Remain Stagnant
There are many different reasons to enjoy Dragon Ball Z, but there’s no denying that it’s a series that becomes increasingly filled with powerful transformations and new and deadly techniques.
Dragon Ball Super, and even Dragon Ball GT to a lesser extent, allows characters like Goku and Vegeta to ascend several levels in power and learn plenty of unique moves. Gohan continues to fight, but none of these perks are presented to him and he’s left to defend himself with an arsenal of stale abilities.
Link Source : https://www.cbr.com/dbz-ways-gohan-has-hasnt-grown/