Part of the reason that Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball shonen series has been able to successfully endure and evolve for more than three decades is that there are so many diverse aspects that draw people into the series. Dragon Ball features a wide range of powerful heroes who all go on to accomplish incredible feats and take down dangerous enemies.
Dragon Ball is guilty of tunnel vision at times when it comes to the characters who are put in the spotlight, and even though Gohan, Goku’s son, can sometimes recede into the background, he’s still a very valuable character to the series. Gohan is responsible for some especially impressive accomplishments throughout Dragon Ball’s many episodes.
10 Grand Elder Guru Unlocks His Potential
There’s such an element of unexpected adventures when Gohan and company arrive on Planet Namek for the first time in Dragon Ball Z. Their stay on the planet eventually becomes dominated by battle, but there’s an engaging period that puts everyone on another hunt for the Dragon Balls. Gohan and Krillin befriend some important Namekians during their visit, and they even make such an impression that the Grand Elder Guru considers them worthy of a power boost. Certain Elder Namekains are able to tap into an individual’s inner potential and awaken it, which is a privilege that Gohan earns.
9 He Starts A Family
There are different barometers in which to measure success, and in a series like Dragon Ball, there are often skewed priorities that put an emphasis on strength over everything else. Nevertheless, there are still characters who manage to find a happy balance and don’t let training and combat completely take over their lives. Gohan remains incredibly strong, but he’s also able to find a genuine connection with Videl, who he goes on to marry, and the two eventually have a daughter, Pan, together. Pan becomes an exceptional figure in her own right, and Gohan building this sweet family shouldn’t be underestimated.
8 He’s Worthy Of Riding The Flying Nimbus
It’s easy to forget that there was ever a time in Dragon Ball where the ability of flight was off the table. The original Dragon Ball begins in considerably more grounded territory, at least when it comes to its martial arts. As a result, one of Goku’s major means of transportation is through the mystical Flying Nimbus.
The cloud-like transportation will only allow those who are pure of heart to ride it, which also makes the Nimbus a valuable judge of character. During Gohan’s youth, he adopts Goku’s Nimbus and often rides it around while keeping the tradition alive.
7 He’s The Winner Of X.S. Cash’s Intergalactic World Tournament
The Dragon Ball series always finds ways to return to sprawling tournaments since they’re an easy opportunity to showcase a wide variety of fighters in a condensed period of time. The ninth Dragon Ball Z movie, Bojack Unbound, is built off the premise of a new competition that’s held, X.S. Cash’s Intergalactic World Tournament. This display is largely fabricated by Hercule Satan, but it does develop into a genuine competition, despite Hercule’s efforts. Just like in the Cell Games, Hercule gets the public title of the big winner, but in reality, it’s Gohan who comes out on top.
6 His Great Saiyaman Routine Inspires A Feature Film
Most of the heroes in Dragon Ball have saved the Earth on numerous occasions, even though the general public is largely oblivious to the work that they put in. Gohan decides to do some street-level justice when he builds the crime-fighting alter ego of the Great Saiyaman. Civilians do seem to feel safer with the knowledge that there’s some oddball out there who’s committed to keeping them safe, as well as inspire several copycat Saiyamen. Dragon Ball Super highlights that a Great Saiyaman feature film is being made, which indicates that Gohan’s broad personality has become quite famous.
5 He’s Made The Leader Of Universe 7’s Team In The Tournament Of Power
Dragon Ball Super’s anime concludes with the biggest competition that the franchise has ever seen, a multiversal battle royale that’s known as the Tournament of Power. Each universe is able to assemble their ten best fighters with the erasure of their universe functioning as the penalty for elimination.
Goku recruits the members for Universe 7’s team, but it’s Gohan who is ultimately elected as the team’s leader and primary strategist. Part of this promotion is to help Gohan get his groove back, but he doesn’t squander the responsibility, and he helps Universe 7 turn out a lot of eliminations.
4 He Turns Into A Super Saiyan Before He’s Ten
The longer that Dragon Ball goes on, the more that Super Saiyans become the norm, and the significance of this transformation almost feels diminished. Dragon Ball Super readily pushes new Saiyans to this milestone with minimal trauma and many feel that Goten and Trunks achieve this transformation too early in their lives. Gohan isn’t the first Super Saiyan, but it’s a big deal when he turns into one at the young age of nine, which is substantially earlier than Goku, Vegeta, or Future Trunks. He’s the youngest Saiyan to hold this achievement until Goten and Trunks come around.
3 He's Instrumental In The Defeat Of Fused Fighters Koichiarator And Anilasa
Dragon Ball Super’s Tournament of Power is such an exciting collection of battles because each of the different universes in the competition resorts to different strategies. Fusion is a risky proposition that isn’t illegal in the Tournament of Power, but it’s something that’s done with serious trepidation. Universe 3 pushes fusion to its limit when three of its fighters fuse together into Koichiarator, a decision that’s largely prompted because of Gohan’s domination on the battlefield. Koichiarator continues to fuse with his team until he forms into Anilasa, which requires all of Universe 7’s help to overcome.
2 He’s The First To Become Super Saiyan 2
So much of Dragon Ball is focused on Goku’s accomplishments and his growth into a stronger fighter, as well as an adult. However, Dragon Ball Z’s first episode does an effective job to make it clear that Goku’s son is potentially even more powerful. Dragon Ball Z repeatedly teases the power that lies inside of Gohan, which reaches its apex during the final battle against Cell. Gohan is the one who’s finally strong enough to defeat this enemy, but it also pushes him to become a Super Saiyan 2 for the first time, a milestone that’s previously never been accomplished.
1 He Trains Under Old Kai And Is Worthy Of The Mystic Upgrade
It’s ultimately a disappointment that Dragon Ball backs down from its original plan to transition its main character from Goku to Gohan, especially when so much emphasis is placed on the character’s training on the Sacred Planet of the Kais. Gohan masters the Z Sword, frees Old Kai, and earns the honor to become Ultimate/Mystic Gohan, which seems like it will be the solution to Buu’s defeat. Ultimate Gohan’s grand value is still up for debate, but it becomes a bold accomplishment considering how few characters train under Old Kai and that only Gohan receives this superlative upgrade.