It’s been decades since the debut of Dragon Ball, but it’s still one of the most popular and successful shonen action anime of all time. One of the most impressive things about Dragon Ball is that the series begins with Goku as a child, with him eventually becoming an adult and having children, who grow up themselves.
The original plan for Dragon Ball Z was for Gohan to replace his father as the anime’s main character following Goku’s death against Cell. Obviously this shift never came to pass, but if the original plan was followed it could have resulted in a very different Dragon Ball -- as seen in these ten hypothetical changes.
10 More Great Saiyaman
Once Dragon Ball Z shifts into the post-Cell episodes, Gohan adopts the superhero alter ego of the Great Saiyaman. This becomes a prominent enough part of Gohan’s older years and even in Dragon Ball Super it’s revealed that he’s kept the routine going and still gets up to the theatrics.
If Goku were out of the picture and Gohan were the focus then it’s reasonable that there’d be even more Great Saiyaman material. Gohan could even face street-level criminals and get storylines that are more direct parodies of the superhero genre.
9 Gohan Has Another Child
Goku remains the focus throughout the rest of Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super, but in the later chapters he goes on to have another son, Goten. If Goku were to remain dead then Goten would never come to be, or perhaps he would, but as Gohan’s son, rather than his brother.
Gohan and Videl go on to have a daughter, Pan, with more of a Gohan focus in the series it wouldn’t be ridiculous for him to have another kid in this scenario.
8 Gohan Becomes Super Saiyan God
Something that gains a lot of attention in Dragon Ball Super is the addition of the Super Saiyan God transformation. Not only is it the only way to appease Beerus, but it pushes Goku to the forefront of the series once again as he’s the one chosen to receive this upgrade.
If Goku wasn’t around, it seems likely that this honor would have fallen onto Gohan, rather than Vegeta. The Super Saiyan God ceremony would need to involve one less Saiyan, but it’d still work. It’d be fascinating to see what Gohan does with this power.
7 The Return Of Frieza Would Play Out Differently
It’s a very big deal in Dragon Ball Super when Frieza returns, first as a threat and then as an ally during the Tournament of Power. It’s very suspenseful to have Frieza back, but so much of his vendetta against Earth in general has to do with his hatred and need for revenge against Goku.
Frieza’s relationship with Gohan is quite different, yet they still have history together. The initial fight against Golden Frieza could be less personal, or even more so, depending on the angle it takes.
6 Gohan Fuses With Vegeta
The villains in Dragon Ball Z eventually become so powerful that the only way to surpass them is to have two extremely powerful fighters actually merge into one. Main Buu’s powers devastate Earth and Goku and Vegeta are pushed into having to fuse.
Goku may still be dead during this portion, but a fusion with Gohan would be much more interesting and have a very different dynamic with Vegeta. A Gohan and Vegeta fusion could allow the two to find a new appreciation in one another and unlock some real potential.
5 More Scenes At School
Initially, when the Buu Saga in Dragon Ball Z began to focus on Gohan and kept Goku in the afterlife, it chose to spend some time with his exploits in high school. It’s a creative change of pace to see Gohan try to fit in with other individuals and face new kinds of personal challenges.
This soon recedes into the background, but if Goku didn’t come back around then extensions of this when Gohan is in college could also be seen. This balance of extremes is something that Goku’s never really had to deal with before.
4 Zamasu Would Become Gohan Black
Dragon Ball Super has some fun when it comes to its villains, whether it’s the return of old foes or the introduction of new ones. A major arc in the series is Zamasu’s meticulous plan to become Goku Black and mess with the timeline until he’s gotten revenge on the futile nature of mortals.
If Goku was no longer in the picture, it’s logical that Zamasu would target Gohan instead. A Gohan Black would be a fascinating turn and get to paint this positive character in an intimidating new light.
3 More Relationship Drama
Dragon Ball Super is more concerned in action than comedy or character drama, but it still indulges in these areas on a few occasions. There’s an interesting arc where both Gohan and Videl are targeted by other romantic suitors and there’s a brief conflict between the happy couple.
It feels somewhat out of place in Super, but if Gohan were the main character it’d be a curious choice to pursue more of this and actually try and test Gohan and Videl’s love before ultimately reinforcing it.
2 The Return Of Future Trunks Would Have More Weight
It’s very exciting when Dragon Ball Super has Future Trunks return to the timeline and once again come bearing apocalyptic news. Due to the intense bond shared by Future Trunks and his version of Gohan, there’s a complex dynamic present when Future Trunks meets this adult version of Gohan and sees how different he is.
There’s a lot of potential in this relationship being pushed further and if the show’s focus were Gohan then maybe Future Trunks would have spent more time on trying to teach him how to become more like the version of him from his timeline.
1 The Ultimate Upgrade Gets Further Explored
One of the larger unsolved mysteries in Dragon Ball is just what exactly is going on with Gohan’s Ultimate (or Mystic) Upgrade. This transformation is achieved when Old Kai unlocks Gohan’s hidden potential, but Dragon Ball Super shows that he’s still able to become a Super Saiyan after the fact.
If Gohan remains the focus there would probably be a deeper examination of this transformation and maybe Super would even involve him taking it to new levels and going in a direction entirely different from Super Saiyan God.