Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball has become a permanent piece of anime pop culture and it’s spent more than three decades building a legacy of compelling storytelling, explosive battles, and unbelievable heroes. It’s been extremely satisfying to watch Dragon Ball evolve over the years even if its larger themes remain the same. Dragon Ball begins as the story of Goku and he’s never fully disappeared from the franchise.
However, Dragon Ball Z introduces Goku’s son, Gohan, who also matures before the audience’s eyes and in some ways is an even more emblematic anime protagonist. The series’ newest feature film, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, celebrates Gohan’s power instead of taking another look into Goku’s strength. When Gohan's the series' main character, the franchise benefits as a whole.
10 Gohan's The First Seiyan To Achieve Several Transformations
There are endless ways for the characters in Dragon Ball to mark their achievements. However, the debut of a new transformation is an effective way to get everyone’s attention and stand out as the true main character.
Admittedly, Goku marks most of these milestones as he ascends to Super Saiyan status, but he’s not the only character who's discovered new abilities. A real turning point in the series is when Gohan becomes the first to achieve Super Saiyan 2 strength and eliminates Cell in the process. In this moment it’s hard to argue with Gohan’s impact as the series’ main character.
9 Gohan Never Abuses The Dragon Balls
The titular wish-granting orbs in Dragon Ball are present through each of the different series in the franchise. It’s typically a cause for celebration whenever the Dragon Balls are successfully assembled, but they’ve become a bit of a crutch throughout the series’ run. Dragon Ball GT even reinforces how the Dragon Balls can represent humanity’s most selfish desires.
Goku regularly turns to the Dragon Balls and summons Shenron or Porunga to solve his problems, but Gohan is much more careful in this regard. Using Dragon Balls isn’t inherently wicked, but magical wishes often have unwanted side effects. Plus, no one fully understands the Dragon Balls' magic. If there is a downside to this kind of magic then it’s a good thing that Gohan hasn’t abused the Dragon's wishes.
8 Gohan Has Never Died
The heroes in Dragon Ball are ready to sacrifice themselves for the good of the universe if need be and this means that some of the strongest characters in the series have perished on multiple occasions. Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, and most of Earth’s heroes have had to wrestle with their mortality and benefit from the Dragon Balls' restorative properties.
Curiously, Gohan is one of the few individuals in the series who has never died, which gives him a certain aura of imperviousness that doesn’t apply to Goku. Death doesn’t disqualify someone from being a main character in Dragon Ball, but Gohan’s continued ability to survive should not be ignored.
7 Gohan Has Real Empathy For Others
A heroic main character needs to properly embody a hero's archetypal traits, which extend far beyond incredible physical strength. Goku is typically the strongest one in the room, but some of his most inspirational moments are the ones where he talks things out with a rival and exhibits sympathy.
Gohan is considerably more empathetic than his dad. Empathy is a mark of a good hero and Gohan’s most important outbursts and transformations have come in response to his friends' suffering. The connection that Gohan feels with Piccolo, Android 16, and others is a testament to his pure and selfless heart.
6 Gohan Leaves Martial Arts And Then Successfully Returns To Them
The very first episode of Dragon Ball Z teases Gohan’s potential and the series continues to hint at his tremendous growth and his destiny to surpass his father as Earth’s greatest defender. It feels like Gohan’s strength reaches its apex during his Buu Saga training, but Dragon Ball Super depicts Gohan as someone who’s content with his family and prepared to leave martial arts behind.
Gohan slowly gets his groove back later and returns to the battlefield, which isn’t something that every character can handle. In many ways, Gohan proves himself to be a more flexible main character than Goku since he can still return to martial arts after a lengthy departure.
5 Gohan's Not Interested In Glory
Dragon Ball exists in a unique reality that’s constantly under attack, but many of these incidents occur without Earth’s population having any idea of how close they came to extinction. Goku and company always step up to protect their planet, inviting inevitable questions about their fame and reputations.
Gohan proves that he has zero interest in collecting accolades after he decides to patrol the streets and protect the peace under his superheroic alter ego, the Great Saiyaman. Gohan dons this disguise to protect his identity and keep his family out of the spotlight, whereas Chi-Chi would relish wealth, fame, and the other perks that could stem from Goku's heroism.
4 He Never Resorts To Fusion To Succeed
One of the more popular devices that Dragon Ball has introduced over time is fusion, a powerful procedure that allows two individuals to collectively pool their power and abilities into one superior fighter. Fusion becomes an essential tool for Goten and Trunks and its crucial for Goku's and Vegeta's survival when they’re up against Fused Zamasu and Broly.
Even Kale and Caulifla briefly rule the Tournament of Power after they fuse into Kefla. Gohan is one of the few Saiyans who never needs to fuse to solve his problems. Admittedly, Goku wants to fuse with Gohan during the fight against Super Buu, but it doesn’t happen.
3 Gohan Can Effectively Balance Family With Heroics
The ongoing Dragon Ball franchise covers Goku’s entire life, from precocious child to seasoned grandfather. It's a satisfying journey, but his marriage to Chi-Chi never sits well in his heroic existence.
There’s no doubt that Goku loves his family, but he and Chi-Chi's priorities are at odds and he's forced to sneak around and leave her in the dark. However, Gohan effectively balances his family and passions. Gohan makes sure that Videl and Pan never feel ignored and that they’re never in danger of being left behind while he randomly trains in an alternate universe.
2 Gohan Is Universe 7's Team Leader During The Tournament Of Power
Stressful tournaments are par for the course in Dragon Ball, but a whole new level of danger enters the equation with the Tournament of Power, a multiversal battle royale where a universe’s failure translates to its complete erasure. It’s incredibly important that Universe 7 assembles the right team of fighters and develops a strong strategy to stay in the mix.
Goku, Android 17, and Frieza do a lot of the heavy lifting for Universe 7, but they elect Gohan to be the team’s leader. Some may consider this position to be superficial, but to the outside universes, it confirms that Gohan is the one who’s in charge, while Goku is a buffoon who they collectively resent.
1 He's Still Unlocking New And Unique Power Upgrades
One of the major reasons that Goku and Vegeta continue to dominate Dragon Ball as main characters is that they discover powerful transformations like Super Saiyan God and Super Saiyan Blue. Gohan receives the prestigious Ultimate upgrade from Old Kai, but it’s a nebulous power and he hasn’t gone through any significant transformations since.
It appears that a major aim of the new Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero movie is to right this wrong and debut a new transformation that’s exclusive to Gohan. Following in Goku and Vegeta’s footsteps would be satisfying, but Gohan proves his unique significance with a new powerset only he can access.