Gohan is the failed masterpiece of Akira Toriyama. He was arguably the star of the show since the first episode of Dragon Ball Z. Initially, he was planned to be the successor to Goku, who would pass the torch as Earth’s defender to his son at the end of the Cell Saga, marking the show’s conclusion.
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However, due to a shift in narrative, this idea was abandoned, and the story continued on. Regardless, Gohan has had his moments to not just shine but truly be the star of the show. Some of his battles are short-lived, while others are regarded by fans as the highlight of the entire Dragon Ball series.
10
Gohan Vs. Cell Max
Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero
At the beginning of Dragon Ball Super, Gohan appeared to have embraced a completely different role from his former self, now a student with a passion for studying ants. Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero felt like a tribute to the old essence of Gohan.
Cell Max’s immense size and strength make the battle incredibly challenging, even for Orange Piccolo. Witnessing his mentor on the brink of death and overwhelmed by a torrent of emotions about his family, Gohan unlocks an unwavering new power, transforming into Beast Gohan.
9
Gohan Vs. Recoome
Dragon Ball Z
The Ginyu Force could have easily been relegated to comedic filler, but the force had some of the strongest fighters in the entire universe. Recoome stood out as a formidable warrior, clearly stronger than Nappa or Vegeta from the Saiyan saga.
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When the fight began, initially, Recoome overwhelmed Gohan, delivering a devastating beating. However, Gohan tapped into his anger and, to everyone’s surprise, turned the tide of the battle. This marked Gohan’s first fight since the Saiyan Saga, showcasing just how much the young fighter had grown.
8
Gohan Vs. Broly
Dragon Ball Z: Broly’s Second Coming
Broly is pretty much a legend in the Dragon Ball universe at this point (no pun intended), and anyone who has watched Broly’s debut movie knows that even Gohan in his peak form against Cell would be better off not fighting him.
In Dragon Ball Z: Broly’s Second Coming, the nightmares indeed come true as Broly is resurrected, with Videl being the first to find out. Gohan, along with Trunks and Goten, engages in an intense battle against the Legendary Super Saiyan, and they only manage to defeat him after literally a ghost of Goku joins the battlefield in an epic joint Kamehameha wave.
7
Gohan Vs. Dabura
Dragon Ball Z
The Demon King had shown he was unlike the other Majin fighters when he effortlessly turned Krillin and Piccolo into stone. Gohan, however, had been slacking off from battles, spending the past few years studying and, more recently, engaging in petty crime fighting.
When Gohan had to face Dabura, the battle dragged on for too long. Although they were nearly evenly matched, Vegeta pointed out that Gohan was nowhere near the power level he had displayed as a child during his fight with Cell. This ultimately led to Babidi discovering potential in Vegeta as a candidate to go Majin.
6
Gohan Vs. The Cell Juniors
Dragon Ball Z
After the Cell Juniors enter the fight and begin beating the Z warriors, Gohan is left on his knees, unsure of what to do. Luckily, Mr. Satan throws 16’s head towards Gohan, triggering Gohan’s transformation into Super Saiyan 2, finally unlocking his hidden potential.
His first targets are the Cell Juniors. In cold blood, Gohan destroys them without even moving a muscle, making every filler episode leading up to that moment completely worth it.
5
Future Gohan Vs. Androids 17 And 18
Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks
One of the most tragic stories in anime is the timeline of Future Trunks and what happened to Gohan. After losing all the Z warriors and the world descending into a post-apocalyptic state, Gohan and Trunks are the only ones left to stand up to the insidious Androids.
By this point, Gohan has not only lost an arm but also endured immense emotional turmoil throughout his childhood. In a heartbreaking turn of events, Gohan goes to fight alone and is mercilessly killed by the Androids. Trunks discovers his lifeless body and, in the pouring rain, finally transforms into a Super Saiyan, standing amidst what resembles like a crime scene.
4
Gohan Vs. Nappa
Dragon Ball Z
We’ve always said this, and we’ll say it again: Piccolo made a grave mistake bringing an almost 5-year-old to a battle against the most destructive enemies ever to have stepped foot on Earth. Luckily, and miraculously for him, Gohan survived, and not just that, he gave Nappa the battle of a lifetime.
Nappa quickly killed Tien and Chiaotzu, leaving Gohan, Krillin, and Piccolo as the remaining targets. However, the young boy went into several rages and fought incredibly well. By the time Goku arrived, Nappa wasn’t exactly in perfect form. Although Gohan didn’t exactly win here, the fact that he stood his ground by the end speaks volumes.
3
Gohan Vs. Buu
Dragon Ball Z
After training (let’s not call it wasting time) with Elder Kai, Gohan is ready to fully step into the role his father has held for years. Gohan intervenes in Buu’s battle on Earth before he can finish off the unfused Gotenks and, astonishingly, appears more powerful than Buu can handle.
He delivers one of the coldest lines in anime when Buu asks him if he wants to fight him, replying, “Fight you? No, I want to kill you.” Let’s not get into the details of what happened later due to Gohan’s hubris. The point is, this fight, even though short-lived, was one of the most epic moments.
2
Gohan Vs. Frieza
Dragon Ball Z
By the age of 5 on Namek, Gohan was far stronger than he had been on Earth and completely took everyone by surprise when he confronted Frieza on several occasions.
The first instance occurred when Frieza, in his second form, punctured a hole through Krillin’s demonic horns, leaving him helpless. The second came during Piccolo’s fight against Frieza, where it initially seemed like Piccolo had lost the battle. Both times, Gohan powered up, entered a rage boost, and completely overwhelmed Frieza, leaving Vegeta, Piccolo, and even Frieza himself repeatedly wondering, “What was with this kid anyway?”
1
Gohan Vs. Cell
Dragon Ball Z
Time and time again, we’ve seen Gohan tap into these famous rage boosts, going almost out of control and standing up to the deadliest of enemies, only to suddenly tap out and be left at the mercy of the villain. Cell, however, made sure not to make the same mistake. Instead, he used psychological tactics and a strategy to lure Gohan out of hiding until he was finally ready to fight on his own terms.
The result was one of the best fights in anime, with Gohan completely overpowering Cell and becoming the strongest warrior in the entire universe. This was where Gohan truly shined, and let’s be honest, if it weren’t for a villain as formidable as Cell, this probably wouldn’t have been fair for Gohan either.
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