Every Time Gohan Surpassed Goku In Dragon Ball

Gohan has always been Dragon Ball‘s biggest wild card. Unlike Goku, whose entire life revolves around fighting and getting stronger, he has never been obsessed with strength. Yet, whenever the need arises, he almost always manages to outpace his father. Whether it’s a spontaneous explosion of rage or an absurdly powerful transformation, he has had several moments where he’s left Goku in the dust.

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Of course, staying ahead of someone like Goku is not an easy task, and Gohan’s strength tends to fluctuate heavily depending on his training regimen, so he rarely keeps his lead over his father. But when he does surpass him, it’s usually in a dominating fashion.

1

Gohan Shows A Glimpse Of His True Power Against Raditz

The First Indicator Of Gohan’s Hidden Strength

Gohan may have only been a child when Dragon Ball Z began, but even at four years old, his potential was something to behold. During Goku and Piccolo’s battle against Raditz, he spent most of the fight trapped in his uncle’s pod. However, when he saw his father getting beaten to a pulp by Raditz, something inside him snapped.

Fueled by pure rage, he shattered Raditz’s pod and charged at him headfirst, delivering one of the most devastating headbutts in the series. In that brief moment, Gohan’s power level spiked to 1307, surpassing every fighter on Earth, including Goku. While he couldn’t control his power just yet, this was the first clear sign that he had the potential to become even stronger than his dad.

2

Gohan Unleashes His Rage On Frieza

Gohan’s Rage Made Him Strong Enough To Push Back Frieza

By the time Frieza arrived on Namek, Gohan had already experienced several brutal battles, but nothing had pushed him over the edge quite like what he saw on that planet. When Frieza impaled Krillin with his horns, Gohan finally unleashed his rage, reaching a level of power that even surprised the tyrant himself.

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During this blind rage, he hit Frieza with a massive barrage of Ki blasts, momentarily overwhelming him. This attack was powerful enough to make a second-form Frieza struggle, who had a power level of over one million at the time. Since Goku was still healing in the Medical Machine during this fight, it’s safe to say that in that brief moment, he surpassed his father again.

3

Gohan Becomes The First Super Saiyan 2

Gohan’s Super Saiyan 2 Transformation Made Him The Strongest Fighter On The Planet

The Cell Games pushed every Z Fighter to their limit, but no one had more weight on their shoulders than Gohan. Goku had already admitted that he couldn’t defeat Perfect Cell, placing all his faith in his son. At first, Gohan struggled to tap into the power his father believed he had in him, but everything changed when Android 16 was mercilessly crushed before his eyes.

Fueled by a mix of grief and rage, he ascended beyond Super Saiyan, becoming the first Saiyan in the series to reach Super Saiyan 2. His power instantly dwarfed Goku’s, and he proceeded to dominate Cell in an extremely satisfying way.

4

Ultimate Gohan Becomes Earth’s Final Hope

Gohan’s Ultimate Transformation Left Even Super Saiyan 3 Goku In The Dust

After years of neglecting his training, Gohan’s power had gone down by a lot by the time Majin Buu was revived. However, after being taken to the Sacred World of the Kais, he had his potential unlocked by Elder Kai, allowing him to awaken his Ultimate form.

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When he returned to Earth, Ultimate Gohan effortlessly overpowered Super Buu. At the time, Goku needed Super Saiyan 3 just to hold his own against Fat Buu, whereas Gohan handled a much stronger version of him without even breaking a sweat, making it clear that he had become stronger than his father once again.

5

Beast Gohan Introduces A New Echelon Of Power To The Series

Gohan Awakened A Power That Puts Him On Par With The Gods

Gohan was sidelined for most of the Dragon Ball Super anime, but Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero finally put him back in the spotlight with his most powerful transformation ever. When Cell Max almost killed Piccolo, he snapped in the same way he did in the Cell Saga, awakening a brand-new form — Beast Gohan.

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With this transformation, he has likely surpassed Goku again. While the exact gap between them is unclear, their sparring match in the Dragon Ball Super manga reinforces the idea. During the fight, Beast Gohan was able to hold his own against post-Moro arc Ultra Instinct Goku, proving he’s reached a level where he can hang with the strongest warriors in the universe.

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