Gohan is one of the most important characters in Dragon Ball. Goku’s first son, Gohan was introduced at the start of Dragon Ball Z, where he quickly became the story’s co-lead, driving most of the plot of the Saiyan Saga while Goku trained in the Other World with King Kai. Gohan formally became the series’ protagonist during the Cell Games, but lost his title when Goku ended up returning during the Majin Buu Saga.
Gohan has once again become Dragon Ball‘s main character as of Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero‘s premiere in 2022. Toyotarou’s Dragon Ball Super manga doubled down on this notion by keeping the story’s perspective from Gohan’s point of view in the Super Hero’s Saga’s epilogue arc from Chapters 101 to 103. Going into the Black Frieza Saga, Gohan is technically Dragon Ball Super‘s main character – but all of that is about to change.
Dragon Ball making Gohan the protagonist only to have Goku or Vegeta take over as the main character is nothing new for the franchise, but Super Hero sought to break the cycle. With Dragon Ball Super: Beerus about to remake DBS 1, however, and Dragon Ball Super: The Galactic Patrol kick-starting DBS 2 potentially as early as next year, Gohan is going to be put on the back burner for years, as Goku once again regains the spotlight.
Gohan’s Time as Dragon Ball Super’s Main Character is About to End
Although Toyotarou and Shuiesha have been dropping hints that the Dragon Ball Super manga is coming back soon, V-Jump still hasn’t confirmed if the hiatus is ending this year. Unfortunately for Gohan, the manga is currently the only part of the Dragon Ball universe he’s actually the main character of. Goku and Vegeta will be the leads in both Dragon Ball Super: Beerus and The Galactic Patrol, while Xenoverse 3 will feature an entirely new cast of characters designed by Akira Toriyama.
Gohan didn’t show up in Dragon Ball DAIMA, so if the rumored sequel season is ever made, he could end up playing a bigger role now that the Z-Fighters are adults again. Alternatively, the fact he didn’t so much as show up in DAIMA might be proof that Season 2 would ignore him entirely. Super Dragon Ball Heroes isn’t currently airing new episodes, but even if it were, Gohan rarely played a big role in the plot, and he was one of the least impressive CC Saiyans. Without the manga, there’s no place for Gohan in Dragon Ball‘s future.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
The Black Frieza Saga Will Make or Break Gohan’s Future
Even when the Dragon Ball Super manga returns, however, there’s no guarantee the Black Frieza Saga will actually focus on Gohan. Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero making Goku and Vegeta the B-Plot while giving Piccolo and Gohan the A-Plot was a huge shift, especially for a movie, but it’s not too different from most Sagas in Dragon Ball Super having an actual protagonist who moves the story forward instead of Goku and Vegeta.
Future Trunks is the real main character of the Goku Black Saga, Broly is the lead of his self-titled movie, Merus is just as important as Goku & Vegeta in the Moro arc, and Granolah is very blatantly the protagonist of the Granolah the Survivor Saga. The Black Frieza Saga swapping the focus back to Goku and Vegeta would be no different than when it happened going from the Goku Black Saga into the Tournament of Power. Like Resurrection F, there’s even a chance Frieza himself will be the arc’s true main character.
Dragon Ball Always Struggled With Gohan in the Lead Role
It doesn’t help that Dragon Ball has a history of struggling to make Gohan work as the main character. He works best as the co-lead, helping drive the story in ways unique to his character, while the likes of Goku, Vegeta, and Piccolo actually move the plot forward. The heart of Gohan’s storyline in the Saiyans, Frieza, and Cell Sagas is his character arc: slowly growing more confident, learning to fight for others, doubting himself, losing his father, and finally coming into his own as a hero.
Gohan doesn’t like fighting the same way his father does, however, so it doesn’t make sense for him to keep seeking out foes who aren’t street level or keep training. It’s why Toriyama almost immediately established a new World Tournament and reintroduced Goku in the Majin Buu Saga. Even in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, Piccolo is the main character for roughly 75% of the film, before sharing the spotlight with Gohan in the last act. Gohan is the strongest Z-Fighter right now, so he’ll need to play an important role in the manga’s future, but it probably won’t be as the series’ main character.
- TV Show(s)
-
Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, Dragon Ball Super, Dragon Ball DAIMA
- First TV Show
-
Dragon Ball
- Created by
-
Akira Toriyama
- Latest TV Show
-
Dragon Ball DAIMA
- Upcoming TV Shows
-
Dragon Ball DAIMA
- First Episode Air Date
-
February 26, 1986
