Gohan was thrust back into fighting in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, but the character should remain retired after the events of the film. Unlike previous films like Resurrection ‘F’ and Broly, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero takes the focus away from Goku and Vegeta, centering instead on Piccolo, Gohan, and his daughter Pan. The trio has to contend with the returning Red Ribbon Army and its two androids, Gamma #1 and Gamma #2—superhero hopefuls developed by Dr. Gero’s grandson, Dr. Hedo. The Army’s new leaders, Magenta and Carmine, plan to use the androids to kill Goku, Vegeta and the rest of the Z-Fighters. With the Saiyans off-world, however, the villains set their sights on Gohan, and they kidnap Pan to lure him into their headquarters to face the Gammas.
Gohan has had an interesting trajectory throughout Dragon Ball. The Saiyan Saga introduced him as an innocent child who, despite his untapped power, favored peace over confrontation. As the series progressed, he was forced to become a fighter due to the increasingly powerful enemies that threatened Earth. His development as a combatant continued through the Cell and Majin Buu Sagas, which turned him into one of the series’ strongest characters. After Dragon Ball Z ended and the Super anime began though, Gohan achieved his dream of becoming a scholar. He gave up fighting and settled into a relatively peaceful life alongside his wife, Videl, and their daughter.
Gohan’s new status quo was a controversial one, as the Dragon Ball fandom yearned to see him regain the power he first exhibited in Dragon Ball Z. Super Hero obliged, pitting the character against Cell Max, a new and improved version of the Cell he fought as a child. Their fight triggered a new transformation in Gohan that allowed him to defeat the creature. By the end of the film, the hero promised to train once more, re-establishing himself as a fighter. While he now seems to be following in his father’s footsteps, future Dragon Ball projects should let Gohan return to his happy ending, as opposed to reinstating him as an active combatant.
Gohan Should Continue His Peaceful Life
There is a key difference between Gohan and the rest of the heroes in the Dragon Ball universe: his dislike of conflict. While characters like Goku and Vegeta relish the opportunity to face strong adversaries, Gohan is, for the most part, a pacifist, and has been since childhood. The main reason for him developing his fighting abilities was his friends and family counting on him to help defeat the various villains faced by the Z-Fighters throughout the years. His constant pursuit of power was not really his choice. While he willingly became a superhero as a teenager, his adversaries were regular criminals and thus, far less life-threatening and violent than the creatures he faced as a child.
Gohan is at his happiest when not in conflict, as proven by him being a full-time family man in Z‘s time-jump epilogue, and by the fact that Super Hero started with him in retirement once again, following his participation in Dragon Ball Super‘s Tournament of Power. Dragon Ball‘s latest film focused on making Gohan a warrior again, a goal that was achieved when he vowed to continue training in light of Cell Max’s attack. While the film established his return to fighting in a compelling manner—having him tap into his long-repressed power to protect his daughter— future stories should allow Gohan to be on the sidelines as the family man he grew into in Super.
Dragon Ball is now largely centered around Goku and Vegeta, which is appropriate given the pair’s proclivity for conflict. Gohan’s main focus, on the other hand, is to live peacefully with his wife and daughter. The character could continue to be used in a supporting capacity in future storylines, akin to his part in the Tournament of Power arc, but his primary role should be that of father and husband. Being at peace is Gohan’s ultimate goal, and while Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero paved the way for him to retake his place as a Z-Fighter, he deserves a return to his happy ending.
