Gohan quickly became a fan-favorite character during the Cell saga of Dragon Ball Z. Although many fans were disappointed with his development in the Buu saga, he remains well-loved within the Dragon Ball community.
Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero finally gives Gohan, Goku’s eldest son, his moment in the spotlight by granting him an incredibly powerful transformation only he can access: the Beast form. But what makes Gohan so special?
Gohan Might Be the Strongest Saiyan Today
Akira Toriyama once mentioned in an interview that Gohan is the strongest in the universe. This statement came from official promotional material for Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, where Gohan first unleashes the Beast form. Toriyama said, “Gohan is stronger than anyone… or so they say,” implying that Gohan might even surpass the Gods of Destruction if he fully unlocks his potential.
While Gohan has shown immense potential since the start of Dragon Ball Z, many fans were let down by his portrayal in the Buu saga. Originally, Gohan was supposed to be the main protagonist after the Cell saga, but Toriyama changed his mind. That’s why Gohan outshined Goku during the Cell saga but seemed to regress as a character in the Buu saga.
Finally, Gohan gets his spotlight again in DBS: Super Hero. It seems Toriyama was happy to refocus on him, giving fans what they’ve always wanted: proof that Gohan still holds incredible power. However, Gohan isn’t really fond of fighting or exploring his strength, a trait that defines his character.
The Beast Form Is Deeply Connected to Gohan’s Potential
The Beast form is a unique transformation introduced in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero and later featured in the Dragon Ball Super manga. In both stories, Gohan unlocks the Beast form after becoming enraged at Cell Max, believing he killed Piccolo. This triggers Gohan to awaken the “beast within,” reaching a level of power no one has ever achieved before.
According to Beerus, this form is unique to Gohan’s potential (and related to his Ultimate form), which is why no other character can unlock it.
Piccolo inspired Gohan during his toughest moments, and his words triggered the Beast form. “Gohan, listen carefully! You have the potential to become the strongest being on Earth. You need to believe in yourself and unleash that power! It’s survival time! Give it your all and use it to protect your world and everyone in it,” Piccolo says in Super Hero.
Dragon Ball Super has taken a different approach to transformations compared to earlier stories. In Dragon Ball, characters of the same race typically unlock the same transformations, but Super introduced unique forms tailored to each character’s personality.
However, while only Goku can use Ultra Instinct and only Vegeta can access Ultra Ego, these forms are not exclusive to them. Other characters could potentially unlock them. In contrast, the Beast form appears to be exclusive to Gohan, possibly linked to his half-Saiyan heritage.
There Is Another Great Candidate to Awaken the Beast Form
If the Beast form is tied to Gohan’s hybrid nature, then Trunks and Goten would be strong candidates to awaken it. But even if the transformation is more specific to Gohan, there is one character with the potential to unlock it someday: Pan, Gohan’s daughter. In the Super timeline, Pan is a natural-born fighter. She was just a child when she first powered up and learned to fly earlier than any other half-Saiyan.
However, Pan is unlikely to take center stage in Dragon Ball Super since the story is expected to end just before “End of Z,” when she is 10 years old. While she probably won’t be a main character in future chapters, that doesn’t mean she won’t surprise fans. Pan has incredible potential, even surpassing Gohan at her age, and deserves her own spin-off series after Super.
According to Gamerant