Dragon Ballhas made it clear that Gohan has surpassed his father in terms of strength, and always possessed the potential to do so. The inevitability of the next generation surpassing their parents also applies to Gohan as well, however, and may explain whereDragon Ballis headed next.
It has long been hinted that Gohan had the ability to grow even stronger than Goku, starting from almost the moment of his introduction to the series. Gohan mastered advanced techniques rapidly at an even younger age than Goku, and had his latent potential brought out multiple times over the course of the series. He unlocked unique transformations, such asUltimate Gohan and his latest, Beast Gohan, which helped him to excel even further. There’s been every sign, all along, that Gohan wasn’t just surpassing his father, but that he was always meant to.
Gohan is the Strongest For a Reason
Gohan’s Strength Provides a “Pass the Torch” Moment
In a pamphlet given out atDragon Ball Super: Super Heroscreenings in Japan, Toriyama was quoted as saying that Gohan is indisputably the strongest character in the series, despite his lack of training in recent years. Gohan’s strength has always been exceptional, and it says a lot about his power that even without training, he was able to exceed his father’s strength. Gohan has the greatest potential out of all the characters in the series, and that’s no coincidence. In fact, it’s essential to his character.
Gohan is introduced at a young age, mirroring Goku’s introduction as a young protagonist in the originalDragon Ball. The idea from the beginning was clear: that Gohan was the heir to Goku’s power. He’s put through training from hell to prepare him for the coming of the Saiyans, and develops his abilities rapidly.Gohan is representative of the next generation of heroes, and he slowly takes his place as a hero of Earth. Goku’s death even emphasizes the fact that Gohan is taking over for him, with his request to Piccolo to train Gohan and prepare him for what’s to come.
This kind of “passing the torch” moment is common in Shonen anime and manga;My Hero Academiamay do it in the most literal sense, by having All Might actually pass his own power on to Midoriya, but it’s common in other series as well, particularly sequel series (whichDragon Ball Zarguably is). In a way,Dragon Ball Zwas meant to be something likeBorutoorYashahime, where a new group of heroes, mostly descendants of the originals, must come together to defend the world in their parents' place. Goku’s popularity kept that from happening directly, but that was still the intent.
Gohan Must Pass the Torch Himself
The Time May Be at Hand to Embrace Pan’s Destiny
Gohan arguably never fully accepted his new role as the main hero, preferring to leave that to his father for the most part. But now that Gohan has officially surpassed Goku in strength, he has little choice but to take center stage. Gohan’s power is simply too essential to the defense of Earth at this point, so he must accept the role. With that, the son has finally ascended to the level of his father, and the next generation becomesnot Gohan’s, but his daughter, Pan’s.
There are reasons to think that, after Gohan, Pan might be the character with the most potential.Pan has been hinted to be a prodigy, shown inDragon Ball Superto be capable of flying as a baby, and managing to keep up with Piccolo in training despite being preschool-aged. Pan is still young, of course, but the potential to be great is present within her, just like it was with Gohan. This, of course, is all despite the fact that she is only a quarter-Saiyan, which suggests that her potential is directly inherited from her father.
Pan stepping up as the new hero inGTwas a great idea, butGTdidn’t let Pan flex her muscles as much as it probably should have.Pan never gets to go Super Saiyan inGT, for example, but there’s no reason to think that she’s incapable of it. In fact, Pan may have access to greater forms, like Gohan did, and that’s worth exploring. After all, being half-Saiyan didn’t impact Trunks or Gohan’s ability to grow stronger, so why should Pan be limited by the fact that she’s only a quarter-Saiyan?
Gohan Doesn’t Have to Go Anywhere
Gohan Can Pass the Torch and Remain Relevant
It may seem like a shame to set up Gohan being surpassed himself now that he’s finally eclipsed Goku, but that doesn’t mean Gohan needs to die or go away. Gohan was able to continue to grow and become stronger while Goku was still around, so there’s no reason that the same can’t be true for Pan as well. In fact, it might be quite interesting to see Gohan instructing his daughter and helping her to grow stronger in a way that Gohan rarely had the opportunity to do with Goku.
There’s also the fact that Pan still has some growing to do; at her current age, as ofSuper Hero, she’s still too young to really be fighting, even younger than Gohan was when he began. She can still be preparing and training for that day, however, just as Piccolo has been shown training her in the film.Pan seems to take to the training even better than Gohan did, perhaps signaling her own latent potential.
In the end,passing the torch from Goku to Gohan and his generationwas an important theme withinDragon Ball, and it’s only right that this theme continue on to the next generation as well. Characters like Pan deserve their own time in the spotlight, and have the potential to be great warriors themselves. Gohan may be the strongest character in theDragon Ballfranchise right now, but that doesn’t have to be the case forever, and there’s no better choice than Pan to be the next hero.
Dragon Ball
From the creative mind of Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball is a mega multimedia franchise that spans back to the 1980s. Dragon Ball expanded quickly, starting as a serialized manga for Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan. It made its way overseas via manga and an anime adaptation that is enjoyed worldwide. Dragon Ball was the initial starting animated series that followed the adventures of the young Son Goku as he sought after the Dragon Balls. These mystical orbs would grant the wish of any who gathered them together. Then, the series would branch off into the immensely popular Dragon Ball Z, which followed Goku as an adult and featured high-intensity battles and Goku’s never-ending search to be the strongest. The series has also enjoyed several popular video game adaptations and continues to release several new animated series and theatrical films up to the recent popular Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.
