Why Dragon Ball’s Gohan Was Stronger Than Goku, and Who Could Surpass Him in the Future

Gohan in the Dragon Ball franchise holds a strong reputation, largely due to his consistent portrayal as one of the most powerful fighters, if not the strongest. While Gohan possesses many unique traits that set him apart from Goku and Vegeta, one aspect has always stood out: he is often depicted as surpassing them in raw potential. For decades, fans have debated Gohan’s strength compared to others, and one common explanation emerges time and again: his inheritance from both Goku and Chi-Chi.

Unlike Goku and Vegeta, Gohan is not a pure Saiyan but a hybrid, born from a Saiyan father and a human mother. This technically makes him only half a warrior race member, yet scientific theories, particularly the concept of “heterosis” or hybrid vigor, suggest that hybrids can inherit the best traits from both parents, often resulting in enhanced abilities. This theory holds especially true in Gohan’s case, as both Goku and Chi-Chi are among the strongest individuals in the Dragon Ball universe. Interestingly, it is Gohan’s human side, rich with deep emotions, that gives him a unique edge and contributes significantly to his overwhelming power.

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Gohan’s Raw Power Comes From His Human Emotions

Even as a child, not older than four years old, Gohan demonstrated such immense power that he surpassed his father, as proven by numerical power levels, his spiking above 1300 while Goku’s was under 500 at the time. Despite having no formal training or fighting experience, Gohan exhibited an innate talent, which is a direct result of crossbreeding. However, the factor that consistently propelled Gohan’s power even further has always been his emotions. While Goku, a full-blooded Saiyan, also uses emotion to elevate his strength, eventually achieving the Super Saiyan form because of it, Gohan, being half-human, likely possesses an even stronger emotional depth that enhances his power more profoundly.

This idea gains even more credibility when examining how Goku has always maintained an edge over Vegeta. As the prince of the Saiyan race, Vegeta likely trained more intensely than Goku from a young age. Yet, Goku’s upbringing among humans gave him a deeper connection to emotion, which helped him unlock transformations and power levels more quickly. Vegeta, in contrast, only began closing the gap once he formed bonds with humans and learned to tap into his own emotions. Since emotions are clearly a major factor in unlocking Saiyan potential, this further explains why Gohan, who is literally half-human, has consistently stayed one step ahead of both his father and Vegeta.

There is plenty of evidence showing that emotions play a critical role in unlocking greater power, with one of the clearest examples being Gohan achieving Super Saiyan 2 at just 11 years old, purely through the intensity of his emotions. His most recent and most powerful transformation, Beast Gohan, also emerged from emotional turmoil. In Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, Gohan achieves this form not through intense training like Goku or Vegeta, but after witnessing his mentor Piccolo being gravely injured by Cell Max. With even scientific theory supporting the advantages of hybrid vigor and emotional depth, it’s evident that Gohan’s power stems from this unique combination. And factoring in both inheritance and emotion, it suggests that there may be someone in the future who could surpass even him and Goku.

Three Possible Candidates Could Surpass Gohan and Goku Through Emotion and Inheritance

The role of inheritance has already been demonstrated through Goten and Trunks, who achieved the Super Saiyan transformation at just seven and eight years old, respectively. This early transformation is largely due to the higher concentration of S-Cells in their bodies, a result of Goku and Vegeta already having attained the Super Saiyan form by the time their sons were conceived. Compared to other Saiyans at that age, Goten and Trunks were significantly stronger.

With their human side also contributing emotionally, it suggests that both Goten and Trunks have the potential to tap into even greater hidden powers through emotion, possibly enough to surpass Gohan. With the latest Dragon Ball Super manga chapter giving them a slight spotlight, it seems Toyotarou might be planning to elevate their roles. Goten and Trunks are promising candidates to become even stronger than Gohan and surpass Goku in the future.

However, an even stronger candidate, one who could potentially surpass both Goten and Trunks in terms of inheritance and emotional depth, is Gohan’s daughter, Pan. When Pan was conceived, Gohan had already achieved the Super Saiyan 2 and Ultimate Gohan forms. This means Pan likely inherited an even higher concentration of S-Cells, potentially putting her above Gohan in terms of latent potential.

Combined with her human emotions, Dragon Ball Super, which remains undeniably canon unlike GT, has the opportunity to shape Pan into the strongest character the franchise has ever seen. That said, it’s important to consider that being only a quarter Saiyan might limit her chances. However, if Toyotarou leans heavily into the concepts of emotional power and genetic inheritance, Pan could become the ultimate warrior, but that all depends on whether the franchise is ready to embrace a female lead who could replace Goku, which is another debate entirely.