Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball franchise has been running for decades and is now just one short decade away from reaching its half-century mark. This longevity speaks volumes about the world the late Akira Toriyama built. Over the past four decades, Dragon Ball has consistently released new installments, introducing new threats and worlds that continue to mesmerize fans with their rich narrative and exploration. However, despite its long run and numerous arcs, the series has consistently featured Goku as the main hero, leaving little room for other characters to rise to the forefront or even hint at replacing him.
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The closest the franchise ever came to doing so was during the climax of the Cell arc, where Gohan, having reached an ascended Super Saiyan level, became far stronger than both Goku and Vegeta. With Goku’s apparent death, it seemed that Gohan would finally carry the torch. However, in the very next arc, the series found new ways to bring Goku back. While Goku is undoubtedly an iconic hero not only within the Dragon Ball universe but also across the entire anime and manga industry, it feels like a missed opportunity, especially considering how Gohan has consistently demonstrated immense potential. With his inheritance and emotional depth fueling his power, the franchise has laid a strong foundation for possibly its most powerful hero yet in the form of Pan, Gohan’s daughter.
Dragon Ball Has the Opportunity to Embrace Change and Introduce a New Female Lead
The reason Gohan has shown the potential to surpass Goku as the strongest warrior in the Dragon Ball franchise, and has done so on multiple occasions, is due to his inheritance from his parents. A concept known as “heterosis” or hybrid vigor has been recently explored, suggesting that Gohan’s immense potential stems from being a hybrid, inheriting the best traits from both his parents. With Gohan possessing S-Cells from his father and emotional depth from his human mother, it’s likely why he has surpassed Goku at times, especially considering how emotions have consistently played a critical role in helping Saiyans break their limits. This concept is even more evident in Goten and Trunks, who achieved the Super Saiyan state at an extremely young age, as they were conceived after their fathers had already reached that transformation, thereby passing on stronger S-Cells.
With this in mind, Pan’s case becomes even more compelling. By the time she was conceived, Gohan had already achieved even more powerful forms, such as Super Saiyan 2 and Ultimate Gohan. This genetic inheritance, combined with Gohan’s extraordinary emotional capacity, which has repeatedly enabled him to transcend limits more than others, as seen with the recent emergence of Beast Gohan, suggests that Pan may possess the greatest potential of all. She could very well become the next strongest warrior, capable of surpassing both Goku and Vegeta.
Given that GT has a mixed canonical status with the anime but not with the manga, and Dragon Ball Super is the current canon, Toyotarou has the opportunity to fully embrace this concept of emotional depth and inheritance. If he does, the foundation has already been perfectly laid for Pan to rise as the next strongest hero. However, the chances remain slim, based on the franchise’s recurring patterns and the possibility that the author may use Pan’s heritage, being three-quarters human and only one-quarter Saiyan, against her development.
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