Dragon Ball Super Cast Defends Gohan’s Controversial Character Arc

August 28, 2022, 10:19am

Dragon Ball has been around for decades at this point, and its characters have been through a bit in that time. Fans have watched Goku go from a baby to a grandfather in that time, and that isn’t even the biggest change the Saiyan has undergone. The same can be said for Gohan as the hero’s life has been a wild one. And while fans may not have approved of his post-Cell lifestyle, the stars of Dragon Ball Super are standing up to defend the boy.

Recently, ComicBook spoke with the cast of Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero ahead of the film’s launch, and it was there Gohan came into focus. When asked about the Saiyan, Piccolo’s English voice actor Christopher Sabat said he’s rather proud Gohan chose his own path rather than being pressured to follow in his father’s footsteps.

Videos by ComicBook.com

“Gohan has always been the one that wants to be the scholar and he wants to study and everyone just keeps asking him to stop studying so hard. Everyone wants him to fight, even the fans. And sometimes I wonder if Gohan is some sort of weird metaphor for Akira Toriyama himself, because Akira Toriyama loves to do the comic stuff,” Sabat shared.

“He likes to be lighthearted and fun, and the fans of the show are just like, “Fight more, fight more. I want more explosions.” And I wonder if he put some of himself into that Gohan character a little bit, because Gohan’s just trying to be himself in a world where everybody else is doing something different. As much as I love to see Gohan doing the amazing things, everybody does, I kind of like the fact that he’s dedicated to his studies. It’s a good example of doing what your heart wants you to do instead of what everyone else wants you to do.”

Of course, Gohan’s actor agreed, and Kyle Herbert said the Saiyan still had to overcome his own hurdles to become a scholar though they weren’t as bloody as Goku might have liked. In the end, those trials turned Gohan into the husband and father we’ve seen, and the anime’s new movie has given Gohan the chance to prove he’s still got it in him to kick butt.

“There have been various obstacles through the years. I don’t say obstacles necessarily, but new life adventures that of course made Gohan grow and become a better person. But in a show like Dragon Ball, you want to see him bring it the way he brought it as a little kid. We want to come full circle and now we have the opportunity to do that,” Herbert shared.

If you have not seen Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero just yet, you can head to theaters and catch it ASAP if you’d like. The movie took first place at the domestic box office on its opening weekend and has since grossed over $50 million USD globally to date.

Have you checked out Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero yet? Do you have an issue with how Gohan has been treated? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.