Highlights
- Saiyan warriors thrive on battle, constantly seeking to get stronger through combat and near-death experiences.
- Gohan, with his mixed Saiyan and Earthling blood, had the potential to surpass even his father Goku, but chose a peaceful life instead.
- The lack of basic Saiyan instincts and Gohan’s disinterest in fighting led to his regression in power compared to Goku and Vegeta.
When it comes to the conversation of who is the strongest Saiyan in the universe, the names that often come up are always the usual suspects, namely Goku, Vegeta, and also Broly. However, there is a name that used to be considered as somebody who could be the most powerful Saiyan warrior. A young man with the potential to surpass Goku and other well-known Saiyan fighters. His name is Gohan, Goku’s eldest son.
Unfortunately, as Dragon Ball unfolds, Gohan’s role in the story begins to diminish along with his power. Gohan went from a prodigal fighter who could’ve taken the mantle of the strongest from Goku to a normal side character who only appears once in a while. What happened to Gohan?
What Makes a Strong Saiyan
Before we get to Gohan, let’s talk about the Saiyan first. Specifically, the reasons why they used to be considered the greatest warrior race in the universe before Frieza came along and killed everybody. Interestingly enough, while it’s true that the body of a Saiyan is way stronger than most humans, their absurd strength is actually rooted in their minds and lifestyles. The Saiyans are a race that has a never-ending desire to be stronger and an unquenchable thirst for battle.
An Unquenchable Thirst for Battle
Every pure-blooded Saiyan is born with an unquenchable thirst for battle. They live and thrive on the battlefield. That’s what makes them such ferocious fighters. This is also one of the reasons why the Saiyans used to be successful conquerors. After all, going on a rampage at the front line is something that they actually like doing. So making a living by waging war on other planets is akin to being paid for doing something that they are passionate about. That’s how bloodthirsty they are.
A Desire to Get Stronger
Along with their unquenchable thirst for battle is their never-ending desire to get stronger. Lots of other species, including humans, want to get stronger, but the Saiyans will go out of their way to challenge an enemy who is stronger than them so that they can improve their combat ability. They also have an interesting genetic quirk that will enhance their physical ability whenever they survive a near-death experience. So the Saiyans will literally get stronger after each fight. Add their bloodthirsty nature into the mix and you get a race of warriors who are extremely addicted to combat.
Gohan’s Fearsome Potential
When talking about Super Saiyan, most people immediately conjure the image of Goku with his blond hair and the ever-increasing golden energy field that wrapped around his body. In reality, however, Super Saiyan also refers to a half-blood Saiyan who has the potential to be way more powerful than a full-blood Saiyan.
The Super Saiyan
The term “Super Saiyan” was first mentioned by Vegeta and Nappa when they analyzed the combat data sent to them by Raditz. They noticed that Gohan, who was still a toddler at the time, had a power level that had gone way beyond any pure-blood Saiyan at his age. For a minute there, his power level was even higher than Raditz’s. They quickly realized that Gohan could be a dangerous threat to every Saiyan in the future. There was no other mixed-blood Saiyan with such a high level of innate power. That’s why for all intents and purposes, Gohan was the first true Super Saiyan.
It seems that mixing Saiyan and Earthling blood begets a powerful hybrid. A Super Saiyan, eh?
—Vegeta (Dragon Ball Z, Episode 5)
A Combat Prodigy
Gohan had never been interested in martial arts. He’d rather read books than practice his kicks and punches. However, when Goku was killed in action, Gohan had to train under Piccolo to prepare for the arrival of Vegeta and Nappa. Gohan was flustered at first, but it didn’t take a long time until he got used to living the life of a martial artist and knocked down every opponent who dared to stand in his way. Gohan’s status as a combat prodigy was further cemented when he single-handedly defeated Cell in his perfect form. He was clearly on his way to becoming the strongest Saiyan in the universe.
Why Gohan Will Never Be the Strongest Saiyan
From genetic advantage to absurd combat instinct, Gohan has all the ingredients needed to become the best Saiyan warrior in history. So why hasn’t he stepped up to claim the title already? On the contrary, his power seems to regress in Dragon Ball Super. What happened to Gohan?
Lack of Basic Saiyan’s Instincts
Unlike pure-blooded Saiyans who thrive in combat, mixed-blooded Saiyans, especially those who come from Earth, don’t seem to share the same basic ferocious instinct that we’ve discussed in the previous section. Gohan, Goten, and even Trunks are calm individuals who only fight when necessary. They won’t go out of their way to seek the battlefield. On the contrary, they actively try to avoid it because they don’t like being the center of attention. That’s why they thrive in peacetime, just like any other human being. This is a far cry from their fathers who find living in a peaceful era to be such a boring and uneventful life.
The Man is Not Interested in Fighting
Apart from that fundamental difference, there’s also another crucial thing that prevents Gohan from ever living up to his potential as one of the strongest. Long story short, Gohan found a life beyond combat. After the great fight against Majin Buu, the Earth enters a long period of peace. So Gohan started a family with Videl, became a father to Pan, and started a career as a scientist. He has a fun and fulfilling life now, away from the battlefield.
Furthermore, with Goku and Vegeta getting even stronger ever since they met Lord Beerus and Whis, there’s basically no need for Gohan to train like he used to. So he chooses to pursue his passion in academics instead, rather than continuing the legacy of the Saiyan warrior. That’s why he will never be the strongest Saiyan in Dragon Ball. Not because he can’t, but because he doesn’t want to.
Dragon Ball is available to stream on Crunchyroll.
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