When it comes to unearned power-ups in anime, Gohan is usually one of the first names that springs to mind. On numerous occasions throughout the series, the polarizing Dragon Ball character has been treated to underserved gains, despite the young Saiyan neglecting his training following the conclusion of the Cell saga.
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Dragon Ball: Super Saiyan Transformations Goku Never Achieved
Despite being the main character in Dragon Ball, there are a handful of Super Saiyan transformations that Goku can't use.
However, although he may have an unfair advantage over other Dragon Ball characters in this area, there are still some Super Saiyan transformations that Gohan never achieves. He's also the only second-generation Saiyan to have never experienced fusion, though there's still a chance that this could happen someday.
1 Super Saiyan Grade 2
Vegeta and Future Trunks first discover the Super Saiyan Grade 2 transformation while they're preparing to take on Cell. Soon after, Goku taps into this powerful new form as well, but quickly realizes that it lacks balance and so decides that it would be better for him and Gohan to fully master the regular Super Saiyan transformation rather than wasting their time with Grades 2 and 3.
As a result of his father's decision, Gohan never uses Super Saiyan Grade 2 or Grade 3 in either the show or the manga, instead skipping straight to Super Saiyan 2. This turns out to have been an excellent choice on Goku's part, as it's only while in this form that Gohan has what it takes to defeat Perfect Cell and bring the Cell Games to an exhilarating conclusion.
2 Super Saiyan 3
Despite being the first Saiyan to reach Super Saiyan 2 in both the anime and the manga, Gohan never ends up taking the next step to Super Saiyan 3. This is in part due to him turning his back on his training after the Cell saga in pursuit of a more peaceful lifestyle, but there are likely one or two other reasons why fans have never seen Super Saiyan 3 Gohan in canon Dragon Ball material.
As Goku explains shortly after debuting it, the Super Saiyan 3 transformation burns through stamina at an alarming rate, making it difficult to maintain the form for longer periods of time. Akira Toriyama also seems to have wanted to take Gohan in a different direction than the rest of the Saiyans, with all of his post-Cell Games transformations having differed quite drastically from the established Super Saiyan line.
3 Super Saiyan God
Whether or not Gohan could technically achieve the Super Saiyan God transformation is somewhat unclear at this time. Some have suggested that his human blood might stand in the way of him doing so. As others have quite rightly pointed out, though, this doesn't prevent him from transforming into a Super Saiyan, nor did it stop him from taking part in the ritual that first allowed Goku to ascend to Super Saiyan God.
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Dragon Ball: Super Saiyan Transformations Vegeta Never Achieved
Despite decades having now passed since their introductions, there are still some Super Saiyan transformations that Vegeta has never achieved.
It's also worth noting that Trunks is able to become a Super Saiyan God in the Dragon Ball Heroes continuity, although, like a lot of other non-canon Dragon Ball media, this doesn't necessarily serve as proof. With Gohan having now surpassed the power of a Super Saiyan God, fans will probably never get a definitive answer one way or the other, but it can still be fun to speculate nonetheless.
4 Super Saiyan Blue
Perhaps the most iconic of the new transformations introduced in Dragon Ball Super, Super Saiyan Blue effectively serves as the ascended version of Super Saiyan God. As one might expect, it's a whole lot more powerful than its predecessor, allowing Goku and Vegeta to go toe-to-toe with some of the toughest enemies in the history of Dragon Ball during and in the events leading up to the Tournament of Power.
Given that he never mastered the Super Saiyan God transformation, it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise to learn that Gohan is unable to use Super Saiyan Blue. Of course, it could be argued that he'll never need to due to his Beast transformation offering significantly more power, even if Super Saiyan Blue Gohan would be an interesting sight to behold.
5 Super Saiyan Rage
Upon his introduction at the beginning of Dragon Ball Z, Gohan is shown to be a character who draws great strength from his anger and rage. Fans see this multiple times during his interactions with Raditz, Vegeta, and Nappa, and then again later on on Planet Namek. As such, Gohan seems like the perfect candidate for the polarizing Super Saiyan Rage form.
Used exclusively by Trunks during the closing stages of Dragon Ball Super's Goku Black arc, Super Saiyan Rage allows users to draw power from their anger, resulting in a seemingly endless supply of strength. By the time it was introduced, Gohan had mellowed out quite a bit and had already veered from the Super Saiyan path. Were he still on it, though, Super Saiyan Rage would have been the perfect vehicle for further exploring the young Saiyan's anger issues.
Dragon Ball
- Created by
- Akira Toriyama
- First Episode Air Date
- February 26, 1986
- TV Show(s)
- Dragon Ball (1986) , Dragon Ball Z (1989) , Dragon Ball GT , Dragon Ball Super , Dragon Ball DAIMA
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Dragon Ball: All of Gohan's Transformations, Explained
Gohan has had some of Dragon Ball's most iconic transformations. Which one was the most impactful?
- Anime
- Dragon Ball
- Dragon Ball Z (1989)
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