Son Gohan

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Son Gohan (孙悟饭)
Alias(es)	Golden Warrior; Great Saiyaman
Species/Race	Saiyan–Earthling hybrid
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Earth's defenders
Occupation/Role	Martial artist; student; aspiring scientist; costumed hero
Status	Alive 458
First Appearance	Chapter 9 9

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Emotion-triggered latent power	14	Though his normal battle power reads as 1, an emotional surge lets him injure Raditz with a headbutt.
Latent power awakening	19	While terrified of being thrown into a mountain, he releases a golden aura and pulverizes the mountain. Piccolo identifies emotion as the trigger for this power.
Piccolo's survival training	22	Learns to evade a dinosaur-like monster, fight with a sword, and ignite a fire with a ki blast.
Rage surge — battle power 2,800	37	Piccolo's sacrifice causes his grief and anger to raise his battle power to 2,800.
Grand Elder's potential unlock	88	The Grand Elder draws out Gohan's latent energy on Namek, startling Vegeta with the resulting aura.
Rage surge — over 700,000	108	His furious assault on Frieza pushes his combat power beyond 700,000.
Super Saiyan	151 152	Transforms while rushing to rescue Piccolo from Cell, but initially cannot sustain the form after the immediate crisis.
Controlled Super Saiyan	160 161	Trains with Goku in the Room of Spirit and Time, maintaining Super Saiyan calmly rather than treating it as a volatile combat burst.
Super Saiyan 2	169	Piccolo's near-death at Cell's hands finally unleashes Gohan's hidden strength; golden lightning accompanies the transformation.
Old Supreme Kai's unlock / “Mysterious Gohan”	263 269	The Old Supreme Kai releases more of Gohan's vast potential. His resulting power is compared to Goku's Super Saiyan 3 level, and he overwhelms Majin Buu upon returning to Earth.
Human evolutionary path	458	No longer needs to transform into a Super Saiyan; he describes his chosen growth as an evolution “as a human,” rather than reliance on his Saiyan nature.

Background

Gohan is the son of Son Goku and Chi-Chi. Goku recognizes his son's great potential and tries to train him, while Chi-Chi strongly opposes martial arts training for him. Even as a child, Gohan's ambition is to become a great scientist rather than a fighter. 9 19

Raditz identifies Gohan as Goku's son from his tail and takes him hostage. Although Gohan initially appears helpless, his fear and anger produce a sudden burst of power strong enough to injure Raditz despite a normal reading of only 1. 10 14

After Raditz's defeat, Goku entrusts Gohan to Piccolo for a year of training. Piccolo harshly forces him to confront both his fear and his dormant strength, first by throwing him at a mountain and later by leaving him to survive in the wilderness. 17 19

Appearance

Gohan's appearance and clothing shift with his changing roles, from Piccolo's wilderness pupil to an ordinary student and masked hero.

• Tail — As a young child, his tail identifies his Saiyan heritage to Raditz. 10
• Piccolo-trained attire — Piccolo gives him orange clothing modeled after Goku's outfit and a sword for survival training. 22
• Formal Namek clothing — Chi-Chi has him dress formally and comb his hair flat for the journey to Namek. 57
• Great Saiyaman costume — Uses a green suit and red cape created through Bulma's Transformation Watch. 188
• Tournament disguise — Attempts to conceal himself with a bandana and sunglasses, but his classmates recognize him anyway. 191 212
• Supreme Kai-style clothes — Kibito later changes his outfit into clothing modeled after Goku's gi before Gohan returns to fight Majin Buu. 269

Personality

Gohan begins as an openly frightened child who dislikes fighting, but he repeatedly acts despite that fear when his friends or family are in danger. He is especially protective of Piccolo, whose mentorship becomes central to Gohan's growth. 19 35 169

Outside battle, Gohan wants an ordinary life, studies seriously, and remains committed to becoming a scientist even after Luo Tian dismisses his talent for research. He hopes to improve Earth's technology rather than abandon that dream for combat. 179 190

He is awkward and easily flustered when trying to conceal his strength or alter ego, particularly around Videl. By contrast, in battle he can become calm, direct, and intimidating once his confidence and power fully emerge. 189 190 269

Abilities & Skills

Latent Potential

Gohan possesses unusually immense dormant power that can surge far beyond his ordinary combat level.

• His early power is primarily released by fear, grief, or rage. 14 19 37
• The Grand Elder unlocks a major portion of his latent energy on Namek. 88
• The Old Supreme Kai later performs a further potential release, producing power Goku judges comparable to his Super Saiyan 3. 263 264
• His greatest emotional breakthroughs are often connected to Piccolo being injured or threatened. 151 169

Super Saiyan Transformations

Gohan can access and develop multiple Super Saiyan states.

• Super Saiyan — First reached while saving Piccolo from Cell; initially fades after the immediate emotional trigger passes. 151 152
• Controlled Super Saiyan — Goku trains him to remain transformed continuously and calmly, prioritizing speed, balance, and energy efficiency. 161
• Super Saiyan 2 — Achieved against Cell; the form is marked by intensified golden hair and arcs of electricity. 169
• He demonstrates a Super Saiyan state “beyond the ordinary level” at the World Martial Arts Tournament. 213

Ki Manipulation and Combat

Gohan is an experienced aerial fighter capable of sensing energy, using ki attacks, and fighting opponents much stronger than ordinary Earth defenders.

• Uses flight to travel, evade enemies, and pursue opponents. 61 88
• Can sense when someone is disguised in Goku's body, recognizing Ginyu's evil ki when others are fooled. 102
• Uses ki blasts for combat and practical tasks, including igniting a fire during wilderness survival. 22
• Repels Cell's full-power ki blast with his own attack. 170
• Reads and counters Piccolo-derived techniques when Seven-Three copies them. 405

Human Evolutionary Path

By the Tournament of Power era, Gohan consciously pursues power without relying on Super Saiyan transformations.

• He tells Kefla that he no longer needs to become a Super Saiyan. 458
• He defines his path as evolving “as a human,” not merely drawing upon his Saiyan blood. 458
• Piccolo observes that this path reflects Gohan regaining his battle instincts. 458

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Sword — Issued by Piccolo during Gohan's wilderness training; used to cut a monster's tail for food. 22
• Transformation Watch — A device from Bulma that materializes his Great Saiyaman costume when he presses its red button. 188
• Z Sword — Draws the legendary sword from its stone in the World of the Supreme Kai, though it proves extremely heavy and is later broken. 247 253
• Senzu Beans — Uses them to save the critically injured Piccolo after achieving Super Saiyan 2. 169

Relationships

• Son Goku — Father and later training partner. Goku believes Gohan can surpass his future self and trains beside him in the Room of Spirit and Time. 9 160 161
• Chi-Chi — Mother. She prioritizes Gohan's studies and safety, often clashing with Goku over martial arts training. 57 132
• Piccolo — Mentor and closest protector. Piccolo trains Gohan from childhood, and their bond is strong enough that Cell considers it deeper than Gohan's bond with Goku. 17 29 169
• Krillin — Trusted ally and companion on Namek. They fight together, protect one another, and travel to the Grand Elder's home together. 57 88 103
• Luo Tian — Longtime acquaintance and adviser. Luo Tian urges Gohan to prioritize combat talent, while Gohan insists on pursuing scientific research. 179 190
• Videl — Classmate and ally. She uncovers both Gohan's ability to fly and his Great Saiyaman identity, then pushes him to enter the World Martial Arts Tournament. 179 189 190
• Son Goten — Younger brother. Gohan is surprised by Goten's unusual transformation and remains protective of him during the Majin Buu crisis. 205 270
• Trunks — Friend and fellow young Saiyan. Gohan visits him at Vegeta's home and later works alongside him against Majin Buu. 188 270
• Vegeta — Father's rival and demanding senior. Vegeta criticizes Gohan for becoming sluggish in peacetime but recognizes his exceptional strength. 188 213

Story Role / Major Arcs

Saiyan Conflict

Gohan is Raditz's hostage, then Piccolo's reluctant pupil. His hidden power first becomes visible against Raditz and is developed through survival training for the incoming Saiyans. During the battle with Nappa, he struggles with fear but resolves to protect Earth; Piccolo's sacrifice triggers a major rage-based power increase. 14 19 35 37

Namek and Frieza Conflict

Gohan travels to Namek with Bulma, Krillin, and Luo Tian to seek the Dragon Balls. The Grand Elder unlocks his potential, allowing Gohan to withstand attacks from Ginyu in Goku's body and later assault Frieza with power exceeding 700,000 when enraged. 57 88 103 108

Cell Conflict

Gohan first becomes a Super Saiyan while rescuing Piccolo from Cell. After training with Goku to stabilize the form, he faces Cell at his father's request. Piccolo's apparent death finally drives him to Super Saiyan 2, allowing him to destroy the Cell Juniors, overpower Cell, and save his allies with Senzu Beans. 151 161 167 169

Great Saiyaman and World Martial Arts Tournament

After years of relative peace, Gohan attends high school and secretly acts as the Golden Warrior and Great Saiyaman. Videl discovers his identity, forcing him toward the World Martial Arts Tournament. There, he reveals his Super Saiyan 2-level power before Yamu and Spopovich drain his energy while the Supreme Kai paralyzes him. 178 189 213

Majin Buu Conflict

Taken to the World of the Supreme Kai, Gohan draws the Z Sword and receives the Old Supreme Kai's potential unlock. He returns to Earth vastly stronger and easily dominates Majin Buu, but Buu survives through self-destruction and later absorbs Gohan, transforming into Buuhan. 247 269 270 273

Later Battles

Gohan continues fighting beside Piccolo in later crises, including the battles against Seven-Three and Saganbo. He defeats Seven-Three by exploiting his knowledge of Piccolo's copied techniques, though Goku must rescue Gohan and Piccolo from Saganbo's overwhelming power. 405 415

In the Tournament of Power, Gohan confronts Kefla without transforming, presenting his human evolutionary path as an alternative to Saiyan transformations. 458

Notable Quotes

“I am the son of Son Goku. I will never lose to you.” 94

“No, I'm going to kill you!” 269

“The path I've chosen isn't as a Saiyan... but rather an evolutionary path as a human.” 458