Dragon Ball has gotten quite comfortable with Goku as its protagonist, but right from the start of Dragon Ball Z there’s been heavy foreshadowing that his son, Gohan, is destined to surpass him. Dragon Ball’s treatment of Gohan has been a mixed bag. However, this shouldn’t invalidate the growing hero’s numerous accomplishments and transformations, some of which have still yet to be topped.
Dragon Ball has presented Gohan to have more promise and potential than any other character, which has left fans frustrated whenever he’s turned into an incidental ancillary individual. A proper redemption and training arc for Gohan has been long overdue and the franchise’s most recent feature film, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, finally delivers on this front. Gohan’s newest form has raised a lot of questions for Dragon Ball fans, and it makes sense to properly deconstruct this transformation before it makes its official debut in Dragon Ball Super’s manga.
What Is Gohan’s Newest Form?
Dragon Ball feature films are hardly a new concept and Dragon Ball Z alone has more than a dozen theatrical efforts. What makes Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero such a rewarding change of pace is that it shelves Goku and Vegeta in favor of an adventure that instead focuses on Gohan and Piccolo. Dragon Ball Super establishes that Gohan’s adult years have concentrated on his family, a sturdy domestic life, and success as a scholar rather than a martial artist. Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero is very much a story about how Gohan regains his fighting spirit and proves that he can still rise to the occasion when it’s necessary. Gohan’s strength reaches incredible heights throughout Super Hero, and he’s eventually able to hold his own against Red Ribbon’s state of the art Androids, Gamma 1 and 2. However, the film’s climax involves Gohan’s ascension to a completely original new form, Gohan Beast.
Gohan Beast is a radical change of pace that feels like a hybrid between Super Saiyan 2, Ultra Instinct, and Gohan’s Ultimate upgrade. Gohan gains an electrified aura of pinks and purples that further accentuates his extended silver hair. His eyes also turn to a foreboding red color that’s supposed to reflect the killer instinct that’s been awoken in the fighter. Gohan Beast isn’t featured for long, but he’s able to completely dominate Cell Max, which has otherwise been an impossible enemy to overwhelm. Gohan Beast gains exceptional strength, speed, and durability, but he also makes use of Piccolo’s signature Special Beam Cannon technique, which he overloads with even greater power. Without Gohan Beast, Cell Max’s defeat would not be possible.
What Triggers Gohan Beast?
The whole reason that Gohan joins the fray in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero is an elaborate ruse that hinges on Pan’s kidnapping. Gohan will do whatever it takes to protect his daughter. However, the unlocking of Gohan’s Beast form is actually linked to Gohan’s powerful connection with Piccolo. Gohan’s new form is one of the most exciting elements in Super Hero, but it’s preceded by Piccolo’s own totemic transformation. Piccolo’s graduation into Orange Piccolo helps him push Cell Max out of his comfort zone, but it’s still not enough. Orange Piccolo’s strength and size fall short and it’s the disturbing sight of his former mentor’s defeat that pushes Gohan to the other side.
Orange Piccolo doesn’t perish against Cell Max. However, there’s a tense moment where the Namekian’s health seems to be very touch and go. Gohan’s passion and rage get the better of him in this moment and his energy is channeled into the explosive display of Gohan Beast. Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero creates intentional parallels between its Gohan Beast transformation and Gohan’s Super Saiyan 2 ascension during the Cell Games. Super Hero features comparable framing and the same sort of psychological break where Gohan can let loose and purely operate on instinct.
Is it Gohan’s Strongest Form & Is it Superior To Ultimate Gohan?
It’s been a long time since Dragon Ball properly celebrated Gohan and the Saiyan’s last major battle breakthrough was during the battle against Super Buu. Gohan puts in his dues on the Sacred World of the Kai where he masters the ways of the Z Sword and proves himself worthy of Old Kai’s Ultimate upgrade. This power boost is supposed to activate all of Gohan’s latent power and elevate him to peak strength. Ultimate Gohan is treated like the heroes’ greatest hope to defeat Buu, but it turns into a frustrating stop gap that’s ultimately useless. Audiences have been left wondering if Old Kai’s power unlock means that Ultimate Gohan is the character’s strongest form and that previous milestones like Super Saiyan 2 pale in comparison. Dragon Ball never properly develops Ultimate Gohan, but there’s no question that Gohan Beast is its stronger successor and Gohan’s greatest asset.
For years, Dragon Ball followed a fairly telegraphed path with its Super Saiyan transformations. This principle has grown progressively fluid in Dragon Ball Super as characters continue to discover their own individualized transformations that play to their strengths. As exciting as it would be to see Gohan become a Super Saiyan God, Super Saiyan Blue, or even Ultra Instinct, it’s more rewarding that he forges his own path. No other Dragon Ball character has achieved Gohan’s Beast form, which has led to speculation that it’s actually the next stage of his Ultimate upgrade. Gohan Beast reflects a similar skill and power set to Ultimate Gohan, and it’s possible that it’s finally the transformation’s second stage. It’s more rewarding to think of Gohan Beast as an extension of his previous upgrade rather than a completely original form that’s come out of nowhere.
Will Gohan Unlock Even More Transformations?
Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero is the latest installment in the Dragon Ball anime and so it’s currently unclear what role Gohan Beast will play in the franchise’s future. There have been a handful of new forms that only make an appearance once, and it’s possible that Gohan Beast could be a one-time thing. However, it’d be extremely unusual for Super Hero to unveil highly-praised transformations that are suddenly never seen again. Dragon Ball Super’s manga is currently in the process of adapting Super Hero’s events, and it’s likely that it will add some greater context to Gohan’s new transformation. The manga’s take on Gohan Beast will be incredibly telling when it comes to this new form’s future.
It’d be quite unusual for Gohan’s power to get capped off right when the character is in the middle of having a moment. If Gohan Beast is truly the evolution of Ultimate Gohan then there’s no reason why there couldn’t also be more incremental steps to come, whether that’s Gohan Beast 2, Ultimate Gohan Beast, or something completely different. What’s important is that Gohan’s new form returns the character to relevancy and all but guarantees that he’ll be essential help in the series’ future.
How Does Gohan Beast Compare To Ultra Instinct & Ultra Ego?
Dragon Ball’s characters are never lacking in strength. However, the reveal of Gohan Beast occurs during a particularly unique period in Dragon Ball history where unique transformations are at an all-time high. Gohan Beast arises when Piccolo’s new form, Orange Piccolo, falls short. That being said, Goku and Vegeta have been developing their contrasting Ultra Instinct and Ultra Ego transformations for some time now. Gohan Beast has never encountered Ultra Instinct Goku or Ultra Ego Vegeta, so it’s unclear how their power levels relate. Presumably, Ultra Instinct and Ultra Ego have greater capacities for power than Gohan Beast, but this won’t be confirmed until all of these heroes come together.
The idea that Gohan can defend the planet without Goku and Vegeta’s help is admirable. Dragon Ball Super has also teased Black Frieza as its ultimate villain with such immense power that he can single-handedly take out Ultra Instinct and Ultra Ego with ease. The most satisfying development that Dragon Ball Super could take is that Gohan Beast, Orange Piccolo, Ultra Instinct Goku, and Ultra Ego Vegeta must pool their tremendous powers together to overthrow Black Frieza, once and for all. Gohan’s new form means that he’s never been more prepared for this conflict.
