Summary
Being Goku’s son, it’s no surprise that Gohan getsdragged easily into fightsas well, whether it’s an old Saiyan uncle of his, or a universe-ending tournament. Akira Toriyama, at one point, had planned to retire Goku and hand over the torch to Gohan as the protector of the Earth. This didn’t go as planned and Gohan ended up turning into a weak Saiyan who preferred to spend time studying instead of training.
Despite having alot of potential, it is no wonder he ends up being a stepping stone for enemies before Goku can come in and save the day. This list shall take into account the outcome of every major battle Gohan has fought against an opponent in the anime and movies that are canon.
8Gohan Vs. Raditz
Innocent Little Gohan Going Up Against His Uncle
At the very start ofDragon Ball Z, fans were introduced to kid Gohan, a timid, five-year-old half-Saiyan who clung to his father when he took him to Kame House to meet with Mater Roshi and friends.
Soon after, Raditza, a Saiyan who claims to be Goku’s elder brother, lands at Kame’s house and asks why Goku hasn’t already captured Earth for theSaiyan race. What follows is Raditz kidnapping Gohan to bait Goku, and later when Raditz is hitting Goku, Gohan gets angry and headbutts Raditz, surprising him and cracking his armor. Sadly, Gohan loses all his anger, and the strength that comes with it after hitting Raditz, who knocks the trembling Gohan out with one shot.
7Gohan Vs. Vegeta
Rage-fueled Gohan
After training with Piccolo for a year after Raditz’s death, Vegeta arrives on Planet Earth along with his partner, Nappa. While Goku makes quick work of Nappa when he arrives on Earth thanks to his intensive training with King Kai’s planet, Vegeta proves to be more than he can handle.
Gohan goes up against both Nappa and Vegeta. His skirmish with Nappa didn’t last very long, and since Piccolo sacrificed himself to protect Gohan, it doesn’t count as a loss. But when Gohan went up against Vegeta after Goku was out of the commission temporarily, he put up a valiant effort before being put into the ground by Vegeta.
6Gohan Vs. Recoome
Defeated At Breakneck Speed
Soon after the Saiyans were defeated on Earth, the Z-fighters traveled to Planet Namek to find their Dragon Balls and wish their friends back to life. But the situation in Namek was more complicated than they could’ve imagined.
Frieza, the emperor of the Universe, was also there hunting Dragon Balls to wish for immortality, and he had called the Ginyu Force to help do his dirty work, Recoome was a member of that force. In their fight against Ginyu, the Z-fighters lost one by one, and when it was Gohan’s turn, he suffered a brutal defeat. Not only did Recoome knock him out but he also broke his neck mere moments before Goku arrived on the scene.
5Gohan Vs. Frieza
8-Year Old Vs A The Emperor Of The Universe
Gohan’s potential gets another spotlight during his fight with Frieza’s 2nd form. When Frieza impales Krillin with one of his horns, something insideGohan breaks and he goes completely bonkers, kicking Frieza in the stomach and then blasting him to the ground, to the surprise of everyone.
Sadly, this victory was short-lived as Frieza quickly regained his composure and showed Gohan who the boss was. Similar scenarios repeated twice, once in his third form and once in his final form, but the end result was the same, Gohan got defeated every time.
4Gohan Vs. Buutenks
Gohan’s Pride Gets In The Way
Saiyans are notorious for their pride, and more often than not, this pride is the reason for theirdefeat in battles. When Gohan came back to Earth after getting his potential unlocked by Elder Kai, he faced Super Buu and easily overwhelmed him. But of course, it wouldn’t be a good fight if it was one-sided. This is why Gohan, instead of finishing Buu off, gives him time to absorb Gotenks.
Initially, Gohan is confident that he’ll be able to pacify the transformed Buu but he soon he has to face the consequences of his arrogance when Buutenks overpowers Gohan just as easily.
3Gohan Vs. Beerus
One-Shotted By The Destroyer
When the Destroyer of Universe 7 arrives on Earth inDragon Ball Super,he isn’t particularly welcomed by the Z-fighters. Majin Buu, once considered the mightiest warrior on Earth, isno match for Beerus, and Ultimate Gohan, who at one point could take on Super Buu, was severely underpowered at this point in the anime due to lack of training.
That’s why when Gohan launches himself at Beerus after powering up, he is knocked out by Beerus in a single shot. And that wasn’t an ordinary shot either, as Beerus hits Gohan by swinging Buu from his head tentacle at him.
2Gohan Vs. Frieza
Chi-Chi’s Ideal Version Of Gohan Is Weak
Gohan faces Frieza once again inDragon Ball Super, but this time, Frieza is much more powerful than he was inDragon Ball Z.Gohan goes Super Saiyan to fight off wave after wave ofFrieza’s cronies, but that’s as far as his strength can take him.
Since he is ridiculously weakened from his Super Sayian 3 equivalent power level at the end of the Majin Buu saga, Frieza humiliates him with just a single punch to the stomach, which nearly kills Gohan if it weren’t for Piccolo reviving him.
1Gohan Vs. Goku
Showdown Between A Father And Son
Gohan faces his dad before the tournament of power in a training spar, and the difference between the power levels of the two is made apparent. Even though Gohans returns to what his power level was at the end of the Majin Buu saga, he couldn’t put up against Goku in his SSJ Blue form with Kioken applied on top.
Still, the fact that Gohan even managed to go up against Goku despite being clearly lower-powered showed his courage, potential, and determination to grow stronger. And the pride Goku felt after fighting Gohan is clear from the way he smiles at the end of the battle.
