Dragon Ball creator confirms Gohan can be the ‘strongest’ character of all time

Gohan is one of the best and most popular characters in Dragon Ball’s history. His kind nature, selflessness, charming personality, and strong will to protect those he loves to make him an endearing character a lot of us have grown to love over time.

For a time, he was speculated to be the strongest character all inside the Dragon Ball universe. This theory grew less popular when he was shown to have become weaker due to a lack of training. But Akira Toriyama, creator of Dragon Ball, has more or less confirmed that Gohan truly is the strongest fighter.

Disclaimer: This article is based upon the author’s opinion and will contain spoilers from Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super.

Why Dragon Ball’s Gohan the strongest there is

Audiences saw Gohan become one of the best fighters in the universe as he grew up. Having been exposed to fights and terrible opponents since he was just a toddler, Gohan has been an active member of the Z warriors for most of his life.

He has gone from being a scarred kid with a hidden power that would only come out when in extreme stress or when he was furious at a calm and collected family man who could take back his role as the savior of Earth when needed.

Gohan has been a skilled fighter since he was a kid. He has also been the warrior with the most potential amongst them all for a long time. Gohan first commented on this being the case during the Cell Game’s saga, and Gohan proved his father was right.

His hidden potential and temper allowed him to become the first Saiyan to reach the second level of the Super Saiyan transformation.

After his father’s death at the end of the tournament, Gohan’s potential was forgotten for a little while. He stopped training as regularly as he used to and became a little weaker than he used to be. Many of these disappointed fans expected him to become the main and strongest character in the series.

But during Buu's attack of Earth, Gohan’s potential once again became a key component. His training and the ritual to get the Z sword unlocked all his hidden power and allowed him to obtain a whole new form.

Gohan's Ultimate form was almost unstoppable and was the strongest of them all for a while. Buu could only defeat him by tricking him into being absorbed inside of him.

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When Dragon Ball Super came out, fans were again disillusioned from seeing Gohan be several times weaker than he was before. His life as a family man, his job, and his studies never allowed him the time to train he needed to achieve all that potential.

So why did Toriyama call him the strongest then?

Toriyama’s latest interview with the upcoming movie Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero confirmed what the author truly thinks about Gohan’s power:

"Gohan is actually stronger than anyone… or so it’s said…"

Toriyama also commented that this strength was never able to shine with the help of Goku. Gohan needs his first and most beloved teacher, Piccolo, to motivate him to become the best version of himself.

"... In order to motivate Gohan, it takes his revered teacher, Piccolo rather than his father Goku."

During Dragon Ball Super's Tournament of Power, we saw that Gohan’s power is so big he only needs to train for a few days to obtain back his ultimate strength. But this strength was only obtained back thanks to our favorite, Namekian.

It has always been demonstrated during Dragon Ball that training can overcome any limits a character has. Goku obtained Angel powers, Vegeta acquired God of Destruction ones, and even Frieza could achieve a new form after training for the first time.

Toriyama's statement was about the power Gohan could obtain through training, the training he would need to get to his full potential.

Gohan secret power comes from his potential

Gohan’s full potential has been achieved; he no longer has the limits others have to break to obtain more power. This is the real reason Toriyama called him the strongest. Gohan is nowhere near the strength of his father or Vegeta right now, and many other beings could destroy him with a single blow.

But his potential is limitless. Gohan’s status as the strongest character has to do with his ability to train said possibility to the maximum. If he had received the same training as the other two Saiyans have with the deities of their universe, there is no telling how strong he could become.

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So, Gohan is the strongest, at least in theory. The only thing preventing him from taking his spot as the mightiest warrior is his lack of interest in a life like his father’s, and no one can blame him. He was constantly facing death when he was just a child, and his mother has been molding him into a scholar, not a warrior.

But maybe this movie will show us his true power. As we know, Gohan and Piccolo will be the main characters. As mentioned by Toriyama, his master is the final piece Gohan needs to achieve the power that was promised to him years ago.

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We will have to wait until the movie gets released next week, and then we will see if Gohan is truly the most robust character in all of Dragon Ball. But we can be sure he will always be one of the best and most capable fighters.

So, what do you think? Do you believe Gohan could become the strongest by training? Are you excited to see him take the spotlight during the upcoming Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero movie? Let us know in the comments section down below. Follow us here at Sportskeeda Anime to learn about the latest news and content about the Dragon Ball universe.