Dragon Ball fans forget what Gohan went through (and that's why he gave up)

Dragon Ball fans seem to be revisiting the older installments of the series since the Super manga series isn’t exploring any new aspects. One of the most prominent characters in the franchise is Goku’s son, Gohan. The reason why people were excited to see this character grow was due to his potential.

On numerous occasions, it was stated that Gohan would surpass Goku if he realized his full potential. At a very young age, he managed to defeat Perfect Cell, which was a feat that only a handful of people were capable of.

But, as the Dragon Ball series progressed, Gohan spent less time training and perfecting his combat skills and engaged in intellectual endeavors. Naturally, some fans were distraught that he wasn’t realizing his full potential. But, if we account for all the things that Gohan experienced during the Dragon Ball series, it becomes highly evident as to why he stopped in the first place.

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Dragon Ball: Reviewing events that possibly played a role in Gohan’s decision to shift his focus from fighting to studying

As the Dragon Ball series progressed, we saw the combat prodigy slowly shift his focus from combat to studying. He no longer enjoyed fighting like he used to, mainly due to the events in his life. When Gohan was a mere kid, he witnessed a string of life-altering events that would have a lasting impact on anybody, even a Saiyan who could surpass Goku.

Dragon Ball fans are aware of just how close Piccolo and Gohan are. The former was a father figure who not only trained Gohan but also instilled good values in him. During the duo’s fight against Nappa, Piccolo sacrificed his life to save Gohan. The boy was merely five years old when he saw a loved one die right before his eyes. To make things worse, he also had to endure the death of his father. No 5-year-old child would have the mental capacity to deal with such circumstances.

Aside from the deaths he witnessed, Gohan was put in similar situations. He was around the same age when he also fought Frieza, one of the strongest and most menacing villains that was introduced at that stage of the story. In the Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F,’ Gohan was killed by Frieza. But he was brought to life later on. Furthermore, it’s important to remember that the young child was forced to take on Perfect Cell.

Perfect Cell was one of the scariest villains that the Z fighters had encountered then. Not only did Gohan have to take on Cell after achieving his perfect form, but he also had to fight his opponent fully recovered and charged. His father gave Cell a Senzu Bean, which restores energy and overall health. Gohan managed to defeat Cell, but he did not come out unscathed.

The entire Dragon Ball community slanders Chi-Chi for pushing Gohan to become a scholar and not a fighter. However, when we take a look at everything that Gohan had gone through, it’s unlikely that Chi-Chi’s influence on his decision was more significant in comparison to his personal experience. Reviewing some previous incidents makes Gohan’s decision to focus on studies quite clear.

Stay tuned for more anime and manga news as 2023 progresses.