The Dragon Ball franchise’s main character Goku is one of the strongest and most loved characters in the history of anime. His character development and immense power growth over the years have mesmerized fans all over the world and have made him one of the most important characters. He has not only the audience but also many other manga creators for their mangas. He is one of the main reasons why the Dragon Ball franchise is one of the biggest anime franchises in the world.
However, the creator of the series Akira Toriyama had other plans for the protagonist of Dragon Ball. He initially wanted to kill Goku and replace him with his son Gohan as the main lead of the further story of Dragon Ball. But he changed his mind because of Gohan’s pride and the rest is history.
Akira Toriyama Wanted to Kill Goku
In Dragon Ball Z, Gohan has become the most powerful Z fighter at the end of the Cell Saga in the series. After Goku died at the end of the Cell Games, it appeared that Gohan would take over as the series’ main protagonist. This was even confirmed by Toriyama. Toriyama revealed in a Dragon Ball handbook titled Daizenshuu in 1995 that he planned to cast Gohan as the main character, but he didn’t. He said:
“I intended to put Gohan into the leading role. It didn’t work out. I felt that compared to Goku, he was ultimately not suited for the part.”
However, Gohan when he gains power greater than his father gets filled with pride just like any other Saiyan, which made Toriyama realize that ultimately Goku would be the correct choice for the role of the protagonist in the long run of the series.
Gohan’s Pride Sidelined Him From Being the Main Character
Cell is one of the only major Dragon Ball villains who is not directly vanquished by Goku. Going even further, Goku makes it clear that he cannot defeat Cell and that the only person who can is Gohan. The problem with Super Saiyans is pride. When Gohan transforms into Super Saiyan 2, he grows arrogant and dismisses a desperate Cell, who, knowing his defeat is imminent, prefers to immolate himself and wipe out all life on Earth.
This is the part where many believe that Gohan lost many of his fans as he became proud of his powers and let the moment get the better of him, and ultimately Goku had to save the earth again. While later Gohan realizes his mistake and grows to be a better character, the storyline would not have been the same if Gohan had become the lead.
