Dragon Ball fans cannot imagine the series without its protagonist, Goku. He has been leading Akira Toriyama’s magnum opus since its inception, and even after so many years, he is still regarded as the perfect choice for the role of the main character in other sequels and spin-offs of the Dragon Ball storyline.
However, Toriyama once decided to change Goku’s role as the protagonist and hand over the baton to another character. He planned to kill Goku forever and choose his first son, Gohan, as the new driving force of the Dragon Ball franchise. He even gave Gohan a chance to prove himself as the deserving main character for one of the biggest anime and manga series of all time.
But after Gohan failed his role as the protagonist during Dragon Ball Z, Toriyama decided to bring Goku back, and since then, Goku has been once again leading the pack, with Gohan being the supporting character of the series.
Akira Toriyama Wanted To Replace Goku with Gohan
One of Akira Toriyama’s interviews that was featured in Dragon Ball Daizenshuu 2: Story Guide was shared by Levelup, where the mangaka confessed to the fact that he believed that Goku had lived up to his title as the protagonist and that it was time for him to relax, while his son, Gohan, would take over his father’s role as the main character.
Toriyama stated:
“I had intended to put Gohan in the leading role… it didn’t work. I felt that, compared to Goku, he wasn’t ultimately the right one for the role,”
Gohan showed his potential as the deserving main character when he fought and won against Cell, one of the most dangerous villains in Dragon Ball. Gohan managed to unlock Super Saiyan 2, which was a big feat even for Goku. He then defeated the villain and gave hope to fans that he might be the next protagonist since Goku was dead.
Seven years later, when the Majin Buu saga started, Gohan got his chance to prove himself worthy as a main character. However, he could not live up to the expectations of Toriyama, which is why he brought Goku back and decided to stick with him till the end.
Gohan Once Again Got a Chance to Prove Himself
After the Majin Buu saga, Toriyama decided to keep Gohan away from the battlefield. Gohan became a nerdy college student whose sole focus was to study hard and survive in the Dragon Ball world, along with his daughter Pan and his wife Videl. But then Dragon Ball Super happened, and Gohan decided to join the other fighters in saving Universe 7.
Since then, Gohan has managed his training and his personal life until recently, when Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero was released. In the movie, Gohan is featured as the main character, along with Piccolo, as the two fight the newly formed Red Ribbon Army and save Gohan’s daughter, who was kidnapped.
According to the reception of the movie, Gohan not only did a decent job as the main character, but he also reached a new power level called Gohan Beast. It is the strongest form of Gohan, and it helped him defeat the antagonist of the movie, Cell Max.
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