What If Gohan Reached His Full Potential? The Ultimate Dragon Ball "What If"

Daksh Chaudhary
Apr 2
3 min read

Updated: Apr 17

Imagine Gohan reached his full potential. Just saying that out loud gives Dragon Ball fans chills. Since he was a kid, Gohan’s hidden power has been teased - bursts of rage that could shake planets, and moments where he outshone even Goku. But what if he actually embraced his strength? What if the boy who loved books became the universe’s ultimate warrior?

Gohan is a genius half-Saiyan with more raw power than anyone, but his heart’s never fully in fighting. He’d rather study bugs or raise his family. But every fan remembers his iconic moments: turning Super Saiyan 2 against Cell, unlocking Mystic form with Old Kai, even briefly fighting Beerus. What if he kept training? Could he have left Goku and Vegeta in the dust?

ALSO READ: Dragon Ball Z’s Cell Saga Secretly Exposes Goku’s Worst Flaw, And It’s Not His Naivety

Gohan’s Hidden Power: The Tease That Defined Him

Gohan’s potential isn’t just big, it’s legendary. When he was just four, his screams of rage made Raditz panic. At 11, he became the first Super Saiyan 2, shattering Cell’s ego. Even Vegeta admits Gohan’s power is unscalable. But here’s the catch: Gohan’s strength is tied to his emotions. When he’s calm, he’s a nerdy dad. When he’s angry? He’s a walking apocalypse.

The problem? Gohan hates fighting. After Cell’s defeat, he slacked off for seven years. By the Buu saga, he couldn’t even go Super Saiyan. Old Kai unlocked his Ultimate form, maxing out his power without transformations, but Gohan still lost to Super Buu. Why? He hesitated. Gohan’s biggest enemy isn’t Buu or Frieza, it’s himself.

Full Potential Gohan: What Would That Look Like?

Let’s define “full potential.” Imagine Gohan training nonstop like Goku, mixing his natural genius with Saiyan battle instincts. He’d master transformations (Super Saiyan 3, God forms) and keep transforming. In the manga, Gohan briefly fights Saiyans like Kefla in the Tournament of Power, proving he can hang with Universe 6’s strongest. Now, picture that version of Gohan with years of discipline.

Full-power Gohan could likely:

Unlock Ultra Instinct: His calm mind and sharp reflexes make him a perfect fit.
Mix Techniques: Imagine the Kamehameha combined with Piccolo’s Special Beam Cannon.
Surpass Beerus: Whis once said Gohan’s potential rivals the Gods of Destruction.

But here’s the kicker: Gohan’s power isn’t just about muscles. His strategic mind could outthink foes like Jiren or Moro. He’d fight smarter, not harder.

Why Didn’t Gohan Stay Strong? The Real Answer

Dragon Ball loves Goku. That’s the sad truth. No matter how cool Gohan’s moments are, the story always resets him to make room for Goku’s heroics. After the Cell saga, Toriyama wanted Gohan to replace Goku as the lead. But fans missed Goku, so the Buu saga brought him back. Gohan was sidelined again.

But there’s another reason: Gohan’s character. He’s not a battle junkie. Forcing him to train 24/7 would ruin what makes him relatable. He’s a guy who fights to protect his family, not for glory. If he reached his full potential, he’d lose that humanity.

Final Verdict: Could Gohan Have Been The Strongest?

In raw power? Absolutely. Whis, Beerus, and Elder Kai all say Gohan’s ceiling is higher than Goku’s. If he trained like Vegeta or used the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, he’d crush the God tiers.

But would he? No. And that’s okay. Gohan’s arc isn’t about being the strongest, it’s about choice. He chooses to be a scholar and a dad. He chooses peace over fighting. That’s why fans love him. He’s the Saiyan who broke the mold.