‘Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero’ is teasing a powerful new transformation for Gohan. Gohan’s power level stagnated after the Cell Saga, with the character going from the strongest Z-Warrior in the anime to a character who struggled against Captain Ginyu in Dragon Ball Super. However, recent developments are making Gohan into a force to be reckoned with again.
Following an impressive performance in the Tournament of Power which helped redeem his character’s lost reputation, Gohan is set to receive the spotlight in the second Dragon Ball Super movie. Surprisingly, the franchise is temporarily pivoting away from Goku and Vegeta to focus on Gohan and Piccolo, who will be the heroes in the fight against the Red Ribbon Army. Marketing for the movie has indicated that while Goku is busy training with Broly on Beerus’ planet, Gohan, Piccolo, Goten, and Trunks will be forced to stand on their own against Gamma 1 and Gamma 2. For now, it remains to be seen if the Z-Warriors will be able to hold up without Goku’s help. Whether or not they can win without him may depend on Gohan’s capabilities.
A new trailer for Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero greatly increases the chances of Gohan gaining a new form for his fight with the Red Ribbon Army’s androids. One shot of Gohan presents him in a powering-up pose that’s in line with how characters like Goku, Vegeta, and Future Trunks typically unlock new forms. The energy emanating around Gohan while he yells is clearly meant to tease a huge upgrade for the Z-Warrior. The intensity of what Gohan is going through in this scene wouldn’t be needed for him to go Super Saiyan 2 (which he can already do), nor would it be necessary for his Ultimate state, which he also has plenty of experience with. Instead, it appears Dragon Ball Super is building toward a new transformation.
The franchise taking this approach with Gohan wouldn’t be unexpected in the least. The franchise started laying the groundwork for Gohan to get a new form when he was training for the Tournament of Power. He told Goku that he was going to pursue “an ultimate form that no Saiyan has achieved before.” He didn’t reach that point in his fights with Dyspo or Top in Dragon Ball Super, but the time for that could finally come when he goes up against the Red Ribbon Army’s forces in Super Hero. By giving Gohan a new form, the movie can complete Dragon Ball Super’s setup and allow him to fulfill his promise to one day acquire the power needed to protect his family.
If Gohan really does transform, the moment will most likely occur in the movie’s final act when the fight with the villains concludes. Precisely what the form would be is unclear, but because of Dragon Ball Z, there’s already precedent for Gohan to access a form that’s unique to anything that’s ever been used by Goku or Vegeta. Just like how he became the first character to discover Super Saiyan 2, Gohan could undergo a never-before-seen transformation in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero and use that power to save the world. -Collider
