Perhaps the most exciting thing about Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero was the film’s focus on Gohan and Piccolo — two of the franchise’s most beloved characters. Fans that have long cried out for the two to reach the level of series headliners Goku and Vegeta may have finally gotten their wish granted, as Gohan Beast has been introduced to the series. How strong is it? How did Gohan achieve it? Why is it so different from Goku’s forms? The answers to all that and more are just below.
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What is Gohan Beast?
Gohan Beast is Gohan’s most powerful new form. Unlike the more straightforward Super Saiyan God forms, this one is based on Gohan’s more animalistic transformations that he had as a child. Early in the Saiyan Saga, Gohan’s power would spike when he got angry, and his tail made him transform into a Great Ape while he was training under Piccolo. To reflect this history, Gohan Beast is more primal and wild in design.
According to series creator Akira Toriyama (and translated by Twitter user Todd Blankenship), the original design for Gohan Beast had paler skin and a scary face. Toriyama felt this didn’t feel like Gohan, and instead opted for bigger and more upturned hair instead. Toriyama also said he isn’t sure what kind of design he’ll make if he ever decides to give Gohan further forms.
How Did Gohan Unlock Gohan Beast?
Gohan achieves Gohan Beast when he sees Piccolo seemingly die in the battle against Cell Max. Like with the aforementioned transformations that Gohan underwent, and in a very similar manner to his Super Saiyan 2 power-up, Gohan’s power was triggered by traumatic anger. The sight of his revered mentor being killed by Cell Max unleashed his new power, like watching Android 16’s death did previously.
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How Strong is Gohan Beast?
Given that Gohan Beast takes a full-on hit from Cell Max and is completely unfazed, it’s fair to say that this new form is immensely powerful. Gohan Beast proceeds to annihilate Cell Max’s core and destroy the energy ball he was forming, all through the use of a huge Special Beam Cannon. While we can’t currently measure this form against Ultra Instinct or one of the Gods of Destruction, it certainly seems to put Gohan in a new league.
In the lead-up to the film’s release, Toriyama said that Gohan “is stronger than anyone … or so it’s said” and that he simply “hasn’t really gotten a chance to shine” recently. Those statements, combined with the feats seen in the film, likely cement Gohan as one of the strongest fighters in Dragon Ball right now.
