Gohan has been a standout character in Dragon Ball since the Saiyan Saga. His iconic battle with Cell remains one of the best fights in the Dragon Ball Universe. Since Dragon Ball Z, it’s been clear that he has great potential and could even surpass Goku with regular training. So we present to you the best scenes where Gohan shocked everyone, and impressed his fans.
We’ve seen him surpass Goku several times, both in the Cell Saga and in their recent fight in chapter 103, where he wore Goku out from his Ultra Instinct form. Whis even mentioned his potential to become a destroyer, though Beerus later dismissed it, as being a destroyer requires a strong will more than just power.
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10. Withstanding Piccolo’s Tough Training
Gohan’s path to getting stronger started with one of the toughest training sessions in the series. After Goku dies fighting Raditz, Piccolo doesn’t train Gohan with kindness; he abandons him in the desert and tells him to survive on his own for six months. Gohan was a frightened little boy then, with no survival experience, no support, and no exit.
But instead of breaking, he weathered it. When the real training started, Gohan showed Piccolo a level of courage and determination far beyond his age. He learned how to fight and gradually gained Piccolo’s respect.
That small act when Piccolo gave him his own gi before the Saiyans showed up wasn’t just about getting a new outfit, it was a sign that Gohan had grown up. He wasn’t Goku’s kid anymore. He had carved his own path as a warrior, and that was only the beginning.
9. Gohan Unlocking His True Potential
During the Majin Buu Saga, the fearsome Kid Buu bested everyone with his overwhelming strength. So, to defeat him, the Elder Kai performs a ritual to unlock Gohan’s true potential, his Ultimate form.
By then, Gohan was once more the most powerful fighter on Earth. He gave Buu a heck of a run for his life. However, he made a mistake by lowering his guard, which made it too easy for Buu to swallow him. If he had a killer instinct like Vegeta, he would have killed Buu on the spot.
8. Fighting Lavender While Poisoned
In the Universe Survival Arc, Gohan fought Lavender of Universe 9, and the fight couldn’t have begun any worse for him. Lavender blinded Gohan and poisoned his body in a matter of seconds. But rather than panic or give up, Gohan kept his head.
He trusted his sense of energy, not sight. Even as the poison was draining his strength, he adjusted mid-fight and gave Lavender everything he had. The fight was a draw, but Gohan’s level head, skill, and sheer willpower weren’t lost on anyone.
Even Goku, who doesn’t go around praising people unless they’re worthy, was proud of him that day. It wasn’t about winning or losing, it was about proving himself. That fight reminded everyone that Gohan was still a fighter at heart, one who wouldn’t give up, even when the odds were against him.
7. Holding His Own Against Dabura
By the time the Buu Saga rolled around, Gohan wasn’t the same tough and sharp fighter we remembered from the Cell Games. Years of peace had taken their toll on him, and even Vegeta scolded him for it. But when Gohan battled Dabura, the Demon King, he proved us all wrong.
Despite slower reflexes and reduced power, Gohan still managed to hold his own against Dabura. It wasn’t a flawless fight, but that a “rusty” Gohan was able to hold his own against an upper-level villain meant something.
Even Babidi, who was sure Dabura would beat Gohan into submission, began to have second thoughts. Gohan’s performance proved that while power will decline with age, fighting spirit never does. On the inside, the same warrior who beat Cell was still there, he just needed the right fight to be reminded of it.
6. Gohan Breaks Raditz’s Space Pod with Heatbutt
In the initial phase of Dragon Ball Z, Gohan is introduced as a weakling who cries and relies on his father, Goku, all the time. He even gets kidnapped by Raditz to be used as leverage against Goku.
However, Gohan proves everyone wrong by breaking the Saiyan pod with his headbutt after seeing his father in danger. He even stuns Raditz with his headbutt, giving Goku and Piccolo the time to prepare for their final attack, also known Special Beam Cannon moment.
Gohan’s rage makes his power level spike over 1,000. This was the first moment when everyone found out how powerful and gifted he is.
5. The First Saiyan to Srike Frieza
Even after being the youngest among the fighters in the Namek Saga, Gohan showed us that he isn’t the same crybaby anymore. After Frieza kills and tosses Krillin in the sea, Gohan, fueled by rage and heartbreak, snaps out and charges towards Frieza without a second thought.
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His punches were actually landing on Frieza for a brief moment, forcing him to take Gohan seriously. Frieza acknowledges his strength for a young child, and it’s kind of rare for him to acknowledge someone.
4. Gohan Transforms into Beast Form to Defeat Cell Max
Watching Gohan transform into his Beast form for the first time on the big screen was a truly unforgettable moment. While Goku and Vegeta were busy training on Beerus’s planet, Gohan stepped in to save the world from destruction by defeating the rampaging Cell Max.
Those who followed the manga closely knew that this new transformation hinted at Gohan’s potential to rival even the formidable Ultra Instinct Goku. He finally got the push every Dragon Ball fan was waiting for him to get. With his new transformation, Gohan once again came to the level of Goku, Vegeta, and Broly.
3. Beast Gohan vs Ultra Instinct Goku
Gohan surpasses everyone’s expectations in Dragon Ball Super Chapter 103 when he fights his father, Goku, during a training session. As they clash, Gohan overwhelms Goku with his strength and speed. He even blasts Goku out of Ultra Instinct with his powerful punch.
This shocking turn catches every spectator, including Vegeta and Broly, off guard at Gohan’s strength. Goku mentions that Gohan has finally achieved his maximum potential, meaning that he has matured from an unwilling warrior to one of the world’s strongest warriors.
2. One-Handed Kamehameha: Gohan’s Iconic Victory Over Cell
Gohan’s fight with Cell is still considered one of the best fight sequences in Dragon Ball. He shocked everyone standing there by showing how powerful he is. At that moment, he stood as the strongest character we had witnessed. The build-up paid out well at the end, where we see Gohan defeating Cell with Kamehameha alongside Goku.
The Cell Games stretched Gohan to his limits. Even after surpassing Super Saiyan 2, his own pride nearly destroyed him. Cell brutally hurt him, leaving him with a shattered arm and little strength remaining to stand. But when Cell used his final assault, Gohan didn’t back down.
Guided by Goku’s spirit and everyone’s expectation, Gohan used one hand to fire a Kamehameha, standing up to Cell’s attack. What began as a last-ditch clash evolved into one of Dragon Ball’s most legendary scenes.
Gradually but steadily, Gohan’s attack overwhelmed Cell, eradicating him once and for all. Seeing Gohan stand there, broken yet unyielding, was the ultimate reward for his whole transformation from shy child to world-class fighter.
1. Gohan Turning Super Saiyan 2 in Cell Saga
One of Dragon Ball Z’s most memorable scenes is when Gohan finally lost it and transformed into Super Saiyan 2 at the Cell Games. Throughout that time, everyone thought the hero would turn out to be Goku, but Goku recognized the deeper potential that lay within Gohan.
Nevertheless, nobody was expecting the once quiet, gentle Gohan to blow like he did. When Android 16 was brutally crushed by Cell, his final words urging Gohan to let out his true power finally sank in. That unrefined combination of anger, grief, and desperation drove Gohan beyond his limits.
In that moment, his aura shifted, lightning crackling around him, and his eyes turned cold, and Gohan turned Super Saiyan 2 for the first time. Even Cell was frozen in shock. Seeing Gohan annihilate the Cell Juniors so easily, the same beasts that bested veteran warriors like Vegeta and Trunks to their limits, was the moment everyone knew Gohan wasn’t a kid anymore.
Gohan has always surprised his foes and friends in equal measure. Unlike Goku or Vegeta, who crave power for the sake of fighting, Gohan never craves strength for selfish reasons. But when the time is critical, and the world requires him, he rises to the occasion, surprising everyone with his real abilities.
