Dragon Ball is a Japanese media franchise created by Akira Toriyama in 1984, inspired by the classical 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West, and Hong Kong martial arts films. The series is about the life and adventures of Son Goku as he practices martial arts from childhood through adulthood. In his world search for the seven orbs of the Dragon Balls, Goku discovers his alien heritage, and battles villains for the legendary Dragon Balls.
Goku’s eldest son Gohan is a prodigy as the first hybrid between a human and a Saiyan, who manifests powers greater than all pure-blooded Saiyans. The Dragon Ball series depicts the evolution of the powers acquired by Gohan as he becomes older and stronger throughout different phases of his life. Here are Gohan’s best forms as ranked by weakest to strongest power including Base, SS1, SS2 (Adult), SS2 (Teen), Mystic (Unleashed), and Beast (Super Hero).
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8 Base
Funimation
Gohan in his regular form is strong as a child and manifests power as son of Saiyan Goku and Earthling Chi-Chi, the Ox King’s daughter. In this form, Gohan is at his weakest but still the strongest because as Goku’s son, he is a prodigy with greater strength than all. Gohan in this state was introduced in Dragon Ball Z during the Raditz Saga, when Gohan had a Saiyan tail and was captured by Raditz.
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7 Great Ape
Gohan’s Great Ape form was inherited from Goku, and involves a Saiyan with a tail staring at the full moon and transforming into the Great Ape. When the Great Ape form is unleashed, the Saiyan is able to reach their maximum power; however, they become rampaging monsters unable to control themselves. Gohan can only sustain concentration by focusing on Goku. Great Ape was introduced in the Dragon Ball Z Vegeta Saga and used against Vegeta.
6 SS1 (Adult)
During the Buu Saga, after defeating Cell and restoring peace to the planet, Gohan becomes a young adult, beginning high school and focusing on studying; which results in him taking a break from fighting and causes his power to deteriorate. Gohan only attained a fragment of the power achieved during his teenage youth when battling against Cell, but remained stronger than all other Z Fighters. The only Fighters retaining more power were Goku and Vegeta.
5 SS1 (Teen)
Gohan’s Super Saiyan 1 form is not seen much because he quickly surpasses and perfects it, which enables him to remain in that form effortlessly. Gohan is subbed in at the cell games by Goku, who quits mid-match because he knows Gohan is stronger as SS1 and won’t be overpowered.
4 SS2 (Adult)
As an adult, Gohan lacked the same training skills because he focused more on living as an average citizen, losing strength and power; which ultimately resulted in his Super Saiyan transformation only achieving a portion of the power boost once achieved in his prime fighting days during the Cell saga. He transformed to stop criminals and was triggered when becoming angry, but since Gohan wasn’t at peak performance, SS2 was only used to appear stronger.
3 SS2 (Teen)
Gohan was the first Saiyan to achieve the Super Saiyan 2 form, and first reached it in Dragon Ball Z during the Cell Games Saga. Android 16’s death and his friends’ defeat triggered Gohan’s emotions, enabling him to fully embrace the power he received after training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Gohan trained strictly to learn the transformation and performed it on command, becoming strong enough to battle Cell, and the most powerful in the universe.
2 Mystic Gohan (Ultimate Gohan/Potential Unleashed)
Mystic Gohan is also known as the Ultimate Gohan or the Potential Unleashed form, and was first unlocked in the Dragon Ball Z Fusion Saga. Mystic Gohan is more powerful than the base Super Saiyan or Super Saiyan 2 forms, and when achieved, he rarely turns into a Super Saiyan. As Mystic Gohan, with the Super Saiyan 2 energy effects surrounding him, he was able to defeat Super Buu and hold a candle to Goku.
1 Gohan Beast, Dragon Ball: Super Hero
Gohan’s strongest power transformation is Gohan Beast, an evolved form of Gohan’s Potential Unleashed state which originated from the awakenings he has experienced since childhood. The power is unlocked when Gohan witnesses Piccolo seemingly die and becomes enraged, unlocking the deepest part of his energy and transforms into Beast mode. In this form, Gohan withstood a full power punch from Cell Max and annihilated his energy sphere, proving to be the strongest in the galaxy.
