HOME

PRESENT TRUNKS SECTION

DBZ Trunks
GT Trunks
Future Trunks
Best Friends
Marriage Prosp.
Humor
Trunks Images
My FanFics
My FanArt
Others FanFics
Others FanArt
Trunks: Who Needs Him!?
Trunks Links

GOHAN SECTION

Bio
Family/Friends
Battles/Powers
Life Influences
Humor
Images
Gohan's Gripes
My FanFics
My FanArt
Others FanFics
Others FanArt
Gohan Links

SERIES/SHOW SECTION

Episodes
Movies/OAV
Worldly Info
Merchandise
Release/AirTime
Series Links
Doujinshi
Daizenshu
Q & A
Editorials
What if...


MISC. SITE SECTION

About Site
SiS NewZletter
Contact Me
Borrowing Rules
Awards won
Misc. Links
SiS Archives
Anime Turnpike
Rin's Playground
Email

Gohan's Life Influences

Gohan has had his life essentially planned out for him. As an "obedient" momma's boy, Gohan respected his elders and did as they told him to do. From his mom, to his dad, and finally his greatest "mentor", Piccolo, Gohan had all the ammunition he needed to become successful in life (even if it meant becoming somewhat "nerdlike"). He may be a nerdlike scholar in his adult life, but how many children have a dad that can tell them stories that actually happened. Yes, Gohan's life has actually been one heck of an adventure.

In this section you'll find some information on those who were the most influential in Gohan's life and how they impacted one of the smartest and strongest of the Dragonball gang.


ChiChi

Gohan's mother is perhaps the greatest influence on Gohan's life and development. From birth, ChiChi had already planned out what Gohan was going to (and not going to) be. She had orginally wanted to name her baby boy, "Einstein" to reflect her desire for him to become a great scholar. But, in actuality, Gohan chose his own name upon hearing his father whine for food (He'd cry if he heard a name he didn't like. He giggled upon hearing "Gohan".)

ChiChi pampered and spoiled Gohan early in life and instead of toys for gifts, she asked people to give him textbooks. He was constantly studying despite his desire to play like normal kids or train to become strong like his father. Her grasp on her son was so firm that Gohan develops into everything she wants him to be. The only problem is he was a fear-laden crybaby in his early years...something that haunts him even into his teen years though it becomes less obvious outwardly. It rattles his confidence in his warrior-self forever and makes him a reluctant fighter. He even slacks off in training after the Cell Game...for nearly 7 years. Goku and Vegeta both catch up to him despite Gohan being the first to reach Super Saiyajin 2. He must slack again between the end of Dragonball Z and the beginning of GT because it appears he has lost his Mystic powerup since he can go Super Saiyajin once again. Some good came out of this though. As a momma's boy, Gohan developed traits favorable in a future husband such as sensitivity, devotion, and physical as well as mental strength. He even finds true love with Mr. Satan's daughter, Videl, a rare trait in this series seeing how most of the strong females simply pick and control their males of choice. So devoted to pleasing his mother, Gohan does indeed become a scholar in his adult years and his true abilities as a warrior never fully manifest aside from two brief instances (Cell Game and his Mystic powerup).

Piccolo

The second greatest influence in Gohan's life was Piccolo. Having seen Gohan release a vast amount of power during Radditz's visit, Piccolo "kidnaps" Gohan to try to make a warrior out of him and realize his potential and tremendous power. In less than a year, Piccolo's rigorous training turns the little fearful crybaby into a more independent and capable little warrior. Piccolo does realize, however, that unlike the other Saiyajins like Goku and Vegeta, Gohan dislikes fighting, something Goku doesn't even see in his son until it's almost too late. Piccolo is probably the only one who fully understands Gohan mentally. He's constantly surprised at Gohan's leaps in his warrior abilities. His powers are tremendous, but Piccolo knows that Gohan will never match his father's great fighting prowess even if Gohan does surpass his father's strength on several occasions. Again, go back to ChiChi...she already imprinted too strongly on her firstborn son. Gohan even gives something back to his stern Namekian mentor, his friendship. For once in Piccolo's life, he learns the value of having someone to care about. But still, Piccolo awakened the warrior and saiyajin within Gohan that would forever be a part of him and his life.

Goku

Gohan's father and Earth's greatest fighter had very little physical influence on his own son compared to ChiChi and Piccolo. ChiChi even had control over this formidable fighter and prevented him from teaching Gohan any martial arts. Nonetheless, Gohan constantly looked up to him and admired him as the greatest fighter in the world. Goku's chance to train his son began to appear during the Andriod saga and his greatest training opportunity was during the Cell Game. In both instances, Goku was amazed at his son's progress and it was during the training for Cell that he realized Gohan was going to surpass even him. He trained Gohan to go Super Saiyajin before the Cell Game and Gohan's speed and technique matched and perhaps surpassed Goku's even before the Cell battles. The one thing Goku had miscalculated was Gohan's desire to fight. He thought his son was like him and would get excited to battle strong, powerful opponents. Goku even took his first defeat by giving up to Cell so that Gohan could have a shot at him. Gohan struggles and is unable to unleash what Goku knows will defeat Cell. Fear is seen in Goku's face as he finally realizes (thanks to Piccolo) his misjudgement in Gohan's fighting desire. Luckily, Gohan's hidden powers surge forth and he defeats Cell, but not without constant coaching from Goku and Cell releasing his anger by hurting those Gohan cares most about...his friends. There's just not enough confidence and desire in Gohan to make him a great warrior like his father.

When the time comes to deal with Majin Buu, Goku couldn't wait to see how much his son had progressed since the Cell Game (Goku died during the Cell Game but was allowed to come back to "life" for a day). As Vegeta told the soon-to-be disappointed father, Gohan didn't train during the peace between then and now and that they had already caught up and possibly surpassed the boy's powers and strength now. Gohan just sheepishly smiled though his lack of training had seriously dulled his fighting skills. His fight with Dabura proved this to be very true. Vegeta commented that Gohan had forgotten even some of the most basic aspects of fighting. Gohan was showing himself to be careless and cocky, nothing like the calculating and skillful fighter he was as a boy.

Goku does provide emotional influence on his oldest son however. Gohan's admiration of his father's skills and deeds peeks Gohan's interest in martial arts eventhough ChiChi forbade it. Gohan's rebellious nature to disobey his mother at times comes from his desire to be in or near his father at times of need and to see his father in his heroic save-the-world-from-the-baddies mode. Goku's emotional effects on Gohan also have negative effects. Gohan experiences the pain and suffering of losing loved ones and innocent lives. He becomes pacifist in nature though most of that can be attributed to his mother's ways as well. Gohan is self-destructive living within his father's shadow. He self-doubts himself and lacks self-confidence. No matter what anyone, even Goku says, Gohan will always consider himself below his father, eventhough at times, he rose above him.

Kaio-shin

Once the warriors realized Majin Buu couldn't be destroyed and was released, Kaio-shin saves a barely alive Gohan. He takes him to his holy planet even despite Kibit's protests. Kaio-shin sees something in the boy that others may not have. And so, he tells Gohan to pull the Z-Sword (a sword of the gods) out of the stone and that perhaps with mastery of that sword, Gohan could defeat Buu. Gohan does master the sword (to the shocked and amazed Kaio-shin and Kibit...no Kaio-shin had even been able to pull out the sword!). Once Goku is back in heaven, he senses Gohan's "ki" and teleports to the planet only to nearly get his head sliced off by a training Gohan. He asks Kaio-shin if he can remain and watch Gohan's training. Kaio-shin agrees. They then test the ability of the sword's blade with the hardest substance in the universe. The blade breaks, but it realeases an elderly Kaio-shin that was trapped within it. This Kaio-shin uses his powers to turn Gohan into the strongest warrior in the universe (this is the Mystic powerup). Gohan once again reigns as strongest fighter. In Mystic mode, Gohan has a confidence and brashness that he never had before and his strength surpasses even Super Saiyajin 3. If it weren't for Buu's sneaky trick of absorbing, Gohan would've defeated him...easily.

Videl

The final influence in Gohan's life was Mr. Satan's daughter, Videl. Gohan first meets her when he attends high school for the very first time at age 16. As his alterego, the Great Saiyaman, he constantly stomps on Videl's tasks of taking on crime and injustice. The two end up practically competing until at some point, Gohan adds her as a partner and she becomes Great Saiyaman 2. But before this, she is the first to discover Great Saiyaman's true identity and blackmails Gohan into attending a tournament and teaching her how to fly or else she'd blow his cover.She even challenges ChiChi when ChiChi thinks Videl's going to try to take her "baby" away from her in a manner like how she nabbed Gokuh. Once ChiChi learns she's rich, she asks Gohan when are the two going to get married. Gohan sputters and defiantly says they aren't, but Videl gives no reaction. Videl works her way into the family by helping ChiChi and babysitting Goten. She even assists Bulma in matters of cooking,etc. This gives an indication that Videl has plans for Gohan beyond just friendship. Everybody takes a liking to Videl, even Vegeta though he doesn't make it obvious. And so, Gohan appears betrothed eventhough he doesn't seem to realize it and yet another strong female is going to enter the fray. Eventually the two do get married (Gohan's approximately 21 years old when they do) and they have a little girl they name Pan. At 1/4 saiyajin, Pan still shows remarkable strength and at age 4 enters a tournament and even defeats her 17 year old uncle, Goten. At one point, Goku even says she's the strongest in their family at the end of DBZ. In some past shots in GT, it appears that Gohan and Videl are very much in love and even openly use words to each other such as "dear" when in conversation. Gohan becomes sedentary and a scholar. It's uncertain if he does much training or not since most of Pan's martial arts training seemed to come from Grandpa Goku. But, he's a devoted family man and worker and even allows the warrior side of him to keep its place alongside his "peaceful" ways.


Gohan/Videl images from Videl's Eternal Moments website