While Gohan and Piccolo may have largely kept to the sidelines for the majority of Dragon Ball Super, both characters are set to stand center stage once again in the anime film Dragon Ball: Super Hero. The latest trailer for the eagerly anticipated continuation movie reveals a resurgent Red Ribbon Army kidnapping Gohan's daughter Pan in order to lure him out as part of its longstanding vendetta against Gohan's father Goku, which dates back to the original Dragon Ball series. Among the more intriguing details from the Super Hero trailer is footage of Gohan fighting while transformed as a Super Saiyan, despite the character possessing the more powerful Ultimate or Mystic combat state.
Gohan gains the Ultimate transformation toward the end of Dragon Ball Z, with his full potential unlocked by the Elder Kai. In this state, Gohan's hair remains its natural color but his facial features appear sharper, while he becomes far stronger than he was as a Super Saiyan 2. The parameters of this Ultimate transformation have never been clearly defined throughout the Dragon Ball franchise, with its DBZ iteration roughly as powerful as Goku at Super Saiyan 3. However, Gohan alludes to the form's potential being limitless in Dragon Ball Super as he spars evenly with Goku while his father is transformed into a Super Saiyan Blue.
Gohan's grasp of the Ultimate transformation has been a tenuous one throughout the Dragon Ball franchise. At the start of Dragon Ball Super, Gohan revealed he had given up on his training after the birth of his daughter Pan, unable to reach the same power levels he had toward the end of DBZ. Shocked at how weak he had become after nearly being killed by a resurrected Frieza, Gohan and Piccolo began training together again so he could reclaim his fighting spirit. By the time of the multiversal Tournament of Power, closing out Dragon Ball Super, Gohan was able to achieve his Ultimate transformation once again, providing valuable assistance during the martial arts tournament.
What makes Gohan's use of his Super Saiyan transformation all the more curious in the Super Hero trailer is that it somewhat contradicts what Gohan declared to his father in Dragon Ball Super. Although Gohan was able to hold his own against Goku in a sparring match where they both unleashed their full power, Gohan announced he was going to forge a completely new path of Saiyan power that had never before been seen, with Goku's approval. Gohan using his Super Saiyan transformation suggests he's either holding back or has indeed discovered a new level of power within his Ultimate Transformation that allows him to take on the appearance of a Super Saiyan.
Dragon Ball certainly has a history of its characters holding back their full potential at the start of fights, gradually unveiling new levels of power and transformations as their battles rapidly escalate. Gohan is also shown wearing Piccolo's weighted training gear in the Super Hero trailers, hinting that he is still working on himself to achieve new levels of power, with the full extent of his potential possibly being left out of the trailers intentionally.
Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero delivers on the failed promise from the Cell Games Saga as Gohan finally steps back into the spotlight as Earth's greatest defender, possibly even surpassing his father once again. And with the Red Ribbon Army back, equipped with even more powerful androids at their disposal, any upgrades that Gohan has since gained will prove vital in turning the tide against the mechanical enemies to save the world and give Gohan some overdue respect.
Directed by Tetsuro Kodama, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero opens April 22 in Japan, with a North American release planned for Summer 2022.
