Dragon Ball GT’s Biggest Crime Can Never Be Forgiven

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Dragon Ball GT is the most ambitious and unusual series in the entire Dragon Ball saga. It took the story in exciting new directions, featuring adventures across galaxies and the iconic introduction of Super Saiyan 4. Despite all its innovation, there’s one story choice I still find disappointing. While GT bravely tried to reimagine Dragon Ball, it unfortunately faltered with its ending.

I always loved how Dragon Ball GT introduced Pan, Goku’s granddaughter! She first appeared briefly in the peaceful days after the Cell saga, but GT really gave her a chance to shine. She wasn’t just tagging along with Goku and Trunks on their adventures; she was right there with them as one of the main characters, and the story wouldn’t have been the same without her. She was truly essential to everything that happened in GT.

Pan, as Goku’s granddaughter, carries the powerful Saiyan lineage. When I first watched Dragon Ball GT, I was certain she’d eventually unlock the Super Saiyan transformation, something all young Saiyan heroes do. But the series never gave her that chance, and it felt like a real letdown for her character – something I still think about even now, years later.

Pan Not Becoming Super Saiyan Is Dragon Ball GT’s Biggest Flaw

Gohan’s Daughter Deserved The Same Saiyan Rite Of Passage As Every Other Hero

Despite being controversial with fans, Dragon Ball GT still managed to create a unique feel for itself. It took risks, moving away from the epic battles of Dragon Ball Z to focus more on adventure, and later returned to more serious, high-pressure storylines. The series also gave us amazing visuals like Super Saiyan 4 and introduced new villains that really added to the Dragon Ball world.

Despite all the new things Dragon Ball GT tried, it didn’t fully prepare for the future of the series. Pan, as Goku’s granddaughter and a character with Saiyan blood and a lot of potential, could have been the central character to carry the story forward emotionally and narratively.

As a huge fan, it really frustrated me how often Dragon Ball GT put Bulma in harm’s way. They constantly challenged her beliefs and threw her into crazy situations that really made her grow as a character. But it was so disappointing that, after all that, she never got to achieve the Super Saiyan transformation like the others. Her story felt like it stopped building momentum at the exact moment it should have reached its peak!

The problem wasn’t just a lack of strength. In Dragon Ball, becoming a Super Saiyan is an important milestone – it shows a character has truly become a powerful warrior, ready to fight alongside the strongest heroes. GT presented Pan as a key character, but it didn’t give her the opportunity to reach her full potential, which would have solidified her place in the series’ history.

When Dragon Ball GT tried to revitalize the series, giving Pan a central role and a unique transformation would have powerfully signaled a new direction. However, GT ultimately stuck with what it knew. Goku stayed the main character, Trunks continued to help, and Pan never truly got the chance to become the hero she was destined to be.

Over time, it’s become increasingly obvious that a key story element was missed. Dragon Ball GT aimed to be daring, but it held back when it should have made a big impact with its newest character. For a series focused on pushing boundaries, this remains its most significant weakness.

Pan Going Super Saiyan At The End Of GT Would Have Been Cathartic

Introducing A Female Super Saiyan Would Have Given Dragon Ball GT A Perfect Final Payoff

The ending of Dragon Ball GT could have been truly impactful if Pan had transformed into a Super Saiyan. With Goku leaving on a seemingly eternal journey and a very emotional farewell already happening, seeing Pan unlock this powerful new level would have perfectly completed the story and provided a satisfying conclusion.

This moment would have meant more than just a visually impressive scene. It would have been a landmark event – the first female Super Saiyan in the entire series, and a fitting conclusion to a story focused on her development. GT frequently explored themes of inheritance, the changing of the guard, and the emergence of new heroes. What could have symbolized that better than Pan actually sparking the next stage in Saiyan history?

Throughout Dragon Ball GT, Pan consistently demonstrated bravery, skill, and emotional strength. She confronted huge dangers, explored challenging worlds, and often guided the group with her feelings. A significant transformation for her would have felt like a natural result of everything she went through. The series built up her struggles with tension, frustration, courage, and loss, creating anticipation for a powerful moment that unfortunately never happened in GT.

Concluding Dragon Ball GT with Pan’s character development reaching its full potential would have provided a satisfying ending for both her story and the entire series. It would have celebrated the show’s strengths while fixing its biggest weakness. Unfortunately, GT ended without giving its new main character the proper conclusion she earned, leaving a lingering sense of incompleteness that fans still feel today.

The First Female Super Saiyan Was Introduced 20 Years After Dragon Ball GT

Dragon Ball Super Finally Introduced A Female Saiyan, But It Came Far Too Late

It took 20 years, but the Dragon Ball franchise finally gave us its first female Super Saiyan, Caulifla, in Dragon Ball Super. She appeared in 2017 as a lively and instantly likable fighter from Universe 6, during the episode “Gohan and Piccolo Master and Pupil Clash in Max Training!”

Caulifla rapidly became a Super Saiyan and quickly surpassed even that level of power. While she’s a powerful and welcome character, her introduction reveals a long-standing problem with the series. Her transformation felt less like a genuine development of the story and more like a fix for something that should have happened much earlier in Dragon Ball.

Rather than developing characters over time to create a satisfying climax, Dragon Ball Super quickly gave a new character powerful abilities without much emotional preparation. While this approach fit the story, it didn’t have the same emotional weight that a transformation for Pan would have delivered.

The delayed appearance of a female Super Saiyan highlights a recurring issue in Dragon Ball: its tendency to not fully utilize its female characters. While characters like Videl, Chi-Chi, and Bulma are well-known, they rarely get a chance to grow in power alongside the male heroes. Android 18 is a notable exception, but even she often takes a backseat during important storylines.

Pan’s failure to reach her full potential is particularly noticeable when compared to Caulifla. Dragon Ball GT focused on Pan’s development, but ultimately didn’t allow her to become stronger. Caulifla, on the other hand, accomplishes in just a few episodes what Pan should have achieved throughout an entire series, making the emotional impact of their journeys vastly different.

When Caulifla appeared, the chance to create a truly memorable origin story for a female Super Saiyan had already slipped by. Dragon Ball GT had everything it needed – a great character, a solid foundation, and plenty of potential – but ultimately didn’t deliver. It’s still disappointing to think about what could have been.

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2025-11-24 02:40