Super Saiyan 2 Gohan is the Best Dragon Ball Transformation of All Time

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Fans of Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball always get excited about new character transformations, even if they don’t end up being very important. As the series adds more and more transformations, it’s becoming clear that the most memorable one actually debuted over 32 years ago.

Gohan’s Super Saiyan 2 transformation in Dragon Ball Z Episode 184, “Cell Juniors Attack!,” remains a peak moment for the entire Dragon Ball franchise. Since its debut in 1993, it’s consistently been considered the best episode and no subsequent transformation has quite reached the same level of impact.

Super Saiyan 2 Gohan is the Ultimate Payoff After Almost 200 Dragon Ball Z Episodes

As a long-time Dragon Ball fan, Gohan achieving Super Saiyan 2 is huge for me! It feels like it was always building to that moment, honestly – even way back in the original Dragon Ball Z series, you could see hints of his potential. He’s always been a key player, surviving battles against some seriously tough villains like Nappa, Vegeta, the Ginyu Force, and even Frieza. Each fight helped him grow, but the Cell Saga really changed things. That’s when Super Saiyan transformations started becoming more and more common, and Gohan reaching Super Saiyan 2 felt like the natural next step in the whole series!

Goku, Vegeta, and Future Trunks push themselves to their absolute limits through intense training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Throughout this preparation, Goku firmly believes his son, Gohan, is the key to defeating Cell. He’s even prepared to sacrifice his own fight and give Cell a powerful healing bean to unlock Gohan’s hidden strength. This process isn’t easy, but Gohan eventually achieves incredible power, becoming the first to transform into Super Saiyan 2. This moment is incredibly rewarding, and it’s the result of over 184 episodes of careful storytelling and subtle hints. Dragon Ball‘s patient approach makes this transformation even more impactful.

As a huge Dragon Ball fan, I always get chills when Goku finally goes Super Saiyan! Some people even argue it was built up to for even longer if you count the original Dragon Ball series, but I think that’s stretching it a bit. The original Dragon Ball had a great ending for Goku’s journey as a martial artist. This Super Saiyan moment in Dragon Ball Z, especially episode 95, “Transformed At Last,” is really about Goku understanding what it means to be a Saiyan – something that was still pretty new at the time. While it’s an amazing scene, it doesn’t quite hit as hard emotionally as when Gohan transforms, in my opinion. That one just carries so much more weight.

The Cell Saga works so well because Gohan finally becomes stronger than Goku and is rightfully celebrated as Earth’s greatest hero. Unlike previous power-ups where characters often lose soon after, Gohan truly earns the respect of all the Z-Fighters, even Vegeta, who actively help him win. While Goku’s transformations are always exciting, audiences expect him to win. Gohan taking the lead is a significant shift for Dragon Ball, marking a turning point that leads to a seven-year time skip and a fresh start. The impact of this moment, and how long it took to build to it, is undeniable. It’s a major reason why the Cell Saga feels like a fitting conclusion to Dragon Ball Z, and why Dragon Ball Z Kai almost ended there as well.

Dragon Ball Z Makes Super Saiyan 2 Meaningful

Unlike the Super Saiyan transformation in Dragon Ball Z, which is often triggered by rage, Gohan’s immense power comes from a deeper, more complicated emotional state. He understands that sometimes, great strength – even the need to kill – is unavoidable and necessary to protect others. This realization is difficult for Gohan, and it also explains why he often lacks enthusiasm for fighting despite being naturally gifted at it.

Unlike Goku and Vegeta who enjoy fighting, Gohan dislikes it. However, he accepts that he must fight to protect Earth and those he loves. This internal conflict explains why Gohan’s dedication to training and martial arts fluctuates throughout the series. He only fights when he has to, and doesn’t want it to define his life. The emotional impact of the story is heightened by his relationships with Goku, Piccolo, and Android 16.

Seeing Android 16 die and his friends and family attacked by the Cell Juniors finally causes Gohan to unleash his incredible power. While later Super Saiyan forms are also powerful, they seem to come more easily and rely more on raw strength than on a character’s emotional state and growth. Super Saiyan 4 is different; it still demands significant mental strength and inner resilience from the person using it.

Super Saiyan 2 Gohan Ended the Era of Good Dragon Ball Transformations

Long-running series constantly face the challenge of finding ways to develop their characters and create moments that feel as satisfying as previous achievements. This is particularly difficult for series like Dragon Ball, which often follows a predictable pattern. While the franchise has continued to introduce new, more powerful forms like the Super Saiyan transformations that began with Gohan, these later forms haven’t always had the same impact. Some even feel like self-aware parodies. For example, Super Saiyan 3, introduced in Dragon Ball Z, often comes across as a joke and feels forced in its attempt to be different, rather than a natural evolution of previous forms.

The newer Super Saiyan transformations feel unnecessary. Dragon Ball has moved beyond simply creating more Super Saiyan levels, instead opting for entirely new transformations to shake things up. Super Saiyan 2 felt like a logical next step after the events of the Cell Saga, especially considering the limited impact of the Second and Third Grade Super Saiyan forms. However, this marked the beginning of a problematic pattern that ultimately took Dragon Ball down an unsustainable path.

Watching the story unfold, I always felt Super Saiyan 3 could have been more impactful with a different character. Someone who hadn’t already had a major power-up moment. Gotenks, the fusion of Goten and Trunks, would have been a great fit – it would have really played into the ideas Dragon Ball was exploring. But the show kept falling back on making Goku the strongest, and that pattern unfortunately continued and became even more prominent in Dragon Ball Super. It was a bit of a letdown to see that happen again.

Even some of the most impressive moments in Dragon Ball Super rely too heavily on past successes instead of creating something truly new. For example, Gohan Beast’s transformation closely mirrors Gohan’s Super Saiyan 2 form, using similar visuals and framing. The series does this because Gohan’s Super Saiyan 2 transformation remains incredibly popular and is considered a high point for the franchise. It’s actually referenced more often than Goku’s initial Super Saiyan transformation. This moment is a storytelling triumph because it shows a broader perspective, recognizing that Dragon Ball isn’t just about Goku. Gohan’s transformation marked his rise as Dragon Ball‘s greatest hero and highlighted the impact of Goku’s legacy on the world around him.

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2025-11-06 18:12