Who Is Gohan Black? Dragon Ball’s Newest Villain Explained

Who Is Gohan Black? Dragon Ball's Newest Villain Explained

As a dedicated fan who has followed the Dragon Ball universe since its inception, I must say that the introduction of Gohan Black in Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is nothing short of exhilarating! The concept of an alternate timeline where Gohan becomes the strongest warrior in the universe and faces off against a malevolent version of himself from another reality is simply mind-blowing.


In the latest addition to the Dragon Ball series, titled “Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero,” a formidable new adversary has been unveiled, causing quite a stir within the Dragon Ball universe. This game has just been rolled out to its early access users, and players are diving into its story modes for various characters. What sets this newest installment of the Budokai Tenkaichi franchise apart is the inclusion of special side missions that speculate on how the Dragon Ball narrative might have evolved if certain events in specific arcs had taken a different turn. These alterations can lead to substantial shifts in the overall storyline.

In a similar fashion to the butterfly effect, the “What If” scenarios presented in Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero can vary from minor alterations to those with massive consequences. The most significant of these changes stems from Gohan’s involvement, as he might not have played a major role in battles during much of Dragon Ball Super due to his decision to stop training after the Majin Buu arc. Instead, this spin-off series explores what would happen if Gohan had followed through on his original destiny as Goku’s successor as Earth’s protector and become the strongest being in the universe. This powerful warrior would then attract the ire of an enraged and vengeful deity.

Who Is Gohan Black? Dragon Ball's Newest Villain Explained

Gohan Becomes The Universe’s Strongest Warrior

As a passionate Dragon Ball fan, diving into Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero feels like stepping into an alternate reality. Instead of the familiar narrative where Gohan is defeated by Frieza during the Resurrection F arc, this game lets me rewrite history. This time around, Gohan manages to regain his full strength in the battle against Frieza, even surpassing it and transforming into Ultimate Gohan. With this newfound power, he doesn’t just hold his own against Frieza; he pushes him back and annihilates his Golden Frieza form single-handedly. This is a stark contrast to the original series where Goku and Vegeta could only confront the villain in their Super Saiyan Blue forms. It’s a thrilling twist that makes me feel like I’m shaping the Dragon Ball universe to my will.

This begins a huge chain of events that sees Gohan inspired to train with Piccolo as while he was able to defeat Golden Frieza, Gohan realizes that he felt he was struggling to stay alive even with his level of power. Then as Gohan trains further, he becomes the strongest warrior in Universe 7 surpassing his father and Vegeta. In the Tournament of Destroyers that follows, Gohan becomes the point person through the fight and even faces off against Hit. It’s such a notable performance that the fight between the two gets attention from across the multiverse.

Following the unfolding of Future Trunks’ events, it’s clear that Gohan remains the strongest fighter. Suddenly, Future Trunks attacks Gohan, a scene reminiscent of his suspicion toward Goku in the main storyline. Mistaking Gohan for someone else, he launches into an explanation. However, before he can finish, a wormhole bursts open, revealing a chilling figure from Trunks’ timeline – a seemingly familiar yet alien adversary. This menacing character is none other than a sinister version of Gohan, whom we might recognize as ‘Gohan Black’. Similar to the power Goku Black wielded in the main series, this villain also possesses divine power.

Who Is Gohan Black? Dragon Ball's Newest Villain Explained

Who Is Gohan Black?

In this instance, Gohan travels to Future Trunks’ timeframe for battles with Gohan Black, teaming up with both Goku and Vegeta. The antagonist possesses equal strength as Goku Black, and similarly collaborates with Zamasu in the same manner. They share the Zero Mortals Plan, but what sets Gohan Black apart is his more potent form, a pink variant of Ultimate Gohan’s energy. This isn’t a complete Super Saiyan metamorphosis; however, it could be considered even stronger given that by this point in these events, Gohan has tapped into his power through the Elder Kai on two occasions.

In this alternate version of events, instead of the usual struggle against Gohan Black, it’s revealed that he’s actually a time-traveled Zamasu from the past. Previously, Gohan had fought Zamasu in this timeline, causing the god to acknowledge the strength of mortals. By harnessing the power of the Super Dragon Balls, Gohan Black then took control of his body and committed the heinous act of killing Videl and Pan. This act infuriates Gohan, but Goku steps in to keep him composed and ready for the impending battle. The fight continues, culminating in Gohan Black merging with Zamasu.

In this adaptation, Fused Zamasu retains the same character traits as in the original tale, but sports a hairstyle more akin to Gohan instead of Goku. The battle against this variant of the deity unfolds differently because Gohan is present. Future Trunks and Gohan form a stronger bond due to their respective versions of Gohan having a shared past, enabling them to jointly overpower Zamasu. Gohan acquires the Evil Containment Wave technique from Piccolo in this version, and it’s employed during the confrontation for the first time.

In a thrilling showdown with Zamasu, I found myself standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Trunks, our Masenkos converging in an epic display of power. As we pinned down the deity, Gohan, employing the Evil Containment Wave, delivered the decisive blow, ensuring a complete victory over the god. With Zamasu sealed away, I could finally breathe a sigh of relief for Future Trunks’ timeline. With my mission on Earth complete, I was free to return home, cherishing the family and life that my tireless defense had made possible.

Why Gohan Black Is Important

In an alternative scenario, Gohan Black proves to be such a strategically sound choice that it’s surprising it wasn’t the case in the original Dragon Ball Super series. Since Gohan didn’t possess enough power to significantly influence the storyline of Dragon Ball Super as a whole, fans were deprived of what could have become one of its most memorable narratives. Instead, we continue to witness episodes focused on Goku and Vegeta. However, a pivotal scene with Trunks arises, and it’s evident that if Gohan had been there, the impact would have been far greater in this version.

In another scenario, Gohan Black would have posed a significantly greater challenge due to his inherent potential for immense strength, a trait we’ve only witnessed in full during the emergence of Gohan’s Beast form. Fans are fortunate to explore such a storyline with the introduction of this new villain.

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2024-10-09 07:09