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While Goku is the main character ofDragon Ball, many fans believe that Gohan should have taken his place at some point in the series, especially when he was a teen. Toriyama once revelaed in an interview that he had indeed thought about making Gohan the protagonist ofDragon Ball, and prepared the grounds to do so, but later changed his mind.
Some may disagree, but the path that Gohan follows after the Cell Tournament is more in line with the character that he has always been. That said, not becoming the protagonist doesn’t mean not being able to surpass the others in terms of power. Even though Gohan hasn’t stepped into the spotlight, the story suggests at many points that he’s the most powerful warrior in the universe — andBeast Mode is proof of that.
What Is Gohan’s Beast Mode?
A Transformation Unique to Gohan
Beast Gohan, Final Gohan or Ultimate Gohan is a form that, as of the time of writing, is exclusive to Gohan in theDragon Ball Superuniverse. However, in the gameDragon Ball Xenoverse 2, other characters have custom Beast forms.
In Beast Mode, Gohan’s hair grows a bit, similar to his SSJ2 transformation, but his eyebrows are not gone. His hair and his eyebrows turn white/platinum, and his eyes turn red. He also manifests a tremendous power.
When Gohan Unlocks the Beast Mode?
Gohanfirst unleashes this transformation in the movieDragon Ball Super: Super Hero, whenhe thinks that Cell Max killed Piccolo with a powerful attack, meaning that, as with other transformations, Gohan unleashes this form primarily because he is insanely angry and emotionally reactive.
Although he stated inDragon Ball Superthat he wanted to achievean unseen ultimate form, Gohan is not usually the kind of character who reaches new heights by simply training. He is usually only able to unleash his full power when he is under emotional stress.
According to Toriyama, Beast Mode is like unleashing the wild beast inside you, so this is believed to be Gohan’s ultimate form - of course, this is Dragon Ball, so another even more powerful transformation could be introduced at any point.
Is Final Gohan a Canon Form?
It depends on what you consider to be canon. Since most fans consider — or considered, beforeDaima— thatDragon Ball Super, including the manga, to be the canon sequel toDragon Ball Z, then yes.
Dragon Ball Supermanga introduced Beast Gohan in Chaṕter 99 (“Son Gohan’s Ultimate Awakening!"), while adapting theSuper Heroarc, turning the movie canon into theSupertimeline, meaning that he first awakens in this form in the manga, just as he does in the movie.
Piccolo later helps him to learn how to control the Beast Mode in the manga. This transformation is also said to beunique to Gohan’s potential, and thus different from other Saiyan transformations. It is also confirmed thatit is not a divine form.
Could Someone Else Achieve Beast Mode?
Beast Mode is said to be exclusive to Gohan due to his traits. However, inDragon Ball, bloodline (mostly which race a character belongs to) plays a role in a character’s potential. If Gohan can do it, it’s possible his daughter Pan will be able to at some later point.
Dragon Ball SuperandDragon Ball Super: Super Heroare available to stream onCrunchyroll.DB Superis also on Hulu in the US.
