Summary
Gohan’s power has always been one ofDragon Ball’sbiggest wild cards. From the Saiyan Saga toDragon Ball Super, his strength has shaped some of the series' most iconic moments. He’s foughtthe most powerful villains, like Frieza, Cell, and Buu, proving time and time again that he can rise to the occasion when the need arises. Yet, despite his importance to the series, there are still plenty of powerful fighters he’s never had the chance to battle.
Some of these missed fights could have pushed Gohan beyond his limits in a way fans have never seen. Others might have helped clarify where he truly stands amongDragon Ball’sstrongest warriors, as his power level is often tricky to pin down. Regardless, it’s interesting to imagine how Gohan would have — or still could — fare against some of these formidable fighters.
1Hit
A Powerful Assassin From A Different Universe
As Universe 6’s most skilled assassin, Hit made waves in theDragon Ballcommunity when he first debuted inDragon Ball Super.His Time-Skip ability, coupled with his raw strength and battle experience, gave even Super Saiyan Blue Goku serious trouble. However, despite making multiple appearances throughoutSuper, Hit never got the chance to battle Gohan.
This is especially surprising considering Gohan was present throughout the Tournament of Power arc. Not only would a battle between them have been awesome to watch, but it would have allowed Gohan touse his intellectalongside his raw power to overcome Hit’s absurdly powerful Time-Skip ability.
2Jiren
A Mortal Who Surpassed The Gods
Jiren was the main powerhouse of the Tournament of Power,standing above the entire roster with sheer strength alone. His insane power level pushed Goku to unlock Ultra Instinct, buteven that wasn’t enough to defeat him initially. With Gohan also competing in the tournament and having considerable screen time, it’s disappointing that the two never even clashed once.
While Gohan held his own against formidable opponents like Dyspo and Toppo, he never got the opportunity to test himself against Jiren. A fight between the two would have been the greatest measure of Gohan’s potential. Luckily, that potential was finally realized against Cell Max, but it’s still a shame that fans never got to see how he would have handled Jiren.
3Kid Buu
The Craziest Version Of Buu
As the purest and most chaotic form of Majin Buu, Kid Buu was arguablyDragon Ball Z’smost frightening villain. He was completely relentless, and even worse, unpredictable. This was coupled with the fact that he had universe-busting power and limitless stamina. In his final fight against Goku and Vegeta, he even pushed Super Saiyan 3 Goku to his absolute limits.
Despite getting revived and being available to fight at the time, Gohan never went up against Kid Buu. Arguably, he could have beaten him, asUltimate Gohan was considerably stronger than Super Saiyan 3 Goku at the time. However, it makes sense that Goku and Vegeta would not want to risk him getting absorbed again, hence his exclusion from the battle. That said, it would have been satisfying to see Gohan beat the hell out Kid Buu and be the one to finally defeat him.
4Kefla
A Powerful Fusion Warrior From Universe 6
Kefla was one of the strongest fighters in the Tournament of Power, rivaling even Ultra Instinct Goku. While Goku was her main opponent in the anime, interestingly,it was actually Gohan who fought her in theDragon Ball Supermanga, with their battle ending in a double knockout.
The anime took a completely different direction, leaving Gohan out of the picture entirely — a change that felt like a missed opportunity. A fight between these two could have been one of the tournament’s most intense matchups.
Gohan’s Ultimate form was at its peak, while Kefla’s fusion gave her an overwhelming power level. Seeing Gohan go toe-to-toe with a fusion warrior would have made for an incredible moment, but unfortunately, this battle never made it to the anime.
5Android 17 (Main Timeline)
One Of The Strongest Androids
Android 17 was designed by Dr. Gero to surpass even the Super Saiyans of his era,which he successfully did. During the Android Saga, he had intense battles with Cell and Piccolo, but main timeline Gohan never actually fought him. This is surprising given how important both characters were during that arc.
By the timeDragon Ball Supercame around, 17 had become far stronger than before. He trained in isolation for years, honing his skills to the point where he could hold his own against Super Saiyan Blue Goku. His limitless stamina, power, and intellect made himone of Universe 7’s key players in the Tournament of Power. With Gohan also reaching new levels of power inSuper,it would have been the perfect time for them to battle and test each other’s strength, but this fight never happened.
6Goku Black
A God Inhabiting A Mortal’s Body
Goku Black was one of, if not, the best villain introduced inDragon Ball Super.Combining Goku’s raw power and Zamasu’s ruthless intellect, his strength grew rapidly throughout the Future Trunks Saga. Once he achieved Super Saiyan Rosé, he became an overwhelming force that even Goku and Vegeta couldn’t handle. Despite how high the stakes were during this Saga, Gohan never got involved in the battle.
This was especially disappointing given Gohan’s history with Future Trunks. Seeing him step up to protect Trunks' timeline, much like his future counterpart once did, would have been a great full-circle moment for the character.
7Baby Vegeta
The Most Destructive Version Of Vegeta
Baby Vegeta served as the central villain of the Baby Saga inDragon Ball GT. As a Truffle parasite, Baby took control of Vegeta’s body and pushed it far beyond its natural limits, achieving transformations like Super Baby 2 that could go up against Super Saiyan 4 Goku. Despite Gohan being one of the first fighters Baby infected, he never fought Baby Vegeta in a proper battle.
Since Gohan was sidelined for most ofGT,this could have been the perfect opportunity for him to show that he still had his strength and Saiyan instincts. Unfortunately, Goku took center stage in the Baby Saga, and Gohan never got to fight with Baby Vegeta.
8Janemba
A Demon Born In Hell
Before Broly made his canon debut inDragon Ball Super: Broly,the strongest movie villainfrom the series was (arguably) Janemba, who made his debut inFusion Reborn.This reality-warping demon was so powerful that even Super Saiyan 3 Goku was no match for him. Unfortunately, the entire battle took place in Hell, where Janemba was causing chaos, so Gohan never had the chance to battle him.
At the time, Gohan’s Ultimate Form was far stronger than Super Saiyan 3 Goku, meaning he likely would have fared much better against Janemba. It’s fun to imagine a fight between the two, as it probably would have been a close match. With Gogeta being completely overkill for Janemba, maybe Ultimate Gohan would have been enough to take him out.
