Dragon Ball: Gohan's Strongest Rivals, Rated

Over the years, the Z-Fighters have faced the most terrifying threats in the universe. From sadistic frost demons who sell entire planets to the highest bidder, to infinitely powerful gods of destruction who can destroy worlds on a whim, Dragon Ball it is full of supremely powerful beings that the heroes must stop.

Despite the immense power of these enemies, the heroes themselves are certainly no slouch. One of the strongest characters in their ranks is Son Gohan, who has one of the greatest potentials in the story. Gohan faced some of the strongest villains in Dragon Ball universe – some even Goku couldn't defeat.

6

Perfect Cell is Gohan's most iconic opponent

Story arc: Cell Saga

The reason why Gohan is still one of the most popular characters among fans of the series has to do with the legendary events of the Cell Saga that are etched in everyone's mind. Dragon Ball fan. While it was great to see Gohan unlock his Super Saiyan 2 form, it wouldn't have been possible without Perfect Cell himself.

While it pales in strength compared to the enemies that exist in the Dragon Ball SuperPerfect Cell is easily one of the best villains in all of anime. Without his direct involvement, Gohan would not have been able to reach his ultimate state at the time, making Perfect Cell one of the strongest and best opponents Gohan has ever faced.

5

Super Buu ended up getting the better of Ultimate Gohan in his Ultimate DBZ Battle

Story Arc: The Buu Saga

When his potential was unlocked to initiate his ultimate state, Gohan became the most powerful unfused character in the entire Buu Saga. His immense power was on full display when he performed a masterful beating of Super Buu, proving just how much power his hidden potential had unleashed.

This superiority was not to last, however, as Super Buu eventually absorbed Gotenks to reveal an even stronger form, dubbed “Buutenks” by fans. This version of the villain was exceptionally powerful and his strength was even greater than that of Ultimate Gohan, eventually allowing him to absorb Gohan and create the strongest version of Buu by far.

4

Gohan showed his strategic mind against Dyspo

Story Arc: Universe Survival Saga (anime)

One of the greatest aspects of Gohan's character is the fact that he is not just a brawler like other Saiyans. In fact, he's a certified genius and master battle tactician who uses brains as much as brawn. His fight against Dyspo is a perfect example of this.

Realizing that the Universe 11 warrior's speed is too much for him to deal with, Gohan devises an ingenious plan with Frieza's help to limit his movement, allowing the hero to overwhelm his foe with his superior hand-to-hand experience. Just as Dyspo seems to have gained the upper hand, Gohan traps his opponent and sacrifices himself to eliminate Dyspo from the tournament.

3

The legendary Super Saiyan Kefla was the true test of Gohan's abilities

Story Arc: Universe Survival Saga (Manga)

Unlike the anime version of the same arc, Kefla's final battle in the Tournament of Power was not against Ultra Instinct Sign Goku. Instead, it was against none other than Gohan himself, where both Saiyans went to their absolute limits to knock each other off the stage.

In the entire Tournament of Power, this was one of the closest and most difficult battles of all. Legendary Super Saiyan Kefla proved to be the biggest test for his Ultimate form, as this version of the hero was even stronger than the one facing Super Buu. Seeing him match the Potara Fusion in strength, Gohan truly proved how strong he was as a warrior.

2

Gamma 1 fought very evenly against Gohan

Story Arc: Super Hero Arc

The Gamma Androids were the Red Ribbon Army's answer to the current hero force, which proved quite successful in the Super Hero arc. Here, Gamma 1 fought evenly against Ultimate Gohan, while Gamma 2 was preoccupied with Piccolo and his new transformations.

Due to Zenkai Boosts and general power scaling, Saiyans naturally tend to get stronger over time, which basically means that the version of Ultimate Gohan that Gamma 1 fought was even stronger than the version that fought Kefla in the Tournament of Power. Considering how equal their strength was, it's safe to call Gamma 1 one of Gohan's strongest enemies.

1

Cell Max awakened Gohan's greatest power ever

Story Arc: Super Hero Arc

At the end of the Super Hero arc, it was revealed that the Red Ribbon Army's true means of taking over the world was through Cell Max, an immensely powerful Bio-Android whose strength surpassed even the strongest heroes. When he woke up, it took something much bigger than Ultimate Gohan to stop him.

When Gohan thought that Piccolo had died to the monster, he used his full potential to summon the Beast Gohan state, a transformation that returns Gohan to the level of Goku and Vegeta. When he unlocked the Beast, he easily dispatched an extremely powerful villain that no one else could even touch.

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