Summary
Ever since the start of theDragon Ballfranchise, power scaling has been a massive part of it. Of course, this was always going to be the case, judging by the incredible strength of many of the characters, which was often enough to destroy entire islands and even the moon. As the story went toZ, power scaling was dialed up to 11 when characters who were strong enough to destroy entire planets became the norm.
Still, though, the method of becoming stronger remained consistent for the most part, since training and building up one’s strength was always the main method of doing so. However, many feel that in the current state ofDragon Ball, the power scaling has simply lost much of its meaning due to the existence ofcharacters like Gohan and Broly, so let’s see why this is and how this problem can be solved.
Broly’s First Canon Appearance
Dragon Ball Super: Broly
Dragon Ballis a franchise that is defined by the belief that hard work is one of the most admirable and important traits one can have. Since the start of the series,Goku has always been portrayedas an underdog who rose to the level of champions simply because he trained and believed in himself to do whatever he needed to. No matter who he went up against, he always gave it his all.
This belief carried on inZand was especially important in its beginning stages, particularly the Saiyan Saga. Here, Goku was repeatedly stated to be inferior to Vegeta due to being a low-born member of their race, but ultimately, he proved to be the victor of their battle due to the hard work he had put in to become Earth’s strongest warrior. Later on, after Vegeta also became a Z-Fighter, both of them would be defined by their determination to bring out the best in themselves through sheer resilience and perseverance.
This is inherently why so many fans have a massive problem withGohan and Broly’s path to power. From the beginning, Gohan was always built up as the Saiyan with the most potential in the entire story who was able to close massive gaps in power with a fraction of the effort, playing solely off of emotion. Eventually, when the canon version of Broly was introduced inDragon Ball Super, the same thing went for him as well.
Although both are beloved and are among the series' most important characters, their method of reaching greater stages of strength just feels like a cheap ploy, especially inSuper. This is because Goku and Vegeta have always given it their all to get to the level they are at, both mentally and physically. So, when Gohan and Broly can do the same by just getting angrier than before, it just makes for poor storytelling since it just serves as a convenient way to bring them all up to the same level. And, the excuse of ‘they’ve always had the most potential’ doesn’t work here because the reason is still contrived.
Power comes in response to a need, not a desire. You have to create that need.
It also brings down Goku and Vegeta’s arcs, since they have often had to go through incredible growth to get where they are. This is especially felt inSuper, with Gohan and Broly now unlocking forms that are on the same tier of strength asUltra Instinct Goku and Ultra Ego Vegeta. This is a horrible choice on the part of the writers because both of these forms are used by Goku and Vegeta to house the inherent techniques of the Angels and Gods of Destruction respectively, who are the most powerful beings in the multiverse.
Having Gohan Beast and Full Power Super Saiyan Broly achieve the same level of strength as these forms is incredibly poor writing. The techniques used by the multiverse’s strongest beings should be the greatest power of them all, so it makes no sense that Gohan and Broly can match up to them by simply getting angrier than before. If that’s something that can just be unlocked by potential and no training, then there’s no point for Goku and Vegeta to have ever trained at all.
How This Problem Can Be Fixed For The Series
Why It Needs To Be Fixed
The most notable and easiest way for the series to rectify this issue is by making sure that there are no easy plot conveniences. This means that, in order to get stronger, all characters would need to train their bodies and minds to house even greater power and to removethis gimmick of ‘potential’from the series in general. By having certain characters reach the greatest levels of power without the need to train for them, it essentially wastes and mocks those characters who do.
Just because unreal potential has always been a part of Gohan’s character since the beginning doesn’t mean that it was a good choice for the series as a whole. Sure, Gohan’s transformation into the franchise’s first Super Saiyan 2 was incredible and iconic, but there was also a ton of build-up to that, especially with all the time he spent training with Goku in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, so his eventual transformation always felt earned. Contrast this with Gohan Beast, which came out of nowhere and was just somehow as strong as Ultra Instinct Goku, which still makes no sense to this day.
