Dragon Ball Super: Super Herowas highly anticipated as Gohan’s return to the forefront of theDragon Ballfranchise. After years of being sidelined, fans were eager to see the character reclaim his place as one of the most powerful fighters in the universe. The movie was marketed as Gohan’s big moment and provided an eye-catching new form for him, but also a chance to take center stage as he did during the Cell Games arc.
However, while Gohan took up the spotlight in the trailers, the movie told a different story. Gohan has his moments inDragon Ball Super: Super Hero, but it’s clear thatthe film belongs to Piccolo rather than Gohan.This shift reflects Akira Toriyama’s admissionthat he didn’t find Gohan compelling enough to cast him as a lead in the series, which was why he brought Goku back after the Cell Saga. The movie focuses on Piccolo more than Gohan, reinforcing the idea that Toriyama’s instincts were right, and Gohan thrives more as a supporting character rather than a lead.
Gohan’s Super Hero Comeback Lacked Impact
Dragon Ball Super: Super Herowas heavily marketed as Gohan’s long-awaited return asthe character with the greatest potentialin the series, and in many ways, the movie delivers on that promise. Gohan achievesa powerful new form called Gohan Beastand has a fair amount of screen time. The buildup around his character seemed to position him as reclaiming his status as one ofDragon Ball’s main players.
Yet, as the film progressed, it became clear that Gohan’s role wasn’t quite as impactful as the trailers made it seem. While he steps in during key moments, and his transformation is impressive,the narrative drive of the movie belongs to Piccolo. In the end, his character takes on more of a supporting role to Piccolo, proving the idea that Gohan can’t take the spotlight in the same way Goku or Piccolo can.
Piccolo Steals the Spotlight in Gohan’s Supposed Movie
Piccolo is the True Star of the Dragon Ball Super Movie
From the beginning of the film, Piccolo is the one who drives the plot forward as he uncovers the Red Ribbon Army’s latest scheme and turns it into an opportunity to push Gohan to step up. As the movie progressed, it was Piccolo that underwent the most significant development,earning a new transformationand playing a central role in the battles. InSuper Hero, it is Piccolo who takes on a leadership role and tackles the burden of putting a stop to the Red Ribbon Army.
Gohan may have had his moments in the spotlight, but Piccolo also received a new transformation, Orange Piccolo, which forced Gohan’s Beast form to share the limelight, dulling its impact. Throughout the movie, Piccolo is the one who is shown to uncover all the dangers, infiltrate the Red Ribbon Army, and take steps that ultimately lead to its downfall. Gohan may have been important to the movie, but compared to Piccolo, he felt secondary.
Gohan Shines Best as a Supporting Character
By all accounts, it seemed likeSuper Herowould be Gohan’s movie and provide him a moment to shine. Instead, it proved thatGohan’s true strengths emerge when he takes on the role of a supporting character. A clear example of this is in the Buu Saga, where Gohan trains and tries to become powerful enough to take down Buu. However, the narrative still shifts back to Goku when it’s time to save the world. While Gohan was crucial, he was not relied upon to carry the story.
This is seen inDragon Ball Super: Super Heroas his character fits best when he is complementing others, in this case, Piccolo. While Gohan’s bond with Piccolo and Pan are driving factors in the movie, it is still Piccolo’s leadership that takes center stage and Gohan fits perfectly into Piccolo’s story arc. Their dynamic shows that Gohan’s potential comes more organically when he is paired with other powerful characters. Even whileDragon Ball Super: Super Herowas supposed to beGohan’s big movie, it’s clear that he was secondary to Piccolo.
Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero
Cast
Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero is the first 3D-animated movie in the Dragon Ball franchise. It takes a break from Goku and Vegeta’s story to focus on Gohan and Piccolo, who gain new transformations as they face an upgraded version of the Red Ribbon army led by Dr. Gero’s grandson, Dr. Hedo. Although it doesn’t bring up many connections to the main anime or previous movies, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero is set after the events of Dragon Ball Super: Broly.
