Goku vs. Gohan: Who Is Stronger, Father or Son?

The world of Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball is a truly majestic one. Based on the Journey to the West, a classic Chinese novel, the series has expanded and is now a completely standalone fictional universe in its own right. As the series is based on martial arts and fighting, it is understandable that we have had many comparisons involving Dragon Ball characters. This article will ultimately be one such article. Namely, in it, we will compare father and son, Son Goku and Son Gohan, to determine, finally, who the stronger of the two is, and this article will provide you with the answer.

Power level

Goku has grown a lot throughout the series, but we know that his current form (MUI) is so strong that it is comparable to an angel in Dragon Ball; FYI, Angels are above even the Gods of Destruction. With this form, he was able to compete with some of the most powerful entities in the multiverse, which indicates that his level of strength is likewise quite high.

In fact, the level of power that we could see from this iteration of Goku was enough to demonstrate that a fully powered Jiren would find it impossible to defeat him. In the manga, he was strong enough to compete with characters like Moro and Granolah, who were incredibly strong.

The movie Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero made it very clear that Final Gohan, which is the current most powerful iteration of Son Gohan, had a level of sheer power that is likely the greatest we have seen from a Saiyan in Dragon Ball to date. Even though this Cell Max was more than a match for some of the best fighters still on Earth, Final Gohan was so strong that he could defeat him in a single blow. Whether or not he possesses divine or godly abilities is unknown, but it is certain that he is unquestionably far stronger than Super Saiyan Blue or Evolved Super Saiyan Blue, which speaks for itself.

This is a very complex matter, seeing how both father and son have reached incomprehensible heights at this moment, but we still think that Goku’s angelic powers in the MUI are enough to surpass Gohan’s currently strongest form. This is why Goku wins this point.

Points: Goku 1, Gohan 0

Techniques and abilities

Goku is one of the best martial artists in the series, and we know that he has evolved as a character throughout the series and that he has mastered different styles and techniques. But his currently strongest form, MUI Goku, is simply something else. Any kind of martial artist cannot get a hit on Goku because MUI enables him to instinctively know when to dodge and counterattack.

Jiren could not hit Goku in his base Ultra Instinct form before using all of his power. And when MUI is combined with his skill in martial arts, Goku would be incredibly challenging to defeat in a direct clash.

As a talented and skilled martial artist who studied under Piccolo and Goku, everyone is aware of how skilled Gohan is. Throughout the series, he has significantly increased his skills and abilities and has now, in his Final Form, reached a level where he is a truly formidable opponent.

As a result, he is highly versatile in his fighting style because he is familiar with the various techniques that his coaches taught him. The best thing about this iteration of Gohan is that it doesn’t simply rely on raw power but on technical skills as well, which is why it is so dangerous.

Again, we have a similarly complex situation, as both Goku and Gohan are extremely skilled martial artists; in fact, Gohan has trained with his father, which shows just how powerful he was. But, we’re again going back to the fact that MUI Goku is on the level of an Angel, and Final Goku still cannot compare to that, which is why Goku also wins this point.

Points: Goku 2, Gohan 0

Potential

Son Goku is known for his enormous fighting potential, which has been stressed out more than once in the series. He was merely a boy when he came to his current home planet, and throughout the years, he has demonstrated that his potential is amazing. In fact, it has been theorized that Goku’s potential is (nigh) infinite, and knowing that he gets stronger with each fight, we assume that he will be able to surpass MUI as well and probably come close to even Zeno himself.

Being Son Goku’s son, it makes sense that Son Gohan inherited his father’s (nigh) infinite potential, but we also have to stress that Gohan seems to evolve much faster than Goku in that aspect and that his evolution is frighteningly powerful. His currently strongest form, Final Gohan, is definitely not his limit, and knowing how he can evolve and how fast he can learn, we’re more than certain that he will grow even more in the future.

And while it might seem like Goku takes this one as well, this is not the case here. Namely, Goku’s potential is nigh-infinite, and he will probably remain as the series’ strongest character, but Gohan’s potential simply cannot be understated here, and to honor that, we have decided to split the points here.

Points: Goku 3, Gohan 1

Experience

Since he learned all his various forms via practice, Goku has always been one of the most skilled and experienced fighters in the Dragon Ball saga. He developed Ultra Instinct to the point where he could use it flawlessly in the fight with Moro and Granolah in the manga’s following two arcs. As a result, he is able to reduce the limitations of this form because to his knowledge with MUI, which may come in handy in a prolonged battle with a strong opponent. He has fought opponents like Piccolo, Frieza, Vegeta, Beerus, and others, showing that he has an incomparable amount of fighting experience.

Goku once said that a warrior must have experience to be a good fighter. Gohan has participated in a series of fights, but he doesn’t have too much experience, as he was a child for most of the series, so his experience is limited. Still, he has a respectable amount of experience for his age and is definitely among the series’ strongest characters.

As far as experience is concerned, only a handful of characters can actually compare to Goku, so there is absolutely no doubt that he wins this point, as Gohan is not even near the level of experience that Goku has.

Points: Goku 4, Gohan 1

And while Gohan’s potential is absolutely amazing, Son Goku has always been envisioned as the strongest character in the series

And there you have it – the points are clear in this aspect, and there is nothing we can add, really. As of this moment, Son Goku is stronger than Gohan, and there is nothing to add there. The points confirm it; we agree with it, and that’s about it. It’s a good thing they’re father and son, so a fight is unlikely, but in a hypothetical situation, Goku would win.

Namely, we can admit that Gohan has enormous growth potential, and he certainly could reach Goku’s level in the future, but at that point, Goku will already be on a much higher level. Goku’s experience is vast, much bigger than Gohan’s, and he is an enormously powerful and skilled martial artist. Sure, Gohan can keep up with him up to a point, but there’s very little he could do in the long run.

And that is why we think that Goku is significantly stronger than Gohan and that he would defeat him in a fight. Who do you think would win in a fight? Let us know in the comments below!

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