Dragon Ball Zwas ahuge partof many kids' lives growing up (yours truly included), but there are some things about it that never made much sense. One of those ishow Goku eventually took back the role ofprotagonistin the series during the Buu arc. There has been a lot of speculation about why creatorAkira Toriyamabrought everyone’s favorite Saiyan back, because, up until then, Goku’s son, Gohan, was clearly being set as the new protagonist. Changes like this aren’t uncommon in long-running anime, and, when we consider thatDragon Ball Zwas actually a sequel to the originalDragon Ball, in which Goku was already the main character, it only makes sense that a new series should feature a new protagonist. This happened up to a point inDragon Ball Z, but what happened to make Toriyama go back on his original concept?
From the Beginning, ‘Dragon Ball Z’ Feels More Like Gohan’s Story Than Goku’s
To this day, the originalDragon Ballseries is one of the most delightful anime you may watch, although the most popular installment in this franchise is actuallyDragon Ball Z. The original followsGoku’s storyfrom the point when he loses his grandfather until he finally becomes the strongest being in the world, so whenDragon Ball Zstarts, there’s not much left for him to accomplish. He’s even married to his childhood sweetheart, Chi-Chi, andthe new series wastes no time in setting up their child, Gohan, as the new protagonist. WhileDragon Ballwas more of a fantasy story, almost like a fable, its follow-up was more of a sci-fi and with a more objective narrative, revealing, for example, Goku’s (and, therefore, also Gohan’s) heritage as an alien of the Saiyan species.
Like the original series did with Goku,Dragon Ball Zwas meant to follow Gohan’s journey from childhood all the way through to adulthood. There would be no point in even telling this story if it weren’t meant to make Gohan eventually surpass his father and become the strongest being in the world, and the story was headed that way. In the first few episodes, they are attacked by Goku’s brother, Raditz, a Saiyan who comes to Earth to challenge Goku and reveals that there aremore Saiyans comingafter him. Before they arrive, however, Goku actually sacrifices himself and takes Raditz with him to save Gohan. All this happens in the first five episodes of the series, mind you, and, although Goku is resurrected afterward (death isn’t really that serious of a problem inDragon Ball Z),the message was clear: although his father may be around, this is Gohan’s story.
Some narrative arcs later,a new threat, Cell, emerges and creates the Cell Games, a tournament where he’s either defeated, or the world will be destroyed, and Goku dies again. This time, though, it’s more serious, because the Dragon Balls aren’t readily available to resurrect him, so Gohan finally has the chance to shine, and he doesn’t disappoint. He defeats Cell with an epic Kamehameha with the help of Goku’s own ghost, a father-and-son joint effort.It’s a true passing-of-the-torch moment, and the whole world comes together to celebrate its new hero.Dragon Ball Zthen wraps up the Cell arc and enters a new phase, now with a teenage Gohan taking his role as Earth’s protector. Everything is ready for him, even the opening credits sequence has changed — he sharesthe first onewith his father, butthe new oneis all about him — but Goku is still the protagonist. So what gives?
Akira Toriyama Ultimately Felt Gohan Wasn’t Suited for the Role of Protagonist in ‘Dragon Ball Z’
After the Cell Games, it didn’t take long for Goku to come back and take center stage again inDragon Ball Z, but some things did feel weird, though. The new opening credits are one, but the series also doesn’t take long to wrap up after that, with only 91 episodes between the end of the Cell arc and the series finale. There’s enough time, though, for the whole Buu arc to take place,all of which takes place with Gohan in a supporting role, while Goku is back in the lead. Not just that, but Gohan is also defeated by the new villain,Majin Buu, despite unleashing a whole new level of his power. In the end, it doesn’t matter, either, because Goku himself reaches Super Saiyan Level 3 shortly after. Suddenly, it feels like all the time the series took to set up Gohan as the protagonist was for nothing, and it felt very weird to the fans.
Over the years, there has been a lot of speculation about why things changed. Goku and Gohan shared protagonist for half the series, but the Cell Games were supposed to be a turning point; watching it back in the day, they certainlyfeltlike it. A popular fan theory claimed that Akira Toriyama was “forced” by his editors to change everything because they supposedly didn’t like Gohan. Another theorysuggested that fans disliked Gohan, which led to anoutcry, causingToriyama to reconsider his original plan and restoreGoku to the protagonist role. In a past interview, however, Toriyama himself put an end to rumors by claiming, “I intended to put Gohan into the leading role. It didn’t work out. I felt that, compared to Goku, he was ultimately not suited for the part.” It’s quite literally a 180º turn, but who are we to challenge the maker’s own words?
It’s not clear why exactly Toriyama felt that way, though. Goku always felt a little too boyish and immature, which worked perfectly for the originalDragon Ball(he was kind of a savage child, after all), but felt strange forDragon Ball Z, seeing how he was now married and a father of two children.Gohan, on the other hand, was always forced to deal with the consequences of Goku’s inability to be a functional adult and a proper father, leading him to seek out a “replacement” inPiccolo. It was a great story, the kind of over-the-top drama thatDragon Ball Zexcelled at, but it’s also hard to deny that Gohan was indeed pretty annoying. In that sense, Goku’s cluelessness made him easier to like than Gohan, and perhaps that’s why Toriyama thought it was best to reestablish Goku as the protagonist.
At Some Point, Gohan Was Indeed Meant To Become the Protagonist in ‘Dragon Ball Z’
What’s interesting about this whole debate is that, apparently, Akira Toriyama did intend for Gohan to continue as the protagonist in the Buu arc. Not just that, though, buthe also intended for Goku to remain permanently dead. In the introduction of theDragon Balltankōbonvol. 35, Toriyamaclearly statesthat Goku has died for good, saying that “it’s best not to get too attached” to the characters he draws, but that he “ultimately thought that having him die was best after all.” Toriyama even apologizes to “Son Goku-kun” and asks for his forgiveness — he reallywas the best, wasn’t he?
As fun as Goku is, and as annoying as some people perceive Gohan to be (again, yours truly included), the latter really is a great character, and could have made a great protagonist forDragon Ball Zif he had the chance. While Goku is all about fun and, when things get serious, sacrifice, Gohan is a more responsible character even in his youth, constantly aware of his power and becoming more responsible about it as he grows up. Not just that, butGohan always felt morerelatable, since we actually get tosee him mature. After he defeats Cell, he becomes a literal superhero to keep his community safe, and does itwithout neglectinghis studies and his family. It would have been interesting to see him in the spotlight. But if Toriyama felt it wasn’t right, then perhaps it was for the best.
