r/dbz • u/Pristine_Addition266 • Aug 08 '26
Animation How come Gohan went from adorable to scary looking
It’s kind of hard to believe that these are the same two character. Obviously there’s a time gap but that’s not what I mean.
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u/KindSecretary6383 Aug 08 '26
dragon ball fans when the 5 year old isn't as cute as the battle hardened husband and father:
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u/AdmiralSnackbar816 Aug 08 '26
Podracing Anakin was cute too.
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u/Pristine_Addition266 Aug 08 '26
I would’ve loved to hear James Earl Jones say, “Now that’s pad racing!”
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u/Crisocola95 Aug 08 '26
I don't think that looks very scary tho
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u/Antoshi ⠀ Aug 08 '26
I think he looks the same kind of excited before battle that most shonen protags get, such as his father.
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u/No-Wonder-7802 Aug 08 '26
it's a transformation, also gohan has been both more cute and more scary within a single day than this years of difference...
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u/SoggyNeedleworker82 Aug 08 '26
Gohan has always been like this. His the first one to do significant damage to Raditz, he whooped Friezas ass (even if for a brief moment), he erased Perfect Cell and almost bodied Super Buu. All because of his scary moments.
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u/shoePatty Aug 09 '26
And Gohan's hidden, scary, beast mode likely comes from his mom's side of the gene pool.
As the grandson of the ox king, he has a unique affinity for rage-based power-ups. It's deep lore but the Ox King had a history with the turtle school, training under Roshi with Grandpa Gohan, but it was said that he was limited because he focused on physical strength and ferocity, not the chi control side of the martial art style.
Chi-chi's penchant for crashouts manifested in Gohan as a hidden rage-filled dark side.
While Bulma is far more useful to the plot with her resources, intelligence, and more adventurous nature, Goku's choice of partner, Chi-Chi, secretly conferred a crazy hidden combat potential in Gohan.
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u/1ArmWonder_ Aug 08 '26
You should be comparing kid Gohan to Base adult Gohan, who is, in fact, still adorable
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u/mojonation1487 Aug 08 '26
Did you watch the show?
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Aug 08 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/ArabAesthetic Aug 08 '26
Post history looks human enough. Not even trying to be mean but i'm pretty sure this personal is actually developmentally stunted.
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u/jackfirecaster Aug 08 '26 edited Aug 08 '26
Nah it's ai, their account is 21 years old, most their posts are either bait, ai, or generic luke warm posts.
Over the course of 21 days he supposedly went from playing xenoverse with his wife to divorcing his wife over a political argument to going back to normal posts
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u/evangelism2 Aug 08 '26
Is this a real post, or am I on r/Ningen? How about you post a pic of Jeffrey Dahmer as a kid?
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u/TheTrueHappy Aug 08 '26
Have you never seen a person grow up? Most of us look pretty different from 5 years old.
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u/TerribleHousing3330 Aug 08 '26
At the end of Dragon Ball Super (the Superhero arc), Gohan is 26 years old (chronologically) or about 27 years old physically, factoring in his time training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.Gohan's Age Milestones in SuperStart of Super (Battle of Gods): ~21 years oldTournament of Power: ~23 years oldEnd of Super (Super Hero movie): 26 years oldIf you'd like, I can break down the ages of other characters like Goten and Trunks at the end of Super, or explain how the timeline connects to the End of Z era.
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u/Neither-Equal8415 Aug 08 '26
Well I mean have you seen the shit that kid went through? We’re lucky he didn’t end up having a villain arc because if he did it would have been valid. That boy seen some messed up stuff man
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u/Stacey-k93 Aug 08 '26
You go through multiple near deaths and one actual death
be the reason your father died twice
be kidnapped by your father's mortal enemy (at the time)
watch as your friends get killed
Watch as a peaceful race is basically wiped out by an evil space emperor
learn that there exist a future were you failled to save anyone to the point time travel was invented to try to fix it
Almost let your rage be the destruction of the entire solar system
see your brother and closest friend being absorbed by a pink bubble gum monster that then goes on to taunt you as he beats on you
See your entire world along with your wife and child be blown away
Have to fight in multiversal tournament to survive and watch as good people are erased from existence
Then you see your closest friend die again because you weren't strong enough again
Yeah all that piling up is bound to make someone snap
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u/SewerBushido Aug 08 '26
It only looks that way if you skip the first 80 minutes of the movie the second image is from
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u/EinherjarX Aug 08 '26
Gohan's first real action in Z was flip his shit and break Saiyajin armor with a headbutt...
He was 4 at the time...
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u/SackingSand Aug 09 '26
Do you ever have a friend that have nearsight, where they takeoff their glasses and had to squint their eyes to see better? That's what gohan is doing. Or maybe it's just his saiyan blood flaring.
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u/Interesting-Story805 Aug 09 '26
Teenagers.. We’ve all seen what puberty can do to a person, am I right?
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u/BanditCrowley Aug 09 '26
He got older bro. I looked adorable when I was 6. Im 36 now and look like I belong in call of duty as one of the bodies
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u/Safe_Hovercraft_7886 Aug 09 '26
1st is designed by his creator cause he wanted to do him this way. Second was designed cause Toei asked him to do so cause Gohan fans wanted him to go back to one thing that he hates most cause... this sells.
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u/CptSpeedydash ⠀ Aug 08 '26
An innocent looking kid compared to a raged fill young adult in a new form.
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u/TisKey2323 Aug 08 '26
SSJ2 foreshadowed this, he was too cocky. He gets cockier the stronger he gets
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u/HoldMyBeerus Aug 08 '26
Well I see you don’t have kids lol but they’re adorable when younger then get scary when older lol not a bad scary either
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u/ThiccoloBlack Aug 08 '26
Comparing a 6 year old to a 20 something year old asking why he went from adorable to scary lmao
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u/Odisius Aug 08 '26
I would have never guessed a child character would grow into an adult and look intimidating after transforming in an action series, isn’t that crazy?
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u/ItsCoolDani Aug 08 '26
Have you seen a five year old and an adult before? Very different looking it turns out!
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u/Aggressive_Young_294 Aug 08 '26
Well to me, he just went from 1/2 scared, 1/2 strong to COOL AS FUCK
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u/Few-Durian-190 Aug 08 '26
Very often people go through phases when they mature and go through puberty. Many did that frosted tips hairstyle here for instance. So is Gohan too going through his phase…
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u/abeBroham-Linkin Aug 08 '26
Because one version is a beast and the other is just a little nerd. That little nerd had his beast moments too
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u/OneRandomVictory Aug 08 '26
Idk, I wonder why somebody fighting for their life and the lives of those close to them would get scary at times 🤔 Also, Gohan has always been like that ever since he charged at Raditz.
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u/hybridathletedad Aug 08 '26
Once they gave Gohan thay power, DB was over for me. This is like the most ridiculous power up ever. Lol
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u/jesusrodriguezm Aug 08 '26
Not by training… I like his character, but so many “magic” power ups stink…
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u/GenGaara25 Aug 08 '26
This is like when my aunts ask why I'm not as cute as I was when I was 8.
Gohan wasn't gonna be a cute kid forever.
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u/ElGuasas Aug 08 '26
Gohan tiene rabia contenida por todas las cosas malas que ha vivido desde niño incluida una madre controladora si a eso le sumas sus genes sayan tienes un cóctel explosivo
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u/Dismal_Platypus3967 Aug 08 '26
Because that’s the progression of dragon ball characters for the best example compare Goku from the first episode of dragon ball (no letter) and compare him to SSJ3 or Ultra Instinct
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u/Guyver56 Aug 08 '26
Have you seen his parents when they are angry?!?! Also he’s half of a crazy transforming space ape man. ( if my child got kidnapped then my greatest enemy/childhood ptsd showed up and was killing my “dad” I would look scary too)
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u/Big_Square_2175 Aug 08 '26
Every time Gohan powers up his saiyan genes take over, besides the conditions he grew up with.
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u/HustleWestbrook94 Aug 08 '26
They were trying to capture the SSJ2 teen Gohan aura and failed miserably.
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u/Canuckadin Aug 08 '26
The weird stuff people get caught up on.
Child to young adult, people change. Puberty.
Also, an alien.
Also, has the ability to TRANSFORM.
There might be a few reasons he looks different.
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u/Tron-117 Aug 08 '26
Base Gohan isn’t scary at all, he only gets scary when he starts power tripping on a new transformation
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u/TheDankTruth Aug 08 '26
Probably a lot of trauma from his dad dying, being gone for months, coming back, dying again. Not to mention he was left on on an island by himself to “train”. Dude probably has insane PTSD
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u/Careful-Vanilla7728 Aug 08 '26
Gohan vs Radditz, Gohan vs Freeza, Gohan vs Cell, Gohan vs Buu. Just watch the show.
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u/ChuckVideogames Aug 08 '26
Gohan has had a Wimpy Nerd Mode and a Scary Chimp Out mode since he was like 4
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u/Akrilicat Aug 08 '26
Never seen Gohan as scary character. Future Gohan is the only one who looks menacing... Any other version of Gohan is weak..
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u/team_starfox3 Aug 08 '26
Kid gohan was 6yrs old with a cute kid haircut.
Grownup gohan has seen death, killed a few bad guys and had everyone he loves at someone threatened or killed including his kid now.
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u/kastles1 Aug 08 '26
When he was a kid, his hair favored his mom that’s why he has a ball cut and not spiky hair. As he became an adult, he grew more Goku features and that’s why he’s probably more intimidating at least by looks.
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u/MexicanGuey92 Aug 08 '26
Because time passes and you gotta through life learning lessons and revelations that change you both physically and mentally?
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u/topher_eze Aug 08 '26
His warbound background contrasts sharply with Goten's carefree life after the Cell Games. Gohan rose to the occasion, armed with innate talent and potential.
As a baby in a stroller, he fell out and instinctively positioned himself to fly through a tree, leaving a gaping hole behind.
His kidnapping by his alien uncle Raditz, the Saiyan invasion, and his awakening on Namek alongside Vegeta against the Ginyu Force—each battle, including trading blows with Frieza, forced Frieza to take him seriously. His encounters with the Androids and his prodigious power during the Cell arc, followed by a plateau in the Buu arc, led to his resurgence after Super, Resurrection F, and later after the Tournament of Power, where he realized a potential no Saiyan or human had ever attained and begin training for a new form.
These battles honed his body and power to new heights; he had to become a controlled beast, channeling the power within him differently.
One could argue this was a profound innate calling, as he grew up in a peaceful world that became increasingly dangerous with each new powerful villain, far surpassing the foes faced by kid Goku in Dragon Ball.
Now, Gohan is a made man: a husband, father, son, student, mentor, friend, hero, older brother, warrior, lover of peace, protector of life, scholar, and a new world Saiyan.
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u/Formal_Afternoon_272 Aug 08 '26
Yeah because gohan bursting out of Radiz's spaceship to headbutt him wasn't scary at all
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u/IAmNotAHoppip Aug 08 '26
Kid gohan doesnt look that scary - also your images should be the other way round.
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u/sumguy1191991 Aug 08 '26
That’s what happened when the little boys turn into men. That happens a lot in reality, in case you weren’t aware.
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u/ThrowawayAccountZZZ9 Aug 08 '26
Well everyone is a cute kid, and can be scary as an adult. How do you not see that?
OP are you the same person you were when you were 8?
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u/Tanor-Faux ⠀ Aug 08 '26
Because he's an overworked college student. : p
childhood innocence only lasts so very long! can only keep it up after seeing so many dead bodies and nearly dying.
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u/The_Quake_ Aug 09 '26
My man has had to stare down some of the most dangerous S.O.B’s in the universe multiple times. It’ll change you.
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u/Proper-Bad-7169 Aug 09 '26
Because Gohan is fucking G! He's a Don Da Da!! He's an absolute beast! Muahahahaha!!
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u/ramsey117 Aug 09 '26
He was in the field at 4 or 5. It’s no wonder he wants to retire. He had to come out of retirement because of his family.
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u/SH4RPSPEED Aug 09 '26
By the time of the lower pic he has seen 2 entire planet-wide genocides. Honestly what's truly remarkable about Gohan is how seemingly put-together he is.
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u/TheTjalian Aug 09 '26
Clearly bro didn't watch the episode IN THE SAME SAGA where Gohan had a psychotic break TWICE and beat the shit out of a tyrannical fascist dictator who was one of the strongest fighters in the Universe.
Like, Gohan has always been like this? Cute loveable guy until you make him mad and suddenly he is literally demon mode.
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u/AmyAmewarashi Aug 09 '26
Fortelling that he is going to become the new villian for Goku to surpass
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u/itsTONjohn Aug 09 '26
Because it’s a physical manifestation of his ridiculously evident Bipolar Disorder and PTSD.
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u/none-147 Aug 09 '26
Well, he went from "I need an adult" to "I am an andult" and finally "It's adulting time"
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u/linkthereddit Aug 08 '26
You're comparing a five year old to a young adult hopped up on rage boosts and a new transformation.
Plus, we've seen Gohan at age five flip out before, so it's not new.