Gohan: A Silent Warrior's Stance On Fighting

[Piccolo Daimao]

So, I was digging up some old topics from MFG, and found this one to be intriguing:

Son Gohan, as we knew him as a kid, was an incredible person, with an incredible potential. Piccolo, the Namekian, sought to unlock this potential, and use it as a grounding force against the onslaught of the Saiyans to come. Training for 6 months, Son Gohan and Piccolo surpassed barriers that most people wouldn't have dreamed was possible for both of them, proving that they were an incredible team. As a kid, Son Gohan had made it a point that he wanted to become as strong as his father. However, what exactly is the silent warrior's stance on fighting?

The only way to figure this out, is to look back at the Cell Games, whereas the young warrior stated that he did not want to kill Cell, and he didn't like fighting like his father does. However, what exactly does this mean in context? Does this mean, as a general all around, he does not like fighting? Or does it perhaps mean, he does not like fighting to kill or harm another being? After all, despite how evil Cell was, Gohan still didn't seemingly have a desire to kill the monster.

Son Gohan claims to not like fighting, yet in a seven year time period, he is all too enthusiastic about fighting the incredulous Demon Realm Ruler known as Dabra. In seven years, are we to have believed that the young boy who claimed he did not like fighting, suddenly changed his attitude towards it? I don't think so!

I think in the context of what Piccolo and Son Gohan were talking about, was that Gohan did not thirst for battle and destruction, he didn't desire to cause harm to anyone unlike a full blooded Saiyan. Now, one could say Goku wasn't this way either, however, we never know for sure exactly what goes through Goku's head every time he's in a fight, and he certainly didn't seem to mind the thrill of the battle Cell was dishing out, even if he knew his life was in danger. While Goku may not exactly wish to cause harm to a friend, what about a stranger that he's just met, who he finds out is out to destroy the world? In this sense, Son Gohan differs from that perspective, as he does not like that kind of violence.

It could also be that Son Gohan was in fact afraid of the power hidden deep inside of him when he said this quote. He constantly refused to unlock it no matter how much of a beating he took, and it wasn't until Cell turned the assault onto his friends, that Gohan finally decided he needed to unleash this power. Was Son Gohan, perhaps not afraid of fighting itself, but afraid that the fight he had entered could possibly turn him into a monster?

How is it possible, that the warrior who claimed to not like fighting, would suddenly be enthusiastic about fighting a villain who can be as vicious, if not more vicious than Cell himself? How is it possible that Gohan would suddenly change that moral value in only seven years? The only logical explanation is, it didn't exist at all. Son Gohan as a general consensus, is not against the idea of fighting. He was against the idea that his internal latent power could turn him into a monster of destruction, or worse, destroy the entire planet itself, as well as being against the idea of harming or killing. At least, this is my stance and the way I see it. Sixteen seems to prove it, by stating that he knows how Gohan feels, but it's not a sin to fight for a righteous cause, which means that Gohan probably thought killing Cell would be a sin he could never erase, or something similar to those lines.

You all may see it differently, maybe you think Gohan did in fact not like fighting at all, but I am beginning to highly doubt that based on the enthusisam he showed while he was about to fight Dabra. I'll leave you to criticize the argument how you will, and express your disagreements if there are any, but I believe this is in fact the case, based on what I've seen so far.

I think that Son Gohan's attitude towards fighting may have indeed changed during those 7 years, or even back in the Cell Games. I think that, during the Cell Juniors' attack of the Z-Warriors and after #16's speech, Son Gohan realized how serious the situation was and that he needed to use the power within him to protect the Earth. As a Super Saiyan 2, he didn't seem at all reluctant to battle Cell, and although that may've been because he was blinded by rage, I think it might've been more than that.

After all, Gohan's reluctance to fight seemed to be purely plot convenience. He never showed such reluctance to fight after Piccolo's training, finished off Freeza's scout without hesitation and fought against Reacoom at his full power.

What do you think?

[Kendamu]

I look at it a lot more based on what Toriyama simply put right out in front of us: Gohan isn't naturally into the whole violence thing. He's a really smart guy who grew up with the ambition to put his brains to good use. Very early along, he was drafted into fighting evil due to his genetic potential he got from his father.

While he was generally against fighting, he didn't seem to be against training and he certainly would help out his friends, his family, or innocents in general if they were in danger. He willingly took down those Freeza henchmen with Kuririn when he first got to Namek, he willingly saved Dende, he willingly fought crime in his High School years, he willingly entered into the Tenka'ichi Budoukei to earn money, etc. He just doesn't have the Saiyan psychology that makes him want to pursue battle above almost everything else.

The only time that he ever wanted to fight the way any other Saiyan does is when he turned SSj2. SSj is intense and makes a Saiyan restless and more battle hungry. SSj2 is a stronger version of SSj. Obviously, it was strong enough to change Gohan's outlook on fighting while he was in that form. That's the only reason why he wanted to make Cell suffer. He just simply couldn't control his hunger for battle when he transformed at the Cell Game.

You can see it in other half-Saiyans, too. Future Trunks fought because he had to be strong in order to survive and in order to take Gohan's place after he died in the future. Goten and Trunks liked training and sparring, but Trunks had a strong fatherly influence in his life and Goten was taught martial arts at a very young age by Chichi. As children, they merely saw it as a game they played together. As teenagers, though, they got more interested in normal human teenage boy stuff like dating and looking cool. They were forced by their fathers to enter in the Tenka'ichi Budoukai as teens... and if you take DBO's story into account, Goten and Trunks ended up as sword instructors merely to capitalize on the demand for what eventually became Kikoukenjutsu.

So really, while it is true to a degree that Gohan was afraid of unleashing his full power because he might harm someone innocent (as explained the the Cell Game during the Kamehameha duel), that was mainly only in relation to incidents of that scale. Otherwise, it's more due to the fact that his passion was as a scholar rather than as an athlete or warrior that he didn't turn out like exactly like Goku. When he needed to or felt it was the right thing to do is when he fought. Just like any other of the millions of well-trained martial artist who dedicate their lives to whatever they study in college instead of what they learn at the dojo or gym.

Which, in all reality, means that Gohan's got a pretty normal personality.

[Tsukento]

he willingly entered into the Tenka'ichi Budoukei to earn money

Willingly? Gohan was blackmailed into going by Videl.

She threatened to give away his Great Saiyaman identity if he didn't go. It was Chichi who willingly let him go if it meant getting the prize money.

[Kendamu]

I thought he was blackmailed into teaching her to fly and he went to the Budoukai to get money for his family. Hm.

Oh well. My point still stands. He's got a normal personality.

[Rocketman]

Son Gohan claims to not like fighting, yet in a seven year time period, he is all too enthusiastic about fighting the incredulous Demon Realm Ruler known as Dabra. In seven years, are we to have believed that the young boy who claimed he did not like fighting, suddenly changed his attitude towards it?

I say it is a different situation. Dabra had petrified Piccolo and Krillin, and the only way to restore them was to defeat him.

While Cell had tried to kill Piccolo, a full year went by for Gohan between that and the Cell Game.

[Son_Gohan]

He lost his pacifism and childish mannerisms after the 7 year period.

Before he fights Dabura he clearly wanted to fight alone.