Which Super Saiyan form did Gohan use against Dabra?

[Duo]

Even if there are narrative issues (which there really aren't), the artwork has to be taken at face value, otherwise an entire laundry list of questions arise in pertinence to other uses of these transformations. It sacrifices the integrity of the work to tear this open.

[Son_Gohan]

Gohan states, before using the Kamehameha against the Buu ball, that he can't get angry like Goku suggested because he doesn't want to make the same mistakes he did before (aka getting his dad & Trunks killed along with almost everybody else). This clearly would have been in effect during his fight with Dabra as well, so he was just a Super Saiyan. The artwork is clear on the matter, and there's no contradiction when you consider the character motivations going on.

Even if he went Ssj2 at the tournament, that's not the type of setting with a heavy risk involved in using that power. Gohan has a bit of PTSD, it seems like.

That's false. Gohan in fact wanted to become like he was at the Cell Games, his statements and actions do not leave ambiguity on that:

Chapter: 458 (DBZ 264), P3.1-2
Context: as Gohan remembers Goku’s advice to get angry
Gohan: “I-I am angry…! I’m angry, but…[it’s not] like it was ba-back then…”

Chapter: 461 (DBZ 267), P3.5-7
Context: after Kaioshin says they must run from Boo
Gohan: “…Is that so?...He really does have tremendous ki, but…It doesn’t seem like so much so that there’s nothing I can do…[ ] …If I can only put out all of my true power…”

[Khin]

I'll go with rareboy's theory here.Gohan was kinda like SSj 1.5 against Dabra.He can't draw out his full power because he is not angry enough.I guess the reason why he wasn't bulky was because he already mastered the SSj form.It will also make the Cell = Dabra statement and then "he's way stronger than i though" that Goku said valid.See my post in the power levels thread.

[Duo]

Gohan states, before using the Kamehameha against the Buu ball, that he can't get angry like Goku suggested because he doesn't want to make the same mistakes he did before (aka getting his dad & Trunks killed along with almost everybody else). This clearly would have been in effect during his fight with Dabra as well, so he was just a Super Saiyan. The artwork is clear on the matter, and there's no contradiction when you consider the character motivations going on.

Even if he went Ssj2 at the tournament, that's not the type of setting with a heavy risk involved in using that power. Gohan has a bit of PTSD, it seems like.

That's false. Gohan in fact wanted to become like he was at the Cell Games, his statements and actions do not leave ambiguity on that:

Chapter: 458 (DBZ 264), P3.1-2
Context: as Gohan remembers Goku’s advice to get angry
Gohan: “I-I am angry…! I’m angry, but…[it’s not] like it was ba-back then…”

Chapter: 461 (DBZ 267), P3.5-7
Context: after Kaioshin says they must run from Boo
Gohan: “…Is that so?...He really does have tremendous ki, but…It doesn’t seem like so much so that there’s nothing I can do…[ ] …If I can only put out all of my true power…”

The point is maintained. He can't use his full power due to matters related to the past.

[Son_Gohan]

The point is maintained. He can't use his full power due to matters related to the past.

A lack of training and the emotional immaturity to lose control are not matters related to the Cell Games, Gohan's power is clearly afflicted by issues of the present.

[Desassina]

Imagine something like this:

Power (many types of Ki) = Strength * Agility / Energy (one type of Ki) - where Energy detracts from overall power.

[Gohan at the Cell Games]

Full Power SSJ - Power: 100 | Strength: 10 | Agility: 10 | Energy: 1
SSJ2 - Power: 200 | Strength: 20 | Agility: 20 | Energy: 2

Gohan has mastered SSJ, which means that his energy divides by 1, but it doubles when he transforms into SSJ2. Then, he gets shot by Super Perfect Cell, and his strength (or sturdiness) drops, along with power. You could say that his agility dropped with damage as well, but I chose to keep it simple.

Half-less SSJ2 - Power: 100 | Strength: 10 | Agility: 20 | Energy: 2


[Gohan at Babidi/Buu saga]

SSJ (close to Full Power) - Power: 80 - 50 | Strength: 10 | Agility: 10 | Energy: 1.25 - 2
SSJ2 (below Cell games) - Power: 160 - 100 | Strength: 20 | Agility: 20 | Energy: 2.5 - 4

I'll say that he was 100 times more powerful at the tournament, while against Dabura, he used an unkempt SSJ that is close to SSJ2, with 80 times the battle power. If he had transformed into SSJ2 against Dabura, his power would be closer to the Cell games', but not enough to be just like it.

[Duo]

The point is maintained. He can't use his full power due to matters related to the past.

A lack of training and the emotional immaturity to lose control are not matters related to the Cell Games, Gohan's power is clearly afflicted by issues of the present.

The absoluteness of your claim comes off as condescending, but whatever floats your boat. I don't need to break this down further.

[Bansho64]

If he was struggling to use his full power so much later then how could he transform at the tournament. I agree that he was a SSJ against Dabra but that still confuses me.

[Khin]

If he was struggling to use his full power so much later then how could he transform at the tournament. I agree that he was a SSJ against Dabra but that still confuses me.

He was angry at that time because Videl got brutally trashed by Spopovich.

[apex_pretador]

isn't it possible that gohan started off as SS2, and got tired & dropped out to SS form, while dabura was holding back (He later calls gohan trash)

[Gorou]

For logic: SSJ2 (Face an enemy equal to Cell, and then Bu, with SSJ1? Pure madness)

For drawings: SSJ1 (Ki with the edges less jagged, electric shock, straighter hair on the nape)

That part of the arc tends to be partially illogical (Dabura feels "three wonderful auras", but then it is unable to read the forces) so I rely only on the drawings.

[Super Saiyan Turlast x4]

If he was struggling to use his full power so much later then how could he transform at the tournament. I agree that he was a SSJ against Dabra but that still confuses me.

He was angry at that time because Videl got brutally trashed by Spopovich.

He was no longer angry at that point. Gohan was back to making his stupid facial expressions when Videl was healed.

[rereboy]

If he was struggling to use his full power so much later then how could he transform at the tournament. I agree that he was a SSJ against Dabra but that still confuses me.

He was angry at that time because Videl got brutally trashed by Spopovich.

He was no longer angry at that point. Gohan was back to making his stupid facial expressions when Videl was healed.

He was relieved but he was still angry.

[Gorou]

He was relieved but he was still angry.

Repressed anger? Yes, is possible

[rereboy]

He was relieved but he was still angry.

Repressed anger? Yes, is possible

He was only asked to go Ssj, but he went ssj2 instead saying something "maybe you want to see my created forma instead".

To me, that shows that he still had anger boiling in him.

[Hugo Boss]

It was clearly Super Saiyan, but my issue with it is that Kaioshin suggested to Kibito Gohan used more power after Kibito's death than he used in the tournament. So, unless Gohan's energy goes really higher when he fights, I don't see how Kaioshin's remark would make any sense.

[Tectorman]

It was clearly Super Saiyan, but my issue with it is that Kaioshin suggested to Kibito Gohan used more power after Kibito's death than he used in the tournament. So, unless Gohan's energy goes really higher when he fights, I don't see how Kaioshin's remark would make any sense.

Gohan v Kibito: SSJ2 and all he did was stand around

Gohan v Dabura: SSJ1* with actual fighting (though not necessarily where the Supreme Kai is getting his impression of more power)

Gohan v Buu's ball: SSJ and I believe this is the first time that the Supreme Kai ever witnesses a Kamehameha by anyone; the Kamehameha had an over 2x effect on Goku's power level back in the Raditz fight, so if the same holds true here, then this is where the Supreme Kai sees Gohan demonstrate greater power than he had in the tournament

*I hold that he was only using SSJ. It's how he's drawn and our only other comparison is Dabura being equivalent to Cell. That's vague enough to apply to any version of Cell. It wouldn't be Semi-Perfect, as that version was a rag doll to G2 Vegeta, who was weaker than FPSSJ Goku, who was weaker than Gohan. Gohan's Buu arc strength is described as weaker than his Cell arc strength, but since it takes Goku a few minutes to observe this himself, we can safely say that Gohan's Buu arc strength is not so much weaker that he'd be down near Semi-Perfect Cell's strength. Ditto for Imperfect Cell.

As for Super Perfect Cell, Gohan needed SSJ2 to contend with him in the Cell arc, and now he can fight evenly with a character just as strong with only SSJ? Actually not problematic were it not for the repeated comments that Gohan isn't as strong now as he was then. So I take the "Dabura = Cell" comment to be specifically in reference to Perfect Cell.

Plus, it's Goku that makes the comment, and he makes it based on Dabura's movements. So to me, it's more likely that he's making that comment based on the one version of Cell that he ever actually fought and whose movements he witnessed up close and personal.

[Analytic]

Was Goku aware that Vegeta could become a Super Saiyan 2 before their battle? If not, then Super Saiyan Vegeta is stronger than Dabra. Unless you believe that Super Saiyan Vegeta is stronger than Super Saiyan 2 Gohan (which I have a hard time swallowing) that'd mean Gohan was a Super Saiyan against Dabra (or Dabra was holding back massively, which I find very unlikely).

[Hitiro]

Why must we assume that he needed more than SSJ to beat Dabra? Goku did an amazing job at the Cell Games and Gohan was holding his own and even managed to knock Cell down who was going all out in speed while being highly unmotivated. If Gohan was motivated in fighting Cell I would say that he could have had the upper hand in the fight. If he was comparable to Cell before his Zenkai then it is understandable that SSJ Gohan could hold his own against Dabra fairly well.

[Bansho64]

If Gohan went Super Saiyan 2, he probably would've annihilated Dabra