Goku's Denial about Gohan

Kroni_Hunter · Post by **Kroni_Hunter** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 7:04 pm

Goku has always been shown to be disappointed that Chichi wanted Gohan to be a scholar. He makes no effort to hide this fact, and is constantly undermining Chichi's efforts by pushing for Gohan to train or to do outdoorsie stuff. This is shown again when Goku decides Gohan should be the one to defeat Cell. He is so confident in his son's strength that he forgets that Gohan is not the type of person that enjoys fighting. It's not until Piccolo throws this in his face that he begins to panic, and he has a look of fear and realization. This is even shown once again, when he insists that Gohan should fight Dabura even though Gohan is clearly unable to do the job. Another possible example is his decision as Vegetto to be absorbed in order to rescue Gohan when they could have just as easily wished him back. My question is, does Goku have some kind of denial complex when it comes to his son not wanting to be a fighter?

B · Post by B » Wed Oct 21, 2009 7:06 pm

No, he's just really dense. It's hard for him to process the possibility of someone not enjoying fighting as much as he does.

Amigo Ten · Post by **Amigo Ten** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 7:10 pm

Eh, the only time it really came up was during the Cell games. It's not like he ever dragged Gohan kicking and screaming away from his studies.

Bussani · Post by **Bussani** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 7:24 pm

Most of the times he interfered with Gohan's studying were filler. For the Cell games, it wasn't like he just decided that Gohan should do it for no reason. He thought that Gohan was the only one who could do it. Technically he wasn't even wrong about this. His mistake was thinking that Gohan would get mad while fighting Cell and release his hidden power.

As for Dabura, Gohan wanted to fight. I think he's changed a little at that point. Obviously he isn't bothered about training to be the best or anything, but hey, if you're good at something you'd want to show it, right? And fighting alongside his father was a rare opportunity at that point. It was probably like father-son fishing to them.

SSJ2bardock · Post by **SSJ2bardock** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 7:27 pm

Bussani wrote:
As for Dabura, Gohan wanted to fight. I think he's changed a little at that point.

I think it was more that he wanted to impress his father, as this would be the last time he was going to see him.

penguintruth · Post by **penguintruth** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 7:47 pm

B wrote:No, he's just really dense. It's hard for him to process the possibility of someone not enjoying fighting as much as he does.

This.

Goku is wired differently, but he's largely unaware of this, or rather, he needs to be reminded, because he gets caught up in his passion for a good fight, and assumes others do, too.

It's one of his more troublesome personality quirks, but I like it. It's a flaw that makes him more interesting.

LeprikanGT · Post by **LeprikanGT** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 8:06 pm

if Goku didn't push Gohan to train so much everyone would be dead by the Cell Games....or possibly by Vegeta.

Dayspring · Post by **Dayspring** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 8:49 pm

I don't think Goku's being THAT dense about it. He's the typical dad who wants to play ball with his son. Added to this, Gohan has shown incredible martial arts talent, and his hero is one of Goku's two biggest martial arts rivals. I think Goku simply hasn't had enough time to get to know his son outside of when training and fighting was necessary to survive.

Teclo · Post by **Teclo** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 9:59 pm

Let's not forget that there's also the comical set-up of the really active dad and the slightly nerdy son. A kind of "odd couple" arrangement. It also seems to highlight that Goku is pure Saiyan whereas Gohan is half-human. In each case, the half-Saiyan kids focus more on human pursuits rather than Saiyan ones; Goten on girls, Trunks on running a business (well, preparing to) and Gohan on studying. In each case it's also these traits that make them weaker than they could have been if they were as obsessed with training as Goku and Vegeta. Actually, Vegeta even blames his "weakness" on becoming more interested in family life so I guess, from a Saiyan point of view, Goku is blessed by being oblivious to everything but fighting.

Piccolo Daimao · Post by **Piccolo Daimao** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 2:44 pm

Son Goku knew about the amount of strength that Son Gohan had, and he knew how important it was when it came to the Cell Games. Gohan was the only one who could defeat Cell, and I suppose, since him and Gohan had been training their asses off for a year, he assumed that Gohan would at least want to fight to save Earth. It's a part of Goku's personality, and a Saiyan trait in general - the thirst for battle. And Goku just assumed that Gohan had the same thirst for battle that he did.

I don't think Goku actually got any proof that Gohan didn't like fighting, other than when Piccolo told him during the Cell Games. He knew that Gohan wanted to be a scholar (as he mentioned before Gohan's fight with Cell), but he didn't know that Gohan didn't like fighting. It was Chi-Chi who forced Gohan into studying and his hopes of becoming a scholar, and fighting to protect the Earth is more important than education. Goku wasn't in denial, he just didn't know.

Kroni_Hunter · Post by **Kroni_Hunter** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 3:16 pm

It's just the look that Goku gets on his face when Piccolo tells him that his son is not a fighter. Goku didn't react at all when people were doubting Gohan's ability to win the fight and only started to look upset when he finds out his son doesn't want to fight.

Amigo Ten · Post by **Amigo Ten** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 3:37 pm

It's not even that he didn't like fighting. He was just worried at the Cell games because he knew he couldn't control himself when he got angry, and was afraid he'd just do more harm than good.

Kroni_Hunter · Post by **Kroni_Hunter** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 5:33 pm

He specifically states that he does not want to fight Cell, and has no interest in killing him.

Bussani · Post by **Bussani** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 6:41 pm

Kroni_Hunter wrote:He specifically states that he does not want to fight Cell, and has no interest in killing him.

And soon after tells Cell what Amigo Ten said, which is when Cell starts trying to make him angry on purpose. So it's both, really.