How would have DBZ's final battle gone if...

[SonGokuh]

Gohan was the hero (as I keep hearing was intended)? This is Gohan vs. Buu I'm talking about here. In my eyes, I still see Buu absorbing Gotenks so Gohan would have some semblance of a challenge since two of Gohan's major fights started out ridiculously one-sided (Super Buu and Perfect Cell). The villains had to close the gap somehow in order for the fights to be interesting for more than 5 minutes. After Buutenks is born though, I can't envision would happen if Goku didn't arrive. Sure the fusion would end shortly, but then we are left with a Buu that is slightly superior to normal Super Buu whom Gohan could crush nearly just as easily as before. Anyone have any theories or fanciful ideas on what might have been?

[dbgtFO]

Gohan was the hero (as I keep hearing was intended)? This is Gohan vs. Buu I'm talking about here. In my eyes, I still see Buu absorbing Gotenks so Gohan would have some semblance of a challenge sincetwo of Gohan's major fights either started out ridiculously one-sided (Super Buu and Perfect Cell). The villains had to close the gap somehow.

First off: Toriyama originally wanted Gohan as the main hero, but realized he just didn't fit, so he gave Goku that role again.
As for the fight..
It would be a tough battle, with Buu probably using Piccolo's intelligence to his advantage(in the original story Buu never used one of Piccolo's techniques or anything, but in the anime he did). It would probably be like Kid Buu vs. Goku, with Gohan not having the same problem Goku did.

[Rocketman]

Gohan manages to survive until the fusion times out, then kills Buu.

[buffninja91]

Probably the same as it did up to when Buu reverted from the fusion. After that Buu would've either absorbed Goku and/or a newly revived Vegeta, or found some other way of pushing himself to Gohan's level, in which case Gohan may have done what Vegito did and allow himself to be absorbed to rescue his friends and family.

[painfuldeath]

I think even if Gohan managed to survive the 30 minutes of Gotenks fusion he would still have some trouble fighting him then as he would have been pretty beat up. The one thing I find funny is that during this fight Gohan could possibly have received a power up after being healed by Dende. Even then he should still have been unable to beat Buu. It would have been more interesting if Buu killed everyone but Gohan (and Satan, since he's pretty much imortal) and they had a legitimate fight to the end. Also, it is somewhat implied that Gohan could still transform into a Super Saiyan, even with his new power up, which I would argue would be the proper way to finish the fight.

[dbgtFO]

The one thing I find funny is that during this fight Gohan could possibly have received a power up after being healed by Dende. Even then he should still have been unable to beat Buu.

Not, when that aspect of Saiyan physiology was basically reduced to non existence by that point in time.

Also, it is somewhat implied that Gohan could still transform into a Super Saiyan, even with his new power up, which I would argue would be the proper way to finish the fight.

It would be stupid to transform into a Super Saiyan, at this point, since he has all the power he could ever hope to attain applied to his base form, meaning Super Saiyan can't make him stronger anyways, just cause a hair color change and possibly reduce his stamina.

[painfuldeath]

The one thing I find funny is that during this fight Gohan could possibly have received a power up after being healed by Dende. Even then he should still have been unable to beat Buu.

Not, when that aspect of Saiyan physiology was basically reduced to non existence by that point in time.

Also, it is somewhat implied that Gohan could still transform into a Super Saiyan, even with his new power up, which I would argue would be the proper way to finish the fight.

It would be stupid to transform into a Super Saiyan, at this point, since he has all the power he could ever hope to attain applied to his base form, meaning Super Saiyan can't make him stronger anyways, just cause a hair color change and possibly reduce his stamina.

Where is it said that he attained all the power he could ever have? In the manga, at least in the translation I've read, Goku wonders if he could get even stronger after that. It is never said or implied that he reached his limit. Also, right before Goku heads to Earth, he asks the Elder Kai if they should transform before they fuse.

[CODii]

at least in the translation I've read

This implies to me that you are reading crappy scans online. Such "translations" could hardly be called authoritative.

[painfuldeath]

True that. Even so, give me one direct quote stating that he reached his limit. There is plenty to state otherwise but I wouldn't know for certain as I do not know any Japanese. I don't how valid these are but looking at the Son Gohan section theres is more to support the claim that he has not yet reached his limit: http://www.kanzentai.com/trans-daiz02.p ... ow_up#link

[Piccolo Daimao]

I recall the old Kaioshin claiming that he had gone beyond his limits in the manga.