Gohan's hidden potential vs Broli's untapped potential

[flashback0180]

If old kai had unleashed both brolly & gohans potential, who would have the greater power level?

[Pantalones]

I don't think Broly has that much untapped potential, really. What we see in his movies is probably the majority of what he's got at the time (though dormant power does seem to increase with time, as seen by Gohan's two potential unlocks. I don't think he'd be at kicking-Super-Buu-around levels if he had the Old Kaioshin power unlocking spell done on him in the Freeza Saga, though he'd still end up beyond the level of power the Namekian elder's power unlocking gave him, maybe enough to beat up 2nd/3rd form Freeza or something since that seems to be about the level his highest rage boosts brought him to in that same story arc.)

I think that's a big part of what makes Broly unusual compared to other Saiyans--he doesn't need to train or get some magic ritual performed on him to draw out all of his untapped power, he just naturally converts "untapped potential" power into "current power" over time whether he really wants to or not (and of course, he can also get Saiyan near-death boosts that unlock a huge chunk of power all at once and probably bring more into the "untapped power" zone at the same time, so future boosts--either gradual-over-time-because-he's-Broly boosts or more near-death boosts--can bring him even higher.) This would mean that most training wouldn't be too useful for Broly, too, since he would get just as much power by twiddling his thumbs as he would by training hard unless he figured out that repeatedly bringing himself to near-death boosted his power (and had a reliable way to heal from that)... at least until he runs out of significant near-death boosts, if he hasn't already. It'd only be helpful in that he'd be able to master more techniques and such, so he'd be a better fighter in skill even if he goes nowhere in terms of raw power.

He started at 10,000 and had a near-death experience (failed execution) early on which probably bumped him up even higher than that, and possibly got halfway killed in barely-won fights at least one or two more times throughout his life (he was in the South Galaxy, which Freeza's empire doesn't extend into as far as I'm aware--all of the Freeza-affiliated planets are described as North Galaxy planets or nearby, so probably not all the way on the polar opposite end of the universe--so it's entirely possible that the South Galaxy had someone stronger than Freeza's goons for Broly to fight at some point), but other than that he probably didn't run into many opponents on his level and he doesn't seem to be the type to actually train and learn to improve that way (his fighting style basically just being "SMASH" and his only unique ability being his barrier, which he seems to have had even as a baby... the rest just being big but otherwise pretty ordinary energy blasts.) So it'd make sense for me if what makes Broly "legendary" or a mutant is his constantly increasing strength (as in, he gets all/most of his dormant power without having to work for it... not the whole "infinite power/getting stronger by the second" stuff from fanfiction.)

Now Gohan, on the other hand... we know he has a MASSIVE supply of dormant/untapped power. That's been his entire gimmick throughout the series--freakish amounts of dormant power which sometimes come out when he's angry, letting him injure people waaaaay beyond his current level. And when he gets all of that power drawn to the surface? He goes from "weaker than SSj2 Goku or Vegeta who don't stand a chance against Fat Buu even together" to effortlessly kicking around Super Buu, the same guy who Goku was terrified of fighting because he just knew he'd have no chance, and who was fighting a SSj3 fusion not long before.

So yeah... "Mystic/Ultimate Broly" would probably just be able to use "Legendary Super Saiyan Broly"-esque power (plus some, since it's supposed to draw power far beyond his limits) in base form without bulking up or transforming at all. This "Mystic Broly" would probably be able to use his full power while staying in "restricted" mode if someone put something like Paragus' device on him again, which could be useful--Broly being able to fight calmly and intelligently, rather than just screaming KAKAROT and smash stuff. He wouldn't get an absolutely insane power boost like Gohan did, though, so... yeah, Gohan would flatten him if they fought.

[rereboy]

Broly seems to have more potential power. Even as a baby, with no conscious use of his power, he registered 10.000 on a scouter, and what he did to escape the planet's destruction probably made his power go even higher than that if there was a scouter there to register it.

Gohan doesn't seem to have THAT much hidden potential, its just that his potential grows as he grows, constantly finding news depths of potential, but I don't see why Broly would not be the same as he develops.

So, I give the edge to Broly.

[sintzu]

With Broly being born with a 10000 power level i say he has more potential then anyone.

[Doctor.]

Seriously, how many times was Gohan's potential unleashed? Like 3 times?

This makes me think he could just stay in the RoSaT for years and let his infinite potential pile up, then get out with a Gotenks-esque scream and get it all unlocked to become the strongest being in existence... again.

[Cursed Lemon]

Gohan became the strongest fighter in the universe by literally sitting on his ass for roughly seven-ish years (followed by sitting on his ass for roughly a few hours).

Just saiyan...

[rereboy]

Broly was even worse. Gohan actually trained. Broly never trained in his life and he was still the strongest saiyan in movie 7, and was only beaten by the collective power of the gang.

[KentalSSJ6]

Are we really talking about the possibility of this -

Spoiler:

[Cursed Lemon]

Broly was even worse. Gohan actually trained. Broly never trained in his life and he was still the strongest saiyan in movie 7, and was only beaten by the collective power of the gang.

I feel like the implication is that Broly was always fighting as he and Paragus moved through space. It may not be "training" but I think it's a pretty safe bet that Broly was never "sitting on his butt" for an extended period of time.

[RancorSnp]

I actually refuse to believe that Gohans potential was unleashed a few times. '

How I see it is that the ammount of the power you can have unlocked depends on the source. There is just that, the source can only bring just as much energy, was it ever stated : Here Gohand I unlocked ALL the power YOU HAVE? I do not think so, but correct me if I am wrong.

It's just that The Highest of the Gods really knew what he was doing and had enough power to unlock such tremendous power that Gohan possesed inside him. Yes I do believe that your potential power increases with age, but if it were the Grandpa Kai to unlock gohans potential during the freeza saga, Gohan would wipe the floor with everyone there is with no sweat.

[sintzu]

If it were the Grandpa Kai to unlock gohans potential during the freeza saga, Gohan would wipe the floor with everyone there is with no sweat.

I don't think he had that kind of power then.

[Kaboom]

I more or less agree with Pantalones on this topic. The way I see it, Broli does have a lot of dormant power, but very little of his current potential ever remains "untapped." He's some sort of freakish mutant who gains power by doing nothing (even while gestating), so any dormant power he has quickly comes to the surface on its own.

This is in stark contrast to Gohan, who has a tendency to grow in power very quickly when he seriously trains, but unfortunately spends a lot of his time just sitting around letting his dormant power grow and stagnate until something or someone brings it out. Which is part of why I think Gohan's power boost from the Old Kaioshin was so drastic — He'd spent the last seven years just sitting around doing nothing with his ever-growing potential strength. Had he been training all that time, he would have been much more powerful already, and may have remained stronger than Goku too. So the ritual may have brought him to the same endpoint, but now it would only be, like, a 2x increase overall instead of the 5x it ended up being, or something.

Broli, meanwhile, would have very little power remaining under the surface yet untapped. Since the Old Kaioshin still can bring someone far beyond their current limits, though, then if Legendary Broli's about as strong as Perfect Cell in Movie 8, I could see him getting boosted up to Fat Boo's level, or something. His considerably-stronger Movie 10 self might end up moderately stronger than even SS3 Goku. But of course, both of those levels are wimpy compared to Ultimate Gohan.

[rereboy]

Broly was even worse. Gohan actually trained. Broly never trained in his life and he was still the strongest saiyan in movie 7, and was only beaten by the collective power of the gang.

I feel like the implication is that Broly was always fighting as he and Paragus moved through space. It may not be "training" but I think it's a pretty safe bet that Broly was never "sitting on his butt" for an extended period of time.

Gohan trained and fought for his life ever since he was 4 years old. A few rampages by Broly where he is just releasing his power, he's not even pushing himself or fighting for his life, don't cover for that.

[Dbzk1999]

Would broly really not still have untapped potential though? I mean considering Toriyama's recent words, saiyans have limitless potential

[Diotor]

Brolli would need one hell of a potential release to even be close to Mystic Gohan. Gohan is the strongest non-fused/absorbed being in the whole of Dragonball Z- nobody even comes that close.

I'd expect even Super Buu without absorbing anyone else would be far too much for Brolli to handle, so...

Yeah, Gohan by a lot.

[DBZGTKOSDH]

He's some sort of freakish mutant who gains power by doing nothing

Is this stated anywhere?

[Kaboom]

He's some sort of freakish mutant who gains power by doing nothing

Is this stated anywhere?

Just kind of a reasonable conjecture... He was already at 10,000 when he was born, and a Super Saiyan by the time he was a teenager, all without any indication that he ever did any sort of training.

[DBZGTKOSDH]

He's some sort of freakish mutant who gains power by doing nothing

Is this stated anywhere?

Just kind of a reasonable conjecture... He was already at 10,000 when he was born, and a Super Saiyan by the time he was a teenager, all without any indication that he ever did any sort of training.

Well, the ki blasts that his father seems to have taught him, the wrestling moves that he is so good at, and the perfectly in-shape body implies otherwise... not to mention that there isn't any indication that his power grew on its own. He most likely stopped training after his dad made him his personal sex-toy, but there is absolutely nothing even hinting that he grows stronger by sitting.

[miguelnuva1]

I never once saw Broly to have more potential then Goku for example. To me Legendary SSJ just means Broly could get to where Goku is going quicker and easier but the fact Goku has gotten so high from his weaker level I'd say a Mystic Goku would beat a Mystic Broly.