Gohan's Childhood

[LightBing]

Turning away from the superficiality of the manga and looking at Gohan's childhood, he was lucky to be so sane.I would call it impossible.

The moment Raditz showed up his life was a nightmare. Take into account he was a spoiled and sheltered child.

1. Saiyan Arc (Raditz) - He's kidnapped and hurt, physically and psychologically. When he wakes up, before him is his dad's mortal enemy. He tells Gohan "You're father is dead and we might all be in a year if we don't train". He abandons the child in dangerous wastelands to fend for himself. A child that, probably never handled with the concept of death. Even if he knew that with the Dragon Balls his dad would come back, he still suffered knowing he died at the hand of an enemy with much stronger friends, who are coming to kill him and destroy Earth next.
2. Saiyan Arc (Vegeta) - He survives the training, which mustn't have been pleasant. He sees Yamcha, Chiaotzu and Tenshinhan die, tragically. We see he's still a child and has trouble reacting to the situation at the start. Later Piccolo dies saving him - at this moment he must have had conscience, that there were no dragon balls to save anybody -, he attacks furiously to no avail. He participates in the battle against Vegeta, were again he's badly beaten.
3. Namek Arc - He goes off into space because he feels responsibility, to try and revive everyone that died. He reaches there and alas, stronger enemies are there reuniting the Dragon Balls. He's again fighting for his life, now in an unknown World. He also adds to his list of things he saw as a child, children being murdered. He jumps in rage and saves Dende. Fighting Recoome, his neck is broken and he's within an inch of his life. More important people die, Dende and Kuririn; even Goku until Gohan found out his father escaped Namek's explosion.
   
   Note that in both these arcs, Goku saves Gohan when he's about to die. For him, he's the hero figure, there to make everything alright.
4. Trunks Saga - He find's out his father is alive and prefers to hang in space for a year... Trunks, who effortlessly killed Freeza, warns them they are all dead in the future. Gohan has to train again for three years, knowing it might all be for nothing. A bit more of responsibility for a child.
5. Android Arc - He trains for a year in a hellish place with his father, trusting him to once again be the hero and make everything alright.
6. Cell Games - Goku, who always saved everyone from powerful and evil creatures, gives up and puts all the responsibility in Gohan (He also gives a senzu to Cell, just to make it sting even more). So now Gohan has to defeat a monster that finally, was above his father, the constant hero. Gohan fails and his actions lead to the death of Goku, permanently.

This was his life from four to ten years old.

It's very plausible he didn't train in the seven years post-Cell. Fighting is death and fear for him.

He should have broken down along time ago. He was constantly in risk of dying, everyone around him died at least once, he had to shoulder pain and responsibility that most adults wouldn't handle, and the Universe only upped the ante. It's ridiculous what he had to go thorough.

Having Dragon Balls doesn't make what happened easier; Gohan might have one of the most tragic childhoods ever in writing.

[fadeddreams5]

I like to think his response and stance during the Cell Games was a culmination of all those years. He finally realized, "holy shit... I don't like any of this. Why do I have to do this? Why can't my life just be normal?" It was just poorly built up, as was his transition to a complete martial arts slacker later on.

[RedRibbonSoldier#42]

. Take into account he was a spoiled and sheltered child.

Everyone seems to believe that, but is this actually the case? The one who calls him spoiled and sheltered was Piccolo. Keep in mind, when Piccolo was only 3 years old he was fighting in the Tenkaichi Budokai, so he might not have the best idea of normal human childhoods. Realistically, how many 4 years old's aren't a little whiny, especially if you THROW THEM AT A MOUNTAIN? Also, it's not like he grew up in a palace. He lived in a modest and small house in the middle of the woods.

[fadeddreams5]

Sheltered, yeah. Spoiled, not so much, especially if you take the movies and filler into consideration. Trunks is an example of spoiled.

[nickzambuto]

Well when you put it like that I almost want to cry.

[Son Gohan 1995]

Sheltered, yeah. Spoiled, not so much, especially if you take the movies and filler into consideration. Trunks is an example of spoiled.

You are talking about kid trunks right?

[LightBing]

I like to think his response and stance during the Cell Games was a culmination of all those years. He finally realized, "holy shit... I don't like any of this. Why do I have to do this? Why can't my life just be normal?" It was just poorly built up, as was his transition to a complete martial arts slacker later on.

I'm surprised he didn't grow to become a psychopath. He had constant rage events. with the last culminating in torture.

Everyone seems to believe that, but is this actually the case? The one who calls him spoiled and sheltered was Piccolo. Keep in mind, when Piccolo was only 3 years old he was fighting in the Tenkaichi Budokai, so he might not have the best idea of normal human childhoods. Realistically, how many 4 years old's aren't a little whiny, especially if you THROW THEM AT A MOUNTAIN? Also, it's not like he grew up in a palace. He lived in a modest and small house in the middle of the woods.

There's various degrees of spoiled, I didn't form my view solely on Piccolo's opinion. When the Namekian gave him some apples, the starving Gohan complains, whining he wants dumplings. Most four year old's are spoiled to a degree, if they aren't, child services should be knocking at the door. Wealth isn't necessary for one to be spoiled, both things aren't necessary connected.