What is every use of the Super Saiyan 2 form?

[Dbzfan94]

Goku fights Zamasu in SSJ2.

[TheUltimateNinja]

Can someone explain how Gohan going SSJ against dabura makes any sense?

In the manga there's nothing to suggest Dabura is anywhere close to SSJ2 level, it's the anime that causes people to think this.

First, Gohan had no lightning and his aura was drawn the same as the FPSSJ aura when he fought Dabura. It's not that Toriyama forgot about the lightning and unique aura as he remembered them for when Gohan went SSJ2 at the tournament a couple chapters earlier and when Goku and Vegeta went SSJ2 a couple chapters later.

Next, Goku says Dabura may have been a threat 7 years ago but isn't a big deal now. Vegeta says Dabura is overhyped and Goku confirms that he's around as strong as Cell, referring to the suppressed Cell he fought. Then Goku says beating Dabura would be simple and this is before he reveals he can go SSJ2, therefore SSJ is enough to finish the job.

[RedShift]

Vegeta specifically says that Gohan was a lot more powerful when he fought Cell seven years ago. If he lost that much power he'd need to go SS2 just to keep pace with Dabura...

The problem is that we don't know which Cell Goku is referring to. Perfect Cell suppressed? Perfect Cell at full power? Or Perfect Cell after he martyrdom's himself and regenerates? Then there's the ambiguity if Gohan going SS2 or not due to lack of lighting.

If Gohan could have transformed further to tip the odds in his favor he would have. Especially against the King of Demons. Dabura is about as strong as Cell at full power, before he blows himself up.

My .02c anyways.

[dragon boss z]

I just assume Gohan doesn't have enough juice in him to use SS2 after Spopovich & Yamu drained him. Kibito healing him doesn't necessarily mean he'd get his power restored fully, Vegeta gets healed upon his revival against Kid Boo only superficially but he doesn't even have enough strenght to use SS as proven by Goku warning him that he's still weak from before.

But while fighting Dabura Vegeta even mentioned how Gohan wasn't as strong as he was against Cell and was mad. But wouldn't that be obvious if hew wasn't using his ssj2 form? Wither he was using ssj2 or not idk, but if he wasn't that is just bad writing.

Clearly, he wasn't as strong because he can't even activate SS2 without getting angry or at the very least being recently agitated, unlike Goku and Vegeta who can flip it on and off on a whim.

Gohan already proved he could go ss2 whenever he wants. And right when he went ssj2 at the tournament Vegeta mentioned how he was weaker then too.

[Bullza]

Doesn't it say in any good whether Gohan used Super Saiyan or Super Saiyan 2 against Gohan?

[Kaboom]

Doesn't it say in any guide whether Gohan used Super Saiyan or Super Saiyan 2 against Dabra?

Is that what you meant?

If so, then Daizenshuu #2's "Growing Up" guide indicates that Gohan was only ever a "High School Era Super Saiyan 2" in manga Volume 37, which contains him showing it off for Kibito at the tournament, while his fight with Dabra didn't happen until Volume 38. But then Dabra's bio in Daizenshuu #7's big characters guide says that he fought evenly with "Super Saiyan 2 Gohan" specifically.

However, like I mentioned earlier, it seems like Toei intentionally tried in their own way to portray Gohan as an SS2 for that fight, unlike how he was drawn in the manga, and Daizenshuu #7's big character guide is an all-inclusive one that features both manga and anime content. So it may be accounting for the anime side of things with that bit, since it's such a small difference that wouldn't merit an extra "Anime" addendum to Dabra's bio like some other characters received.

The "Growing Up" guide in Daizenshuu #2, however, is only concerned with the manga version of things, and only references manga volumes for the characters' different ages and states. So it saying that Gohan never used SS2 beyond the Tournament's volume fits neatly with what the manga shows.

So what form did Gohan use against Dabra, according to observation and the guidebooks? "SS1 in the manga, SS2 in the anime."

[TheUltimateNinja]

Doesn't it say in any guide whether Gohan used Super Saiyan or Super Saiyan 2 against Dabra?

Is that what you meant?

If so, then Daizenshuu #2's "Growing Up" guide indicates that Gohan was only ever a "High School Era Super Saiyan 2" in manga Volume 37, which contains him showing it off for Kibito at the tournament, while his fight with Dabra didn't happen until Volume 38. But then Dabra's bio in Daizenshuu #7's big characters guide says that he fought evenly with "Super Saiyan 2 Gohan" specifically.

However, like I mentioned earlier, it seems like Toei intentionally tried in their own way to portray Gohan as an SS2 for that fight, unlike how he was drawn in the manga, and Daizenshuu #7's big character guide is an all-inclusive one that features both manga and anime content. So it may be accounting for the anime side of things with that bit, since it's such a small difference that wouldn't merit an extra "Anime" addendum to Dabra's bio like some other characters received.

The "Growing Up" guide in Daizenshuu #2, however, is only concerned with the manga version of things, and only references manga volumes for the characters' different ages and states. So it saying that Gohan never used SS2 beyond the Tournament's volume fits neatly with what the manga shows.

So what form did Gohan use against Dabra, according to observation and the guidebooks? "SS1 in the manga, SS2 in the anime."

The anime version contradicts Goku and Vegeta both dismissing Dabura before they reveal SSJ2. Sure, Gohan got weaker but not to the extent that Goku and Vegeta could match his SSJ2 with SSJ alone.

If Dabura was strong enough to go toe to toe with SSJ2 Gohan, Goku saying he isn't really a threat would have tipped Vegeta off that he can use SSJ2, however Vegeta doesn't realize this until Goku displays it against Yakon, this indicates that SSJ is enough for Goku to beat Dabura.

[dragonball0900]

I have Gohan fighting as SSJ against Dabura. Because Goku said it was easy to beat Dabura, and that's when he didn't even show to the others the SSJ2, making Goku as a SSJ stronger than Dabura. Also because of the art of how in the manga he was drawn.
Goku could've said that Dabura was around Perfect Cell's power and not Super Perfect Cell, since Perfect Cell was the form Goku sensed the most.
I also remember that it was said that the only times Gohan used SSJ2 was in Movie 10 and in the Tournament against Kibito.

[Akira]

Here's another one for the list. When Goku and Vegeta are fighting Original Buu on the Kaioshin planet, Goku uses Super Saiyan 2 to combat him after winning the rock paper scissors match with Vegeta. This occurs in the anime only though, as the same portion of the fight in the manga, Goku goes straight to Super Saiyan 3 right from the start.

[Grimlock]

As already said:

- Gotenks is shown as Super Saiyan 2 twice but briefly (Z and Super).
- Vegeta was using Super Saiyan 2 in Movie 14 too as at least Toei's retelling was useful for something, it confirmed it was Super Saiyan 2.
- Goku is shown as Super Saiyan 2 in Movie 12 (cameo) and Movie 13, the latter in which Goku fights a bit using that form.
- I don't remember Toriyama ever forgetting about lightnings whenever it was Super Saiyan 2, there's no lightnings over Gohan during his fight against Dabura, so it is Super Saiyan.
- What Goku Black possesses is Super Saiyan, not Super Saiyan 2 (just in case... ).

Goku transforms into Super Saiyan 2 to deflect Rilldo's technique in Dragon Ball GT, and is shown briefly as Super Saiyan 2 when he transforms into Super Saiyan 3 when he got his tail back.

I should note that the new form of Trunks probably comes from Super Saiyan 2, whatever that is, it has lightnings too, so maybe it is Super Saiyan 2 plus something else.

[Bullza]

But how can Vegeta and Black look the same but one be Super Saiyan 2 and the other Super Saiyan?

[TheUltimateNinja]

But how can Vegeta and Black look the same but one be Super Saiyan 2 and the other Super Saiyan?

Desperate attempt from manga fans to salvage the manga's powerscaling.

[Bullza]

So just reading the manga, when Vegito turns into Super Vegito there's sparks at first but none afterwards and that's just supposed to be the ordinary Super Saiyan.

Well when Goku fights Black in the present, when he transforms there's also sparks at first and then none afterwards so that wouldn't necessarily mean he was a Super Saiyan 2 there would it?

The same thing happened with Zamasu. However the same kinda thing happened when he fought Trunks and they were definitely using Super Saiyan 2 there were sparks when they were standing around but none when they were actually fighting.

So it's too difficult to be able to tell.

[dragonball0900]

So just reading the manga, when Vegito turns into Super Vegito there's sparks at first but none afterwards and that's just supposed to be the ordinary Super Saiyan.

Well when Goku fights Black in the present, when he transforms there's also sparks at first and then none afterwards so that wouldn't necessarily mean he was a Super Saiyan 2 there would it?

The same thing happened with Zamasu. However the same kinda thing happened when he fought Trunks and they were definitely using Super Saiyan 2 there were sparks when they were standing around but none when they were actually fighting.

So it's too difficult to be able to tell.

I suppose it's just the hair style. Goku seems to have the SSJ2 hair on his fight with Black.

[Saturnine]

I liked SSj2 back when it meant something. Then came the Super Exciting Guide and made it a mere 2x boost, which is very unimpressive.

At least I'm positive the boost for Gohan was greater than that, and it can be adequately explained by his rage. That also showcases Goku and Vegeta's growth in the 7-year timeskip, since their SSj2 can be treated as only 2x, but still stronger than Gohan's.

[Bullza]

Well apparently Gohan lost half his Ki before firing that final Kamehameha which going by the guide should make him as strong as a Super Saiyan but he still beat Super Perfect Cell who was stronger than his Super Saiyan as just Perfect Cell... probably.

[Grimlock]

I liked SSj2 back when it meant something. Then came the Super Exciting Guide and made it a mere 2x boost, which is very unimpressive.

At least I'm positive the boost for Gohan was greater than that, and it can be adequately explained by his rage. That also showcases Goku and Vegeta's growth in the 7-year timeskip, since their SSj2 can be treated as only 2x, but still stronger than Gohan's.

I'm pretty sure guides' information is not something you are obliged to follow/accept. As the name imply, it exists to provide "help" with supplemental information but you aren't bound to it. That being said, you're free to ignore information guides provide.