Gohan's age breakdown (manga/anime/guides/etc.)

[Insertclevername]

So over the course of being a member on this forum, I've heard that Gohan during the Cell Games was either 9, 10 or 11. Different people say either one, so what is his age? I've done the math numerous times, and if my knowledge on timeskips are right, his age should be about 10. So why is there so many conflicting views on what seems like a simple matter?

[TheDevilsCorpse]

Old post of mine:

23rd Tenkaichi Budokai held May 7th, Age 756
Gohan is conceived late July/early August, Age 756
Gohan is born very early May, Age 757
Gohan turns 1 in early May, Age 758
Gohan turns 2 in early May, Age 759
Gohan turns 3 in early May, Age 760
Gohan turns 4 in early May, Age 761
Raditz invades Earth on November 28th, 761
Gohan turns 5 in early May, Age 762
Vegeta and Nappa arrive on Earth on November 3, 762 Age
Everyone lands on Namek on December 18th, 762 Age
Almost everyone lives through Namek's destruction on December 24th, 762 Age
Gohan turns 6 in early May, Age 763
Kuririn and Yamcha are revived on May 3rd, Age 763
Tenshinhan and Chaozu are revived on September 10th, Age 763
Gohan turns 7 in early May, Age 764
Goku returns to Earth in August, Age 764
Gohan turns 8 in early May, Age 765
Gohan turns 9 in early May, Age 766
Gohan turns 10 in early May, Age 767
The 24th Tenkaichi Budoukai is held on May 7th, Age 767
The Jinzoningen appear on May 12th, Age 767
Goku and Gohan enter the RoSaT for less than 24 hours (a year inside) on May 16th, Age 767
Gohan exists the RoSaT still at age 10 on May 17th, Age 767, but is closer to age 11 physically
The Cell Games are held on May 26th, Age 767
Gohan turns 11 in early May, Age 768, but is closer to age 12 physically
Gohan turns 12 in early May, Age 769, but is closer to age 13 physically
Gohan turns 13 in early May, Age 770, but is closer to age 14 physically
Gohan turns 14 in early May, Age 771, but is closer to age 15 physically
Gohan turns 15 in early May, Age 772, but is closer to age 16 physically
Gohan turns 16 in early May, Age 773, but is closer to age 17 physically
Gohan enters Orange Star High and has wacky adventures with Videl as Saiyaman during April, Age 774
Gohan turns 17 in early May, Age 774, but is closer to age 18 physically
The 25th Tenkaichi Budoukai is held on May 7th, Age 774
Buu is released and builds a house on May 7th, Age 774
Satan befriends Buu and Gotenks ego is born May 8th, Age 774
Vegetto decides killing Buu is too boring and defuses of his own free will, Buu blows shit up and then dies due to an infection of Vegetto's invincible ki on May 9th, Age 774

*** I would like to note that this age progression list still works with the Daizenshuu's October 12th date for Raditz' arrival, for those who want to deal with the books printed facts (wrong as they may be). But, as Herms has said, that date is impossible according to the manga's narration of Nappa and Vegeta arriving before a year has passed, so I used his fixed date from the "Stronger Loving Timeline".

[Insertclevername]

Yeah, that's basically the same kind of thinking I made. I can't see an argument opposing this.

[Herms]

His official birth year is Age 757 (sometime in May, according to Daizenshuu 7) while the Cell Games are May 26th, Age 767. So going by that it's been 10 years since his birth, but he's physically 11 due to his time in the Room of Spirit and Time. Manga-wise, when Raditz shows up Gohan is 4, then it's 1 year to Vegeta (technically 11 months), about 2 months to Freeza's defeat, 1 year and 260 days to Trunks showing up, then 3 years to the androids, putting him at, well, roughly 10 or so again, and 11 factoring in the RoSaT. However, the anime narrators says only a year passes between Freeza's defeat on Namek and his attack on Earth, putting Gohan closer to 9 (physically 10) for the Cell Games. But also in the anime, in the filler episode with Gohan's birthday Chi Chi says Gohan turned 11 in the RoSaT. THEN, in the manga and anime the narrator says Gohan is 16 at the start of the Boo era, which of course is 7 years after the Cell Games, implying Gohan was 9 back then. Oh yeah, and then there's the Funi dub raising Gohan's age in the Raditz episodes, and the English video games calling Cell Games-era Gohan "teen Gohan".

[FNF]

^the many ages of Gohan...

[NANLIT]

His official birth year is Age 757 (sometime in May, according to Daizenshuu 7) while the Cell Games are May 26th, Age 767. So going by that it's been 10 years since his birth, but he's physically 11 due to his time in the Room of Spirit and Time. Manga-wise, when Raditz shows up Gohan is 4, then it's 1 year to Vegeta (technically 11 months), about 2 months to Freeza's defeat, 1 year and 260 days to Trunks showing up, then 3 years to the androids, putting him at, well, roughly 10 or so again, and 11 factoring in the RoSaT. However, the anime narrators says only a year passes between Freeza's defeat on Namek and his attack on Earth, putting Gohan closer to 9 (physically 10) for the Cell Games. But also in the anime, in the filler episode with Gohan's birthday Chi Chi says Gohan turned 11 in the RoSaT. THEN, in the manga and anime the narrator says Gohan is 16 at the start of the Boo era, which of course is 7 years after the Cell Games, implying Gohan was 9 back then. Oh yeah, and then there's the Funi dub raising Gohan's age in the Raditz episodes, and the English video games calling Cell Games-era Gohan "teen Gohan".

Can't Gohan be 16 at the start of the Boo saga since it began in April and his birthday's apparently in May? He'd therefore be turning 17 in less than 2 months. What's a mess, age wise, is Goten. He wasn't born yet at the time of the Cell Games, yet just under 7 years later, he's said to already be 7 when he should be 6, turning 7 sometime later in the year.

[Herms]

Can't Gohan be 16 at the start of the Boo saga since it began in April and his birthday's apparently in May? He'd therefore be turning 17 in less than 2 months.

Yeah, that's pretty much the solution TheDevilsCorpse outlines above.

Don't even get me started on Goten. Or Trunks, for that matter.

[Kaboom]

Isn't there some traditional Japanese thing where, in a nutshell, babies are considered one year old when the new year rolls over, regardless of when in the prior year they were actually born? I've seen that proposed as an explanation for Goten's given age as 7 when he should more logically only be 6.

So if that's the case, then Chi-Chi is already pregnant in May during the Androids/Cell arc, but only has been for a few months at most, and isn't showing yet. Goten is born sometime much later in the year, like in October or November. Then the new year comes and he's now considered one year old, and then 2 in November. By the start of the Majin Boo arc, also in May and a full 7 years from the Cell Games, Goten is now considered 7 years old, even though technically he'd only be "6 and a half."

It might be a plausible or even expected move for an old-fashioned family like Goku's. But maybe not for a more "modern" family like Bulma's.

Of course, this is all moot if I've misunderstood the system in question.

[Piccolo Daimao]

I think that Gohan was 9 at the Cell Games, but would turn 10 in that year, but he would physically turn 11 in that year because of the extra year in the RoSaT.

So, add on seven years...Gohan would be 16 in the Boo arc, but soon turn 17 (I can't remember where I got this from - was it you, Herms)?), meaning that he'd soon physically turn 18 in that year because of the extra year in the RoSaT 7 Earth years prior.

As for Goten, I don't think him being 7 years old is going by the traditional Japanese ageing system, because Trunks, living in a "modern" family like Blooma's, says that Goten's a year younger than him, being 8 years old. So why would he still go by Chi-Chi's old-fashioned ageing system if he's just talking to Vegeta within the gravity chamber?

Out-of-universe, Chi-Chi wasn't showing because Toriyama hadn't even conceived Goten yet, and I don't believe he's ever even drawn a pregnant woman in one of his manga before, so perhaps he just doesn't like drawing them. In-universe, Saiyan babies' gestation rate or whatever is different - like, I dunno, they develop a slower rate, or the pregnancy period is shorter. Perhaps because they're a warrior race and need to get back onto the battlefield as soon as possible. Maybe this is the reason that we never see Kakarotto's mother, who should be recovering, when Kakarotto's just been born. She'd already resuming training/planet-conquering, and was later killed under Freeza.

[NANLIT]

Kaboom, if that's the case, then isn't it inconsistent with Gohan's age? Gohan was born in May Age 757. If that's the case (assuming I'm getting this system right which I may not so correct me if I'm wrong), he'd turn 1 at the beginning of Age 758 and 2 on his birthday in May 758; 3 on his birthday in May 759; 4 in May 760; 5 in May 761. Gohan goes to Kame House for the first time (and the stuff with Raditz) later that year, yet he says he's 4, which goes against this particular age system if I'm getting it right.

Piccolo Daimao, your math is wrong. Even if you're right about Gohan not having reached his 10th birthday yet at the time of the Cell Games, 9 + 7 is 16 (beginning of Boo arc), with Gohan turning 17 later in the year and 18 physically at that time because of the Room of Space and Time.

[Herms]

Out-of-universe, Chi-Chi wasn't showing because Toriyama hadn't even conceived Goten yet, and I don't believe he's ever even drawn a pregnant woman in one of his manga before, so perhaps he just doesn't like drawing them.

Midori is shown pregnant with Turbo in Dr. Slump, and the hero's love interest is pregnant at the end of Mad Matic.

[Piccolo Daimao]

Piccolo Daimao, your math is wrong. Even if you're right about Gohan not having reached his 10th birthday yet at the time of the Cell Games, 9 + 7 is 16 (beginning of Boo arc), with Gohan turning 17 later in the year and 18 physically at that time because of the Room of Space and Time.

Oh yeah, sorry. I meant to say "16" instead of "17".

And by the way, it's the "Room of Spirit and Time".

Out-of-universe, Chi-Chi wasn't showing because Toriyama hadn't even conceived Goten yet, and I don't believe he's ever even drawn a pregnant woman in one of his manga before, so perhaps he just doesn't like drawing them.

Midori is shown pregnant with Turbo in Dr. Slump, and the hero's live interest is pregnant at the end of Mad Matic.

Agh, I knew someone might call me out on that! It was a hunch and I went with it.

But how about "Toriyama rarely draws pregnant women, perhaps because he doesn't particularly like to"?

[Fox666]

Well, there are some plot-holes about the Gohan age after he left the Room of Stuff and Time and the Boo saga, the Daizenshuu tried to counter it by saying his birthway was a little after he was said to be 16 in the beggining of the Boo saga.

[Piccolo Daimao]

Well, there are some plot-holes about the Gohan age after he left the Room of Stuff and Time and the Boo saga, the Daizenshuu tried to counter it by saying his birthway was a little after he was said to be 16 in the beggining of the Boo saga.

I don't think it's necessarily a plothole so much as it is the RoSaT fucks with the physical age of everyone. And it's not implausible for Gohan's 17th birthday to happen soon after it's said that he's 16 only in the first chapter of the Boo arc.