How would the series be different without Goten?

[fadeddreams5]

So a similar topic in here inspired me to make this one.

Let me start off by saying that Goten is my least favorite character in this series. I apologize to all Goten fans in advance, but I hate everything about him. Kid/Preteen Gohan played the role of son 9001x better. Kid Goku played the role of everything-else-Goten-has-going-for-him better. Him being the youngest Super Saiyan with minimal training is the worst thing ever (if it was just him who was a prodigy among saiyans, that'd be cool though). His design is the most uninspired in DBZ. And his grown up self is one of the most bland characters in the series--with an ugly design to boot.

But worst of all... he is the most pointless character in this series. The entire Buu saga could have happened without him or fusion. It's very easy to rewrite the saga without him (i.e. SSJ3 Goku going all out against Fat Buu because he thinks Gohan is dead), but even if we went by the exact same events, Buu would still be defeated because he would not have anyone to absorb after Gohan arrived. Mind you, the Earth might have gotten blown up before Gohan's arrival, but that happened anyways. If Gohan was absorbed, nothing would impede the creation of Vegito.

Seems to me this character's entire existence was just a plot device to give Trunks someone to fuse with. Can anyone prove me wrong?

Even Mr. Satan and Videl were more relevant. Hell, even Master Roshi's turtle was.

[Kamiccolo9]

It would have been a powered up Trunks against Buu, Gotenks wouldn't be a thing, and we'd probably get Gogeta instead of Vegetto.

[Hellspawn28]

I would have someone like Piccolo get stronger and fight off Buu until Gohan arrives to kill Buu. Piccolo never had a major battle in the Buu saga sadly.

[B]

No Goten around would have allowed for a more in-depth fleshing out of Kid Trunks in comparison to Future Trunks(not that they are particularly the same anyway). But Toriyama isn't the type to really do that, loads of characters or not.

[Saiga]

Gohan has no-one to play off earlier in the arc, Trunks wouldn't fight anyone, Gotenks wouldn't happen, Boo just absorbs Gohan instead of Gotenks, things proceed as normal and the arc is significantly more boring.

Maybe Gohan and Trunks would interact earlier in the arc where Gohan and Goten did (training etc) but he'd still be ignored once the Tournament arrived.

[dbzfan7]

Even Mr. Satan and Videl were more relevant. Hell, even Master Roshi's turtle was.

Mr. Satan yes, but no way is Videl more relevant than Goten. You could write Videl out of the series and lose nothing. Goten had a little more than her, especially since he was linked to Trunks. Turtle though is obviously a joke.

To answer the question here. I'd say Gohan and Trunks would become friends, mirroring what happened in the future. We wouldn't be getting fusion with Gotenks. We would probably get Ultimate Gohan sooner. Trunks would probably fight with the adults since without Goten there'd be no point to have him be with juniours (Unless for a joke). Rest I guess plays out the same.

[Hellspawn28]

Mr. Satan is not useless because he help the Z fighters beat Cell and Buu. If we go by the movies, he help Gohan beat Bojack and help take Pan to safety during the Bebi saga. I agree that Videl is useless since I feel like that she was written to be Gohan's love interested. Without Goten, Buu would have just killed everyone on Earth and waited for someone to show up to fight him. Gohan would have came to Earth and killed Super Buu. Buu would have not blown up since he blew up to hold up off time in order for Goten and Trunks to fuse again.

[fadeddreams5]

Even Mr. Satan and Videl were more relevant. Hell, even Master Roshi's turtle was.

Mr. Satan yes, but no way is Videl more relevant than Goten. You could write Videl out of the series and lose nothing. Goten had a little more than her, especially since he was linked to Trunks. Turtle though is obviously a joke.

Turtle wasn't a joke. He's the reason Goku met Master Roshi! Without Turtle, who knows how things would turn out.

As for Videl, okay yeah, exaggerated. But Gohan needed a love interest more than a little brother! Plus, it's through her fight with Spovovich that they knew he was under Babidi's power, so she sort of proceeded the plot. : D

[Saiga]

And if it weren't for Goten, Goku would probably let Boo kill everyone since he didn't offer to use [=SS3=] until he had someone to fob responsibility off to.

[Hellspawn28]

Goku would have stop Buu since he was blowing shit up. Goku would not hold off time and would have killed Fat Buu.

[dbzfan7]

Turtle wasn't a joke. He's the reason Goku met Master Roshi! Without Turtle, who knows how things would turn out.

As for Videl, okay yeah, exaggerated. But Gohan needed a love interest more than a little brother! Plus, it's through her fight with Spovovich that they knew he was under Babidi's power, so she sort of proceeded the plot. : D

Sooner or later the Dragon Radar would lead Goku and Bulma to Muten Roshi. Turtle is not needed at all. He was just conveniently linked to Kame Senin.

Gohan doesn't need a love interest at all. It accomplishes nothing and it didn't benefit him at all in story telling. It didn't motivate him in the slightest throughout the story. Also Kaioshin could have easily told them that without Videls help of being beaten up.

[fadeddreams5]

Turtle wasn't a joke. He's the reason Goku met Master Roshi! Without Turtle, who knows how things would turn out.

As for Videl, okay yeah, exaggerated. But Gohan needed a love interest more than a little brother! Plus, it's through her fight with Spovovich that they knew he was under Babidi's power, so she sort of proceeded the plot. : D

Sooner or later the Dragon Radar would lead Goku and Bulma to Muten Roshi. Turtle is not needed at all. He was just conveniently linked to Kame Senin.

Gohan doesn't need a love interest at all. It accomplishes nothing and it didn't benefit him at all in story telling. It didn't motivate him in the slightest throughout the story. Also Kaioshin could have easily told them that without Videls help of being beaten up.

But thanks to Turtle, Goku was rewarded the flying nimbus! : D

Well, thanks to Gohan's relationship with Videl, the cast is closer with Mr. Satan. Also, it's thanks to her that Super Buu accepted to wait before killing everyone in the lookout. Even without Goten, those extra minutes might have given Gohan a chance to arrive with Earth still intact. Oh, and Pan in BoG. =D

[dbzfan7]

Turtle wasn't a joke. He's the reason Goku met Master Roshi! Without Turtle, who knows how things would turn out.

As for Videl, okay yeah, exaggerated. But Gohan needed a love interest more than a little brother! Plus, it's through her fight with Spovovich that they knew he was under Babidi's power, so she sort of proceeded the plot. : D

Sooner or later the Dragon Radar would lead Goku and Bulma to Muten Roshi. Turtle is not needed at all. He was just conveniently linked to Kame Senin.

Gohan doesn't need a love interest at all. It accomplishes nothing and it didn't benefit him at all in story telling. It didn't motivate him in the slightest throughout the story. Also Kaioshin could have easily told them that without Videls help of being beaten up.

But thanks to Turtle, Goku was rewarded the flying nimbus! : D

Well, thanks to Gohan's relationship with Videl, the cast is closer with Mr. Satan. Also, it's thanks to her that Super Buu accepted to wait before killing everyone in the lookout. Even without Goten, those extra minutes might have given Gohan a chance to arrive with Earth still intact. Oh, and Pan in BoG. =D

Well you really could have had that come up in a multitude of other ways. Like with Bulma giving Roshi the flashing, or perhaps it could come up as a mode of transportation in the next arc so Goku can find Roshi a girl sooner.

Without Goten, Gotenks wouldn't be born and the world is fucked since Gohan would still be too busy with the ritual, Goku is dead, and no one else can do shit.

[fadeddreams5]

The world still got fucked even with Goten/Gotenks. Perhaps even more so than it would have been otherwise. lol.

[Hellspawn28]

If there's no Goten then either Goku kills Fat Buu since he won't be holding off Buu or Gohan kills Super Buu since Super Buu won't blow himself up this time around. Goten is one of the very few characters that the series can be fine without. If there's no Fat Buu then no one will piss off Beerus.

[dbzfan7]

The world still got fucked even with Goten/Gotenks. Perhaps even more so than it would have been otherwise. lol.

Naw they stalled for Gohan. Without a Gotenks, Boo blows up Earth cause he has no reason to wait.

If there's no Goten then either Goku kills Fat Buu since he won't be holding off Buu or Gohan kills Super Buu since Super Buu won't blow himself up this time around. Goten is one of the very few characters that the series can be fine without. If there's no Fat Buu then no one will piss off Beerus.

Well for Fat Boo that kind of depends if he even could kill him in time. SSJ3 radically burns up his time on Earth. Sure he has the power to win, but he'd need to be extremely quick against a foe who can regenerate from pretty much everything.

I do agree Goten isn't that important though...but definitely more so than Videl and Turtle.

[Barunks]

You know, maybe the reason why present Trunks isn't as cool as Future Trunks isn't because he grew up in a time of peace, but rather it's because Future Trunks didn't have to worry about Goten cramping his style.

[RandomGuy96]

No Gotenks. The whole middle section of the Buu arc will have to be completely rewritten (why wouldn't Super Buu erase the solar system, why would Goku not kill fatso, why is Trunks even around, etc.). No cool fight with Super Buu or absorption plot, unless Toriyama ass-pulls someone to take Gotenks' place. No dance fusion. No Potara. The arc,and the franchise as a whole, is probably signficiantly more boring.

[ImmaDeker]

Way less pedophiles would like the show.

[VegettoEX]

Way less pedophiles would like the show.

This is so beyond inappropriate, and I'm not going to stand for your nonsense responses anymore. This is your second account strike, it is being noted publicly, and does/will lead up to a temporary ban from the entirety of the Kanzenshuu website (which includes the website-proper, forum, podcasts, eventual wiki, etc.), which is then followed by a permanent ban upon any further infractions.

This is disgusting and embarrassing to have as a response in this community. I don't know who you are, why you're here, or what you are looking to get out of these conversations. If it's a legitimate fandom, great, start contributing. It's been noted before that you seem to have actual contributions to make, so I recommend making them again. If that's not what your end-game is, fine, you broke me. I'm done with it.