Move Over Goku and Vegeta, Another Dragon Ball Fighter Is Destined to Beat Black Frieza

Excitement for Dragon Ball continues to build as the franchise enters a new phase, with the Battle of Gods arc receiving a remake later this year and Dragon Ball Super: The Galactic Patrol continuing the anime series in 2027 or 2028. With so much to look forward to, fans have been revisiting the anime and manga with renewed enthusiasm as they eagerly await what’s to come.

The manga’s last major turning point left the series on a massive cliffhanger with Black Frieza emerging as a threat unlike anything seen before. He completely shifted the balance of power in a single moment and left behind countless questions in his wake. However, given the franchise’s history, it’s entirely possible that a fan-favorite character will finally take his place as one of the most powerful in the series and claim the role of hero against Black Frieza.

Black Frieza Has Surpassed Every Fighter in Dragon Ball

Frieza is once again positioned as an upcoming central villain, but this time, his return comes with a significant power increase that pushes him beyond anything fans thought imaginable. The balance of power completely shifted in his favor following his quick disposal of Gas, who had only just been established as the strongest fighter in the universe, then effortlessly incapacitated both Goku and Vegeta with a single strike.

While Frieza left as soon as he appeared, he successfully proved to the Saiyan warriors as well as readers that the next battle wouldn’t be anything like the previous ones. That said, due to his quick disappearance, fans have come up with various theories ranging from the idea that Frieza can’t yet maintain his new form for extended periods of time to him wanting to avoid underestimating his opponents and any risk of oversight.

Either way, his reemergence as a being strong enough to render the most powerful fighter in the universe an insignificant obstacle has left a sense of thrilling uncertainty about the series’ future. Given historical defeats, initially by Goku, then Future Trunks, and lastly Vegeta, despite Goku’s last-minute intervention, it’s not too far off to imagine that a different warrior may take the stage to defeat Frieza once and for all.

Gohan has long been considered the character with the most potential and was always intended to take over the story after Goku. While the story didn’t exactly play out that way, recent developments suggest that he will be playing a much larger role in Dragon Ball Super than he initially had in the beginning, and it may just lead him to face off against Black Frieza.

Dragon Ball Could Be Setting up Gohan’s Biggest Victory Yet

In the aftermath of Black Frieza’s brief yet overwhelming display of power, the manga shifts into the Super Hero Arc, first following Trunks and Goten before leading up to the events in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. This arc not only has a time jump, but also shifts attention back to overlooked characters and offers them new, powerful transformations.

Gohan and Piccolo’s transformations place them in a tier of power that is on par with Goku and Vegeta’s, according to Toyotaro. In the manga, Gohan proves his strength in a match against Broly, solidifying his position once more as a major contender for the series’ strongest warrior. Given the fact that he has always been considered a character with unmatched latent abilities, this development hints that he may just be ready to claim his rightful place at the top.

When it finally becomes time to face off against Black Frieza, Gohan might just prove to be the key to victory. With his new strength as Gohan Beast and long-standing connection to Frieza, dating back to his childhood, the groundwork for their battle is already in place for a confrontation that’s filled with both personal and narrative significance.

If Gohan is the one to defeat Frieza, it will grant Gohan a deserved victory, cement his position as the warrior with the most latent power, avoid the repetitive pitfalls of Goku constantly defeating the same villain, and most of all, it could be the moment that Dragon Ball honors its original intentions by passing the torch.