Why Gohan Isn't In Dragon Ball Daima (Yet) Explained

Warning: Contains spoilers for Dragon Ball Daima episode #1.Dragon Ball stories tend to be very selective about which characters will be involved in the plot, and Dragon Ball Daima is no exception. While most of the principal characters have been featured in the first few episodes, based on what little is known about the series, Vegeta, Bulma, Piccolo, and Shin will be the only returning characters after Goku to have a significant role in the story, going forward.

Once again, most of Dragon Ball’s cast is unlikely to have much to do with a new story, including Gohan. Gohan having little involvement in the plot is nothing new at this point, as starting from Dragon Ball Super, the Tournament of Power and Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero were the only stories to feature Gohan in a major role, but Dragon Ball Daima removes Gohan from the plot to a degree never-before seen in a Dragon Ball story. There is some justification for Gohan’s absence, but hopefully, there will still be something for him to do in Daima.

What Happened To Gohan In Dragon Ball Daima?

Gohan's Absence From Dragon Ball Daima Explained

Dragon Ball Daima episode #1 opened with most of Dragon Ball’s principal cast gathered for Trunks’ birthday party, although Gohan was notably absent from the celebrations. When questioned about it, Goku said that Gohan was absent because he was busy studying, and that was the last time he was mentioned in the story, so far. Gohan being busy with studying was also the excuse for why he couldn’t fight in the Tournament of Destroyers, so it seems to be Dragon Ball’s go-to excuse to write Gohan out of the plot.

Another explanation for Gohan’s absence could involve Videl, who’s also conspicuously absent from Dragon Ball Daima. There isn’t an exact timeframe for Gohan and Videl’s relationship, with one of the only concrete elements known being that they were married by Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods, so Gohan’s absence from Dragon Ball Daima could also be because he and Videl are on their honeymoon. Goku didn’t say as much, but he’s infamously bad at keeping track of his friends and family’s personal lives, so it wouldn’t be out of character if Goku simply forgot Gohan got married.

Gohan Could Still Have A Part To Play In Dragon Ball Daima

How Gohan Might Appear In Dragon Ball Daima

Gohan’s absence from Dragon Ball Daima seems simple, but there might be more to it. It’s one thing for Gohan not to be around because he’s studying, but when that excuse was used in the Universe 6 saga, Gohan at least made a few appearances so people could see his reactions to everything. By comparison, it’s incredibly odd for Gohan to not so much as appear in Dragon Ball Daima outside of flashbacks, so Gohan’s complete absence from Dragon Ball Daima could be setting up a secret role for him to play in the story.

While the story will focus primarily on Goku’s travels through the Demon Realm to save Dende and put everyone’s bodies back to normal, another threat might arrive on Earth to take advantage of how weak everyone’s become, and since Gohan will be the strongest person left on Earth, Gohan might have to protect Earth from an additional threat while Goku is in the Demon Realm. That kind of story structure would be a first for Dragon Ball, but it would be an easy way of giving Gohan something to do, so it would be great to see.

Why Gohan’s Absence From Dragon Ball Daima Makes Sense

A Perfect Answer For Gohan's Disappearance

While there are ways for Gohan to have a part in Dragon Ball Daima, at the same time, it’s easy enough to assume that he won’t appear, as well. Gohan’s absence from the first episode and general marketing is odd enough to warrant the idea of there being something to it, but at the same time, it might be that the people in charge simply didn’t feel like including him when they knew he wouldn’t be in the show. Because of that, there might not be anything to Gohan’s absence from Dragon Ball Daima, as disappointing as that might be.

Gohan’s absence from Dragon Ball Daima also makes sense from how he’s been treated since the original manga. While Gohan was originally meant to take over as Dragon Ball’s protagonist, something the early parts of the Buu saga did commit to, at some point, Akira Toriyama decided that Gohan wasn’t fit to be the protagonist, thus forcing Goku to be the hero again in the climax of the arc. Gohan’s lack of relevance over the years stems from Akira Toriyama deciding he didn’t work as a protagonist, and Dragon Ball Daima is the latest example of that.

That sort of treatment of Gohan can also be seen as recently as 2022's Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. According to Dragon Ball producer Akio Ikoyu, Gohan was only given a role in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero because Akio Ikoyu begged Akira Toriyama to put him in the story; Piccolo was originally the sole main character, and even in the finished product, he gets far more focus and development than Gohan. Akira Toriyama lost interest in Gohan a long time ago, and his absence from Dragon Ball Daima could simply be a continuation of that.

Does Dragon Ball Daima Need Gohan To Make Its Story Work?

Dragon Ball Daima Doesn't Even Need Gohan

Gohan’s presence in Dragon Ball Daima is still up in the air, with things leaning toward him not appearing, but that invites the question of whether he needs to appear. Unlike Goku, Gohan has never been an adventurous character, instead always preferring the mundanity of everyday life, which is why he always ends up losing power from neglecting his training. As such, with Dragon Ball Daima being a return to Dragon Ball’s roots as an adventure story, Gohan wouldn’t be the kind of character who could add much to Dragon Ball Daima, which is likely the reason for his absence.

In a meta sense, Gohan also doesn’t need to appear thanks to other recent developments in the franchise. Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero and the Dragon Ball Super manga have already put in the work for Gohan to be a more consistent player in the story thanks to his Beast form, so with that in mind, Dragon Ball Daima doesn’t need Gohan because Dragon Ball is already doing something with his character. Of course, it would still be great for Gohan to appear in Dragon Ball Daima, but for now, it’s unclear if anything like that is on the table.

Source: @Herms98 on X.

Dragon Ball DAIMA is the fifth overall series in the action-adventure anime franchise. It features most of the classic cast members as de-aged versions of themselves, including Goku, Vegeta, and Bulma. The series was announced at NYCC 2023, with creator Akira Toriyama returning to handle DAIMA's run.

Seasons 1

Writers Akira Toriyama