Dragon Ball movies, Super Hero picks up from where Dragon Ball Super: Broly left and sees Gohan and Piccolo having to step up as Earth’s protectors. With Goku, Vegeta, and Broly away for training, Super Hero was able to focus on Gohan in a way that hadn’t been done in years – which is why it was the perfect moment to reference one controversial Dragon Ball Z Gohan storyline.
As a story focused on Gohan, it made sense for Super Hero to revisit so many elements from the Cell Saga. By far Gohan’s best Dragon Ball Z moment, the Cell Saga could have been a turning point both for Goku’s son and for Dragon Ball as a whole. With Goku dying following his fight against Cell and Gohan becoming Earth’s most powerful warrior after unlocking the Super Saiyan 2 transformation, the final episodes in the Cell Saga set up Goku’s son to become the saga’s new protagonist. That age of the torch was eventually retconned in the Majin Buu Saga, in which Gohan’s powers and role in the story were reduced.
While it was a good thing that Gohan did not grow up to be a carbon copy of Goku, some creative decisions regarding Gohan during the Majin Buu Saga were controversial – especially the Great Saiyaman storyline. To use his powers to help “the little guy” without revealing himself as a Saiyan, Dragon Ball's Gohan created the Great Saiyaman alias – a traditional superhero persona with a mask and a cape. The Great Saiyaman moments in Dragon Ball Z were mostly played for laughs, which did not quite work considering that Gohan wasn’t given much else to do. Still, as a movie focused on Gohan that played with the concept of superheroes, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero should have at least acknowledged Gohan’s time as the Great Saiyaman. The Gammas believed themselves to be superheroes, which could have been used to create a link between them and Gohan, the former Great Saiyaman.
Why Gohan’s Great Saiyaman Story Didn’t Work In Dragon Ball Z
Gohan’s time as the Great Saiyaman was focused on the comedic side of the character – an approach that has always been part of Dragon Ball. Still, whereas Goku’s stories would often balance humor with action, Gohan’s role in Dragon Ball Z’s Majin Buu Saga was very much restricted to comedy moments, especially in the early episodes. After the Cell Saga saw Gohan unlock Super Saiyan 2 and destroy Cell in one of the best moments of the entire saga, the Great Saiyaman storyline was way too anticlimactic. Still, the Great Saiyaman is part of Gohan’s history – and it could have been at least acknowledged in Super Hero. In fact, once the name of the movie was announced, many believed that Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero would feature Gohan’s superhero persona, which unfortunately did not happen.
As silly as it may have been, Gohan’s time as the Great Saiyaman was a significant part of the character’s journey. Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, like any good Dragon Ball anime series or movie, finds the balance between comedy and action. As such, it could have easily featured the Great Saiyaman as a reference to Dragon Ball’s first official superhero.
