Gohan is initially trained by his father's former nemesis Piccolo, ultimately becoming one of the strongest characters in the series due to his hidden potential, awakened by his rage.

Akira Toriyama originally aimed Gohan to succeed Goku as the series' protagonist but such idea was scrapped in the manga's final arc.

His return as a protagonist in Super Hero earned a better response for his continuous growth and role as a family man aided by Piccolo.

[2] In conceptualizing for Gohan's character, Toriyama originally included glasses or a jacket to his apparel, and commonly, his hair is spiked up as seen in the final design.

[5] Toriyama said that he wanted the plot to focus on the dynamic between Gohan and Piccolo due to how their close relationship is the one thing that motivates the former even more than his father, Goku, in order to be determined to fight.

[8] Saffron Henderson, Gohan's original English voice actor, has stated she felt protective of the role and considers it to be one of her favorites.

Nozawa, who also voices Goku, revealed that she did not know she would be playing Gohan until receiving the script on the day of recording his debut episode.

Despite having to voice Gohan, Goku, Goten and Bardock, Nozawa claims she is able to instantly get into the respective character simply upon seeing their image.

Henderson believed her experience playing Goku in Dragon Ball made it simple to develop Gohan's voice, though stressed performing as him was "tiring" due to the action of the series requiring louder volumes.

She also remembered scheduling conflicts thanks to her wedding, setting the stage for the studio to audition other voice actors for the part of Gohan, and being disappointed at the role being recast.

[14] In the English dub of Dragon Ball GT produced by Blue Water Studios distributed in Canada, he was voiced by Scott Roberts.

[16][17] The vastness of this potential is shown consistently throughout the series as he ages and learns to master his powers from constant training and battles, the earliest example was during his short fight with Raditz.

Once again awakening his power through immeasurable fury, upon unlocking the so-called "Beast" state (ビースト, Bīsuto), Gohan was completely unaffected by Cell Max's attacks and easily defeated him.

[38] In the upcoming battle, they are unable to defeat Dr. Gero's creations, Gohan enters the Room of Spirit and Time with Goku where they train for 1 year in a single day.

[42] The Gohan of the alternate timeline, referred to as "Future Gohan", to distinguish him from the character's present-timeline incarnation, is presented in the volume #33 sidestory of the original manga, Trunks the Story and its film adaptation Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks, in which he is shown to be the only surviving fighter; the others have all died at the hands of the androids (sans Goku due to having died from a heart virus 6 months prior to the androids' arrival).

Gohan is depicted as having grown weaker, which the Daizenshū World Guide book explains as due to a lack of training and anger in transforming.

[50] Though Goku and Vegeta manage to rescue him along with Goten, Trunks, and Piccolo, he is killed when Buu (now in his pure form) destroys the Earth.

Having witnessed his young daughter Pan's kidnapping, an enraged Gohan is led to the Army's hidden base to confront its leaders, finding himself contending with the new androids, Gamma 1 and 2 alongside Piccolo.

Swiftly retaliating and without hesitation, Gohan unleashes his final attack against Cell Max, assisted by Piccolo, killing the abomination and saving the world.

[102] After regaining his will, he assists his father in defeating Baby, donating his energy[103] and tearfully bids farewell to his former mentor Piccolo as the latter dies alongside the Earth.

[139] In the 2007 game Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai - Another Road, Gohan travels to Trunks' timeline to assist him with the Majin Buu threat.

[157] In the 2018 game Dragon Ball FighterZ, an unconscious Gohan is found by Goku, Piccolo, and Krillin,[158] and after waking up, joins their quest to combat the clones.

"[165] Gohan's relationship with mentor Piccolo during the Saiyan arc was praised,[166] being seen as "complex" and "culminating in a truly emotional and inspiring moment that one doesn't often expect from your average animated series.

[170] The character's battles against Cell during the arc and his transformation into a Super Saiyan 2 were positively received as some of the best in the entire series,[171][172] the fight additionally being praised for its animation.

"[175] Luke Ryan Baldock of The Hollywood News felt Gohan's progression was the focus of the Cell Games and that he had begun to match his father Goku in ability, calling their relationship "a fascinating one to watch unfold.

"[176] Reviewer Nick Hartel expressed that the "continuing elevation of Gohan" pleased him and the last episodes of the Cell storyline "properly sees this is paid off from a narrative standpoint.

Reviewer Michael Zupan wrote of his disappointment with the character, "Gohan was once the most promising warrior in the galaxy, with the potential to even best his father, Goku… and this is where he's at seven years later?

"[179] Anime Focus found humor in his Great Saiyaman guise and his "clumsy but earnest" relationship with Videl, but thought it "mostly uninspired and draggy and feels very flat after the high flying antics of previous arcs.

"[180] Reviewer Brad Stephenson argued that the character growing older and becoming more "emotionally complex" provided Dragon Ball Z "with a true sense of progression and meaning."

[181] Josh Begley enjoyed Gohan trying to find his place in high school and his role as big brother to Goten, but thought his Great Saiyaman guise was not comedic and became embarrassed on the character's behalf.