Dragon Ball Super Confirms Goku’s True Heir, & It’s Not Gohan or Goten

Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Dragon Ball Super chapter 103! Goku is one of the most powerful warriors in the entire Dragon Ball Super multiverse, but even he’s admitted that he can’t go on forever. Goku is always excited to train with up-and-coming martial artists in the hopes that one day they will get even stronger than he is, so that they can not only protect the world when he’s gone, but also give him a true challenge. In other words, Goku is looking for a worthy heir, and it seems the latest chapter of Dragon Ball Super just confirmed who it is (and it’s not Gohan or Goten).

In Dragon Ball Super chapter 103 by Akira Toriyama and Toyotarou, Goku is fighting Gohan on Beerus’ planet, gauging the strength of Gohan’s all-new transformation, ‘Gohan Beast’. After some time, Goku is satisfied with what he’s learned from fighting Gohan, and decides to let some of the other warriors on Beerus’ planet have a turn – including Vegeta, Broly, and even Goten and Trunks. When the all-out brawl that ensues finishes up, the Saiyans decide it’s time to go home, back to Earth, where they are scheduled to meet the one person who will presumably surpass them all: Pan.

Goku uses Piccolo’s ki to guide them all back to Earth through Instant Transmission, so when all the Saiyans suddenly appear by Piccolo’s side, he tells them that he’s on his way to pick up Pan from school. Pan, who’s only 3 years old at this point, is initially wary of Goku when she sees him, as she’s barely even met her grandfather before. So, in true Saiyan form, Pan immediately launches an attack on Goku, and while the experienced Saiyan easily blocks it, he’s still noticeably impressed by her tenacity and her strength.

Pan Already Proved She’s a Worthy Successor After Battling Goku’s Earliest Enemies

Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero

When Pan gets abducted by the Red Ribbon Army in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero (which, chronologically, happened right before the events of the latest Dragon Ball Super chapter), she was well-equipped to fight them off herself. It was Piccolo disguised as a Red Ribbon Army soldier who told Pan to pretend to be scared and helpless, so that Gohan would show up and put a stop to what the evil organization was doing.

Once Pan joined the fight, her actions perfectly mirrored those of Goku, who defeated the entire Red Ribbon Army single-handedly when he was a child. In fact, this comparison makes Pan’s actions even more impressive, as she was a lot younger than Goku when he took on the Red Ribbon Army, yet was equally effective in battle against them.

Dragon Ball GT Confirms Pan Has What It Takes to Be an A-List Z-Fighter

The events of Dragon Ball GT take place five years after the final chapter of Dragon Ball Z, which means Pan is roughly ten years old at that time. However, despite being younger than all the other Z-Fighters, Pan still springs into action when the situation calls for it. After a wish is made upon the Black Star Dragon Balls, Goku, Trunks, and Pan have to fly around the universe and find them (as they are scattered across the cosmos, not the Earth) before the entire world blows up, as per the rules of using these alternate Dragon Balls.

During that planet-hopping adventure, Pan fights alien androids called Machine Mutants (including the immensely powerful General Rilldo), a deadly cult known as the Luud Cult whose leader could turn people into dolls (including Pan herself), and she is even instrumental in helping Goku unlock Super Saiyan 4 to defeat Baby. In every way that matters, Pan is the main character of Dragon Ball GT, and her journey to becoming a great warrior like her grandfather is well charted throughout the series.

While Dragon Ball GT did fail Pan’s character by stopping just short of her actually getting the type of character development and power-upgrade she was due (Pan didn’t even get to go Super Saiyan, for instance), it proved that Pan has what it takes to be an A-List Z-Fighter. More than that, GT laid the groundwork for Pan’s evolution in Super. If Dragon Ball Super effectively remakes Dragon Ball GT – which many fans have called for – then it can take the awesome elements of Pan and make them even better by allowing her to officially become Goku’s successor.

DBZ’s ‘End of Z’ is the Only Caveat to Pan Being Goku’s Successor (But It Doesn’t Have To Be)

Based on what was teased in this latest chapter of Dragon Ball Super and what was shown in both Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero and Dragon Ball GT, it seems like Pan being Goku’s heir is a no-brainer. However, the one argument against it would come from the events of ‘End of Z’, which is the final chapter of the Dragon Ball Z era.

During ‘End of Z’, Goku excitedly joins the World Martial Arts Tournament, expecting to meet the reincarnation of Buu’s pure evil side (which Goku destroyed in DBZ). The person Goku is excited to meet is named Uub, who is, indeed, the reincarnation of Buu. Goku fights him in the tournament to gauge his strength, and afterward, Goku decides that he’s going to go off and train with Uub for years in order to shape him into a great warrior. Goku says goodbye to his entire family and all his friends to take on this new pupil – including Pan.

Pan begs Goku not to leave with Uub, but Goku simply says that he’ll be back in the future, and then promptly leaves. Based on the End of Z, it seems Uub is the natural choice for Goku’s heir, not Pan, especially when considering that he quite literally chose Uub over Pan when she begged him to stay. Sure, Goku ends up fighting alongside Pan after Uub’s training is complete in GT, but that doesn’t automatically mean the same will be true in the future of Dragon Ball Super – or, does it?

How Pan Can Become Goku’s True Heir (& How She Already Has)

Dragon Ball Super will inevitably lead into the events of the ‘End of Z’, which means Goku is going to end up training Uub no matter what. However, it’s unclear what will happen after that point. While the series could simply lead into GT, it seems more likely at this point in Dragon Ball Super that it will rewrite its own continuity following the End of Z storyline. However, elements of GT may still be felt in this potential ‘retool’, including Goku’s involvement in Pan’s training.

So far, Pan has already exhibited the traits of a true Saiyan warrior, as she never backs down from a fight and is anxious to become the strongest fighter she can. Pan proved that by beating up Red Ribbon Army soldiers, and joining the World Martial Arts Tournament at the age of 4, and jumping at the chance to travel the cosmos to search for Dragon Balls. In fact, when looking at Pan’s many storylines, fans will notice one very important detail: Pan is the spitting image of Goku.

Goku may train Uub at the end of Dragon Ball Z, but that doesn’t mean Uub is destined to become Goku’s ultimate successor. The same goes for Gohan and Goten, as they might be Goku’s children, but that doesn’t guarantee them that spot either. However, Pan has more than proven herself worthy of claiming the position of Goku’s heir in Dragon Ball canon, and the latest chapter of Dragon Ball Super only highlights that fact, as it may have marked the beginning of an epic mentorship.

Dragon Ball Super chapter 103 is available to read now on VIZ!