Warning: spoilers for Dragon Ball Super #96!Gohan has finally returned to the fold in Dragon Ball Super, as the formidable Z-Warrior fans know him to be, with his power getting a sizable boost after unlocking his Beast Form, as seen in last year’s Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero movie. Without question one of the strongest heroes around, the latest chapter of the Dragon Ball Super manga shows that for as skilled as Gohan is as a fighter, he has one weakness that could spell doom for him if he doesn’t take care of it soon.
Often criticized for being portrayed as too weak in the earlier parts of Dragon Ball Super’s story, Gohan has slowly yet surely become a force to be reckoned with, made apparent after the Universe Survival Saga and the current manga arc that’s been reimagining and retelling the events of Super Hero. Throwing a teenaged Goten and Trunks into the mix, the manga has just passed the moment where the tables turn on the Red Ribbon army, with Gamma 1 and Gamma 2 finally choosing to side with Gohan and Piccolo. And it’s here, as the final leg of this movie-to-manga adaptation begins, where Gohan’s surprising weakness is revealed: he has terrible eyesight.
Gohan Can’t See Anything Without His Glasses On
Dragon Ball Super chapter #96, titled “Saiyamen, On The Scene!”, by Akira Toriyama and Toyotarou, confirms this completely relatable weakness. Gohan is shown post-battle in his base form talking to fellow Z-Fighters Krillin and Goten, only for him to quite literally have to squint and verbally verify whether they are indeed the people he’s speaking to. Asked by his daughter, Pan, where his glasses went, Gohan casually says he “tossed them aside earlier,” only for him to admit a few moments later that his eyes are “awful” without his glasses. Pointed out by a puzzled Piccolo that Gohan’s eyesight must improve when he transforms, this is news to Gohan as he replies with a stunned and self-conscious “I guess,” showing that Gohan has really inherited his father’s legendary cluelessness.
Gohan’s vision clears when going Super Saiyan, something the manga draws specific attention to, and it’s likely that the same happens when in his Potential Unleashed state, as he fought without glasses while in that form. This is a small but meaningful detail that tells readers in a more subtle way that Gohan is the most “human” of Dragon Ball’s heroes, as most other Z-Warriors have nary a health issue to fret over, notwithstanding Goku’s heart disease seen in the Androids Saga.
Gohan’s Bad Eyesight Makes Him More Relatable
However, Gohan having terrible eyesight is potentially a big problem on the battlefield, as proved during the Majin Buu saga, when he missed the Potara thrown by Goku, thus depriving Dragon Ball fans of the chance to see the strongest Fusion ever. Of course, Gohan could always stick to staying in his transformed state to keep his vision functioning, but this silly, if not somewhat inconsequential weakness makes Gohan more relatable as a hero who is otherwise on his way to becoming perhaps the strongest warrior in Dragon Ball Super.
