In the current state of Dragon Ball continuity within Dragon Ball Super, Goku and Vegeta are operating on a level akin to cosmic gods in terms of strength, so it is no surprise that their respective children, Gohan and Trunks, arguably haven’t been able to keep up. That being said, even if Goku and Vegeta are stronger than Gohan and Trunks, one would think that their hair would be the last thing that would put them over that proverbial edge–but sure enough, that is exactly what the manga has indicated on more than one occasion.
Goku and Vegeta are full-blooded Saiyans and Gohan and Trunks are half-Saiyans as both of their mothers are humans. While one would think that this would mean their potential to become god-tier powerhouses would be lower than Goku and Vegeta, the mixture of human and Saiyan blood actually makes Gohan and Trunks more likely to get stronger than their fathers. For this reason, Beast Gohan is looked at as the transformation that proves this long-standing belief correct. Similarly, this is why Future Trunks was stronger than Vegeta when the two unlocked their ‘Super’ forms while fighting Cell. While surpassing their fathers is literally in their blood, there is one thing holding both Gohan and Trunks from ever truly having every advantage possible over Goku and Vegeta–and weirdly enough, it’s all because of their hair.
In Dragon Ball chapter 389 by Akira Toriyama, Cell declares war on the Earth by going on live television and saying that he will be holding a martial arts tournament, and if he wins it, he’s going to annihilate the planet–just for fun. In preparation for Cell’s attack against the world, the Z-Fighters had been training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber–which allows them to train for up to two years over the span of just two days. So, when Vegeta and Trunks, and Goku and Gohan were finished training and were watching Cell’s address on T.V., Bulma looked at her son from the future and told him that she would cut his hair since it had grown much longer in the Time Chamber and that could impede his fighting ability. Trunks agrees, indicating that Bulma is right in thinking his long hair would get in his way during a fight, but that isn’t the only indication fans get that long hair is a nuisance–one that Vegeta and Goku don’t ever have to worry about.
Goku & Vegeta’s Hair Never Grows, Giving them a Tactical Advantage Over Gohan & Trunks
While in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber with Gohan, Goku cuts Gohan’s hair as it is getting too long and getting in the way of his training, proving once again that Bulma was right in her assumption that long hair hinders a fighter in battle. This problem is something that Goku and Vegeta never have to concern themselves with. According to Vegeta, Saiyans’ hair grows to a certain length when they’re babies, and then never grows anymore for the rest of their lives. While this seems insignificant, both Gohan and Trunks needing to cut their hair for the sole purpose of increasing their odds of victory over Cell proves that it’s not.
Even if Trunks and Gohan were stronger than their fathers prior to their respective haircuts in this saga and challenged them to a fight, they would be at disadvantage before a single punch was thrown. Goku and Vegeta never have to concern themselves with this particular issue, so they will always be one step ahead of Gohan and Trunks no matter how easily they can just cut their hair since Goku and Vegeta don’t even have to think about it. So, even if Goku and Vegeta’s advantage is insanely miniscule, it is still an advantage nonetheless–one that proves, according to Dragon Ball lore, Trunks and Gohan will never truly surpass them.
