The official Dragon Ball website recently shared original artwork by Akira Toriyama from the battle between Super Saiyan Gohan and Perfect Cell. This artwork, originally published in Weekly Shonen Jump in December 1992, comes from Dragon Ball chapter 404. The scene follows Goku’s decision to let Cell regain his strength with a Senzu Bean, so Gohan can fight him as the Earth’s strongest warrior.
Chapter 404 of Dragon Ball is special because Akira Toriyama personally colored every page, unlike most chapters which are black and white. The first two pages are fully colored, depicting Gohan preparing to battle Cell, and the rest of the chapter uses a more limited color scheme. This chapter is also significant because it clearly establishes Gohan as surpassing Goku in strength, making him the strongest character at that point in the story—though he would temporarily lose that title before regaining it during the Majin Buu Saga.
Super Saiyan Gohan Powers Up To Fight Cell In Akira Toriyama’s Original Version Of The Cell Games’ Final Battle
Image via Shueisha
Our pick for the Toriyama Archives on January 8, 2025, is a truly stunning page from the Dragon Ball manga. Beautifully painted with Akira Toriyama’s signature watercolors, the right side of the page captures the reactions of Vegeta, Yamcha, Trunks, Krillin, Piccolo, Android 16, and Super Saiyan Goku as Super Saiyan Gohan casually begins to power up before his fight with Cell. What’s remarkable is that each character reacts differently, and the page is cleverly designed to emphasize Gohan’s power and importance compared to everyone else.
Vegeta is visibly shaken by the immense power hidden within Gohan. Yamcha, Trunks, and Krillin are stunned by his sudden surge of energy, with Gohan’s Ki even blowing Trunks’ hair back. Piccolo is amazed by how much stronger his student has become, and Android 16 attentively observes Gohan’s overwhelming battle strength. Goku, however, simply smiles with pride, his hair blowing in the breeze, receiving a slightly larger focus from the camera. In a striking image, Gohan stands poised to fight Cell, radiating controlled power and calm confidence.
The decision of Goku making Gohan battle Cell remains a debated topic among Dragon Ball Z fans, but Goku clearly believes in Gohan’s power. He’s absolutely certain Gohan is the only one capable of defeating Cell, and he’s proven correct. Even as a Super Saiyan 1, Gohan possessed enough strength to immediately defeat Perfect Cell and was, at that moment, the strongest Super Saiyan in the Dragon Ball series. The artwork from Dragon Ball chapter 404 perfectly captures Gohan’s power, making it an ideal candidate for official coloring by Akira Toriyama.
Not Counting Fusions, Gohan Is The Strongest Character In Dragon Ball Z
The Dragon Ball Z anime made Goku the strongest character by the end of the series. However, in the original Dragon Ball manga by Akira Toriyama, Gohan was actually more powerful – if you don’t consider characters who fused together. After defeating Cell, Gohan starts to lose his edge and isn’t as strong when the Majin Buu Saga begins. He struggles to even reach Super Saiyan 2, and Goku, as a Super Saiyan 3, is clearly more powerful. Some even argue that Vegeta, when he became Majin Vegeta, was stronger than Gohan for a short time.
During the Fusion Saga in Dragon Ball Z, Gohan regained his position as the most powerful character when Old Kai awakened his hidden potential. This unlocked power, known as Ultimate Gohan, made him stronger than anyone else in Dragon Ball, even without transforming into a Super Saiyan. He was so powerful, he could have defeated Super Buu immediately, but he allowed Goten and Trunks to fight him first, hoping they would fuse into Gotenks and have a chance at battling him.
Although Ultimate Gohan ultimately loses to Buutenks, he remains incredibly powerful by the end of Dragon Ball Z. He contributes a massive amount of energy to Goku’s Spirit Bomb, significantly boosting its power, and stays the strongest character throughout the rest of DBZ. While Dragon Ball Super later showed Goku and Vegeta surpassing him, in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, Gohan Beast has reclaimed his position as the strongest of the main characters and is currently their best hope against Black Frieza.
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2026-01-08 22:40