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What exactly is Mystic Gohan in Dragon Ball? Explained

Dragon Ball fans often ask what Mystic Gohan exactly is, since is one of the most peculiar transformations and/or power-ups in the history of the franchise. That is because it was initially introduced as a way for Gohan to not rely on Super Saiyan anymore, but future installments of the franchise have made the nature of this even more confusing.

However, when considering the source material, Mystic Gohan, officially known as Ultimate Gohan, is a state that the character reaches thanks to a ritual made by the Old Kai, and allows the reach of the full potential of the user as a fighter. Without considering Majin Buu's absorptions and fusions such as Vegito, this version of Gokun's son was the most powerful character at the end of the original Dragon Ball manga, which has led to some debates online.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the series. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author and not Sportskeeda as a publication.


Mystic/Ultimate Gohan in Dragon Ball, explained

Ultimate Gohan as seen in the Daima anime flashback (Image via Toei Animation)
Ultimate Gohan as seen in the Daima anime flashback (Image via Toei Animation)

As mentioned earlier, Gohan reached this state during the Buu Saga when going through a ritual made by the Elder Kai. Gohan had to sit and the powerful Kai danced around him for several hours to unlock his full potential, to the point that he didn't need to use Super Saiyan anymore.

One of the most notorious traits of this ability is that Gohan's hair remains black but a bit spiked, and is covered in a white aura of ki. While this ritual allows him to reach the full potential of his fighting abilities, he has to keep up training to maintain this form, as evidenced by the events of the Super sequel.

When it comes to Super, that installment has revealed that he still can become a lot more powerful, as stated by Piccolo prior to the Tournament of Power.

This makes sense when considering that Gohan had his potential unlocked as a kid in Namek by the Elder Guru and the Elder Kai did as well, which means that it depends on the person's development and growth. There have been theories that his Beast form is the result of this ritual, implying that he has God Ki now.


Why Mystic Gohan is stronger than Super Saiyan Gohan

Ultimate Gohan beating Super Buu in the Daima anime flashback (Image via Toei Animation)
Ultimate Gohan beating Super Buu in the Daima anime flashback (Image via Toei Animation)

Dragon Ball fans wanted to know what Mystic Gohan is because they wanted to understand if this form is stronger than Super Saiyan. It is because this version of the character managed to make quick work of Super Buu, who was already more powerful than Super Saiyan 3 Goku, and widely stronger than lower versions of that transformation.

There have been some questions about whether Gohan could become even stronger by using Super Saiyan while executing this Ultimate state. This was shown in the original Battle of Gods film, with him using Super Saiyan over the Mystic form when fighting Beerus, although future versions of this movie have removed this sequence and have him only using the unlocked potential form.


Final thoughts

"What exactly is Mystic Gohan?" is a question that many Dragon Ball fans have because of the way this form has evolved throughout the years with the expansion of the lore. It remains one of the most iconic forms in the series, and one of the highlights of the character's journey in the story.


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