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- Dragon Ball Sparking Zero’s “What If” arc for Gohan finally gives him the redemption fans have long wanted.
- With Gohan taking on Frieza in his Ultimate form and fighting alongside Trunks in the Zamasu arc, Sparking Zero reimagines him as the hero many hoped for in Dragon Ball Super.
- Dragon Ball Sparking Zero is full of amazing What If scenarios like this, but the biggest drawback is the lack of cutscenes being in the game.
While the same Dragon Ball stories have been retold various times in the video game adaptations over the past couple of decades, Dragon Ball Sparking Zero brings a twist to the formula.
By introducing the What If scenarios, fans can explore new storylines within the game related to each character. These what-if stories diverge from the main canon events of the manga and anime and explore new opportunities that fans have questioned for years.
As such, Gohan is one of the characters with episode battles. Without a doubt, Gohan’s episode battles are one of the best from Sparking Zero, and one specific What If scenario gives him the shine and redemption that the manga never could. It’s so good that many fans, including me, debate if it should have been canon.
The Protagonist We Never Got
When the Dragon Ball Z manga was still airing, author Akira Toriyama was gearing up to transition the protagonist role from Goku to Gohan. This became evident at the end of the cell saga, where Gohan beats up a cell, and Goku dies in the process.
However, Toriyama changed his mind in the Buu saga because of the high fan demand, and Goku remained the lead protagonist. In doing so, Gohan was sidetracked too much for him to even be considered one of the main characters in the following Dragon Ball Super anime.
This became quite hurtful with the return of the Frieza arc, where Gohan couldn’t even stand up against base Frieza form.
As a last-ditch effort, he put all his energy into transforming into base super Saiyan, which almost killed him in the process. It was truly disappointing how unjust Dragon Ball Super was with Gohan.
How Dragon Ball Sparking Zero Redeems Gohan
Most of Sparking Zero’s What Ifs involve completing tasks in a specific time, and the same is the case with Gohan’s fight against the Frieza army in his arc. If you do so, Gohan has a chance against Frieza, and he awakes in his Ultimate form and ends up defeating his golden form as well.
From that point, Gohan continued his training so he could better defend the earth and his family against future potential threats.
However, the best part is that the arc gives Gohan his own shine without him overshadowing Goku and Vegeta or vice versa. Gohan’s arc also alters the Zamasu arc, and honestly, it fits the entire future Trunks theme better.
Considering how Gohan was Trunk’s mentor in the future arc, Zamasu taking over Gohan’s body makes the arc deeper emotionally. This also birthed the first original game character, Gohan Black. With Vegeta and Goku alongside, Gohan accompanies Trunks to the future to fight against Zamasu and Gohan Black.
This also shows that Goku and Vegeta had their Super Saiyan God Blue form, which implies that they had their respective arcs alongside Gohan. Honestly, I’d love to see the original Dragon Ball Super go this route, as it fits the entire theme and narrative better.
Dragon Ball Sparking Zero Is Rich Of What If Moments Like This
Gohan’s What If story is just one of the few storylines in Dragon Ball Sparking Zero. I love how Spike Chunsoft brought the What If concept to life with this game, as fans have wondered about it for years since we first saw the anime.
The most notable What If scenarios from the game might be Goku defeating Raditz without dying, which makes him train and prepare for Vegeta’s arrival. In the same scenario, he becomes a Super Saiyan against Vegeta if you complete certain challenges.
Future Trunks securing a place in the Universe survival arc is also noteworthy mention. In his episode battles, Frieza can also defeat Goku and Vegeta and, in doing so, become the leader of Universe 7 in the universe survival arc.
While I loved these What If storylines, my biggest complaint was the lack of cinematics in the game’s story mode. This ultimately removed the depth and potential of these storylines to be more expressive. I do hope the Dragon Ball franchise somehow adapts these What If moments into an anime or manga.
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[News Reporter]
Shaheer is currently pursuing a Business degree while also working as a part-time Content Writer. With his deep passion for both writing and video games, he has seamlessly transitioned into a role as a Journalist. Over the past two years, Shaheer has contributed as a freelancer to various websites and landed positions on acclaimed platforms like Gamerant. Currently, his role at Tech4gamers is as a Features Writer, but he also covers News occasionally. Shaheer’s favorite gaming franchises are Assassin’s Creed and the God of War series.
Get In Touch: shaheer@tech4gamers.com
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