Since his introduction, it seemed as though Gohan has been set up to be Goku’s successor, but one Dragon Ball chapter indicates that’s not the case as there is evidence to suggest that it’s actually Goten who is Goku’s true successor, not Gohan–and Goten’s first ‘fusion’ proves it.
Gohan was introduced at the beginning of the manga series’ Dragon Ball Z era, and right from the start, it was clear he was an absolute beast. In fact, Gohan was instrumental in defeating the villainous Raditz after he was kidnaped by the Saiyan warrior, as he delivered a blow so detrimental, it all but ensured Goku and Piccolo’s victory. From that point on, Gohan only continued to grow in power until he reached his peak during Dragon Ball’s Cell Saga. During that story arc, Gohan became the first Saiyan in the known universe to unlock the power of Super Saiyan 2, and he used that power to obliterate Cell–something not even Vegeta or Future Trunks could do. While Gohan’s exhibitions of power seemingly prove that he is supposed to take over for Goku as the main powerhouse of the franchise, there is one aspect to Gohan’s personality that is decidedly lacking in comparison to his brother, Goten.
In Dragon Ball chapter 437 by Akira Toriyama, all the Z-Fighters have entered into this year’s World Martial Arts Tournament as a fun way to see who among them is the all-time greatest fighter. Unfortunately, Trunks and Goten were excluded from the fun as they were too young to compete in the adult competition despite the fact that their individual power levels are far greater than most human fighters. However, that didn’t stop them from fighting with the grownups as they found a way to sneak into the adult competition. One of the adult fighters–named Mighty Mask–had an outfit that was a full-body robe with a mask that covered his entire head and face, so Goten and Trunks cornered him before the adult matches began, beat him up, and stole his outfit. With Trunks standing on Goten’s shoulders, the two fighters became one and were able to compete in the adult matches.
Goten Shares Goku’s Love of Fighting (& Childhood Antics)
Trunks and Goten, especially in their early years, are famous for their Gotenks Fusion as they will do the Fusion Dance at the drop of a hat whenever a new bad guy comes looking for trouble–most notably in Dragon Ball Super when Trunks and Goten became Gotenks in the hopes that their fusion would be enough to beat Lord Beerus. When the two hid inside Mighty Mask’s costume in this Dragon Ball chapter, they achieved a sort of ‘fusion’ that allowed them to participate in the adult competition as the two children appeared to have become one adult. Aside from this shenanigan being the first unofficial fusion of Goten and Trunks, there is another aspect to it that should be immediately obvious: it is exactly like something Goku would do.
In the early days of Dragon Ball when Goku was still just a kid, he not only looked exactly like Goten, but this chapter proves the two acted the same as well. Goku’s love of fighting put him in all sorts of wacky situations as a kid, and now the same can be said for Goten who only stole Mighty Mask’s costume because he wanted to fight people who would actually be challenging. When Gohan was Goten’s age, he only fought because the world was in danger, not because he wanted to. Goten, on the other hand, had such a huge love of combat that he did something hilariously crazy in a manner that would assuredly make Goku proud (if he wasn’t too busy dealing with Majin Buu to notice)–which is why Goten’s first Dragon Ball ‘fusion’ proves he is Goku’s true successor, not Gohan.