Few anime series are as iconic as Dragon Ball Z. Based on Akira Toriyama's masterpiece manga, the adaptation played a large role in delivering anime outside of Japan in the late '90s and early 2000s, and catapulted the series to mainstream success in the West. Goku has become one of anime's most recognizable characters in the years that have followed, but very few outside the franchise's hardcore fandom know that the Saiyan was once meant to give up his title as the series' protagonist.

Viewing the Dragon Ball Z portion of the series from a different lens, the journey from the Saiyan Saga to the Cell Saga can be construed as the story of Gohan, Goku's half-Saiyan son introduced in the anime's very first episode. Given Goku's absence for long stretches of the series, the focus often shifted onto Gohan and his struggles with being a gentlehearted kid with a raging temper.

This story line came to a head during the Android/Cell Saga, when, thanks to his Saiyan genetics, Gohan became the strongest of Earth's defenders, despite not taking much pleasure in fighting. The epic transformation and climactic battle which followed need no introduction, and led to what is arguably Dragon Ball Z's greatest scene, even if Toriyama decided not to stick with its original purpose.

The Father-Son Kamehameha Is Dragon Ball at Its Best

The Cell Saga's Climax Was a Unique Moment in Akira Toriyama's Writing

Dragon Ball, despite toying with some deeply human themes throughout the series, is a relatively straightforward story that follows a tight, successful structure. In its simplest form, an enemy arrives that is stronger than anyone that's come before. Goku, through sheer determination, hard work, and sometimes a flashy transformation, winds up victorious. Sprinkled on top are masterful subplots, like the protagonist's own struggle between his human and Saiyan nature on Namek, or many of the time travel shenanigans of the Android Saga.

The Cell Saga is somewhat unique in of Akira Toriyama's typical writing choices, and that is demonstrated in the climactic Father-Son Kamehameha, which puts the arc to bed. Packed with intense emotional weight and symbolism the story has utilized before, though sparsely, the moment was intended to wrap up a story line which was hundreds of episodes and chapters in the making.

Gohan, struggling with his usual self-doubt and insecurity, stood across from the monstrous Cell, ready to accept defeat. However, one final time, Goku stands behind him, offering and talking his son through the most difficult battle of his life. Goku's sacrifice and his subsequent call to Gohan from the Otherworld makes for one of Dragon Ball Z's most memorable moments, and was initially meant to visualize the ing of the torch from father to son.

Goku Was Meant to the Torch to Gohan During the Cell Saga

The Final Kamehameha Was Supposed to Signal Gohan's Inheritance of the Main Character Role

Some fans of the series still have some confusion regarding the Father-Son Kamehameha. Goku was not physically there, nor was he offering his Ki for assistance. In of the Kamehameha itself, Goku contributed not an ounce of help to the attack. His presence in the iconic shot is strictly symbolic, meant to showcase what Gohan inherited from his father, and the fighting spirit that lives on through him. The moment was initially meant to be a ing of the torch, as Gohan would replace Goku as Earth's greatest hero and main character of the series.

Much of the Cell Saga was building up to this eventual payoff, starting from the moment Goku and Gohan entered the Room of Spirit and Time together. Initially, the series' leading Saiyan entered the room with the sole goal of suring Super Saiyan, much the same way Vegeta did, but that changed while he spent time training with his son. Finally noticing the immense potential Gohan had, Goku's goal shifted to secretly preparing his son to fight Cell in his stead.

That epic and lengthy battle with Cell would result in the only major victory throughout all of Dragon Ball to be scored by any member of the cast besides Goku. From that final Father-Son Kamehameha going forward, Gohan was supposed to take up the role as the series' protagonist. Goku remaining in the Otherworld only reinforced that idea, but Akira Toriyama decided to take his story in another direction, ultimately walking back on the series' defining moment to that point.

Gohan's Time as the Protagonist Was Short-Lived

Goku Swiftly Reclaimed His Role During the Buu Saga

What makes the Father-Son Kamehameha such an incredible moment is largely the fact that Akira Toriyama hadn't written something so heavily symbolic and daring before. The decision to age Goku earlier in the series was undeniably ambitious, and worked extraordinarily well in the grand scheme of Dragon Ball. Yet it was nowhere near as extreme as killing off his protagonist and replacing him entirely. It was because Toriyama wasn't fully comfortable with the decision that he walked back on it later down the line.

In a 1995 interview following the conclusion of the long-running Dragon Ball manga, Toriyama said, "I intended to put Gohan in the leading role, it didn't work out. I felt that compared to Goku, he was ultimately not suited for the part." The legendary artist didn't elaborate much further on why exactly he felt that way, though it can be presumed that, because the story line was so unique in the context of Dragon Ball, he might not have been prepared to continue ahead without the series' most important piece.

Despite the moment not actually leading to Gohan's inheritance of the main hero role, the Father-Son Kamehameha is still arguably Dragon Ball Z's finest moment. Scenes like Vegeta's sacrifice or Goku's final blow against Frieza are undoubtedly close competitors, though neither quite offer payouts like Gohan's climactic victory over Cell. Luckily for fans of Gohan, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero revisited the Cell Saga, and once again returned the hybrid Saiyan to glory, while the Dragon Ball Super manga, whenever it resumes, will likely keep Gohan in a starring role moving forward.

Source: Dragon Ball Daizenshuu 2 (translation by Kanzensuu)