Prior to the release of Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, publisher Bandai Namco Entertainment stated that the game would further explain Gohan’s iconic Super Saiyan 2 transformation. This initially seemed strange to many, as the apparent cause in the anime was his anger resulting from Android 16’s death, but it confirmed that it would go deeped into Gohan’s feelings and why he felt that anger. After all, Android 16 and Gohan were close but not Goku-Krillin close (with the latter’s death being the prime motivation for Goku’s initial Super Saiyan transformation).
And the way that Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot handles this change is slight, but to put it simply, the initial transformation in the anime was proceeded by broad sentiments. In the game, it is much more pointed and direct, almost as if Android 16 is directly telling Gohan to become a Super Saiyan 2. NOTE: This article contains MINOR SPOILERS for DBZ: Kakarot.
Initially, Gohan is tasked with gathering Memorite to help Bulma and her father fix Android 16, which leads to the two character’s first bonding moment in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot. Android 16 asks Gohan to accompany him out to the woods where they bond over their love for animals and then Gohan must defeat some Poacher Bots. During this fight, Android 16 gauges Gohan’s strength before making the prediction that Gohan will be the deciding factor in the Cell Games.
It’s clear in both the games and the anime that Android 16 loves life, and after this encounter in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, Gohan questions how he and Android 16 are alike. This moment of reflection is brief, but in terms of narrative, it goes a long way. It clearly outlines that Android 16 and Gohan are essentially two sides of the same coin: powerful fighters who hate fighting, stronger DBZ: Kakarot characters who loathe conflict. After all, Android 16 mentions that his prime directive is to kill Goku but never follows through with it because he hates conflict.
This somewhat foreshadows how Gohan will stop fighting Cell after clearly besting him in a standard Super Saiyan form to ask Cell to stop this madness; despite it being his “destiny” and main goal, Gohan doesn’t want to kill Cell akin to how Android 16 doesn’t really want to kill Goku. It’s a nice duality that is made more prominent in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot than it was the anime, and one that does nicely foreshadow how Gohan eventually moves away from being a fighter to becoming a scholar. This is even later reflected after his defeat of Cell, as his questions his role and what to do now that Goku is no longer around to defend earth.
When Gohan does stop the fight with Perfect Cell, which leads to the creation of the Cell Jrs., there are two characters who clearly expected more of Gohan than he wanted. First, it’s clear that Goku expected too much as Cell tries to crush Gohan, as he wants to give Gohan more time, but Piccolo points out that he’s not a fighter like him. He points out that, in this moment, Gohan is probably wondering why his father isn’t saving him, not getting angry. For many, this one of those moments that could be cited to indicate that Goku is a bad dad, but he did have faith in Gohan, just perhaps too much.
Secondly, as Android 16 prepares to take out Cell with his explosion (that he can’t because the bomb was removed), Android 16 apologizes for getting Gohan involved. Like Goku, Android 16 realizes that it’s not in Gohan’s nature, and as such, pushing him to think he was the sole figure in this fight was too much for him. Of course, Gohan has the power within him, but he doesn’t have the resolve of his father or the justification of Android 16…just yet.
After Android 16 is blown to pieces and his head is rolled before Gohan, the message is incredibly similar to that of the anime. However, it is more pointed. Android 16 speaks broadly in the anime, simply implying they are similar and that it’s okay, and in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, he begins the same. He tells Gohan that “it is not a sin to fight for what is right,” but then gives him further motivation.
In a line perhaps more befitting a Dark Lord of the Sith, Android 16 tells Gohan to “give into your anger, let it flow through you.” He then reiterates his love for the plants and animals and then directly asks Gohan to protect them. He also re-emphasizes the aforementioned expectation by telling Gohan that he’s counting on him. After Cell then crushes Android 16’s head, Gohan’s anger begins to surge and he achieves the Super Saiyan 2 transformation in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot.
Essentially, there is more build-up and context to the transformation in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot than the anime. Whereas the anime had to mostly be deduced about details regarding the two characters, the game makes it more of a point to reflect Gohan in Android 16, therefore making the connection all the stronger. On the other hand, though, the change is really slight. It’s possible fans play through this segment without realizing the changes—outside the original content, that is— and not give it much thought. That doesn’t mean it’s any less to the point, though, as Gohan achieves the moment fans of the franchise are waiting for, as he moves forward with ending fight with Cell via Goku and Gohan’s Father-Son Kamehameha.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is out now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
