Let me preface by stating that Gohan (ALL versions) is my favorite Dragon Ball character (besides Piccolo). I believe that he is greater than the sum of his parts. That said, he goes through many dynamic changes throughout the series, and for the sake of length I'm only including arcs that were presented in some shape or form in the original manga (so no anime-only sagas like Garlic Jr., no Super or GT). I'm giving a brief summary on what I like about each version of Gohan, while settling on my favorite. If you like Gohan, feel free to list yours below!
Saiyan Saga
Gohan goes through hell in the Saiyan arc. He goes from being a pampered, sheltered toddler to being kidnapped by an evil uncle, having his father killed, being kidnapped by an evil-ish green man, and then is subjected to living and training in the wilderness for nearly a year. Obviously the anime adds a LOT to this development, as we actually see Gohan surviving on his own, learning (more) about loss, helping others, and having to make the decision to run back home where it's safe, or continue training for the Saiyans. There's his bonding with Piccolo, and despite his fear, he comes through in the end in reflecting the Spirit Bomb back at Vegeta. I love this stage of Gohan and how complete his arc is here. Toriyama brilliantly makes him the polar opposite of Goku in all except for kindness and purity. The rage boosts make for some of the sagas most thrilling, fist-bump inducing moments. Yet Gohan is still a scared little kid once the Saiyans arrive, another aspect of the writing I loved since he's only 5 at that point.
Namek/Ginyu/Frieza Saga
This Gohan has come out of a terrible battle with the Saiyans all the stronger. It is his determination to bring his mentor Piccolo back to life that spurs him on, especially since he in part feels responsible for his death since Piccolo sacrificed himself for him. While Gohan still feels fear against the likes of Vegeta, the Ginyu Force, and Frieza, he doesn't hesitate to jump into action. Save for perhaps Future Gohan, this stage of Gohan is the most soldier-like of them all. Once again, unlike Goku, he's not fighting for love of the fight, but primarily for his loved ones (the first full saga where Goku fought for his loved ones over his love of the fight was the King Piccolo saga). While it is uncomfortable seeing Recoome breaking a 5-6-year-old's neck, Gohan's valiance here is a character-defining moment. He knows he stands no chance, knows that he's going to his death, but he fights anyway because he knows it's what his Piccolo and Goku would do.
Original Future
Future Gohan has the most similarities to Gohan of the Namek/Ginyu/Frieza arcs. He no longer has his father (although frankly much of his fighting was done waiting for his father to arrive to the battlefield), nor the rest of his family or friends, save for Bulma. He's a mentor to her son, Trunks, with all his limited knowledge and strength. Despite not being anywhere close to the strongest version of Gohan, and even knowing the odds are heavily stacked against him, he follows the example of his father(s), even fighting one-armed against the androids. Again, like Namek saga Gohan before him, Future Gohan is a soldier through and through.
Android/Cell Saga
SSJ Full Power
Here I'm talking about the main stages of Gohan people remember from this point. So, a big draw of SSJ Full Power Gohan for me is the full Piccolo attire, down to the cape. But the other aspect of him I love is his calm. It truly feels like the (somewhat tense) calm before the storm; unfortunately, as powerful as Gohan is in this form (already having surpassed Goku), it was only meant to serve as a stepping stone to the rage-fueled SSJ2. Gohan doesn't have his father's fighting spirit, but if he did, one can only imagine how epic SSJ Full Power Gohan vs Cell could have been, even though SSJ2 was needed to ultimately defeat Cell. Gohan's pacifist nature here is a bit annoying, but it's in-line with who his character would be if he never had to fight, and I suppose his training in the RoSaT made him realize that.
SSJ2
Easily the point in Gohan's arc that the most has been said about. I'll just say that in addition to looking cool, it was great to see Gohan really cut loose on his enemies. That said, he was a bit too bloodthirsty for me, and unfortunately fooled around with Cell too long, leading to Goku sacrificing himself and Cell coming back more powerful than before. As evidenced during the beam struggle, despite being the most powerful to-date, Gohan here is probably the least sure of his actions that he's been since the Saiyan saga. For all this form's display of power, the fight of Gohan vs. Cell isn't very dynamic apart from the beam struggle. Despite that, this stage of Gohan still feels like one of the most powerful characters in all of Dragon Ball, despite characters in GT and Super being many times stronger.
Great Saiyaman/World Tournament/Babidi Saga
Seven peace-filled years after Cell's demise, we find a Gohan who has not been training, and thus is not as strong as he was against Cell. I LOVE this version of Gohan. Whether people like it or not, the Gohan presented here is truly who Gohan is, without having to fight threats to the Earth. He's still pure, kindhearted, and is goofy, which makes sense considering he's 16 and hasn't grown up around any kids his age, nor has he had anything resembling a normal childhood. He's also essentially the man of the house and is now a big brother. Gohan's Great Saiyaman antics were the first time he really got to fight independent of the influence of Piccolo or his father (or any of the Z Fighters), and the whole thing feels very much like Peter Parker/Spider-Man, which I relish. Gohan's interactions with his classmates were also fun to see. I'm not sure I would've wanted this to remain the template for Dragon Ball, but I loved this rare glimpse at a peaceful time and what it meant for Gohan. It was also a joy seeing him training Goten, and later, Videl.
Eventually we have Gohan's fight vs. Dabura, who is said to be around the same or stronger than Super Perfect Cell. The point is, Gohan is rusty. While many fans (including Gohan diehards) lament this, I love this arc for Gohan, simply because it's relatable. Many people at some point in their lives find themselves being (in some ways) a shell of their former selves. Sometimes, you have to dig deep to find that part of yourself that you thought no longer existed. I always loved the moment right before Goku's fight with Majin Vegeta, where he tells Gohan to remember how it was when he fought against Cell, telling him that power is still within him, or something of that nature.
Buu Saga
Potential Unleashed
Gohan at this point made a huge impression on me when I first watched these episodes in the anime as a kid. It was striking seeing Gohan wearing Goku's gi again, and his eyes were sharper. The sight of Gohan walking boldly toward Buu, much akin to Goku walking toward Nappa, was stunning. I'll never forget my first time witnessing the beatdown and the trash talk Gohan delivered to Super Buu. However, the downfall of this stage of Gohan was the same cockiness and lack of urgency that was present with SSJ2 Cell Saga Gohan...which makes me doubt that he possessed true confidence. Rather, he was overly sure of himself because he knew Super Buu was no match for his power going into the fight. Unfortunately, when Gohan dwarfs an opponent in power, it goes to his head, and that combined with his lack in battle sense resulted in his failure here. Add to that the underwhelming way Gohan unlocked his hidden potential, leaving this stage of Gohan as a bit of a mixed bag.
Despite my ranking below, I'm a fan of all versions of Gohan. All of them touch on different aspects of the character; it's just that the ones I have at the top represent what I love most about him, and the ones near the bottom are the aspects I love the least. My love for Gohan doesn't necessarily correlate to how powerful he is or isn't.
Favorite to Least Favorite:
1. Namek/Ginyu/Frieza Saga
2. Saiyan Saga
3. Great Saiyaman/World Tournament/Babidi Saga
4. Original Future
5. SSJ Full Power (Cell Saga)
6. SSJ2 (Cell Saga)
7. Potential Unleashed (Buu Saga)
Saiyan Saga
Gohan goes through hell in the Saiyan arc. He goes from being a pampered, sheltered toddler to being kidnapped by an evil uncle, having his father killed, being kidnapped by an evil-ish green man, and then is subjected to living and training in the wilderness for nearly a year. Obviously the anime adds a LOT to this development, as we actually see Gohan surviving on his own, learning (more) about loss, helping others, and having to make the decision to run back home where it's safe, or continue training for the Saiyans. There's his bonding with Piccolo, and despite his fear, he comes through in the end in reflecting the Spirit Bomb back at Vegeta. I love this stage of Gohan and how complete his arc is here. Toriyama brilliantly makes him the polar opposite of Goku in all except for kindness and purity. The rage boosts make for some of the sagas most thrilling, fist-bump inducing moments. Yet Gohan is still a scared little kid once the Saiyans arrive, another aspect of the writing I loved since he's only 5 at that point.
Namek/Ginyu/Frieza Saga
This Gohan has come out of a terrible battle with the Saiyans all the stronger. It is his determination to bring his mentor Piccolo back to life that spurs him on, especially since he in part feels responsible for his death since Piccolo sacrificed himself for him. While Gohan still feels fear against the likes of Vegeta, the Ginyu Force, and Frieza, he doesn't hesitate to jump into action. Save for perhaps Future Gohan, this stage of Gohan is the most soldier-like of them all. Once again, unlike Goku, he's not fighting for love of the fight, but primarily for his loved ones (the first full saga where Goku fought for his loved ones over his love of the fight was the King Piccolo saga). While it is uncomfortable seeing Recoome breaking a 5-6-year-old's neck, Gohan's valiance here is a character-defining moment. He knows he stands no chance, knows that he's going to his death, but he fights anyway because he knows it's what his Piccolo and Goku would do.
Original Future
Future Gohan has the most similarities to Gohan of the Namek/Ginyu/Frieza arcs. He no longer has his father (although frankly much of his fighting was done waiting for his father to arrive to the battlefield), nor the rest of his family or friends, save for Bulma. He's a mentor to her son, Trunks, with all his limited knowledge and strength. Despite not being anywhere close to the strongest version of Gohan, and even knowing the odds are heavily stacked against him, he follows the example of his father(s), even fighting one-armed against the androids. Again, like Namek saga Gohan before him, Future Gohan is a soldier through and through.
Android/Cell Saga
SSJ Full Power
Here I'm talking about the main stages of Gohan people remember from this point. So, a big draw of SSJ Full Power Gohan for me is the full Piccolo attire, down to the cape. But the other aspect of him I love is his calm. It truly feels like the (somewhat tense) calm before the storm; unfortunately, as powerful as Gohan is in this form (already having surpassed Goku), it was only meant to serve as a stepping stone to the rage-fueled SSJ2. Gohan doesn't have his father's fighting spirit, but if he did, one can only imagine how epic SSJ Full Power Gohan vs Cell could have been, even though SSJ2 was needed to ultimately defeat Cell. Gohan's pacifist nature here is a bit annoying, but it's in-line with who his character would be if he never had to fight, and I suppose his training in the RoSaT made him realize that.
SSJ2
Easily the point in Gohan's arc that the most has been said about. I'll just say that in addition to looking cool, it was great to see Gohan really cut loose on his enemies. That said, he was a bit too bloodthirsty for me, and unfortunately fooled around with Cell too long, leading to Goku sacrificing himself and Cell coming back more powerful than before. As evidenced during the beam struggle, despite being the most powerful to-date, Gohan here is probably the least sure of his actions that he's been since the Saiyan saga. For all this form's display of power, the fight of Gohan vs. Cell isn't very dynamic apart from the beam struggle. Despite that, this stage of Gohan still feels like one of the most powerful characters in all of Dragon Ball, despite characters in GT and Super being many times stronger.
Great Saiyaman/World Tournament/Babidi Saga
Seven peace-filled years after Cell's demise, we find a Gohan who has not been training, and thus is not as strong as he was against Cell. I LOVE this version of Gohan. Whether people like it or not, the Gohan presented here is truly who Gohan is, without having to fight threats to the Earth. He's still pure, kindhearted, and is goofy, which makes sense considering he's 16 and hasn't grown up around any kids his age, nor has he had anything resembling a normal childhood. He's also essentially the man of the house and is now a big brother. Gohan's Great Saiyaman antics were the first time he really got to fight independent of the influence of Piccolo or his father (or any of the Z Fighters), and the whole thing feels very much like Peter Parker/Spider-Man, which I relish. Gohan's interactions with his classmates were also fun to see. I'm not sure I would've wanted this to remain the template for Dragon Ball, but I loved this rare glimpse at a peaceful time and what it meant for Gohan. It was also a joy seeing him training Goten, and later, Videl.
Eventually we have Gohan's fight vs. Dabura, who is said to be around the same or stronger than Super Perfect Cell. The point is, Gohan is rusty. While many fans (including Gohan diehards) lament this, I love this arc for Gohan, simply because it's relatable. Many people at some point in their lives find themselves being (in some ways) a shell of their former selves. Sometimes, you have to dig deep to find that part of yourself that you thought no longer existed. I always loved the moment right before Goku's fight with Majin Vegeta, where he tells Gohan to remember how it was when he fought against Cell, telling him that power is still within him, or something of that nature.
Buu Saga
Potential Unleashed
Gohan at this point made a huge impression on me when I first watched these episodes in the anime as a kid. It was striking seeing Gohan wearing Goku's gi again, and his eyes were sharper. The sight of Gohan walking boldly toward Buu, much akin to Goku walking toward Nappa, was stunning. I'll never forget my first time witnessing the beatdown and the trash talk Gohan delivered to Super Buu. However, the downfall of this stage of Gohan was the same cockiness and lack of urgency that was present with SSJ2 Cell Saga Gohan...which makes me doubt that he possessed true confidence. Rather, he was overly sure of himself because he knew Super Buu was no match for his power going into the fight. Unfortunately, when Gohan dwarfs an opponent in power, it goes to his head, and that combined with his lack in battle sense resulted in his failure here. Add to that the underwhelming way Gohan unlocked his hidden potential, leaving this stage of Gohan as a bit of a mixed bag.
Despite my ranking below, I'm a fan of all versions of Gohan. All of them touch on different aspects of the character; it's just that the ones I have at the top represent what I love most about him, and the ones near the bottom are the aspects I love the least. My love for Gohan doesn't necessarily correlate to how powerful he is or isn't.
Favorite to Least Favorite:
1. Namek/Ginyu/Frieza Saga
2. Saiyan Saga
3. Great Saiyaman/World Tournament/Babidi Saga
4. Original Future
5. SSJ Full Power (Cell Saga)
6. SSJ2 (Cell Saga)
7. Potential Unleashed (Buu Saga)