During the Tournament of Power, Gohan says something that undoubtedly explains where his Beast Gohan transformation came from in the Super Hero film.

Gohan‘s unexpected but highly celebrated Beast Gohan transformation has been an understandably hot topic among fans ever since it debuted in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. This is partly because the movie did not explain much about this form, and series creator Akira Toriyama has decided to not reveal anything new about it besides what happens in the movie, even if this may change in the upcoming conclusion of the Super Hero Arc in the Dragon Ball Super manga. However, Gohan already appears to have explained where Beast came from and why Goku or even Vegeta will never be able to attain it themselves.

In chapter #39 of Dragon Ball Super, Gohan makes a startling comment when Universe 6 Saiyan Caulifla mocks him for not transforming into a Super Saiyan during the Tournament of Power.

He tells the incredulous Caulifla that he doesn’t transform into a Super Saiyan anymore because he has decided to evolve as a human rather than relying on his Saiyan blood anymore. The comment might seem innocuous at first glance, but after taking a closer look, it might just be the true explanation behind Beast Gohan.

Gohan Beast Is The Result of Gohan Evolving as a Human

This transformation seems to be an evolution of Gohan’s Potential Unleashed form.

Based on Gohan’s confession it would make sense if Beast is a transformation that only a Saiyan/human hybrid can obtain when that particular person has focused on their human genes rather than their Saiyan heritage. For that reason, Goku and Vegeta won’t be able to unlock their own Beast form since they are full-blooded Saiyans. Of course, some fans might point to the fact that Gohan does go Super Saiyan in the Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero film and in the manga adaptation of the movie. However, it’s noteworthy that during the same fight where Gohan goes Super Saiyan, he later switches to Ultimate Gohan for the remainder of the battle, implying that Gohan has evolved past relying solely on his Saiyan abilities.

The concept of Ultimate Gohan actually foreshadows Gohan’s mindset during the Tournament of Power. Although it came as a result of Elder Kai unlocking Gohan’s true potential, Gohan’s Ultimate form is described as him utilizing the power of Super Saiyan 2 without having to deal with the burdens of that particular transformation. In essence, going Ultimate involves Gohan stripping the Saiyan aspect of that transformation, which would have overshadowed his humanity. It’s therefore possible that Beast Gohan could also be considered the next state beyond Ultimate Gohan.

Beast Gohan’s Origin Confirms Vegeta’s First Hypothesis

Regardless, the theory that Beast form is only obtainable by someone with Saiyan and human blood actually relates back to a theory about Gohan’s strength that Vegeta postulated in Dragon Ball. After learning about Gohan’s tremendous power from Raditz’s scouter, Vegeta surmises that Saiyan/human hybrids must naturally be more powerful than Saiyans. Vegeta is so convinced by this idea that he automatically rejects Nappa’s suggestion that they build a new Saiyan kingdom with hybrids because he wouldn’t want to be surrounded by “brats” who are stronger than he is. This now just begs the question if Goku and Vegeta’s other half-Saiyan half-human children Goten and Trunks respectively could also unlock a similar transformation if they choose to embrace their human heritage just like Gohan did in Dragon Ball Super.

The Dragon Ball Super manga is available on Manga Plus and Viz Media.