Ultimate

When Gohan first activated his Ultimate state on the Sacred World of the Kai, the sheer force of his transformation split the clouds above and sent tremors across the entire realm. Even Goku, fresh from demonstrating Super Saiyan 3, was left speechless by the depth of power radiating from his son. Old Kai confirmed what everyone could sense: Gohan had become so strong in his natural state that conventional Super Saiyan transformations were no longer necessary.

The form's combat debut against Super Buu demonstrated its overwhelming superiority. Gohan dominated the fight with casual ease, landing devastating combinations while Super Buu could barely touch him. The Majin creature, who had previously terrorized the entire planet, was reduced to a punching bag. In desperation, Super Buu detonated his own body in an attempt to destroy Gohan, but the Ultimate warrior escaped the explosion while simultaneously protecting Piccolo, Goten, and Trunks.

Super Buu's eventual absorption of Gotenks and Piccolo brought him to a level roughly equal to Ultimate Gohan. Even then, it was Piccolo's tactical intelligence funneled through Buu that allowed the villain to gain an advantage through psychological manipulation rather than raw strength. When Buu later absorbed Gohan himself, the villain reveled in the fact that Ultimate power had no time limit, unlike the fused Gotenks form that would eventually separate.

Decline and Reawakening

The form's greatest weakness revealed itself during Dragon Ball Super. Years of neglecting his training in favor of scholarly pursuits left Gohan unable to access Ultimate at all. During Frieza's invasion of Earth, Gohan was forced to rely on his basic Super Saiyan form, which placed enormous strain on his deconditioned body. This represented a dramatic fall from the warrior who had once surpassed Super Saiyan 3 Goku.

Piccolo undertook the task of retraining Gohan, pushing him through grueling sparring sessions that gradually rebuilt his fighting edge. The breakthrough came during their final preparation before the Tournament of Power. Piccolo pressured Gohan so intensely that the half-Saiyan's dormant warrior spirit reignited, and the Ultimate form flooded back in full force. The difference was immediate and stark. Where Super Saiyan 2 Gohan had been losing to Piccolo moments earlier, Ultimate Gohan swiftly turned the tables, even handling multiple Piccolo clones simultaneously.

Throughout Dragon Ball Super, the Ultimate form's position in the power hierarchy became more clearly defined. In a training bout against Goku, Ultimate Gohan at his initial output proved roughly comparable to Super Saiyan 2 Goku. When both fighters escalated, with Goku entering Super Saiyan Blue and Gohan channeling the full extent of his Ultimate power, Gohan was able to hold his ground in a competitive exchange. It took Goku stacking the Kaio-ken technique on top of Super Saiyan Blue to put Gohan down with a single decisive blow.

During the Tournament of Power itself, Gohan used Ultimate as his primary fighting state. In the anime, he defeated Obni and traded blows with Final Form Frieza in a staged confrontation designed to lure Frost into a trap. The manga depicted Gohan fighting evenly with Super Saiyan Kefla, the potara fusion of Caulifla and Kale, with Krillin speculating that Gohan could potentially surpass even Perfected Super Saiyan Blue Goku with dedicated training.

The form proved to be a foundation rather than a ceiling. Gohan declared during his spar with Goku that he would not combine Super Saiyan with Ultimate, as he was pursuing his own unique path of evolution distinct from the Saiyan god transformations. In the manga, he explicitly stated his intention to grow stronger through his human side rather than his Saiyan heritage. This philosophy culminated in the Beast transformation during the Super Hero film, an entirely new evolutionary branch that built upon Ultimate as its base while channeling Gohan's deepest reserves of protective rage.

Piccolo also achieved his own version of the form, referred to as Power Awakening. His Potential Unleashed state featured distinct visual characteristics, including a yellowish body hue and golden aura. This form was itself surpassed by Orange Piccolo, a transformation triggered by a hidden gift from Shenron that pushed Piccolo beyond his previous limits and allowed him to compete with the enhanced Gamma androids.