Ever since the beginning of the Majin Buu Saga,Dragon Ball Zhas introduced Son Goten, second son to Son Goku and Chi-Chi, as a potential younger brother figure for Gohan to lead and teach by example. Despite all this, the idea that Son Goten was supposed to have potential isn’t one that many are shy about stating or even constantly remembering. After all, his existence and overall presence after the Majin Buu Saga has been very nonexistent if not downright superfluous to the story ofDragon Ballall on its own. After all, aside from being there alongside Kid Trunks to introduce the concept of Fusion and to briefly fight as Gotenks against Evil Buu, Goten hasn’t had many opportunities to make an impact. This leads to whether or not this character had any real purpose, or if this was a case of just wasted potential that could have been realized with better execution of his character?
Of course, one cannot deny the possibilities that Goten may have had as a character that could have realized his own potential. The young boy was cheerful, albeit seemed to be just a miniature version of Goku back whenGokuused to be a child. Much more outgoing, somewhat competitive but much more kindhearted than most kids his age, he always let himself be dragged along with Kid Trunks' schemes and plans. Nevertheless, the problem orthe issue runs much deeperbeyond just being a character that felt superfluous, but rather how the story used him during the Majin Buu Saga and in the following arcs afterward. Whether for lack of trying, or simply due to the constraints of his character as well as what happened when Gohan took center stage; Son Goten’s lack of screen time or relevance could be due to the wasted potential mentioned earlier.
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Goten’s Beginning Intrigue
Goten’s own intrigue as a character isn’t necessarily that he was meant to be a young version of Goku, or even a simple carbon copy of his father. In fact, there seemed to be this lingering question of Goten’s own identity in the early Dragon Ball Z episodes. Ones that would have managed to provide an interesting, and consistent tone to his character without making him irrelevant or useless to the story as a whole. Of course, the issue then becomes how did Goten become such acharacter that had potential, but the writing didn’t utilize him as properly as intended, or if the writing didn’t execute the purpose of his character much more fluently with the potential that could have been realized.
Goten, by all accounts, doesn’t have a wholly negative reaction from the fans, although many can agree that aside from being a side character or a child-like version of Goku; Goten doesn’t seem to have much purpose in the story other than to remind us that Fusion is a viable technique for going up against strong opponents that Vegeta and Goku can’t go up against alone. Goten did this with Trunks, and despite their failures have managed toperfect the Fusion Dance. This makes them able to turn into Gotenks rather quickly when the time calls for their assistance. However, Goten and Trunks are admittedly not as strong, or even prone to the same kind of training that Goku and Vegeta put themselves towards due to the time of peace, and partially due to their family’s priorities for them. Even so, strength isn’t the only reason why Goten’s potential isn’t fully realized yet, but rather a symptom of it not being realized. One notable reason that could have contributed to Goten’s stagnant progress, is the time of peace from when Goten was born and raised in.
Peace Makes Complacency
Despite the fight against Majin Buu as Gotenks, and eventually even contributing in Dragon Ball Super to holding off Beerus and occasional episodes, Goten doesn’t have much of a presence or reason to train on his own. The young kid after all is being incentivized to have fun with his friend Trunks, and to focus on his studies, not unlike what happened with Gohan when Chi-Chi raised him. However, some might say that Gohan had grown stronger despite his younger years, so why couldn’t Goten do the same? He achieved Super Saiyan at an earlier age than most of his family, so why doesn’t he have much more of a presence? Simply because that in the case of Gohan’s growth, ever since the Saiyan Saga up to the Cell Saga, ithas been a matter of necessityand being put through constant battle and strife that encouraged him to grow stronger and eventually become Earth’s Protector when Goku sacrificed himself.
Goten, on the other hand, was not only born in a time of peace; but raised in it with the expectation that he wouldn’t need to fight any great threats, let alone have the responsibility to do so in the future. Even if Majin Buu arrived, it wasn’t untilhe became threat to the earthwere the Z-Warriors going to use Goten and Trunks as a failsafe. Even then, as soon as Goku and Vegeta took center stage and fused to become Vegeto; Goten needed to be saved from Evil Buu and eventually revived by the Dragon Balls. While his character has been wasted throughout, it’s not because of an inherent problem with the character, but rather because of the lack of usage throughoutDragon Ball.
