Perhaps one of the most disappointing aspects of what was in retrospect, quite the disappointing progression of the Dragon Ball story by Akira Toriyama, the Dragon Ball GT anime and its depiction of Goku's granddaughter Pan was a missed opportunity for various reasons. Despite the character's strong-willed character and general "toughness" reminiscent of her mother in her younger days, Pan in Dragon Ball GT made Pan into a damsel in distress with extra steps. Beyond being from Goku's bloodline, one of the most glaring things about GT and its use of Pan lies in her lack of achievement of a Super Saiyan transformation, among many things.

With the rearrangement of canon brought on by Dragon Ball Super, Pan's character is being remodelled, and given the events of the Super Hero arc, it's possible that the same mistakes won't be repeated. Here's a rundown on the various aspects Dragon Ball Super should improve upon if Pan has any chance of living up to not just her own potential, but the lost potential of both parents.

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Genealogy

As mentioned before, Pan is the granddaughter of Goku born to Gohan and Videl. As a first-generation Saiyan-Human hybrid, Gohan is 50/50, as are Goten and Trunks. Saiyan genes seem to win out over those of humans, as seen in the early character design of Gohan that featured a tail much like the case of Kid Goku; however Toriyama would forget about these tails when it came to Vegeta's son Trunks, and Goku and Chichi's second-born, Goten. On both sides of Pan's family, there is a history of martial arts practice, although her maternal grandfather Hercule Satan would prove to be one of the most inept fighters in the series despite becoming the reigning World Martial Arts Champion while the main gang was saving the world from peril. Videl was a tough fighter herself in her time, having learned the basics of ki control from Gohan as their relationship progressed, while Grandma Chichi was also a strong martial artist in her youth.

Essentially, Pan is the product of multiple generations of martial arts experience on both sides, and Saiyan blood coalescing in a point in time where the existence of Angels, Gods of Destruction and transcendent forms have become accessible to multiple characters. Pan's father, Gohan, is the one character in the main group who was able to surpass Goku multiple times – in his childhood. However, his lack of fighting desire would come to lead Gohan down a different path. Pan is a different story; she has shown boundless potential as a baby, learning how to fly before walking, and in GT, her hot-headed personality makes her itch for a fight. Where Gohan had the potential but not the desire, Pan so clearly has both. This basic difference between them is enough to feasibly turn Pan into the first female Saiyan warrior in Universe 7 since the destruction of Planet Vegeta, one who isn't sidelined, underdeveloped, or used as a device to exhibit the abilities of other characters.

Mentorship

One of the major differences between Pan as she is growing up in Super, and Pan in Dragon Ball GT is the lost years – the time between Dragon Ball Z and GT in which Pan would grow into a child of 11 or 12 years old, is a rather peaceful time and in this universe, Pan has an interest in martial arts but doesn't train so much, relying on the powers of Goku and Vegeta in times of peril. In Super; however, we learn of Pan's existence through Goku's first transformation into a Super Saiyan God, when the unborn Pan counted towards the number of pure-hearted Saiyans required for the ritual. Various powerful threats have emerged since then, and unlike in GT, this Pan has the benefit of a mentor: Piccolo. This development of this relationship is the most crucial facet needed to improve the character's depiction and overall role in the story, with the Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero movie providing Pan much more screen time than ever before.

In that film, we learn that Pan is immensely strong for an Earthling, let alone one who's only three; as she is able to knock out grown men with a single punch, and eventually, re-learn her flying ability. Her training with Piccolo shows that Pan is far more talented than the heap of potential that is her father, which means she could not only be greater than him, but also eliminate one of GT's biggest failures: her lack of a transformation. The last episode of GT features a fight between descendants of Goku and Vegeta, born several generations after Pan herself, with Goku Jr. being her great-great-grandchild (just grandchild in the English dub, although he doesn't know how far back the relation actually goes). Pan's birthdate is said to be Age 779 (about 17 years after Goku's fight against Frieza, for reference), while Goku Jr. was born in Age 880, over 100 years after Pan. This would also mean his Saiyan heritage is largely diluted with human genes, but despite this being the case for both him and Vegeta Jr., the Super Saiyan transformation is still accessible to them.

Future

Super's route for Pan seems promising because of the Super Hero arc, which focuses on her a little more than before, but not quite in the capacity of a protagonist; and despite being only three years old, Pan's character shines through very strongly. The growth arc that she undergoes over the course of the movie is hopefully a sign that the character will continue to train and improve, with her immense confidence and a good mentor, the future is extremely bright for Gohan and Videl's daughter. With the current trajectory of Dragon Ball Super, it may be possible for Pan to ascend in a way that is personal and specific to her character journey, one that we are yet to see but for which we remain hopeful.

MORE: Dragon Ball Super: Are Pan and Piccolo the Next Epic The Z-Fighter Combo?