Gohan's role in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is a somewhat controversial one due to how his character developed in the original anime which the game is based on. Although the game does a good job of portraying him as a more capable and realistic character, he still falls out of relevance in a rather frustrating way just like in the anime. The Cell Saga ends with a pivotal moment in which Gohan surpasses his father, Vegeta, and Future Trunks to attain the Super Saiyan 2 transformation and do battle with Cell, but the battle should honestly have been much shorter and easier for Gohan than it was.
Gohan was the first Saiyan to ever reach Super Saiyan 2 in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, and although the others followed suit after the climactic final battle with Perfect Cell, it was a big deal at the time. This was mostly due to the training method Goku developed for Gohan in which the two stayed in Super Saiyan form for over a full year even while eating and sleeping. Becoming comfortable in the base Super Saiyan form allowed them to surpass it and enter Super Saiyan 2. This is in contrast to Vegeta and Trunks' method of training which pushed the Super Saiyan form to its limits with Super Saiyan Grade two and three.
Super Saiyan 2 Gohan VS. Perfect Cell
Though Gohan was initially losing in his battle with Perfect Cell, the death of Android 16 and the pain dealt to his friends and family by the Cell Jrs pushes him over the edge into Super Saiyan 2. In this form, he effortlessly overpowers Cell, toying with the villain and freeing Android 17 and 18, forcing him to revert back to his imperfect form. This forces Cell's desperation move, in which he self destructs, prompting Goku to take him to King Kai's planet.
When Cell returns, the Zenkai boost gained from his near death experience with Saiyan Cells reverts him to his perfect form and makes him even stronger than he was before. This newfound strength is enough to surpass even Super Saiyan 2 Gohan, and it takes every ounce of Gohan's energy in a father-son kamehameha with assistance from Vegeta in order to finally put down the monster. Still, all of this could have been avoided if not for Gohan's greatest weakness, his arrogance.
Gohan's Arrogance
It is a well known fact that Saiyans are prone to being arrogant, and this fact tends to do them over at the worst of times in serious battles. In the same way that Goku toyed with Frieza and repeatedly gave the evil tyrant second chances, Gohan plays with Perfect Cell. Gohan is clearly more powerful than Perfect Cell, as not just his battle with Cell but his fights with the Cell Jrs makes clear. Each Cell Jr was said to be roughly as powerful as Perfect Cell himself, so it is no surprise that Goku, Vegeta, and Future Trunks didn't stand a chance against a group of them. Still, Super Saiyan 2 Gohan dispatches them with ease, further proving that he could have been rid of Cell much earlier.
Though Gohan's efforts did end up saving Android 17 and 18, he could have finished the fight right then and there. Instead, he let his pride and arrogance get in the way and gave Cell time enact his self destruction. This ultimately resulted in the death of Goku and the return of Cell as Super Perfect Cell, putting the world at far greater risk of destruction than it had previously been. Unfortunately, this wouldn't be the last time that Gohan let his arrogance get in the way of what truly matters to him.
Gohan in the Buu Saga of DBZ: Kakarot
Traditionally, Gohan has always been much more down to earth than the other Saiyans. It is clear that his human blood causes him to think more rationally and care less for fighting than the pure blood Saiyans, and this usually translates into him acting more responsibly than the other Z Warriors. Despite this, it seems like the high of a new power boost is simply too much for even Gohan to handle without getting cocky, as his arrogance after achieving Super Saiyan 2 is recreated later on in the game.
During the Buu Saga as Gohan trains with the kais, he eventually has his power unlocked by the Elder Kai, resulting in the fan favorite Ultimate Gohan form. Ultimate Gohan is incredibly powerful, and is likely the strongest character in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, not counting fused characters. In this form, Gohan is able to dominate Super Buu in a fight, something which even Super Saiyan 3 Goku was unable to do, but he lets the same weakness take hold and this time it does cost not only his own life, but the entire existence of the Earth.
When Gotenks joins back into the fight, Super Buu is able to absorb the fused fighter, assuming the fan named form of Buutenks. After this, Ultimate Gohan is outclassed by Super Buu, and is eventually defeated and absorbed by the monster. Though Vegeta and Goku are eventually able to save the day via the Potara Earrings fusion, it can't be denied that Gohan made the same mistake twice. Even in Dragon Ball Super, as Gohan is training for the Tournament of Power, Piccolo points out that Gohan's greatest weakness is his arrogance. Unfortunately, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot's Super DLC likely won't get that far.
It is clear that Gohan could have defeated Perfect Cell before he achieved his "Super" form, but much of Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot follows this pattern. Cell would never have even attained his perfect form if not for Vegeta's arrogance, Future Trunks' timeline proves that Buu could have been stopped before he even was revived if the Z Fighters took things more seriously. Yet at the same time, this pride and arrogance is what drives the Saiyans to become stronger, so it is really a double edged sword. Either way, Super Saiyan 2 Gohan's battle with Super Perfect Cell is a great moment in the game, and players wishing to replay it can do so with DBZ: Kakarot's time machine.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
