The Epic Failure of Dragon Ball Super Manga's Unforgivable Character Mistake (Fans Outraged!)

Dragon Ball Super has gained a massive fan following, although there is one character that has consistently been mistreated by the franchise. Despite having tremendous potential within the series, Goten has yet to experience a significant moment that truly showcases his abilities.

Goten, the second son of Goku, astonished audiences when he achieved the Super Saiyan transformation at the tender age of seven. The anime introduced a character with even more potential than Gohan. However, Akira Toriyama, the creator of the manga, has failed to do justice to Goten's character until now.

How Goten was treated poorly by Dragon Ball Super manga

Disclaimer: The following article discusses spoilers from the Dragon Ball Super manga. It is advised that readers exercise caution. The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and may differ from individual perspectives.

Upon his debut in Dragon Ball Z, Goten immediately showcased his immense strength by achieving the impressive transformation into a Super Saiyan at the young age of seven. Unfortunately, despite his initial display of power and the exhilarating battle he engaged in against Trunks during the World Martial Arts Tournament, Goten has not yet had the opportunity to truly showcase his abilities.

The franchise only gave him some attention through Gotenks, the fusion of Goten and Trunks via the Fusion Dance. While the character possessed half of Goten's personality, looks, and power, the presence of Trunks hindered Goten's solo character from shining through the fusion.

Gotenks as seen in the Dragon Ball Super anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Additionally, Goten showcased his heroism in certain instances. However, these instances were limited to the movies Broly – Second Coming and Bio-Broly, which deviated from the established canon storyline.

Despite the seemingly dire circumstances, the Dragon Ball Super manga briefly introduced a narrative thread that could have centered around Goten. Nevertheless, this storyline gradually shifted its focus towards the Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero narrative.

The image above shows the characters Goten and Trunks, as depicted in the Dragon Ball Super anime by Toei Animation. Fans of the series will recognize this iconic duo. In the movie, these two characters attempt to fuse together, with less than perfect results, providing a comedic moment for viewers. Unfortunately, the manga did not do justice to Goten's character, despite introducing an interesting storyline.

How fans reacted to Dragon Ball Super's treatment of Goten

Goten's presence in the Dragon Ball franchise left fans disappointed. Despite becoming the youngest Super Saiyan, his strength fell short compared to the increasingly powerful villains who threatened Earth. The highlight of his abilities was his fusion with Trunks as Gotenks, enabling him to hold his own against Super Buu. However, this accomplishment was not solely his, as it required the fusion with another character.

Many fans believed that Goten was added to the series solely for promotional purposes, resembling Kid Goku. For those unaware, after Goku's demise in the battle against Cell, Gohan was intended to take over as the new protagonist. Hence, it has been speculated that Goten was conceived to serve as Gohan's substitute while emulating Goku's appearance. Nevertheless, this decision was later revised.

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Despite this, there were fans who were not concerned about the canonicity of Goten's moments, as they found them to be enjoyable regardless. Although they did not voice any complaints, they still held onto the hope that the series would provide proper development for the character in the future.