Super Saiyan 4 transformation with a stylish new design, Daima proved itself a worthwhile addition to Dragon Ball's lore. The anime also brought a sizable cast to the Demon Realm, allowing a number of characters some room to shine in their own unique roles.

However, one fan-favorite fighter was notably missing from action. While Vegeta showed off his never-before-seen Super Saiyan 3, and Goku ascended to the new-look Super Saiyan 4, Gohan was nowhere to be seen. The series' most popular and powerful half-Saiyan only recently rose to his former glory in 2022's Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, which saw him attain an all-new form entirely unique to him before he defeated Cell Max. Unfortunately, it seems Daima wasn't on board with Gohan's comeback, but not without reason.

Gohan Was Missing From Dragon Ball Daima, But Not Without Reason

Post Buu Saga Is When Gohan Began His Downfall

Gohan has had a somewhat complicated history throughout his time in Dragon Ball. Upon arrival in the Saiyan Saga, the young son of Goku becomes a focal point of the series, and his time training with Piccolo and with Krillin on Namek seemed to shift the narrative of Akira Toriyama's original story. It's arguable that the Dragon Ball Z portion of the series is Gohan's story more than anyone else's, and he finally adopted the role of Earth's savior during the Cell Saga.

However, Toriyama ultimately felt that he didn't work well as a protagonist, and shifted Goku back into his original role the first chance he could during the Buu Saga. Gohan remained incredibly strong, even if he was no longer the primary focus of the story, but his return during Dragon Ball's 2010s renaissance all but destroyed the fighter he'd become. Unfortunately, Dragon Ball Daima takes place directly in the time skip between the Buu Saga and Beerus' arrival, during which Gohan's performance slipped.

The reason he was absent from Dragon Ball Daima is relatively simple; Gohan just wasn't fighting during that time. Instead, he was likely finishing his studies and becoming closer to Videl, rather than training and keeping up his form. By the time 2013's Battle of Gods rolled around, Gohan could still somewhat keep up with the others, though when Frieza arrived in Resurrection 'F', he was all but useless in battle. Daima likely didn't feature Gohan because it took place just at the beginning of his downfall.

Toei Might Have Wanted Gohan Out of the Spotlight After Super Hero

After Being the Focal Point of Super Hero, Toei Might Not Have Wanted to Double Down on Gohan

While the in-universe explanation for why Gohan didn't take part in Dragon Ball Daima might be simple, there's also another probable reason for his absence. Before the most recent anime adventure, the series' last release was Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, in which Gohan took the center stage. It's likely that neither Toriyama nor Toei Animation would have wanted two Gohan-centric stories in a row, seeing as Goku is Dragon Ball's protagonist. Then, if he only played a small part, there would be countless unhappy fans wondering why he didn't do more.

The simplest solution to that problem would have been to just have Gohan sit out entirely, and that's exactly what Dragon Ball Daima did. Though the series might not have featured its most popular hybrid Saiyan, it seems that the Dragon Ball Super manga is gearing up to give him an immensely important role, and whenever it returns, Gohan fans will want to strap in. With his new Beast form, it's likely that in whatever comes next for the franchise, he won't be missing again.