Pan, Gohan’s daughter in “Dragon Ball GT”, is an intriguing character who has captivated many fans. Introduced at the end of “Dragon Ball Z”, Pan is a mix of her mother Videl’s stubbornness and her father’s Saiyan lineage. At just twelve years old, she goes on an adventure with Goku and Trunks on a mission to find the Black Star Dragon Balls, scattered throughout the galaxies. During this journey, Pan faces numerous challenges and formidable adversaries, but despite her Saiyan genetics, she never achieves the Super Saiyan transformation, an accomplishment that even her distant grandson, Goku Jr., achieves.
Pan’s Innate Potential
Gohan and Videl’s Legacy
Gohan, Pan’s father, is known for his extraordinary potential, standing out since childhood as a warrior capable of surpassing even Goku. Although this does not fully come to fruition, Pan appears to inherit this latent potential. In “Dragon Ball Z” and “Dragon Ball Super”, she demonstrates remarkable abilities, such as flying as a baby. This talent not only stems from his Saiyan heritage, but also from his human lineage. Videl, her mother, was a fearless fighter, facing formidable opponents, such as Spopovich, under Babidi’s influence.
Videl, despite being severely injured, showed incredible resistance in that fight, demonstrating a strength of character that Pan, without a doubt, inherited. The combination of Gohan’s potential and Saiyan blood with Videl’s fierce determination could have yielded a Saiyan-human hybrid with exceptional capabilities.
Pan’s rambunctious nature, in contrast to her father’s more reserved personality, puts her in a unique position to tap into her inherent strength. Even though he is only a fourth Saiyan, Pan displays remarkable potential, recognized even by Piccolo, Gohan’s mentor. In “Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero”, young Pan demonstrates surprising abilities, surpassing adults with ease and showing extraordinary physical strength for her age.
The Saiyan Genetic Controversy in Dragon Ball
Ancestry and Saiyan Potential
In the “Dragon Ball GT” universe, the controversial ending in the 64th World Martial Arts Tournament, some 110 years after Pan’s birth, brings an interesting twist. With an elderly Pan in the audience, we watch Goku Jr. and Vegeta Jr., his distant descendants, fight. The most intriguing thing is that both are able to transform into Super Saiyans, despite having their Saiyan blood further diluted by their human heritage. This raises a fascinating question about Saiyan genetics and their genetic dominance in the series.
The ability of Goku Jr., supposedly only a sixteenth Saiyan, to transform into a Super Saiyan suggests a strong presence of Saiyan traits in the lineage, defying conventional notions of Mendelian heredity. In Dragon Ball, we see that Saiyan traits can manifest themselves in unexpected and dominant ways, ignoring the typical rules of genetic dominance and recessivity. Goku’s transformation into Super Saiyan God, with the unborn Pan as a key player, reinforces this idea of Saiyan dominance.
The Case of Pan: Saiyan Enough
Pan’s Untapped Potential
Considering Pan’s immense power, even as a small child in “Dragon Ball Super”, and her tenacious personality, it seems more than justified that she has the capacity for the Super Saiyan transformation. The ease with which Goten, Trunks and the Universe 6 Saiyans achieved this form also supports this idea. With the legacy of Gohan, her father and an extraordinary fighter, Pan could bring new perspectives and depth to Dragon Ball’s narrative.
If a good master can quickly transform a Saiyan without prior knowledge of Super Saiyan transformation, then Pan, surrounded by powerful Universe 7 warriors and trained by Piccolo, would certainly have the potential to do so. Goku Jr.’s transformation, with an even more distant Saiyan heritage, suggests that Pan is on the right path. Maybe all she needs is the right motivation and training to unlock that latent power.
Conclusion
Therefore, the absence of the Super Saiyan transformation into Pan in “Dragon Ball GT” does not reflect an inherent inability, but perhaps a lack of adequate exploration of its potential. With her mixed bloodlines, strong personality, and proper training, not only does Pan deserve to be a Super Saiyan, but she could also represent a significant advancement for Dragon Ball’s narrative, exploring new facets of Saiyan heritage and female power in the series.
