Summary
- Pan's potential as a Super Saiyan in Dragon Ball Super is promising.
- Pan being a 1/4 Saiyan may actually give her an advantage over pure Saiyans.
- Pan's emotional stress and potential training could lead to her unlocking her powers.
Since Pan was introduced in Dragon Ball Z, several Dragon Ball media have explored her as a character and as a fighter. She is one of the main characters in Dragon Ball GT, but not only do many fans dislike the series, but some also specifically dislike her.
While DBGT could have handled her better, Dragon Ball Super takes a different approach, and shows her as a charismatic and promising character. While Pan hasn't turned into Super Saiyan in DB Super yet (and she also didn't in DBGT), there are reasons to believe that she will do it at some point, and also that she will aid the Dragon Team in the future.
Can Pan Really Become Super Saiyan?
Many fans dislike Pan in Dragon Ball GT, but Dragon Ball Super, especially the manga, has given her a different development. She is still a young child, and she hasn't transformed into Super Saiyan, at least not yet. Some fans actually doubt if Pan can go Super Saiyan since she is only a quarter Saiyan, and she never unleashed SSJ in GT.
However, she is still too young and there is still plenty of time for her to eventually unleash SSJ. Not only that, but in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, Piccolo suggests that Pan has even more talent than Gohan had when he was her age. Even though Gohan was never into fighting, he was always portrayed as someone with the potential to become the strongest warrior out there, so having more power than him actually means a lot. The reason why Piccolo trained him hard was because he saw that Gohan had a great hidden talent.
Is Being Only A 1/4 Saiyan A Problem?
Since Gohan is a half-Saiyan, he should not be as powerful as Goku or Vegeta, if Saiyan powers were only about genetics. Still, Toriyama once said that Gohan is stronger than anyone else, or, at least, he has the potential to be. Maybe there is something about mixing Saiyan genes with human genes that makes "non-pure" Saiyans stronger than pure ones.
If Toriyama was ever inspired by real genetics, this actually makes even more sense, since genetic variation contributes to immunity and is important for species as a whole to adapt to the ever-changing conditions overall (and that's why smaller populations are more vulnerable to genetic drift, especially recessive mutations that may be associated with lethal or debilitating conditions). In this sense, being a quarter Saiyan might actually be an advantage for Pan, instead of a disadvantage, as many claim.
Finally, the idea that being a quarter Saiyan was the reason why Pan never became SSJ on screen in Dragon Ball GT doesn't even make sense in the series itself, as Goku Jr., who is "much less Saiyan" than Pan, turned into SSJ.
What Are Pan's Potential Powers?
As already mentioned, Piccolo states in Dragon Ball Super that Pan is more powerful than Gohan was, and this should not be taken for granted. She indeed seems to be quite promising in terms of power, as she has learned to power up as a baby. Later, she learned to fly at the age of 3. She also took down a Red Ribbon soldier all by herself; and she is also smart, as she quickly recognizes Piccolo disguised in a Red Ribbon outfit. All of this suggests that Pan has a tremendous hidden power within her.
You're pretty good. In fact, your aptitude is even better than Gohan's — I mean, your father's.
— Piccolo in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero
In fact, many fans who didn't like her in DBGT changed their minds in DBS, and now want to see her in action as she grows up in the story.
How Could Pan Become A Super Saiyan?
Let's remember that not only is Pan still very young (she is three years old in DB Super's Super Hero Saga), but also that unleashing Super Saiyan is not just about power, it's actually all about emotional stress. This means that in order for Pan to awaken her SSJ powers, she has to be under stress, probably worried that someone close to her will die, or in a situation where she sees them being killed.
A potential Black Frieza arc, which many fans hope that will happen soon, could be the perfect time for Pan to unleash, if not SSJ, then at least even more of her hidden powers. Pan actually shows the potential to become one of the most powerful warriors out there when she grows up, especially if she keeps training.
Given that Pan seems to enjoy training and Gohan often asks Piccolo and others to take care of her, she will probably spend a good portion of her childhood improving her fighting skills. It would actually be very nice to see another story where she is a bit older and gets the spotlight once again.
Dragon Ball Super is officially available on MANGA Plus in English and Spanish.
- Release Date
- 2015 - 2018
- Network
- Fuji TV
- Showrunner
- Tatsuya Nagamine
- Directors
- Ryota Nakamura, Masanori Sato, Kenichi Takeshita, Takao Iwai, Hideki Hiroshima, Masato Mitsuka, Kazuya Karasawa, Ayumu Ono, Takahiro Imamura, Tatsuya Nagamine, Kôjiro Kawasaki, Kouji Ogawa
- Writers
- Ryu King, Hiroshi Yamaguchi
- Franchise(s)
- Dragon Ball
Cast
-
Masakazu MoritaWhis (voice) -
Masako NozawaSon Goku/Goku Black/Son Gohan/Son Goten (voices)
WHERE TO WATCH
- Based On
- Manga
- Creator
- Akira Toriyama
- Number of Episodes
- 131
