Ultimate Mode

      

"Super Saiyan isn't your full power, is it? The power you used when you fought Boo...awaken that real you!" — Piccolo to Gohan

Ultimate Mode
アルティメートモード Arutimēto Mōdo
Games	Ultimate Gohan (アルティメート悟飯, Arutimēto Gohan) Potential Release (潜在能力解放, Senzainōryoku Kaihō) Old Kai's Unlock Ability Unlock Potential
Other	Releasing Untapped Potential
First Appearance
Manga Debut	Volume #41 Chapter #496
Anime Debut	DBZ268
Movie Debut	Movie 16
Game Debut	Dragon Ball Z: Hyper Dimension
Data
Type	Ability
Class	Supplementary
Range	User
Other
Parent	Super Saiyan 2
Related technique(s)
Beast Drawing out Dormant Power Potential Released Saiyan Beyond God
Users
Son Gohan
Non-canon Users
Future Warrior Future Warrior Gohan Black Son Gokū (Video game only) Son Goten: Xeno
Image Gallery
Technique Image Gallery

The Ultimate Mode is a transformation achieved by Son Gohan after Elder Kaiōshin unlocked his potential. Despite appearing to be in his normal state, Gohan, in actuality, is using the power of Super Saiyan 2 without the burden the latter transformation places on his body.

Appearance & Personality

Gohan in Ultimate Mode.

Out of all the transformations in the series, the Ultimate Mode state brings about the least amount of changes. In terms of appearance, Gohan doesn't alter drastically, something everyone who looks at him while in this state can notice. The only notable physical changes, besides a slight increase to his muscle mass, is slightly more upright and rigid hair, and a narrowing of Gohan's eyes.

Gohan's aura also retains its normal hue; instead of the traditional gold one would expect from a Super Saiyan, the Ultimate Mode state grants Gohan a pure white — occasionally almost transparent — aura.

While in this state, Gohan exhibits the confidence and arrogance, as well as a seriousness, that typically comes with a new leap in power. When transformed, Gohan was self-assured in his ability to defeat the fused evil Majin Boo, declaring to the Majin that he hadn't arrived to fight Boo, but he had arrived to kill him. During the fight, Gohan showed a joy in taunting Majin Boo's own powerlessness, mocking the Majin's inability to land a blow on him, and it was only when the tables were turned that Gohan's confidence shattered. Piccolo, who had known Gohan since he was a child, could feel the difference in his attitude by simply the vibe Gohan was giving off when the Saiyan arrived to confront Majin Boo. The change itself was so drastic that Piccolo originally believed it wasn't Gohan, but someone entirely different.

Attributes

“	By looking at you, you haven't changed that much. You ain't even Super Saiyan, yet you've come to this extreme!" "Hmph! It's not as though he has to transform. That Super-whatever-thing is depraved.	”
—Son Gokū and the Elder Kaiōshin discuss the Potential Unlock's efficiency over the Super Saiyan Form, You Kept Everyone Waiting! A Reborn Gohan Returns to Earth!!

Gohan powers up through Ultimate Mode.

Ultimate Mode is the culmination of Super Saiyan 2 for Gohan, and is essentially the state without placing limitations on Gohan's body. While utilizing the Ultimate Mode state, Gohan possesses his full strength as a Super Saiyan 2 without the anger or the loss of energy typically required to sustain the form. Gohan is the only known user of this transformation, provided by the Elder Kaiōshin's ritual, and the known results of the transformation are based on Gohan's strength as a Super Saiyan 2. In the anime, upon powering up on the Kaiōshin Realm, Gohan's power was enough to cause the planet — stated to be a very durable planet, unlike standard ones found in the living world — to tremble, creating something akin to a miniature storm. Just releasing his ki was enough to shock Gokū, who was well above Gohan in terms of power before the transformation occurred.

Gohan overwhelming Boo.

In terms of outright strength, Gohan's Ultimate Mode form appears to be vastly superior to the Super Saiyan 3 transformation, though by how much is unclear. Gohan effortlessly dominated Majin Boo, a creature that even Gotenks could only match when using his Super Saiyan 3 form, showing Ultimate Mode's complete superiority over the final Super Saiyan form.

Gohan's ki in this state

When Majin Boo would later go on to absorb Gotenks and combine his Super Saiyan 3 power with his own in battle, however, Gohan was completely dominated. In the anime, however, Gohan was able to briefly fight the transformed Majin until his powers began to wane. Additionally, it appears to lack any drawbacks entirely, as the form only draws out Gohan's own potential and nothing more. According to Piccolo, Ultimate Mode changes the signature of Gohan's ki entirely; not even Piccolo recognized Gohan when he felt a new ki rushing towards the location of their battle with Majin Boo.

Gohan's superiority to the Super Saiyan 3 transformation would later be shown again during the Dragon Team's battle with Hakaishin Beerus. Out of all the fighters present, Gohan was among two — the other being Vegeta — who could make contact with Beerus in the battle, something that even Son Gokū in his Super Saiyan 3 state was unable to accomplish. However, he was no match for the deity and was quickly dispatched with a blow to the abdomen.

As it is Gohan's fully mastered Super Saiyan 2, Gohan is capable of transforming into this state from anyone of his previous states. Upon further training, Gohan's power within this form was as great as Super Saiyan Blue, overpowering his father using it who transformed to Super Saiyan Blue Kaiōken to beat Gohan in this state.

In the manga, Gohan's Ultimate Mode form was ultimately equal to that of the fused warrior Kefla's, the two fighting to a standstill and ultimately ringing each other out.

In Other Media

Dragon Ball GT

Gohan in Dragon Ball GT.

In Dragon Ball GT, Gohan's status is left ambiguous. It is unknown whether - but presumed - that his state base state is the "Ultimate Mode". This is due to the shape of his eyes, which Gohan in the original Dragon Ball Z only had during his Ultimate transformation; furthermore, Gohan had not stopped training after the events of Majin Boo, keeping his skills fresh. This would later go on to be contradicted in future material. Gohan can further power up to Super Saiyan from this state.

Video Games

In the third DLC of Dragon Ball XenoVerse, the Future Warrior can have their dormant power drawn out upon completing all of Elder Kaiōshin's training. After undergoing a ritualistic dance that takes 20 hours then another 20 hours of meditation, they are able to access the transformation. This form is referred to as Potential Release (潜在能力解放, Senzainōryoku Kaihō) in the game.

“	In the past, you have drawn on your innermost strength, separate from your Saiyan power...Well, I, too, can draw on my innermost strength...as a god!	”
—Gohan Black to Gohan, Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO

Gohan Black using the Ultimate Mode.

In Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO, there is a What-If Scenario where Zamasu decided to steal Son Gohan's body with the power of the Super Dragon Balls instead of Son Gokū's and assume the identity of Gohan Black (ごはんブラック, Gohan Burakku) in order to innate the Zero Mortals Plan. During his third encounter with Son Gohan, Zamasu managed to draw out the latent potential of Gohan's stolen body and make it his own, allowing him to access his own variation of Ultimate Mode. In this transformation, his aura is notably different, sporting a bright pink and black color.

Trivia

The Strongest Warrior.

• While transformed, Gohan has been given various names by both the fandom and the official media. The two most commonly accepted, however, are Ultimate Gohan and Mystic Gohan.
  • The official name for Gohan while transformed in this state, is the Strongest Warrior (最強の戦士, Saikyō no Senshi), as stated by Daizenshū 2.
• Despite the fact that it was introduced as a power-up, Gohan treats this ability as a transformation. Daizenshū 2 initially stated that Gohan could transform into a Super Saiyan while utilizing the Ultimate Mode state, but Daizenshū 3 and the Dragon Ball Super anime would contradict this.
• This 'form' is the only known transformation to have two different names within the same video game, as Dragon Ball XenoVerse refers to it as both Potential Released and Unlock Potential, depending on whether or not the form is being used by Gohan or the Future Warrior; it also provides different benefits for both characters.
• This form is not called "Gohan-type Super Saiyan".
• In Dragon Ball FighterZ, when Gohan uses this form, he says "with essence of the Super Saiyan".
• In Dragon Ball Z: Revival of 'F', and later Dragon Ball Super, it is implied that Super Saiyan and subsequent related forms have an effect on poor eyesight, as Son Gohan, who has developed poor eyesight as an adult, can fight in Super Saiyan and Ultimate without his corrective lenses.

• This is outright stated in Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO, though game statements are non-canonical.