Dragon Ball Z is known for its epic battles, and the series is best described as a "fighting series with a story." This makes sense, given that characters like Goku and Vegeta love fighting and training to become stronger. At the same time, there are some characters who aren't as passionate about martial arts, and one of them is actually Goku's son.

Gohan may be Goku's firstborn, but he follows a very different path. Compared to his father, he apparently hates fighting, though that's not exactly an accurate description. Regardless of his true feelings about training, it's clear that all his interests lie elsewhere compared to how his father's life unfolded.

Gohan had a different childhood compared to Goku

When he was discarded from Planet Vegeta as a baby, Goku landed on Earth in the mountains, where he was found by an elderly man named Gohan. He became Goku's adoptive grandfather, raising him alone in the desert. Unfortunately, Goku's nighttime transformation into an Oozaru caused him to accidentally kill Grandpa Gohan, and after that, he lived in solitude until Bulma found him. His days were filled with adventures and battles against the elements, and once he met Master Roshi and his future friend/rival Krillin, his life became more focused on fighting than ever.

He quickly demonstrated a knack for mastering powerful attacks, and this skill took him far in the various martial arts tournaments he and his allies participated in. Even when these fights didn't involve the fate of the universe, Goku was always focused on fighting and getting stronger. Of course, this often happened to the chagrin of social mores, with Goku being oblivious to social norms. Gohan (named after Goku's grandfather) wasn't raised this way, with Goku's wife, Chi-Chi, wanting her son to be a scholar.

He had a relatively sheltered childhood, given his mother's and father's upbringing, and it wasn't until the middle of the Saiyan Saga that Gohan was finally thrust into the life of a fighter. This meant he had to undergo grueling training under the tutelage of Piccolo, once the epitome of evil and Goku's greatest rival. Given this, it's no wonder Gohan had such negative feelings toward fighting. However, this seemed to change over time, at least more than fans imagine.

Did Gohan really hate fighting?

As noted, the training Piccolo put Gohan through was anything but easy, especially considering the boy's youth and complete lack of fighting experience. This would give anyone a negative view of fighting, especially a child who had been literally forced into it after his father's death. In the following story arc, Gohan notes that he is a scholar and not a fighter at heart, setting him apart from everyone else fighting alongside him on Namek.

He finally comes into his own at the end of the Cell Games, which was supposed to see Gohan become the new protagonist of Dragon Ball ZThere, he states that he doesn't enjoy fighting at his father's level, though he's clearly not averse to it. After all, he's the one who ends up defeating Cell, an act that metaphorically passes Goku's torch to his son.

Both in the non-canonical sequence Dragon Ball GT and the official sequence Dragon Ball Super, Gohan has diverged even further from his father's life. Both futures show him immersed himself in studies and business, while all his father still does is train. This is perhaps the biggest reason and representation why Gohan seems ambivalent about fighting, at least compared to other characters.

For Goku, Vegeta and some other characters from Dragon Ball In the franchise, fighting isn't everything: it's the only thing. They have no other hobbies or interests, with fishing being Goku's only other recreational pursuit. Meanwhile, Gohan was exposed to academics and the various subjects that accompanied it, so it made sense that he wouldn't see fighting as the only thing in life to focus on. Although his parents "forced" him into both paths, he genuinely enjoyed being studious, while fighting was merely a necessity for Gohan.

Gohan has found a middle path in life between fighting and pacifism.

Some fans have mistakenly described Gohan as a pacifist, which isn't entirely accurate. While he may prefer many other things to fighting, he'll still throw down when the situation calls for it. He's simply not driven by fighting as his sole purpose in life, though he can use his abilities in other ways. This is best seen in his superhero identity as the Great Saiyaman, with this moniker reflecting his dual nature as a Saiyan/human hybrid.

On the other hand, it also shows how, despite being a fighter, he's not completely like his father. Saiyaman's exploits are almost comical, as he toys with criminals and saves the day in an extravagant and exaggerated manner. It's not quite the same stern nature as Vegeta or Piccolo, or even the seriousness his father brings to fighting, showing how Gohan has found a different path and a different path for himself. Similarly, his becoming Saiyaman is a way to protect ordinary civilians, while the protection Goku and the others provide to humanity is more offensive and excessively violent.

The Z Fighters are rarely shown striving for "superhero" actions, and this would actually be a good use of their powers. Some fans lamented that Gohan didn't dedicate himself to fighting in the same way as his father. Ironically, the mysterious Future Trunks' dark future was a world where Gohan focused solely on training, again, out of necessity. Unfortunately, this didn't save him, as this extensive training for him and Trunks wasn't enough to defeat the androids.

Later, Future Trunks compares his version of Gohan to the main universe version, and he finally realizes that this is the life his version of Gohan should have lived to continue and have. It's also important to note that both Goten and main universe Trunks are much less focused solely on fighting than their parents. While Goten may not be driven to study in the same way as Gohan, he also lacks his father's single-minded determination to train.

The same goes for Trunks, who is likely being groomed to take over Capsule Corporation (he even served as president in Dragon Ball GT). There are simply more options in life for young half-Saiyans, and they take advantage of this by being more well-rounded. They don't follow their parents' paths because it would be impossible to do so. Goku was raised in the jungle and practically lived alone until his adolescence, while Vegeta was an arrogant prince who fully embraced the more violent aspects of Saiyan culture. So it's not that Gohan or the other children hate the paths their parents followed; it's more that they have destinies of their own.