[Bio] - Gohan

After Cell absorbs Android 17 and achieves his Semi-Perfect form he is about to set his sights on Android 18 when Tien arrives and attacks Cell with his Neo Tri-Beam, allowing Android 18 and 16 (who was injured by Semi-Perfect Cell) to escape. Goku and Gohan sense Tien's energy decreasing and he finally collapses from exhaustion. Just before Semi-Perfect Cell can kill Tien, Goku uses Instant Transmission to appear on the battle field. He grabs the barely alive Tien and Piccolo and teleports back to the Lookout, where they are fully healed with a Senzu Bean. Piccolo explains that despite their best efforts against Semi-Perfect Cell, they proved useless.

Spoiler:

At that moment, Mr. Popo interrupts and brings the group to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, where Future Trunks and Vegeta emerge stronger than ever. They are given new Saiyan armor by Bulma (who by this time already arrived) and fly down to the Earth to confront Semi-Perfect Cell. While Vegeta and Future Trunks fight Semi-Perfect Cell, Goku and Gohan enter and train in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber while wearing some new Saiyan armor made by Bulma. In the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, Gohan struggles to transform into a Super Saiyan. Goku informs him that to become a Super Saiyan, it must come in response to a need, not a desire. Gohan realizes the only way to become a Super Saiyan is for his father to fight him at full power. Hesitantly, Goku transforms into a Super Saiyan and fires a powerful Kamehameha at Gohan. Gohan blocks the attack and thinks about all the other times he wasn't able to help his friends whenever they were in danger while his friends helped him out if he was in danger. Thinking about this, Gohan overwhelms with rage, allowing him transform into a Super Saiyan and fire the Kamehameha back at Goku, who dodges the attack and tells his son to focus his energy, making him return to his base form. Goku tells Gohan they can take a break and even gives his son a haircut.

Spoiler:

Later, Gohan again transforms into his Super Saiyan form and trains while Goku sits down and watches his son's training in his Super Saiyan form improve. Gohan gets tired and transforms back into his base form when Goku demonstrates the Ascended and Ultra Super Saiyan forms (which are the forms that Vegeta and Future Trunks are using against Cell, who by this time had achieved his perfect form by absorbing Android 18). Seeing this incredible strength and power, Gohan is sure Goku can beat Cell, but Goku says he can't. He explains that because his muscles are now bulky, they slow down his speed, the thing he needs to defeat Cell. Goku tells Gohan that transforming into a Super Saiyan takes a great deal of energy, but need all the Super Saiyan energy they can get. Goku comes up with a plan to make turning into a Full-Power Super Saiyan, so he tells Gohan to try and stay transformed as a Super Saiyan for the whole day when it starts to feel normal.

With their training finally completed, Gohan and Goku emerge from the Hyperbolic Time Chamber as Full-Power Super Saiyans. As Goku and Gohan are eating food made by Mr. Popo (because they don't really know how to cook when they were in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber), Future Trunks, after being defeated by Perfect Cell along with his father Vegeta, tells them that Perfect Cell is hosting a tournament for the Earth's strongest warriors called the Cell Games, to which Goku thinks of it as an interesting challenge. While Goku wears his trademark orange and blue clothes for the tournament, Gohan asks Piccolo for a copy of his uniform, since he was his first mentor. Piccolo conjures up a uniform similar to his for Gohan, who happily appreciates the new outfit.

Goku pays Perfect Cell a visit using Instant Transmission, and after returning, he claims he is no match for the android. Piccolo suggests they can still go in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber for extra training. However, Goku declines and says that he and Gohan can train outside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, greatly suprising everyone. Goku and Gohan leave the Lookout, (after Goku and Gohan show Korin and Yajirobe their new power) and arrive at the Kame House to pick up Chi-Chi so they can go home. Gohan asks his father if they have a chance of beating Cell if they spend the next nine days resting and training outside. Goku laughs and says they don't have to worry about it now, since they have nine days to relax. Gohan and Goku go inside and meet everyone else (at one point, Oolong and Puar even say that Gohan has, "buffed up.") However, when Chi-Chi sees Goku and Gohan, she freaks out and exclaims that Gohan has become a hair dying punk.

In a filler episode, Gohan flies to a village called Chazke Village to run a shopping errand for his mother. He meets Lime and Mr. Lao there and later encounters one of his father's deadliest enemies in his childhood: Mercenary Tao, rebuilt as a cyborg. Taken over by panic and shock at discovering Gohan is Goku’s son, Mercenary Tao flies away on a tree. Goku arrives and he and Gohan are given the groceries by Mr. Lao, who encourages them that they can defeat Cell. Gohan and Goku say their goodbyes to Mr. Lao and Lime and fly back home.

Finally, ten days have passed and the Z-Fighters arrive at the Cell Games for the battle against Perfect Cell. Goku is the first Z-Fighter to battle against Perfect Cell and matches the monster blow for blow. To everyone's surprise, Goku forfeits the battle against Perfect Cell after using the Instant Kamehameha (a combination of the Instant Transmission and Kamehameha) which left him and Cell drained. Goku then chooses Gohan to fight Perfect Cell in his place. Gohan states Goku and Cell's battle wasn't that good, leading to the conclusion that Gohan is much stronger than Goku, who was fighting at full power.

Gohan powers up to the point where his power exceeds even Goku's and reluctantly fights Perfect Cell. As the battle occurs, Gohan does not have the same fighting spirit as his father, allowing Perfect Cell to gain the upper hand. Gohan tells Cell that once he becomes enraged, his hidden power is unleashed, referring to when he attacked Raditz, when he was in training with Piccolo, and when he was fighting Frieza. Gohan did not wish to see this power unleashed, much to Perfect Cell's chagrin. Believing he could see this hidden power, Perfect Cell began smacking Gohan around to get him angry. Gohan finally gets a little angry and kicks Perfect Cell in the face, giving him a bloody lip and fueling his desire to see Gohan’s hidden power. When things start to get dangerous, Android 16 sneaks up behind Perfect Cell and gives him a bear hug, attempting to self-destruct and take the monster with him. However, Krillin reveals to Android 16 that Bulma and her father removed the self-destruct bomb, allowing Perfect Cell to break free and blast Android 16 to bits, much to the horror of the Z-Fighters. However, the android’s head is left still intact and rolls over to Hercule and his gang, who were hiding and watching the fight.

Spoiler:

Perfect Cell then creates seven Cell Jrs. and has them attack the Z-Fighters. Gohan watches in horror and becomes angry as his friends are mercilessly beaten by the Cell Jrs. Meanwhile, the head of Android 16 convinces Hercule to throw his head to where Gohan and Perfect Cell are so that he may help Gohan. Now in Gohan’s sight, Android 16 tells Gohan to not be afraid of releasing his anger and that it was okay to fight if he wants to protect the people and world he loved. Finally, 16 said to Gohan to drop his restraints and let it go because he has enough power and strength to defeat Perfect Cell. With Android 16’s final words, Perfect Cell crushes Android 16’s head, ending the peaceful android’s life. Touched by Android 16’s final words and enraged by the peaceful android’s death, Gohan’s rage reaches its limits and transforms him into a new level, Super Saiyan 2.