Few anime characters are as iconic as Dragon Ball's Goku. The Saiyan hero has influenced countless generations of shonen protagonists who share Goku's love of life and fighting. Characters like Luffy and Black Clover's Asta can undeniably trace their lineage directly back to Goku.
Within the world of Dragon Ball, however, the topic of Goku's heir becomes more complicated. Though Gohan is Goku's son, and has become Earth's protector on more than a few occasions, he's a much different character than his father.
Gohan might have outgrown his pacifist tendencies early in life, but he's always been just as much of a scholar as a fighter. That alone is enough to differentiate him from his famous father. Though he might not be Goku's true successor, he did help raise the one Saiyan who truly deserves that title.
Pan Is Truly The Heir To Goku's Dragon Ball Throne
Despite being Gohan's daughter, it's Goku that she truly takes after. Though fans don't get to see much of her in Dragon Ball Super and in Dragon Ball Z's epilogue, what is shown should be enough to prove that she has what it takes to be the next Goku.
Unlike her father, Pan carries the fighting spirit of her mother and seems much more interested in training and growing stronger. This manifests in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero where Pan learns to fly at the age of 3, beating her father by a year or two and her grandfather by more than a decade.
This, and other instances throughout Dragon Ball, hint that Pan is a wildly powerful Saiyan and could even outpace her father and grandfather.
Dragon Ball Super Sets Pan Up As The Next Goku
The last few chapters of the Dragon Ball Super manga take place in the immediate aftermath of Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. The series' final chapter at the time of writing sees Goku helping Gohan and Piccolo pick Pan up from pre-school.
There, Pan appears behind Goku to launch an attack. Though Goku is able to block it, her willingness to fight is just another example of how much like Goku she is.
As if this wasn't enough, the connection between the two is further established when Pan and Goku fly off together, clearly racing away as Goku and Gohan try to catch up.
It is unclear if Dragon Ball Super's manga will ever return, but even if it doesn't, this is the perfect note to end the franchise on, as it leads perfectly into the epilogue of Dragon Ball Z where Pan enters her first martial arts tournament.
Apparently, she must be a powerhouse, because not only does she beat one adult combatant, but she also appears to defeat Goten (who should be in his late teens at the time), in a sparring match.
Unfortunately, Dragon Ball Keeps On Holding Pan Back
Despite her obviously absurd potential and her many similarities to Goku, it's only recently that the post-Dragon Ball Z franchise has been really giving Pan her due.
Pan is notably the deuteragonist of Dragon Ball GT and even gets to go on many adventures alongside a kid version of her grandpa. Unfortunately, despite Dragon Ball Z's ending clearly establishing that Pan is a spunky fighter, her combat role eventually tapers off, and she ends up playing support.
Notably, Dragon Ball GT never let Pan go Super Saiyan, despite almost every other living Saiyan in GT (save for Bulla) having the ability to do so.
Still, Pan's Future in Dragon Ball Is Bright
Despite the franchise's many missteps with Pan, it's clear that Dragon Ball is interested in putting more of a spotlight on the character going forward.
Pan couldn't be featured in Dragon Ball Daima due to that series' timeline placement, but that is balanced out by her greater presence in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. Additionally, the last Dragon Ball Super chapter shows her and Goku bonding, suggesting that Pan could be trained by her grandfather.
Putting these together with Pan's appearance in Dragon Ball Z's Peaceful World Saga, it would only make sense to give Pan a greater focus in Dragon Ball's rumored upcoming movie.
More than just a logical conclusion, however, giving Pan more to do would be perfectly in line with the themes of Dragon Ball. The biggest theme of the franchise is older generations passing the torch to newer ones. This is why Goku famously sacrificed himself during the Cell Saga, as he believed it was Gohan's turn to become Earth's protector.
After more than 30 years in the real world and a few decades between them in canon, Gohan and Goku have had their time as Earth's saviors. Pan could be exactly the new protagonist Dragon Ball needs to bring the franchise into the future. Not only is she Goku's true heir, but she's also a powerful character who's never really gotten her time to shine.
Dragon Ball Created by Akira Toriyama First Film Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies Latest Film Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero First TV Show Dragon Ball Latest TV Show Super Dragon Ball Heroes First Episode Air Date April 26, 1989
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