Is Beast Gohan truly stronger than MUI Goku? A fan-analysis

As a long-time Dragon Ball enthusiast and power-scaling debater, I was blown away by Gohan’s explosive showing in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero and the introduction of his “Beast” form. This rage-fueled transformation clearly places Gohan amongst the uppermost fighters of Universe 7.

But the fan community is divided: does this make him definitively stronger than Goku’s mastered Ultra Instinct (MUI)? As someone who creates regular Dragon Ball gaming content, I’m constantly asked to weigh in. So behold my in-depth fan-analysis!

Gohan back with a vengeance!

First, let’s appreciate how far Gohan has come to unlock this form. Dragon Ball writer Akira Toriyama always had a fondness for Gohan’s hidden potential. And while Gohan slacked on training for many years, focusing on scholarly pursuits per his mother Chi Chi‘s wishes, his prodigious talents never faded.

"We were deliberately consciously keeping him as the ace up our sleeve…for as long as Gohan is around, we can depict him as being the strongest when the chips are down." – Toriyama, Daizenshuu 4 Interview

Indeed, when Gohan unleashes the full scope of his dormant power, he tends to eclipse his contemporaries and take the reins as Earth’s mightiest defender, at least temporarily.

Beast form signifies Gohan breaking his limits yet again. And based on first impressions, this could be his strongest transformation ever!

But raw strength has never been enough in Dragon Ball – one’s skill in leveraging said strength is equally vital. So how does post-power-up Gohan measure up on all fronts?

Breaking down Gohan Beast

• Let‘s analyze what enabled Gohan’s explosive Beast transformation:
  • As a hybrid Saiyan, Gohan uniquely channels emotional energy into raw strength
    • This emotional catalyst tends to supersede his human limits when triggered
  • Seeing Piccolo critically injured pushed Gohan over the edge
    • His protective, familial bond with Piccolo runs deeper than anything
• In Beast form, Gohan gains animalistic features like enlarged canines
  • This visual storytelling ties back to Great Ape, unlocking greater primal strength
• So Beast form is a hybrid Saiyan power-up triggered by specific emotional bonds
  • This implies high power but finite duration before tiring

In combat terms:

• Pros
  • Strength, speed, reflexes pushed to new heights
    • Punched Cell Max without flinching; destroyed his energy blast
• Cons
  • Gohan has struggled with stamina in previous rages
    • Beast may drain him faster than rivals in god forms
  • Emergent form means less combat experience leveraging it
    • Gohan must adjust his technical fighting to optimize it

So in an initial one-on-one match, I’d favor Beast Gohan against nearly anyone thanks to his raw power spike. But in extended combat, the sustained prowess of MUI Goku and UE Vegeta could overtake him.

Which brings us to…

How does Gohan‘s power relate to Goku & Vegeta?

As frequent sparring partners, measuring Gohan against his Saiyan peers is an apt benchmark.

In recent story arcs, Goku and Vegeta have achieved god-tier enhancements:

Goku: Mastered Ultra Instinct (MUI) 
Vegeta: Ultra Ego (UE)

These grant:

• Perfect attack/defense instinct for Goku
• Amplified abilities fueled by damage for Vegeta

In-universe and interviews with creators suggest MUI ≈ UE in terms of overall battle capacity:

"Ultra Ego is on par with Ultra Instinct!" – Toyataro, DBS Chapter 79 Draft

Yet neither Goku nor Vegeta clearly eclipsed the other. This implies ongoing rivalry with no definitive better form…for now.

As for Gohan, gauging unique emotional transformations against god-ki limits quantitative powerscaling. But we can speculate based on what we’ve witnessed:

Likely Power Hierarchy:

Mastered Ultra Instinct == Ultra Ego > Beast Gohan >=< Super Saiyan Blue Gogeta

Gohan’s new form exceeds anything the Z-fighters previously showcased besides fusion itself. This includes many god-boosted states. Yet his most polished rivals may still retain an edge in combat endurance.

Upstart powerhouses like Full Power Jiren and Broly add further chaos to any ranking. For non-gods, much depends on the context of each fight!

So in my judgment, Gohan has surpassed his limits but not quite matched Goku/Vegeta’s latest milestones – though he likely could best their simpler god forms. His full power warrants respect but requires more refinement to master.

Wildcard factors

Several underdetermined elements could reshape this balance of power:

• If Gohan learns to tap into Beast more readily, without emotional triggers, boosting his skill with the form
• If Piccolo unlocks further magical potential thanks to Dragon Ball wishes
  • Perhaps rivaling Gohan and spurring his continued growth
• If Goku & Vegeta boost their Ultra states to new unspecified levels
  • Or unveil radical transformations we’re yet unaware of!

Dragon Ball is nothing if not escalatory – its heroes continue rising to meet intensifying threats. So whileBeast Gohan may lack the pedigree of MUI today, cough foreshadowing cough, I suspect his journey is far from over!

What do you think? Does Gohan need more training to control Beast mode? Or will he someday surpass even Lord Beerus in strength?! Let me know your theories in the comments!