Is he no longer the oppressive, centralizing force he once was? Sure. Was he as powerful in his prime as behemoths like Super Vegito or Angry Kamehameha Goku? Arguably no. Is this pick motivated by my SSJ2 Gohan Fanboyism? Absolutely.

Jokes aside, SP SSJ2 Gohan RED is one of the most storied Fighters in the game's history, and absolutely deserves to be paid his due. On release he was powerful on his own, but the Son Family Team that he would come to define was still in its infancy. After the Family Kamehameha Step-up Banner, Gohan rocketed into the spotlight as the Meta's most dangerous Fighter. He and SP SSJ Kid Goten PUR formed a dastardly duo - its power reflected in the usage stats of the subsequent Space Time Duel seasons. Calling Gohan and his Family's dominance over the meta anything short of hegemonic would be inaccurate. The Tag saw near 100% usage in the first LBR and the Las Vegas Showdown tournament that followed, proving that its ubiquity wasn't a fluke.

Son Family was one of the few Teams that could compete with God Ki and Fusion Warriors once the Anniversary Meta was in full swing. It wasn't seen often at the time, but its ability to resist that wave of power-creep was a testament to the quality of its core Fighters. The release of SP Angry Goku BLU brought Gohan back into the limelight, with a new Blast-Focused Son Family Build surging to relevance.

At this time of reflection, SP SSJ2 Gohan RED is no longer in the running for "Best Fighter in the Game;" heck, he's not even optimal on Son Family anymore, which has fully adapted to a Strike-Focused play-style (blame Transforming Gohan for that). Regardless, it's impossible to argue that he hasn't left his mark this year. While his Day of Fate has passed, those who were there to witness the peak of his power know not to utter his name in vain.