SSJ2 Gohan 25th Budokai

[SSJ2]

So Gohan demonstrates SSJ2 for SSjin 3 Kibito, and Vegeta immediately remarks that he was better when he beat Cell, and definitively knew that he and Goku were now stronger than Gohan. Most people assume we witnessed Gohan's resting ki as Kaioshin later claims it might not have been his full power, while also telling Kibito that he never got to see the Saiyan's great strength.

So the question is how do we make sense of these two things? If Gohan was only displaying his resting ki, how did Vegeta know for certain that he was now the stronger of the two? If Gohan displayed his true power, why did Kaioshin act like Kibito never saw it?

 

[Hector]

Gohan had different levels of access to his SSJ2 power depending on his current emotions. In the 25th Budokai, though not exactly mad, he had some time to concentrate to bring out some of his SSJ2 power. Against Dabura, he didn't have that luxury, so his access to SSJ2 was even more limited. In both cases, the power he displayed was smaller than his full SSJ2 power.

 

[GSM123]

Sometimes one’s standing Ki is enough to gauge their strength. Future Trunks and Goku gauged each other based on a little sparring where neither went all out.

 

[Fantastische Hure]

Vegeta could most likely base his true fighting power off of it.

 

[Papasmurf]

Seems like Kaioshin and Kibito are just idiots similar to Gero who keeps making miscalculation after miscalculation despite being a Deus Ex Machina born to build robots that are conveniently stronger than all the heroes at the time of their appearance