Why wasn't Trunks as powerful as Gohan?

[Siriel]

Unless you're modern Broly.

Then you're just stronger than everybody.

Actually he matches that pattern too. He needed his dad to die right next to him to transform.

imO Kid Trunks and Goten have the potential to be the strongest characters in the franchise (well, on the good guys side at least).

I mean these 2 brats reached Super Saiyan state during an age where Goku, Vegeta or even Gohan weren't even at a 1/1000 of their strength, and casually at that. Hell, Goten couldn't even FLY.

If they weren't such goofballs and put some real effort into their training ala Goku and Vegeta, they could easily surpass them in no time.

As just explained in this thread, turning Super Saiyan is unrelated to strength or potential, but rather depends on living conditions and emotions.

The U6 Saiyans' elites that we've seen are all strong enough to curbstomp Buu Saga Vegeto but none of them could go Super Saiyan because they didn't even know it existed, then once they heard about it only needed to be told how to do it.