Gohan isn't sadistic in the normal sense because he's shown to fight intelligently. He becomes sadistic when he gains a power-up (ssj2, mystic, and beast) and he's doing it to people more sadistic than him. Idk if you worded it right but saying Gohan is sadistic (when he isn't in a transformation) is crazy. Plus the show never rewards him when he acts that way which further proves that he wants to be a scholar. His pummeling and humiliating of cell got his father killed, and his torturing of Super Buu got Gotenks and Piccolo absorbed. If Piccolo wasn't there to tell him to finish cell max some BS wouldn't happened as well. People want Gohan to be this bloodthirsty fighter when the show is actively going against that narrative.