Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball manga revolutionized the Shonen demographic in many ways, and it still continues to inspire new creators. With a legacy spanning over four decades, the franchise has released several spin-offs, sequels, anime series, movies, video games, merchandise, and more. Whether it’s the transformations, power levels, or tournament arcs, the series popularized several Shonen tropes. However, one of the best tropes is still the energy attacks that use signature techniques and blend them with martial arts. These attacks, derived from ki, a life-force energy that all beings possess and can learn to control, are the core of the series’ power system.
The original manga, which debuted in 1984, immediately established the concept of energy attacks and continues to follow it to this day. Since Dragon Ball is technically an action-driven series, most of its iconic and memorable moments revolve around powerful attacks and unique transformations. While the series has countless incredible moments where characters use unique attacks, the five moments mentioned below are some of the most classic milestones in the series’ history.
5) Piccolo’s Special Beam Cannon Changed Dragon Ball Forever
Dragon Ball Z begins with the Saiyan Saga, unveiling Goku’s origins after his brother, Raditz, came to Earth. He was only the first threat Goku and the Z Warriors faced, and they also had to prepare themselves for the arrival of Vegeta and Nappa. Goku and Piccolo both fought Raditz, but Raditz, who grew up as a Saiyan warrior, was easily more powerful than the two. As a result, Goku had no choice but to restrict Raditz’s movement while Piccolo took a while to launch his Special Beam Cannon.
That was the first time he used this attack, and it became his signature move not long after. This moment also changed the course of the story since Goku died along with Raditz and went to train with King Kai. On the other hand, Piccolo, who noticed Gohan’s potential, took the four-year-old kid with him to train, forming a father-son-like bond with the son of his former adversary.
4) Goku’s First Kamehameha Had a Profound Impact on Shonen
Kamehameha is such an iconic attack that even non-anime fans know the name of this move. Many kids from the 1980s and 1990s, who grew up watching Dragon Ballwould even play around while mimicking this iconic move. While Master Roshi originally invented the attack, it eventually became Goku’s signature move, popularizing the concept in the Shonen demographic.
Even now, Kamehameha remains the best technique the protagonist uses in intense battles. Master Roshi, a legendary martial artist, took 50 years to invent this technique with intense training. However, in Episode 8 of the original anime, Goku effortlessly used it after watching Roshi perform it.
3) Vegeta’s Final Explosion Was the Ultimate Act of Atonement
Vegeta’s journey from a villain to a hero is nothing short of epic, but it didn’t happen over the course of one arc. After the Frieza Saga, he settled on the planet, trained like his life depended on it, and eventually married Bulma and had a son with her. However, he could never quench the thirst he had for power, and his pride would never allow him to be weaker than Goku. As a result, he made a horrible decision in the Buu Saga and let Babidi place a Majin seal on him to boost his power.
In order to fight Goku again, he killed a lot of innocent people. However, he came around when things got really tough and used the Final Explosion against Majin Buu, which wasn’t only a sacrifice to save others, but also his ultimate act of atonement. He used this self-destructive technique by expending all his life force and ki in a massive blast, hoping to overcome Buu’s regenerative abilities.
2) Goku’s Super Spirit Bomb Saved the World From Kid Buu
As the final villain of the original series, Kid Buu was the most formidable foe Goku and the Z Warriors ever fought. While Spirit Bomb isn’t a new technique Goku uses, the one he used against Kid Buu was unimaginably massive, which obliterated the villain beyond regeneration. However, while Goku launched the attack, it wasn’t his victory alone but the entire planet’s. Since Mr. Satan was a highly reputable savior of the world, he asked the people from Earth to raise their hands and share their energy, which helped Goku gather enough power to create a Super Spirit Bomb.
It wasn’t just the humans, but he used the ki from all living creatures. Kid Buu initially had the advantage since he was able to push it back at Goku while the hero was too exhausted to stop it. Dende immediately used the Dragon Balls to wish Goku to regain his strength, which allowed him to transform into Super Saiyan and defeat the villain before wishing for his reincarnation as a good person.
1) Father and Son Kamehameha Obliterated Cell
Even now, rarely does any anime moment come as close to being this influential and iconic as Gohan defeating Cell. Ever since Dragon Ball Z began, Gohan showed greater potential than even his own father, shocking everyone who saw the kid pull off feats even Goku couldn’t. By the time the Cell Saga commenced, Gohan had already become a Super Saiyan and surpassed Goku. This also meant that the fate of the world rested on Gohan’s shoulders, an 11-year-old kid who was standing alone against a fully powered Perfect Cell.
However, the battle took a turn for the worse when Gohan’s fury after Android 16’s death got the better of him. He toyed around with the villain enough to give him a chance to use a self-destructive ability. While Goku saved the planet, he died on King Kai’s planet, leaving Gohan shattered. Drowning in regret and guilt, he was once again encouraged by his father to keep on going. The iconic father-and-son Kamehameha doesn’t literally mean Goku put his energy behind the attack since it was all Gohan’s power. However, this moment is meant to be symbolic as Goku continues to watch over his son from the other side.
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