Top 20 Greatest Dragon Ball Attacks
Don't pretend you haven't practised these techniques. Join Ashley as we count down our picks for the best attacks to come from the Dragon Ball franchise
Transcript
00:00 Welcome to WatchMojo and today we're counting down our picks for the coolest, most powerful,
00:12 or overall iconic attacks from the Dragon Ball franchise.
00:25 When Majin Buu threatened the fate of humanity, Vegeta pulled all his power into one uber-powerful
00:30 final strike.
00:32 It's so powerful, in fact, that it takes the Saiyan down, too.
00:35 That's a high price to pay, but Vegeta's sacrifice made it one of his greatest moments
00:41 in the original series.
00:44 Plus, it isn't quite as final as its name implies.
00:58 Thanks to the Dragon Balls, Vegeta lived through his first heroic goodbye.
01:02 Then, when Super rolled around, he'd grown strong enough to survive the explosion all
01:07 on his own.
01:15 Blowing yourself up isn't always a good tactic in battle, but clearly, it's damn
01:19 effective.
01:20 It's common sense to never bring a sword to a beam fight.
01:39 The only exception is, of course, when that sword is made of ki, too.
01:44 Over the years, Dragon Ball has spiced up its hand-to-hand combat with the introduction
01:48 of all sorts of psionic weapons.
01:50 There's blades, shields, knives, and at one point, a scythe.
01:55 You have Goku Black and Zamasu to thank for most of them.
02:04 While they weren't the first to try out ki-based encounterments, they definitely take
02:08 the crown where style is concerned.
02:10 Villainy has never looked so cool.
02:16 Give it to Freeza to cut right to the chase.
02:19 Instead of an over-the-top name, his Death Beam does exactly what it sounds like.
02:24 It kills people, usually with a single standard ki attack.
02:28 But what it lacks in flair, it makes up for in sheer effectiveness.
02:32 There's not many people, Saiyan or not, who have seen a Death Beam and lived to tell
02:37 the tale.
02:45 Given Freeza's propensity towards sadism, this technique might have the highest main
02:50 character death toll in all of Dragon Ball.
02:53 Though, considering its straightforward name, that's hardly surprising.
03:01 There's no need to sugarcoat this one; it's already sweet enough.
03:08 With a Candy Beam, Majin Buu turns people into dessert, and then eats them whole.
03:22 In a franchise full of iconic moves and high-stakes battles, this sugary attack stands out on
03:28 creativity alone.
03:30 It sounds juvenile, but the Candy Beam is surprisingly effective, too.
03:34 Not even the Demon King, Dabura, could resist becoming a chocolate bar.
03:44 And unless you feel like fighting your way through Buu's digestive system, it's completely
03:48 lethal.
03:49 Really, the only way to truly avoid the Candy Beam is to make sure Buu isn't hungry.
04:04 Tien's attacks may not seem all that impressive compared to Namekian's, Android's or Super
04:09 Saiyan's, but no matter how big the gap in power levels gets, his Tri-Beam Cannon
04:14 is the greatest equaliser.
04:16 Fittingly, there's three main reasons why.
04:19 It's cool, it's overpowered, and it's got one hell of a track record.
04:24 Particularly in Z.
04:26 When Semi-Perfect Cell mopped the floor with everyone, Tien's Tri-Beam single-handedly
04:31 pinned him down long enough for the others to escape.
04:41 Unfortunately, using it that much has a massive toll on Tien's body.
04:49 But as long as he gets the job done, it's a trade worth making every single time.
04:54 You've got to give the Prince of Saiyans credit for one thing.
05:00 He sure knows how to come up with a sick name.
05:03 But don't worry, the Big Bang Attack has the punch to back it up.
05:07 The first time Vegeta showed it off, he unleashed a blast so powerful, it proved that androids
05:13 do feel fear after all.
05:21 And he only needed one hand to do it.
05:24 Since then, the concentrated burst has become one of Vegeta's go-to finishing blows.
05:29 Turns out it's just as effective against gods, monsters, and multiversal robots.
05:41 At this rate, Vegeta may never retire the Big Bang Attack.
05:58 Granted, this attack isn't what you would call lethal, but it doesn't mean it isn't
06:02 damn effective.
06:07 First used by Tien, this attack has been implemented by multiple other fighters, including Goku,
06:12 Krillin, and even the villainous Cell.
06:19 By unleashing a fierce burst of light, the user essentially blinds their opponents and
06:23 everyone else in the immediate vicinity.
06:26 And as such, potentially turns the tide of battle.
06:29 Hey, if it can put a stop to Vegeta in his Great Ape form, who are you to judge?
06:52 Originally created by his tutor Piccolo, the Masenko was taken by Gohan, and he certainly
06:57 made it his own.
07:08 A double-palmed ki blast, this stinger has worked surprisingly well against those pesky
07:14 filler villains, the Spice Boys.
07:26 But that's not to discount its worth, as this multi-generational technique was good
07:31 enough to be handed down to both Gohan's pupil Trunks and his daughter Pern.
07:56 Is a nasty demon ruining your day?
07:58 You've got the physical chops to take him down by traditional means?
08:02 Don't mind throwing away your life in the process?
08:04 Well, how about putting the bugger into a rice cooker or jar or something like that?
08:12 Yes, despite its varying results, the Mafuba has a lot more impact than a lot of the "go-tos"
08:21 of the series.
08:23 Originally brought in to seal away Demon King Piccolo, it disappeared for a good few years,
08:28 but made a glorious return in Super, as Trunks attempted to seal away the immortal jerk Zamasu.
08:45 Yeah, it's weird, but then again, this move was used on a creature that turned people
08:59 into candy.
09:09 After perfecting their fusion, it turned out that Goten and Trunks had more than a few
09:14 special moves under their belts to use on the likes of Majin Buu.
09:18 The most awkward yet effective was when he coughed up a sentient ghost version of themselves,
09:23 who exploded on contact.
09:26 This took us all for a loop, but it still managed to do its job by blowing Buu to tiny,
09:31 pink pieces.
09:41 And this attack must have impressed Buu, since he uses it himself later on.
09:59 Goku has the Kamehameha, Vegeta has the Final Flash, so it only makes sense that their fusion,
10:06 Vegito, would use a combination of them both.
10:08 Introducing the Final Kamehameha – it's twice the firepower, for half the beams.
10:15 As if seeing Goku and Vegeta fuse wasn't exhilarating enough, having them combine their
10:20 iconic techniques is a whole other level of awesome.
10:30 The fact that it's been used so sparingly thus far, just makes it feel all the more
10:34 special.
10:35 It ensures that, when Vegito does whip out the Final Kamehameha, you know you're in
10:40 for a good time.
10:45 Gojira's trademark finishing blow has a tendency to leave enemies in the dust.
10:54 Literally.
10:55 Jun Ember was seemingly unbeatable, but after one run-in with the Stardust Breaker, he melted
11:01 quicker than you could say Kamehameha.
11:10 He even turned into sparkles afterwards, just to really rub it in.
11:14 Brawly fared a bit better, but either way, you can always count on Gojira's flashy
11:19 finisher to put on a dazzling show.
11:28 Still, what makes this attack so memorable is that it isn't a rip-off of something
11:35 that came before.
11:36 No, this is a Gojira original, and it's all the better for it.
11:41 8.
11:42 Dragon Fist
11:43 Who needs a beam struggle?
11:45 All Goku needs to win is his fists and a running start.
11:49 His determination takes care of the rest.
11:57 On the surface, this looks just like your average punch with a bit of a wind-up.
12:01 But as soon as Goku takes to the sky, the dragon imagery makes it clear this is something
12:07 special.
12:08 Suffice it to say, the Dragon Fist has definitely earned its place in the franchise's history
12:13 books.
12:14 I think Piccolo and Super 17 certainly think so.
12:22 Of course, it doesn't hurt that the Dragon Fist never starts a fight – it just ends
12:27 them.
12:28 7.
12:29 Destructo Disc
12:30 Oh, Krillin.
12:33 You're the universe's favourite punching bag, but against all odds, you keep on moving
12:44 forward.
12:45 And hey, you've got a hot android wife and a signature move all your own, so things can't
12:50 be all that awful.
12:59 Forming a circular disc out of pure ki, this attack may have been replicated by several
13:04 DBZ villains – to greater effect, we might add – but we'll always associate this
13:09 technique with Krillin over anyone else.
13:12 Even if the best thing he's ever done with it is cut off Freeza's tail.
13:21 6.
13:24 Galick Gun
13:35 Back when Vegeta was a destroyer of worlds, this was the deadliest attack in his arsenal.
13:41 Considering it managed to bring the Kamehameha to a stalemate, that is saying a lot.
13:54 We certainly don't see much of it in Z outside a singular beam struggle against Goku, but
13:59 given just how iconic that scene is – not to mention the fact it nearly blew up the
14:04 planet – we have to give this technique props.
14:07 This signature move would later become a mainstay in Super, even added to the arsenal of Trunks.
14:18 5.
14:22 Hakai
14:23 There may have been a lot of powerful techniques out there, but this is the only real one-hit
14:28 KO in all of Dragon Ball.
14:30 Hakai is the manifestation of a destroyer god's energy, and as such, it can obliterate
14:36 quite literally anything it touches – even deities themselves.
14:46 If they aren't safe, then there really is no limit to what Hakai can do.
14:51 So maybe it's for the best that only destroyers like Beerus are capable of harnessing its
14:56 strength.
14:57 If Top's time in the Tournament of Power proves anything, it's that there's no
15:01 real way to beat Hakai.
15:03 All you can do is cross your fingers and delay the inevitable.
15:11 4.
15:14 Special Beam Cannon
15:26 It killed Goku, a special enough for us.
15:29 While Piccolo certainly has no shortage of unique ki-based blasts at his disposal, it's
15:34 this energy weapon that has stuck with him the most throughout the entire series, and
15:39 served him rather well in the process.
15:51 While it may not look as impressive as some of the wider ki-blasts, it was strong enough
15:56 to cut through both Goku and Raditz, and has managed to at least wound several foes afterwards.
16:02 It was also one of Imperfect Cell's preferred copied moves, so that must count for something.
16:15 3.
16:19 Spirit Bomb
16:27 Once upon a time, if you were Goku's opponent and you ended up facing this technique, then
16:32 you were history.
16:34 Most notably used to defeat a good number of DBZ movie villains, this collection of
16:39 the planet's energy resulted in the creation of a colossal sphere that decimated everything
16:45 it touched.
16:58 All the waiting time can be a real pain, and particularly strong foes like Freeza have
17:03 managed to withstand its force, but that doesn't take away the fact that with enough borrowed
17:08 energy, this sphere can crush anything, just ask Kid Buu.
17:16 2.
17:20 Final Flash
17:30 The most powerful attack that Vegeta has at his disposal, this golden explosion of energy
17:35 became just as synonymous with him as the Kamehameha is to Goku, and boy is it a spectacle.
17:46 It's greatest moment was, of course, when Vegeta unleashed this beauty against the newly
17:58 formed Perfect Cell, and it practically blew half his body to hell.
18:09 The fact that Cell regenerated right after doesn't take away just how devastating an
18:14 attack it is, and it's one truly worthy of the Prince of Saiyans.
18:44 1.
18:45 Kamehameha
18:53 Which one of you thought anything else would top this list?
18:56 It's the freaking Kamehameha.
18:59 Since the early days of Dragon Ball, this attack has stuck with Goku through thick and
19:04 thin – probably more than Chi-Chi – bringing down the likes of alien tyrants, killer androids,
19:10 and whatever the hell Majin Buu was.
19:24 The stronger that Goku gets, you can bet that this icon of Japanese culture will only grow
19:29 in size and scope with him.
19:32 And don't pretend that you haven't practiced it in your own time as well.
19:53 Did we miss any of your favorite Dragon Ball attacks?
20:12 [music]
20:22 (drum roll)