5 Dragon Ball Energy Attack Moments That Are Classic Anime Milestones

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Akira Toriyama’s *Dragon Ball* manga dramatically changed the world of Shonen comics and continues to influence creators today. Over the past four decades, the franchise has grown to include spin-offs, sequels, anime, films, video games, and countless products. *Dragon Ball* popularized many common elements of the Shonen genre, like transformations, power levels, and tournament story arcs. But one of its most memorable contributions is the use of energy attacks – special moves that combine martial arts with unique techniques. These attacks are powered by ‘ki,’ a life energy that everyone possesses and can learn to harness, and it’s the foundation of the series’ entire power system.

The *Dragon Ball* manga first appeared in 1984 and quickly became known for its exciting energy attacks – a key feature that continues throughout the series. As an action-packed story, many of its most famous scenes center around powerful attacks and characters changing forms. While there are countless amazing moments, the five highlighted below are some of the most iconic in the series’ history.

5) Piccolo’s Special Beam Cannon Changed Dragon Ball Forever

The story of *Dragon Ball Z* starts with the arrival of Raditz, Goku’s brother, who reveals Goku’s alien heritage. Raditz is just the first of many powerful Saiyans Goku and his friends, the Z Warriors, must face, with Vegeta and Nappa on their way. When Raditz appears, Goku and Piccolo team up to fight him, but Raditz proves to be much stronger. Goku manages to hold Raditz back while Piccolo charges up his powerful Special Beam Cannon.

He unleashed that attack for the very first time, and it quickly became his trademark. This event dramatically shifted the story’s direction: Goku was killed along with Raditz and went to train with King Kai. Meanwhile, Piccolo recognized Gohan’s hidden strength and began training the four-year-old boy, developing a close, father-son relationship with the son of his enemy.

4) Goku’s First Kamehameha Had a Profound Impact on Shonen

The Kamehameha is a hugely famous attack – even people who don’t watch anime often recognize the name. Many children who grew up with Dragon Ball in the 80s and 90s would pretend to perform it. Though Master Roshi first created the attack, it became best known as Goku’s signature move and helped popularize this type of powerful technique in action-oriented anime and manga.

Kamehameha is still Goku’s most powerful move in tough fights. It took Master Roshi, a famous martial arts master, half a century of hard training to create the technique. But in the original anime, episode 8 shows Goku learning and using it almost immediately after seeing Roshi demonstrate it.

3) Vegeta’s Final Explosion Was the Ultimate Act of Atonement

Watching Vegeta’s transformation has been incredible. It wasn’t a quick change from bad guy to good, though. After nearly being destroyed by Frieza, he came back to Earth, dedicated himself to intense training, and eventually built a life with Bulma and their son. But he was always driven by a need to be stronger, and his pride just wouldn’t let him fall behind Goku. That’s why, during the fight with Buu, he made a really risky choice – he allowed Babidi to use a dark magic seal on him, hoping it would give him the power he craved.

To get another chance to fight Goku, he tragically killed many innocent people. But when faced with a truly desperate situation, he redeemed himself by using the Final Explosion against Majin Buu. This wasn’t just a selfless act to save others, it was his final attempt to make amends for his past. He unleashed this incredibly powerful, life-ending attack, sacrificing all of his energy in a huge blast, hoping it would finally defeat Buu’s ability to heal.

2) Goku’s Super Spirit Bomb Saved the World From Kid Buu

Kid Buu was the strongest enemy Goku and the Z Fighters ever faced, serving as the final villain of the original Dragon Ball Z series. Although Goku had used the Spirit Bomb before, the one he used against Kid Buu was incredibly powerful – so much so that it completely destroyed the villain. This victory wasn’t just Goku’s though; it was a team effort from the entire planet. With help from Mr. Satan, who was known as a world hero, people across Earth contributed their energy, allowing Goku to create a massive Super Spirit Bomb.

Kid Buu didn’t just draw power from people; he used the life energy of everything around him. At first, Buu was winning because he could reflect Goku’s attacks, and Goku was too tired to defend himself. Luckily, Dende quickly used the Dragon Balls to restore Goku’s energy, letting him transform into a Super Saiyan and defeat Buu. Then, Dende wished for Buu to be reborn as someone kind.

1) Father and Son Kamehameha Obliterated Cell

Few anime moments have had as much impact as Gohan’s victory over Cell. From the beginning of *Dragon Ball Z*, Gohan demonstrated incredible potential, often exceeding his father Goku’s abilities. By the time the Cell Saga arrived, Gohan had already become a Super Saiyan and become stronger than Goku. This put the entire world’s hope on the shoulders of an 11-year-old boy, who had to face Perfect Cell all alone.

The fight took a tragic turn when Gohan, overwhelmed with anger after Android 16 died, underestimated his opponent. He allowed the villain to gather enough energy for a devastating final attack. Though Goku sacrificed himself to save Earth, he died on King Kai’s planet, leaving Gohan heartbroken. Despite his grief, Gohan received renewed encouragement from his father’s spirit. The famous combined Kamehameha wave wasn’t actually powered by Goku; it was entirely Gohan’s energy. This moment was symbolic, representing Goku’s continued support and guidance from beyond the grave.

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2025-10-14 00:44