Even several years after its debut, the legacy of Dragon Ball can’t be matched by any other anime or manga series. As a battle Shonen, the series has introduced several iconic techniques that add to the thrill of the story. Written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama, the manga revolutionized the Shonen demographic in many ways, and it still continues to inspire a new generation of creators. With a legacy spanning over four decades, the franchise has released several spin-offs, sequels, series, movies, video games, merchandise, and more. Among the many tropes introduced in the story, one of the best is still the energy attacks that use signature techniques and blend them with martial arts.
These attacks are often derived from ki, a life-force energy that all beings possess and can learn to control, and are the core of the series’ power system. The original manga, which began serialization in 1984, immediately established the concept of energy attacks and martial arts techniques and continues to follow it to this day. This trope only continued to evolve in the later series and sequels, including Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super. While each of them is unique and possesses special powers, these five may be impossible to win against.
Solar Flare is yet another unique technique that can’t be categorized as offensive or defensive. Instead of inflicting direct damage to the user, this ability renders them immobile for a few seconds by compromising their vision. The user channels their ki to release a blinding flash of light that temporarily compromises the vision of everyone in the vicinity. It’s virtually impossible to fight against this technique since physical strength doesn’t offer any defense against light. This technique works best as a team effort in a strategy to outnumber the target. By temporarily immobilizing the opponent, the user can either directly charge towards them with another offensive attack or create an opening for their team member to weaken them further. While this technique doesn’t directly cause harm to the target, it might change the tide of the battle as long as the user times it correctly and forms a strategy around it.
This ability was first introduced in the original Dragon Ball anime, but never got the spotlight it deserved. Master Roshi learned it from his own master, and it became one of his most terrifying techniques. Rather than an offensive or defensive attack, Evil Containment Wave is merely a sealing technique that traps an immortal or an unimaginable power enemy inside a container. After trapping the opponent in a container or a jar, the user seals them with a special talisman. Mastering this technique allows the user to defeat an opponent several times more powerful than them. This technique is not only difficult to dodge, but unlike usual fights, the difference in strength doesn’t matter as long as the target can become eternally trapped. This technique was also reintroduced in Dragon Ball Super since it was the only way to stop Zamasu, but the only reason it failed was that Goku forgot to bring the sealing talisman with him.
Spirit Bomb is one of the few techniques Goku learned from King Kai, and it’s easily one of the most powerful techniques in the entire verse. However, its efficiency depends on the number of living creatures contributing their powers for Goku to land one devastating attack. Goku can extract the energy from all kinds of living creatures, compiling them into a gigantic ball of energy. The only reason Goku can use this technique is that he has a pure heart, which is why he can manipulate and gather energy. However, this technique can’t be used by many people, which is a major reason why Goku has an advantage in many battles. Not only that, but the fact that it basically draws limitless energy from external sources guarantees that there’s no fixed limit to the devastation this ability can cause. During the final stretch of the battle against Buu, Goku gathered energy from all life forms on Earth and created a Super Spirit Bomb, which was so powerful that the villain couldn’t even find an opening to regenerate himself.
