Summary
Dragon Ball’s most famous attack, theKamehameha Wave, has saved the world many times, but its coolest iterations have proved capable of doing more than that with versions fans will never forget. Master Roshi first demonstrated the technique in episode #8 ofDragon Ball’s anime, but the attack has been featured in everyDragon Ballanime series since then, and like the series fanbase, it only got bigger and stronger.
The Turtle School’sMaster Roshi first created the iconic Kamehameha Waveafter fifty years of intensive training. Since it was first introduced, the technique has been mastered by several of Earth’s most talented martial artists, such as Krillin, Gohan, Yamacha, and, of course, Goku.
To the surprise of Master Roshi, the young Goku did not need fifty years of training to learn the Turtle Hermit’s signature attack. After watching the old martial arts master do it once, Goku was able to pull off his own version of the attack. And over the course of his life, he’d find many fascinating ways to use the Kamehameha attack.
The Coolest Kamehameha List only includes versions of the technique used in theDragon Ballfranchise’s canon anime episodes.
9The Feet Kamehameha Was Brilliant and Underutilized
Goku Debuted The Feet Kamehameha In Dragon Ball Episode #146
Goku developed several creative ways to use his most trusty attacks throughout the first mainlineDragon Ballstoryline. His final battle against Piccolo Jr. in the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament would require more than a couple of them, includinga Kamehameha Wave shot from his feet. The shocking method even stunned Master Roshi as he looked on from the audience. Piccolo also didn’t anticipate the maneuver as Goku shot himself into his flying foe’s face with a powerful strike.
Unfortunately, the Feet Kamehameha is not a technique that is often used in the franchise. It was a brilliantly strategic move that provided an incredible speed boost and allowed its users' hands to remain free for follow-up attacks. The unique method of using Goku’s signature attack likely expelled more energy than it was worth. Still, it was an attack so entertaining that it would be great to see it used again.
King Piccolo was ultimately defeated in a similar manner when Goku launched himself into the air with a blast that quickly bridged the gap between the two warriors.
8The Bending Kamehameha Changed The Rules Of Ki Blasts
Goku Debuted The Bending Kamehameha In Episode #42 of Dragon Ball
Yelling out the name and charging up the Kamehameha gave foes plenty of warning of the impending laser attack. However, Goku’s creation ofthe Bending Kamehameha instantly made predicting the powerful attack much more challenging. By manipulating the attack’s point of origin, Goku learned how to change the course of the Kamehameha Wave to move in multiple directions after it was fired. At that point in the series, almost every version of ki attacks was a straight-forward blast; the Bending Kamehameha proved that didn’t always need to be the case.
Maneuvering the Kamehameha Wave proved capable of dealing damage to unaware foes like King Piccolo. However, the Bending Kamehameha Wave has also proved useful as a particularly brutal method of training. DuringDragon Ball Z’s filler episodes, moments of Goku training in high gravity while on his journey to Namek, he’d used the technique towards himself to toughen himself up. During theBattle of Godsfilm, Goku again used the Bending Kamehameha against himself while training on King Kai’s planet.
7Big Bang Kamehameha Was The First Fusion Of Goku and Vegeta’s Ki
Vegito Debuted The Big Bang Kamehameha In Episode #269 of Dragon Ball Z
Dragon Ball Z’s final saga proved to be a fitting end with a catastrophic threat and triumphant transformations that the heroes were forced to master to save the universe. Goku and Piccolo helped teach the young Trunks and Goten the Fusion Dance, which was the first time the idea of fusing mighty warriors came about in the series. While theDBZanime failed to show Goku and Vegetausing the dance, a fusion of the warriors would prove necessary against Super Buu. The Fusion Earrings of the Kais created Vegito, who couldn’t help but use a special version of both warriors' signature attacks.
After all the hype that came with the dramatic fusions, Vegito delivered on several fronts. When Goku and Vegeta finally combined they easily overpowered Super Buu who’d successfully absorbed both Gotenks and the recently awakened Gohan. The Big Bang Kamehameha attack was a brilliant display and combination of the two warriors' attacks that successfully stunned Super Buu for one of the first times in his life. For the first time, fans could see the two warriors battling as one andthe anime’s fusion of their two ki techniques was one of the series' most hyped-up attacks.
The Big Bang Kamehameha attack wasn’t officially named until it was performed by Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta during the final battles ofDragon Ball GT.
Goku Performed The First Super Kamehameha In Episode #144 of Dragon Ball
As the name suggests, the Super Kamehameha is essentially a leveled-up version of the classic Kamehameha. While a fully realized version of the attack fromMaster Roshi was capable of destroying a mountain, Goku’s Super Kamehameha is far more potent. It was first used near the end of theDragon Ballseries in anime episode #144 against Piccolo Jr. during the World Martial Arts Tournament. And without it, countless innocent lives would have been lost.
The Super Kamehameha would eventually take on new names after Goku learned to improve it further with his many transformations. Still, it was a considerable upgrade from the previous version of the technique that theDragon Ballseries had shown. Its memorable debut against Piccolo Jr. featured one of the franchise’s first epic beam clashes that would go on to become a prominent feature in everyDragon Ballseries afterward.
5The Original Kamehameha Of The Turtle School
Master Roshi Performed The First Kamehameha Wave In Episode #8 of Dragon Ball
The very first energy wave attack in the franchise was Master Roshi’s Kamehameha Wave inDragon Ballepisode #8. Roshi was tasked to help the Ox King quell the raging flames that had engulfed his mountain. He was technically successful when the goofy, slender old man bulked up considerably and delivereda Kamehameha that accidentally obliterated the entire mountainalong with the Ox King’s castle. It was the first colossal display of strength that effectively established a power-scale that’d stick with viewers for a very long time.
Goku’s first attempt at using the Kamehameha wave proved that he wouldn’t need 50 years to master the technique. While not nearly as grandiose as Roshi’s was, Goku’s first attempt with the technique destroyed part of a small car, proving he was a naturally gifted martial artist. It would take at least a few arcs before the main character ofDragon Ballwould be able to match the level of power that Master Roshi first demonstrated with the iconic technique.
4The Father-Son Kamehameha Was As Emotional As It Was Awe-Inspiring
Gohan Debuted The Father-Son Kamehameha In Episode #190 of Dragon Ball Z
The Z Warriors thought they were safe after Goku teleported the self-destructing Cell away from Earth. That sense of safety vanished along with a large section of Future Trunks' chest when the newly regeneratedPerfect Cell reappeared onDragon Ball’s Earth. He made quite the entrance by killing Trunks and then nearly killing Vegeta if Gohan hadn’t taken Cell’s brutal attack. Cell was more powered up than ever before and ready to end his campaign against the Z Warriors, butGohan wasn’t going to let the Cell Games end without one more incredible beam struggle.
With only one good arm remaining, Super Saiyan 2 Gohan launched the largest Kamehameha he could against Cell’s own Kamehameha. Despite previously outclassing Perfect Cell in almost every way, the injured Saiyan hybrid was losing in a contest of strength. However, the wounded Vegeta landed a blast strong enough to stun Cell for a single pivotal moment. Goku used that moment to push his son with inspiration that helped form the massive Father-Son Kamehameha. Perfect Cell became engulfed with an attack large enough to be visible from space as it obliterated Dr.Gero’s greatest creation.
3The Instant Kamehameha Delivered Swift Action To Well-Built Tension
Goku Debuted The Instant Kamehameha In Episode #179 of Dragon Ball Z
The first battle of the Cell Games began with Cell finally getting the fight he’d been created for against Goku. It was an anticipated battle that long-time watchers of the franchise were surprised to get so soon with most tournaments reserving Goku’s fight against the main villain till after everyone else had a chance to fight. The two fighters seemed evenly matched, but Cell finally lost his confident composure when Goku managed to land one of the franchise’s most surprising and satisfying Kamehameha’s.
Cell had destroyed the Cell Games ring, making it abundantly clear that he wanted the match between him and Goku to end in dramatic fashion. Goku responded by jumping into the air and preparing a full-powered Kamehameha Wave with Perfect Cell and the Earth below him. Cell couldn’t determine what Goku’s plan was because he didn’t believe Earth’s protector would risk blowing up the planet. By the time he realized what was happening,Goku had already used his Instant Transmission technique to warp in front of Cell and deliver a blastthat disintegrated the top half of the villain’s body.
Viewers had seen Perfect Cell take damage that would have been fatal to almost any other foe inDragon Ball’s universe. Still, even though audiences knew that the Instant Kamehameha wouldn’t be enough to finish off the antagonist for good, it was a moment that had been built up with incredible dramatic tension. Throughout the entire Androids Saga, Dr.Gero’s creations strove to get a piece of Goku, and in many ways, they finally got exactly that, along with the stunning combination of the Instant Transmission and the Super Kamehameha Wave.
2A Divine Kamehameha Worthy Of Anime Gods
Goku Debuted the Divine Kamehameha In Episode #116 of Dragon Ball Super
While it’s debatable whereDragon Ball Superranks among the franchises' series, it’s hard to argue that it didn’t include entertaining battles. One of the series' most celebrated moments came afterGoku unlocked his Ultra Instincttransformation and had to use it to defeat Kefla, the fusion of Universe 6’s Saiyans. Her overwhelming strength was even a challenge for her to control, and when she unleashed her powers, the rampaging energy was felt across the vast battlefield. The massive display of power was finally quelled after what many fans callthe greatest Kamehameha in the entire franchise.
Even though he’d not fully mastered its potential, Goku’s Ultra Instinct transformation unlocked colossal reserves of divine energy that boosted his power output and reaction time. While narrowly dodging dozens of Kefla’s devastating red energy waves, Goku got closer to his target. As soon as he jumped up to confront her, Kelfa concentrated his energy blasts toward Goku, and as the blast approached his face, he used the energy he was storing to repel off of hers. Before she could react, Goku was in her face with a Divine Kamehameha that blasted her through the Tournament of Power’s platform.
1The Kaio-Ken Kamehameha Pushed Goku and Storytelling To New Heights
Goku Debuted The Kaio-Ken Kamehameha In Episode #31 of Dragon Ball Z
TheDragon Ball Zanime started with the thrilling confrontation against Goku’s brother Raditz, but the series earth-shaking battle against Vegeta helped push the series into legendary status. Watching the cocky high-class Saiyan Vegeta finally lose his composure and attempt to blow up Earth was the most dire situation Goku had ever encountered. As Vegeta’s Galick Gun rushed towards the planet, it was up to Goku and the strongest Kamehameha he could muster to prevent the destruction of his home and everyone he held dear, but it wasn’t enough.
AfterGoku learned the strongest techniquein his arsenal, the Kaio-ken, he was able to multiply his ki. The higher he pushed it, the greater the risk that the multiplier would backfire and ravage his body by tearing his muscles apart. Despite the warnings of his master, Goku saw that he had no choice and pushed the Kaio-ken from the triple multiplier to a fourth level, creatingthe Kaio-Ken Kamehameha that overpowered Vegeta.
The incredible direction of the anime, combined with the talented animators' adaptation and the particular epic voice talents of actors like Sean Schemmel, helped cement the moment as one of the anime medium’s most fantastic. The Kaio-Ken Kamehameha shattered The Prince of All Saiyan’s world-views and arguably changed theDragon Ballfranchise forever.
Sources:VegitoVEV0,Dragon Ball Fan,edward Klay,PrisonerOfWar50,Crunchyroll,Yo Mama/YouTube
Dragon Ball
From the creative mind of Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball is a mega multimedia franchise that spans back to the 1980s. Dragon Ball expanded quickly, starting as a serialized manga for Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan. It made its way overseas via manga and an anime adaptation that is enjoyed worldwide. Dragon Ball was the initial starting animated series that followed the adventures of the young Son Goku as he sought after the Dragon Balls. These mystical orbs would grant the wish of any who gathered them together. Then, the series would branch off into the immensely popular Dragon Ball Z, which followed Goku as an adult and featured high-intensity battles and Goku’s never-ending search to be the strongest. The series has also enjoyed several popular video game adaptations and continues to release several new animated series and theatrical films up to the recent popular Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.
Dragon Ball Super
Cast
Dragon Ball Super is an anime series set after Majin Buu’s defeat. It follows Son Goku, now a radish farmer, as peace prevails until Beerus, the God of Destruction, appears. Seeking to challenge a legendary warrior, the series revisits events from two Dragon Ball Z films before exploring alternate universes.
Dragon Ball Z
Dragon Ball Z follows Goku, who lives a peaceful life with his family until the arrival of Raditz, a mysterious warrior claiming to be Goku’s brother. This revelation unveils their true heritage as Saiyans, a formidable warrior race known for conquering planets.
Goku, a young, powerful boy with a tail, spends his days hunting and living off the land. His life changes when he meets Bulma, a teen genius on a quest to collect seven magical Dragon Balls that summon a dragon capable of granting any wish. Together, they set off on an adventure filled with powerful martial arts battles, formidable foes, and unlikely alliances.
