Summary
- Finishing moves are a key element in battle manga, adding excitement and fun with their flashy names and powerful effects.
- Dragon Ball has a wide variety of finishing moves, each with its own unique power and impact on the battles.
- From powerful punches to energy blasts, Dragon Ball characters like Goku, Vegeta, and Trunks have a range of finishing moves that showcase their strength and determination.
Finishing moves are always a big part of shonen battle manga, with super-powered fighters throwing their strongest moves against each other in one climactic battle after the other. Big, flashy moves are one of the biggest appeals of battle manga, and every popular series in the genre does its best to come up with fun names for kids to shout in the playground.
As the progenitor of most modern battle manga, Dragon Ball has plenty of exciting finishing moves used to make heart-pounding battles even more exhilarating. Here are some of the best finishing moves that have been used throughout the Dragon Ball series.
8 Penetrate!
A Final Desperation Move Against A Mighty Villain
Despite drinking the Ultra Divine Water and increasing his power, Goku fought an uphill battle against King Piccolo. Despite losing the use of most of his limbs, Goku managed to turn things around with a Reverse Kamehameha, launching him into the air. Goku then punched his way through King Piccolo with the rest of his strength, winning the fight once and for all.
Penetrate! (named in Budokai Tenkaichi 3) is less of a move and more of an attack made out of complete desperation. A silhouette of the Great Ape appears behind Goku when he performs this move as a symbol of his hidden power.
7 Neo Tri-Beam
A Self-Sacrificial Ultimate Move
Known as Shin Kikoho in Japanese, Neo Tri-Beam is Tien Shinhan's strongest move. An improved version of the basic Tri-Beam, the Neo Tri-Beam emits even more power and force and can be repeatedly fired over and over again.
Tien first used his move to delay Imperfect Cell, and was able to keep him locked in place despite being leagues weaker than him. He also used this move in the Tournament of Power, knocking out a couple of competitors on his own.
6 Dragon Fist
A Simple Strike With Mighty Power Behind It
A movie-exclusive move, Goku uses this move while in his Super Saiyan 3 form against Hirudegarn. A simple charging punch on the surface, once Goku makes contact, his ki transforms into the shape of a giant golden dragon, which obliterates the opponent on contact.
January Will Be A Big Month For Anime Movies
Whether they are released internationally or just in Japan, these five films films are the ones to look out for in the new year.
Goku uses certain variations of this move outside of the movie Wrath of the Dragon, with the most well-known being Super Dragon Fist, which he uses against Super 17 during Dragon Ball GT. Goku also has plenty of similar moves that also involve a charging punch, but few actually invoke the golden dragon.
5 Heat Dome Attack
A Vindicating Move For A Final Conclusion
After finally ridding his timeline of the villainous Androids 17 and 18, Trunks heads back to the past to tell his former friends of his victory. However, he still has one last end to take care of: the Cell in his timeline. After luring him out, Trunks throws Cell into the air and finishes him with a super-charged Finish Buster, bringing peace to his timeline once and for all.
Named in the Budokai Tenkaichi series (and occasionally called Finish Buster in other games), Heat Dome Attack is a combination move that requires a very unique setup. Though it is not one of Trunks's more well-known moves, it is easily one of his strongest moves.
4 Special Beam Cannon
A Supercharged Piercing Attack
The Special Beam Cannon is one of Piccolo's most well-known moves, featuring a powerful piercing beam that can skewer foes. Piccolo is forced to charge the beam in order for it to reach its full effectiveness, but it is possible to use it without charging as well.
While the move is one of Piccolo's signature attack s, other characters like Cell and Super Buu have used the move as well. Piccolo also has a two-handed version called Double Demon Burst which he rarely uses.
3 Final Flash
A Raging Blast Full Of Fury
Final Flash is one of the strongest attacks that Vegeta has ever used in the original Dragon Ball manga. After charging up for a prolonged period of time, Vegeta fires a massive beam from both hands.
Dragon Ball: Gogeta's Strongest Attacks, Ranked
Gogeta is one of the strongest characters in all of Dragon Ball, and these are his most powerful attacks.
Final Flash is a powerful attack that was even able to catch Perfect Cell off guard. Though the move can be used without charging, it is much more effective when it is.
2 Spirit Bomb
A Finishing Move Using The Power Of Life
The Spirit Bomb is one of two techniques Goku learned while training in the Other World. Drawing on the energy of nature and living beings, Goku draws power until he is able to create a powerful ball of energy that can be thrown at an enemy. This technique is incredibly powerful, but requires some set-up to use properly.
The Spirit Bomb is a move that changes wildly depending on how much energy is drawn. The Spirit Bomb that Goku used against Vegeta was quite small, while the one he used against Frieza was massive. The Super Spirit Bomb that Goku uses against Kid Buu is even more massive, utilizing the energy volunteered by the people of Earth.
1 Kamehameha
The Iconic Move That Defined Battle Manga
The Kamehameha is the most iconic finishing move to come out of the Dragon Ball canon. A simple forward-striking beam attack, many characters have been shown to use the move, from heroes like Goku and Gohan to villains like Cell and Buu.
The Kamehameha is a versatile and highly adaptable attack due to its simple form. It can change its trajectory, be used to propel the user, and more powerful versions such as the Super Kamehameha and the Father-Son Kamehameha have served to be climactic finishing moves.