Anime’s shonen genre is the home for some of the medium’s most popular series, but Dragon Ball’s reputation is on a whole other level. Akira Toriyama’s series has become a modern classic that’s influenced many series that have followed in its wake. Impressively, Dragon Ball continues and understands how to change with the times and adapt to modern sensibilities.
There’s a lot to love about Dragon Ball, but the many powerful techniques and unbelievable transformations usually fuel some of the series’ most exciting scenes. Dragon Ball has lots of strong techniques, but there are others that stand out because of their creative and out-of-the-box nature.
10 The Evil Containment Wave Is Developed By Roshi’s Mentor, Master Mutaito
There is no shortage of evil entities in the Dragon Ball universe and so it's a fairly good practice to develop a technique that specifically targets these dark forces. The Evil Containment Wave is a process that allows the user to trap their target in a container of some sort. This move initially appears in the original Dragon Ball against King Piccolo, but it makes a justified return in Dragon Ball Super against Zamasu and during the Tournament of Power. Master Roshi, Goku, and even Future Trunks learn the ability, but it's Master Mutaito who's responsible for its creation.
9 The Power Of King Kai’s Spirit Bomb Depends On The Worth Of Its User
The Spirit Bomb is an extremely useful technique that becomes Goku’s signature finishing technique for a lengthy span of the series. King Kai is responsible for the creation of the ability and he's very selective over who he trains to learn it. The Spirit Bomb involves the massive release of energy that's been assembled from other people on the planet. What makes the move so unique is that people need to willingly donate their energy and so without the proper trust or enough people, it can turn out to be a serious bust.
8 Instant Transmission Is One Of The Most Coveted Techniques That Yardrat Has To Offer
A good offensive maneuver or a powerful energy attack is often treated like the most important type of technique in Dragon Ball, but the ability to defend oneself and get around is just as useful. Instant Transmission is akin to teleportation as long as the individual has an energy signal to lock on to.
The brilliant Yardrat race is responsible for the development of the technique, and it's one of their many resilient abilities. Goku visits the planet and learns Instant Transmission while he's there and it's gone on to become something that he's used to save the Earth.
7 The Fusion Dance Is An Ancient Custom That’s Become Commonplace
Series like Dragon Ball are always facing the hurdle of increasingly powerful new enemies and a new transformation as the solution becomes a fairly repetitive structure. One alternative that’s introduced is fusion, which allows two characters to merge into one and obtain a combined level of strength. Dragon Ball has truly run with the concept and there are now several methods behind the process, each with different time restrictions and limitations. The fusion dance is a true technique that can be studied and mastered, and it’s a procedure that has been passed down from the Metamoran race of Other World.
6 Namekian Limb Elongation Is A Major Asset Of The Race
Dragon Ball has always existed in an exaggerated world, but the series progressively incorporates aliens and other new breeds of species as allies and enemies. Namekians get a lot of attention and they’re just as compelling as Saiyans with even more to offer when it comes to innate abilities. Namekians can regenerate lost limbs, grow in size, and even reproduce asexually, but one of their most versatile techniques is limb elongation. Piccolo uses this to his advantage to unexpectedly bridge the gap between him and his opponent and it’s a major asset when the enemy doesn’t know to expect it.
5 Hit’s Time-Skip Confounds Most & Aids Him As A Legendary Assassin
Dragon Ball Super’s Hit isn’t just one of Universe 6’s very best, but his reputation also precedes him as a deadly assassin. Hit has plenty of physical strength, but his major advantage in battle is his Time-Skip technique, which leaves most of his targets defeated before they understand what’s happened.
It appears that Hit teaches this ability to himself and only continues to upgrade its potency over time. He progresses from skipping time for a tenth of a second to eventually up to half a second and then fully freezing his opponent in time during a time-skip.
4 Future Trunks’ Spirit Sword Attains The Power Of Gods
Dragon Ball Super pushes the franchise forward in satisfying ways, but it also carefully embraces nostalgia with the return of some beloved characters, such as Future Trunks. Future Trunks plays an important role in the war against Zamasu and Goku Black. The heroes go to extreme lengths to defeat this threat and ultimately Zeno needs to get involved. Before this point, it’s Future Trunks who does the most damage with a new technique that he cultivates in the heat of battle. Trunks’ Spirit Sword channels his Super Saiyan Rage energy into a concentrated blade that reflects his trademark weapon.
3 Captain Ginyu’s Body Swap Technique Gets The Better Of The Very Best
Dragon Ball Z’s Ginyu Force is treated like a bit of a joke and admittedly they function as a parody of certain superhero team archetypes. The group’s members become even more dangerous because of the unique techniques at their disposal. Captain Ginyu, the leader, possesses a formidable body swap maneuver that he uses to temporarily take control of Goku’s body. It’s unclear if the Captain Ginyu body that’s seen is even his original state or just his most recent host. It seems like Ginyu is the originator of this technique and in the right circumstances, it can do irreparable damage.
2 Forced Spirit Fission Is A Yardrat Custom That Rebalances The Scales Of Power
Dragon Ball Super's manga has surpassed the anime's ending, and it's gone in some interesting directions where characters have gained some important new abilities. Vegeta pays a visit to Planet Yardrat, but rather than follow in Goku's footsteps, he learns a different technique called Forced Spirit Fission. This technique is so unusual because it gives Vegeta the power to separate energy and redistribute it. This means that he can take energy away from individuals or their attacks, and even undo processes like fusion, which makes it extremely advantageous.
1 The Feared Great Ape Transformation Is Ingrained In Saiyan DNA
It’s always satisfying when Dragon Ball offers a glimpse into the past of the Saiyan race since their ruthless and barbaric ways make the compassion of all of Earth’s Saiyans resonate even more. A classic trait of Saiyans during the pre-Super Saiyan days is that a full moon--or a decent substitute--will turn a Saiyan into a gigantic ape-like creature, provided they still have their tail. This technique is inherent to the Saiyan race and it’s why so many accepted their fates as blunt tools of destruction. Its crude ways are eventually outgrown by Goku and the series’ remaining Saiyans.