As Goku's sensei in Dragon Ball, Master Roshi always clearly possessed great strength and wisdom in regard to martial arts. However, his weak, elderly appearance and inability to control himself around women have often given him the impression of being much less wise and strong than he actually is.
In order to appreciate just how it is that Goku reached the levels of martial arts mastery that he did, Master Roshi's true talents have to be appreciated. As the ultimate personification of phrases such as "looks can be deceiving" or "never judge a book by its cover," Roshi is one of the most enigmatic characters in anime. His skills are still often underestimated over 30 years since he was first introduced.
10 Master Roshi Held Back Against Tien In The World Tournament
In the 22nd World Tournament, Master Roshi (under his Jackie Chun moniker) faced the newly introduced Tien. This was one of the most equal fights Roshi had faced thus far, and both fighters outwardly acknowledged one another's strength.
Each fighter is shown mimicking the other's moves — showing the high level of combat experience they both have. While Roshi eventually gives up so that Goku and Krillin can face a new foe, Tien admits that he could tell Roshi was actually holding back during their entire fight.
9 Master Roshi Fought All Of Frieza's Minions
During the Dragon Ball Z movie Resurrection F, Frieza sends his minions to wreak havoc on the Z Fighters. While Gohan faces off against Frieza, Master Roshi decides to carry his own weight against Frieza's unsuspecting forces.
While the Frieza Force is full of highly trained warriors that are strong enough to conquer most planets with relative ease, they are still no match for The Old Master. After powering up to his full-strength form, Roshi once again proves why he should never be underestimated for his looks.
8 Master Roshi Taught Goku The Evil Containment Wave To Use On Zamasu
One of Master Roshi's most recent displays of combat wisdom was during the Goku Black arc in Dragon Ball Super. After Goku and Vegeta realized they didn't stand a chance against Zamasu in their current forms, their only choice was to turn to Roshi in order to learn an ancient ability that he once mastered: The Evil Containment Wave.
While the Evil Containment spell was already used multiple times in the past, the fact that a spell that Master Roshi knew back at the start of the series was powerful enough to contain Zamasu just shows how knowledgeable Roshi always was.
7 Master Roshi Fought Tien & Goku While Under Mind Control
Master Roshi and Tien's first confrontation was a high point in the original Dragon Ball series. So, when they finally had to face off once again in Dragon Ball Super, longtime fans recognized the importance of this moment in Dragon Ball history.
Though their first fight was fought voluntarily, Roshi and Tien's second bout was the result of Master Roshi being placed under mind control by Yurin. Under her mind control, Roshi is forced to bring out his true strength, utterly overpowering Tien and even going fist-to-fist with Goku for a brief period.
6 Master Roshi Caught Bullets
When the Red Ribbon Army attempted to attack Master Roshi's island, they thought they would be able to walk all over this strange elderly man. However, The Turtle Hermit had other plans.
Aside from entirely out-matching several soldiers by himself, Roshi even faced down a direct shot from a machine gun and caught all the bullets. While there are some anime characters that display the ability to dodge bullets altogether, the combined strength and speed required to catch them out of the air is arguably even more impressive. This feat proved entirely demoralizing for his opponents and provided more justification for Roshi's unfathomable mastery over martial arts.
5 Master Roshi Took Out Universe 4 Single-Handedly
Throughout the majority of Dragon Ball Z, Master Roshi was able to take a backseat as Goku and the Z Warriors got more powerful than ever. However, with Dragon Ball Super's Tournament of Power, that all changed.
Roshi was called upon once again to help defend the universe from destruction, and he did not disappoint. One of his most impressive feats during the TOP was the defeat of Caway, Dercori, and Ganos, one after another. These were some of the strongest warriors in Universe 4, but Roshi was able to make quick work of each of them.
4 Master Roshi Held His Own Against Frost
During the Tournament of Power, Roshi came face-to-face with one of Universe 6's most powerful beings: Frost. Frost is essentially the Frieza of Universe 6, and he's perhaps even more devious in many ways than Frieza himself.
Frost was strong enough to give Goku a run for his money in the preliminary rounds of the TOP, so when Roshi faced off against him in a solo battle, fans were surprised to see how well Roshi was able to hold his own. Roshi even almost defeated Frost by utilizing the Evil Containment Wave, though it was ultimately up to Vegeta to come and put Frost in his place once and for all.
3 Master Roshi Still Had More To Teach Goku
While it never happened in the anime, Master Roshi faced off against Jiren in the Dragon Ball Super manga to awesome effect. Jiren was so powerful that Goku could barely touch him, and Roshi saw this as an opportunity to teach Goku one final lesson as his master.
Putting on a stunning display of skill, Master Roshi was able to dodge several attacks from Jiren, which caused Beerus to question whether Roshi had mastered Ultra Instinct. This technique inspired Goku and taught him a valuable lesson that ultimately contributed to his gaining a better grasp on Ultra Instinct himself.
2 Master Roshi Shocked Everyone With His First Kamehameha
There is no move more iconic in Dragon Ball, and perhaps in all anime in general, than the Kamehameha Wave. Similarly, no moment was possibly more epic in Dragon Ball than when Master Roshi first showcased his legendary Kamehameha in front of Goku, Krillin, and Bulma.
The once scrawny, decrepit older man suddenly bulked up into a jacked monster of a man, displaying the incredible muscle control he has. Finally, the subsequent Kamehameha blast that Roshi displayed turned all the doubters into believers and completely changed the trajectory of Dragon Ball history forever.
1 Master Roshi Blew Up The Moon
During the 21st World Tournament in Dragon Ball, Master Roshi dressed up and took the alias of Jackie Chun in order to defeat his students, Krillin and Goku, to humble them. While this would have gone smoothly enough, Goku's tail ended up growing back during a previous match.
This would be fine, except that the final bout between Roshi and Goku took place during a full moon, causing Goku to turn into his giant monkey form and go on a rampage. In order to stop this, Master Roshi did the only thing he could do: destroy the moon. This is a feat that displays Roshi's true power early on and puts him on par with even the strongest characters in anime.