The attacks in a shōnen anime define the series.Narutohas the Rasengan,Yu Yu Hakushohas the Spirit Gun, andDragon Ballhas the Kamehameha andthe Spirit Bomb.While each shōnen series has a great textbook technique, none do it better thanDragon Ball.Not only are the attacks in the series legendary for their usage both in the series and their ability to be recreated in real life, but their connection to the characters themselves makes them stand out.
Each attack inDragon Ballis connected to the user’s personality. Nobody inDragon Balluses an attack that feels out of order, making the series much deeper than it appears to be on the surface. From Goku’s Spirit Bomb to Vegeta’s Final Flash,each technique inDragon Balldefines the user as much as it does the fight that it is being used in.

Dragon Ball’s Techniques Make the Show Iconic
Dragon’s Balls Attacks Are So Much More Than Just Attacks
Dragon Ballis one of thebest anime series of all timefor a ton of different reasons. The story is simple, the characters are lovable, and above all, the attacks are iconic. Each attack inDragon Ballis amazing for a different reason. They each have their own significance, and when they’re about to be used, audiences around the world know that something great is coming. No matter if a villain is charging a devastating attack or a hero is there charging their own in response,attacks inDragon Ballare always on a grand scale.
The best part about the attacks fromDragon Ballis how re-creatable they are. They usually have some hand-based charging system and are finished with the name of the attack itself being yelled out at the top of a character’s lungs. Any fan ofDragon Ballknows how it feels to watch their favorite character get ready to send their attack out. They’re usually glued to their screens with their hands in the same position as their favorite character, shouting out the attack as if they’re in the middle of the fight too.

Goku’s Spirit Bomb Defines Him as a Character
The Spirit Bomb Is So Much More Than His Best Attack
Goku’s Spirit Bomb is core to his character. There are a ton of aspects of it that almost make it a continuation of who he is. Goku first learned the attack after dying to Piccolo’s Special Beam Cannon in an attempt to kill his brother Raditz. He then meets with King Kai, who realizes the looming threat of the Saiyans headed towards Earth. King Kai then taught him the attack, showing Goku just how strong energy-based abilities can be.
While the Spirit Bomb is one of themost inconsistent attacks in anime, it doesn’t change how meaningful it is. It draws direct comparisons to Goku himself because of where the energy itself comes from.Like Goku, the Spirit Bomb is made stronger by the energy that flows into it.Goku is one of the strongest characters in the series because of all the help he gets from the people who believe in him along his journey.

He has had myriad teachers help him get to where he is, and a ton of friends who have supported him along the way too. It all started with Grandpa Gohan raising Goku, Master Roshi teaching him the Kamehameha, and even Bulma going on adventures with him inDragon Ball.InDragon Ball Z,Goku trains under King Kai, gets stronger with his rival Vegeta, and learns to master the Super Saiyan form after an amazing fight against Frieza.
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InDragon Ball Super,even after becoming a God, Goku still wants to learn. He trains with Vegeta under Beerus and Whis, furthering the point that Goku wouldn’t be the warrior he is today without the help of so many who came before him. Like the Spirit Bomb itself, Goku gets his energy from the world around him, showing just how connected the attack is with who Goku is as a character.
Other Dragon Ball Characters Are Defined By Their Attacks Too
Vegeta, Gohan, and Frieza
Goku isn’t the only one inDragon Ballto share a close connection with his attacks. Most, if not all, of the characters in theDragon Ballfranchise share key similarities with their attacks. Vegeta is a great example. His Final Flash, Big Bang Attack, and even Galick Gun all share one thing in common: destruction on a massive, ultimate scale.Vegeta as a character isn’t one to waste time, and his pride says that he should end things in a huge, explosive manner, just like his attacks would suggest.
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Gohan is Goku’s beloved son, introduced in Dragon Ball Z, and he’s so strong that even his base forms eclipses the talents of other characters.
Gohan isn’t someone who ever really wanted to fight, and his attacks reflect that. All of his attacks come from someone else, just like their will for him to fight is imposed on him. Gohan’s best attacks are his Kamehameha, which he got from his father, his Masenko, which he learns from Piccolo, and the Special Beam Cannon, another attack taken from Piccolo’s arsenal. There’s a reason Gohan doesn’t have his own textbook attacks that nobody else uses: he doesn’t like fighting.
Even thevillains inDragon Ballare defined by the attacks they use. Frieza is a cold, unfeeling emperor who doesn’t have time to deal with those he deems less than. His attacks reflect that directly, especially his Death Beam. It’s an attack that can’t be seen by the naked eye, and Frieza needs only to point at his victim to launch it. Cell’s attacks all come from the fighters his DNA is based off of, and Buu’s attacks reflect his violent and unpredictable nature.
Dragon Ball’s Attacks Bring The Most Out of Its Characters
Each Attack Is So Much More Than It Appears To Be
It can be argued that the attacks in agreat shōnen seriesare the most important part of it.Dragon Ballnot only does this well, but possibly the best of anime out there. Naruto’s Rasengan is powerful and grows with him throughout the series, but it doesn’t have much to do with who he is as a character. Sure, he inherited it from his father, but that’s about it.The opposite is true inDragon Ball,as each character’s attack is a direct representation of who they are individually.
Goku’s Spirit Bomb might be the best example inDragon Ball. Like the Spirit Bomb itself, Goku gets his energy and fighting spirit from those around him. Since he was too young to talk, he’s had people look out for him and put him on the path that got him to where he is today. The Spirit Bomb only gets stronger when people contribute to it, just like the Saiyan himself.