The Dragon Ball franchise is synonymous with energy beams. In plenty of ways, Dragon Ball Z defined energy blasts for generations of fans. It could be argued that the franchise wouldn’t be as successful if it weren’t for those iconic energy attacks. The series’ classic Kamehameha is chiseled into the brains of children globally, with many schoolyard boys replicating the same arm motions to imitate their favorite heroes on television. We all wanted to be like Goku, or Vegeta, or even Krillin. Copying the moves we see on TV brings us closer to being like our favorite heroes, even though we don’t have the same powers.
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Energy blasts allowed kids to use their imagination to create something out of nothing. The Dragon Ball franchise is built on top of delivering the coolest energy attacks in pop culture. With so many amazing energy blasts found throughout the franchise, we had to limit it to the top ten from Dragon Ball Z specifically. Dragon Ball Z is arguably the most famous anime in the franchise, presenting some of the most iconic energy beams in all of anime.
10) Buster Cannon
Buster Cannon didn’t really exist in the context of the original Dragon Ball Z. The Buster Cannon is mostly a generic energy blast that Trunks uses throughout the anime. It wouldn’t be named Buster Cannon until the video games. Nonetheless, the Buster Cannon deserves a spot on this list for how iconic Trunks yells out “BUSTER CANNON” every time he uses it in Dragon Ball Z: Budokai.
9) Tri-Beam
Tien has always been one of the most underappreciated characters in the franchise, and his iconic Tri-Beam move is one of the most underrated attacks in the franchise. Using the palms and thumbs of his hands, Tien forms a triangle that unleashes a devastating blast. It’s a cool-looking pose, and it had an amazing climactic moment when Tien used the move to stop Cell from absorbing Android 18. Tri-Beam became futile against Cell, yet it at least gave Tien one last heroic moment in Dragon Ball Z before he fully devolved into the background.
8) Galick Gun
Vegeta only really used the Galick Gun once in the manga, but it was such a standout moment from the Dragon Ball Z anime that it became one of his signature moves. Vegata unleashes an all-powerful blast from his palms, with the intent of killing Goku or destroying the Earth. Goku matches the energy beam with his iconic Kamehameha, delivering the franchise’s most iconic beam struggles. It’s one of the highlights of the entire series, earning the Galick Gun a spot on our list.
7) Death Beam
What made Frieza so imposing was how effortlessly he made everything seem. He was so unnaturally strong that he often defeated people by barely lifting a finger. This is best exemplified by his signature energy blast, the Death Beam, which is just a thin beam emitted from his finger. Death Beam showcases Frieza’s overwhelming power, highlighting how he doesn’t need to use anything more than his finger to kill anyone. The move was also used to deadly effect against the heroes, piercing people like Piccolo and Vegeta with ease. Even when Frieza has become a more skilled fighter, his go-to move is still the Death Beam, showing off his arrogance.
6) Final Flash
By the time Vegeta used Final Flash against Cell, fans had already been treated with a plethora of energy beams and attacks. What made the Final Flash stand out was its over-the-top nature. Final Flash was arguably the largest beam attack fans saw at that point, and it was so large that it literally blasts across the Earth. However, despite being Vegeta’s strongest attack, it was ultimately futile against Cell. The purpose of the Final Flash was ultimately to showcase Cell’s overwhelming power and how powerless the heroes are against him. The Final Flash would get a second lease on life in video games, where it’s presented as the extremely powerful move we know it was supposed to be.
5) Destructo Disc
The Destructo Disc stands out for being one of the most unorthodox attacks in the franchise. Whereas most other energy attacks are simple beams of light, Destructo Disc is a spinning blade that Krillin summons from the palm of his hands. Rather than being a laser that annihilates his enemies, Krillin uses the Destructo Disc to slice, being capable of cutting nearly everything, including Freiza’s tail. Unfortunately, we never see the Destructo Disc at its full potential, as the move is rarely used to slice opponents in half. Nonetheless, it looks great and gives Krillin his own original move that has become a landmark for the series.
4) Spirit Bomb
The Dragon Ball franchise treats the Spirit Bomb as Goku’s ultimate move, even though it rarely works. Spirit Bomb only worked against Kid Buu, and if we’re including Dragon Ball GT, Omega Shenron. The attack only worked then because the move gathered the energy of the different people from Earth and across the cosmos. Nevertheless, the move is iconic and delivers some of the franchise’s most memorable moments. Goku holding up a giant ball of energy has remained one of the franchise’s standout images.
3) Special Beam Cannon
Similar to the Galick Gun and Final Flash, Piccolo’s Special Beam Cannon was rarely used in Dragon Ball Z. Nonetheless, the one major time it was used was such an amazing moment that it has endured as one of the franchise’s best moves. Placing two fingers near his forehead, Piccolo gathers enough energy to release a spiral energy beam that can drill into his opponent. It’s such a classic design, and was only really used once to pierce Goku and Raditz. The move became an instant fan-favorite, though, arguably becoming Piccolo’s defining move. The Special Beam Cannon would become a constant presence in the Dragon Ball spin-off material, specifically the games and sequel anime.
2) Burning Attack
Burning Attack’s cool factor supersedes the impracticability of it. Typically, characters in Dragon Ball Z would charge up internally before releasing energy through their hands. Burning Attack works completely differently; rather than charging up, Trunks instead uses a bunch of random hand motions to summon a single ball of energy at the enemy. Fans mock how unnecessarily the hand motions are, especially since most other energy moves don’t require them. Nonetheless, the hand motions make the Burning Attack undeniably cool and memorable, earning a top spot on our list.
1) Kamehameha
If there’s one thing anyone would recognize Dragon Ball for, it would be the Kamehameha. The movie is the signature attack of multiple characters, most famously Goku’s go-to energy blast. People worldwide recognize the iconic Kamehameha gesture, from summoning a ball of light between your hands to unleashing a beam of light with your palms. People who have never seen Dragon Ball Z will recognize the Kamehameha, highlighting its iconic stature. The Kamehameha has, in a lot of ways, become synonymous with energy blasts in the same way that Dragon Ball has popularized those types of attacks. The Kamehameha is the go-to energy beam move that citizens globally will recognize. When you think of an energy blast, you think of the Kamehameha first.
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