Taiyลken, otherwise known as the Solar Flare in the Dragon Ball universe, is a downright powerhouse of a tool and should be used in just about every fight the Z-Fighters take part in. Anyone who has ever played a fighting game or watched professional fighting knows just how important the simple little tools are. Solar Flare may not be a big game-ending attack, but it is a low Ki-consumption ability that allows attack setups. Functionally, we can look at the Solar Flare like a boxer’s jab; it touches out the opponent’s defense, eventually allowing an opening for a devastating strike.
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Spurred on by a satirical comic posted to r/Dragonballsuper by Reddit user m-e-n-a, this discussion about Krillin’s criminal underutilization of one of his best techniques has made many fans question the strategic mind of the Z-Fighter. There are the apparent rebuttals that the combo depicted in the comic would never work on high-power or high-durability enemies. However, we must still recognize that the one-two combo setup is not the only option for Solar Flare. Any fan who has gotten the chance to play Dragon Ball FighterZ would know that the game allows you to chain Solar Flare and Destructo Disc together for an almost unavoidable combo.
Everybody’s Using It!
An ode to the strength of Solar Flare is its history of use within the Dragon Ball world. We originally see Solar Flare used for the first time by Tien Shinhan in Dragon Ball and eventually see the move used by Krillin, Goku, and Cell throughout Dragon Ball Z. As much as naysayers may talk down the simple tool that is Solar Flare it is hard to argue against one of the most popular moves in the series. The outright utility that this move has, when coupled with an intelligent martial artist, can not be understated and often is one of the best tools in their arsenal. Goku uses the Solar Flare for the first time against Tien in Dragon Ball and uses it again in Dragon Ball Z against Great Ape Vegeta. Goku’s strategy against Vegeta, where he uses the aforementioned move, mirrors the points we’ve been making, and Goku uses the Solar Flare as a setup move to allow him to charge his Spirit Bomb that he intends to use to defeat Vegeta.
Cell is another example of a character who digs deep into their bag of Ki-based attacks and pulls out the Solar Flare when times are dire. Cell is one of the greatest thieves when it comes to attacks and moves we see him use throughout the Cell Saga, and the Solar Flare is again used in a dire moment to escape from the onslaught of the Z Fighters so he could live to fight another day. However, contrary to the bulk of our discussion, Cell does not combo attack with the Solar Flare and rather makes a hasty escape to better equip himself for any following interactions with his adversaries.
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Krillin’s Best Feats with Solar Flare
This discussion post and comic are met with a solid amount of skepticism by keen-eyed fans who make their rebuttals based on the fact that Krillin’s outright power, even with a combo move of this magnitude would not be enough to harm high-level enemies. Of course, we have seen multiple instances throughout every Dragon Ball series where an enemy is so much more powerful than our heroes that their attacks do no damage, Krillin against Perfect Cell being a prime example of this. Cell comfortably tanks Krillin’s Destructo Disc to the neck and merely stretches afterward. Surely this would be the final nail in the coffin for Krillin’s usefulness in Dragon Ball Z and anything going forward right?
Of course, as aforementioned, the Solar Flare and many Ki attacks are not so simple as to work or not work but are tools in any good fighter’s arsenal. Much like Goku with his instant transmission, we have seen Krillin use the Solar Flare or even the concept of the Solar Flare to feint in an attack. A perfect example of this is when, in preparation for the Tournament of Power in Dragon Ball Super, Krillin faces off against Goku to prove he can be a valuable team member. During this fight, Krillin feints a Solar Flare, causing Goku to throw up his guard to not be blinded, and in response to this, Krillin instead uses multiple Destructo Discs to force Goku into retreating and taking guard. Goku quickly manages to dodge all the attacks and uses his own Ki blasts to dispatch the oncoming Discs.
Again, we see Krillin’s acumen for strategy when Goku finally stops moving. From the ground beneath him, it is revealed that Krillin released an additional disc to force Goku into an almost ring-out position. This combo would have defeated Goku if not for the sole fact that Goku, unlike the majority of our villains, has the ability to sense Ki.
The Reality of Krillin as a Combatant
All of these discussion points and the original post itself have allowed Dragon Ball fans to truly understand the depth of Krillin’s power and bag of tricks. The reality of Krillin’s power is that it is severely lacking. He may be strategically clever and have access to some of the best techniques in the series but Krillin will always be relegated to the inability to meaningfully damage heavy hitters.
This truth, however, does not relegate Krillin to uselessness as we see Krillin can meaningfully outplay Goku using strategy, and had he had a teammate that could capitalize on Goku’s compromised position, he would have easily won. So, in the face of reality, this funny Reddit thread and fan-made comic are not exactly true but don’t stray too far from the canon and bring up important discussions about how the Z-Fighters can better utilize their toolkits.
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Image courtesy of Marvel Television
