Summary
Throughout the course of theDragon Ballfranchise, Goku has used many powerful techniques. Though many of them are moves created by others that Goku himself has mastered and assimilated into his arsenal, others he has made on his own, showing how much of a fighting genius he truly is. Whether canon or not, Goku’s techniques are some of the most iconic in all anime!
Of all his moves, few are loved as much as the iconic Dragon Fist. Though this is a non-canon attack that made its debut in aDragon Ball Zfilm, it has remained one of the series' most beloved techniques, so much so that it isSuper Saiyan 3 Goku’sfinishing move in a few of theDragon Ballvideogames! Since many say it owes its creation to a similar technique from earlier on in the franchise, let’s take a look at the Dragon Fist and see why it’s so epic!
Debut Date
May 16, 2025
Making its debut in aDragon Ball Zfilm, the Dragon Fist is a move that quickly became a fan-favorite from its very first use in the movie. Though the attack itself is a unique one with a very interesting design and concept, many fans believe it to pay homage to an attack used by Goku todefeat Demon King Piccoloway back in the originalDragon Ballseries.
This is because, to perform the Dragon Fist, Goku lunges forward with his right arm extended, followed by a version of Shenron appearing behind him which is made of Ki. There has never been an explanation about how this dragon is formed, but it lets out a golden explosion of Ki and wraps itself around the opponent, completely obliterating them, even if they’re stronger than Goku himself.
If I don’t, who will?!
Many fans believe that the Dragon Fist was inspired by the attack Goku used to defeat Demon King Piccolo. Since he was pretty weakened, Goku used a one-handed Kamehameha to propel himself into the air towards his foe, making a fist just as he reached him. As he got closer,Demon King Piccolosaw an image of a Great Ape right behind Goku just before he penetrated through his chest, which is similar to the dragon that appears in the Dragon Fist!
The First Appearance of the Technique
The very first appearance of this iconic technique came in theDragon Ball Z: Wrath of the Dragonmovie, where Goku and the Z-Fighters had to face the terrifying threat named Hirudegarn. This villain was a gigantic alien that proved to be someone that no one could defeat, as eventhe strongest hero, Super Saiyan 3 Goku, was shown to struggle for some part of the battle.
Toward the end, Goku realizes that the only way to defeat this villain is to shift all of his energy into one final move to put him down for good. After gathering his power, Goku lunged toward the beast and extended his arm, creating an explosion of golden Ki that transformed into a massive dragon, proceeding to tear through the monster’s chest and wrapping him within its clutches and obliterating him on the spot!
Other Appearances in the Series
Since the move is still within the non-canon of the series, its only appearances have been in videogames or other non-canon parts of the franchise. Most notably, it was seen multiple timesduringDragon Ball GT, where both Kid Goku and Super Saiyan 4 Goku used it masterfully against many enemies. In fact, the Dragon Fist is one of the few attacks inDragon Ballwith a 100% success rate!
After first being seen in theDragon Ball Zmovie, Kid Goku used the Dragon Fist on Super 17 inGT, completely penetrating through him with the sheer power of the attack. After getting through him, Goku finished him off with a Kamehameha. It was then used by Super Saiyan 4 Goku at the end ofhis fight against Eis Shenron, where he summoned a massive dragon to destroy his enemy which was so large that it wrapped itself around the entire city! The final time it was shown in the series was when Super Saiyan 4 Goku used it on Omega Shenron, where Goku turned into the dragon itself!
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Dragon Ball Z
Dragon Ball Z is a Japanese anime series produced by Toei Animation and a sequel to the 1986 Dragon Ball series. It continues the adventures of Son Goku as an adult while also paralleling the life of his son Gohan. Son Goku typically defends the Earth from villains like Vegeta, Frieza, Cell, and Majin Buu. The series is followed by Dragon Ball GT and then Dragon Ball Super.
