Spirit Bomb

Directory: Techniques → Offensive techniques → Energy spheres

The Spirit Bomb (元気 玉, Genki Dama; FUNimation "Spirit Bomb", Viz "Spirit Bomb"; Literally meaning "Innate Spirit Ball") was a powerful attack in Dragon Ball, and widely considered to be the strongest attack in the series, although it depends on the number of organisms supporting its use. In the manga, it is used only a total of three times. Its name may be a pun on denki gama, meaning "electric rice cooker" in Japanese.

History and usage

Users of the Spirit Bomb gather huge amounts of energy from all chosen surrounding life forms, and conduct that energy into a massive sphere of astounding destructive power. Energy takes the visual form of sparkling, glittering wisps when adding to the mass. The creation of the attack promotes a calm breeze away from the bomb, which turns into a strong continuous gale and expels colorful bands or radiation of the Northern Lights-esque aurora. When used, it is quite swift, and if the user is not careful of it, the Spirit Bomb could absolutely obliterate a planet.

To use the Spirit Bomb, one must have a pure heart so that they can manipulate and gather energy, otherwise the move can backfire and possibly hurt or kill the user. Likewise, once a Spirit Bomb has been fired, it is possible for one with a pure heart to deflect the technique, as Goku clarifies to Gohan and Krillin, who subsequently demonstrate this in the Dragon Ball Z episode "Krillin's Offensive". It should be noted, however, that although a person can be pure good or pure evil of heart, a Spirit Bomb that is created by a pure good person cannot be deflected by a pure evil person, the two opposite energies cancel each other out with one engulfing the other. This is shown when Frieza, a being of pure evil, was not able to deflect the Spirit Bomb, although he was able to survive it through brute force. In the video games (and the anime), the Spirit Bomb can harm even a relatively good person or a pure good being. Therefore, the Spirit Bomb harms anyone regardless of morality. In the Dragon Ball Z film Super Android 13!, Krillin revealed that Goku could not gather the energy while in his Super Saiyan state. This was because the Super Saiyan transformation was inherently malicious and tainted the heart and soul. In the film, Goku managed to channel the Spirit Bomb directly into himself while he was in his Super Saiyan form, supercharging his power, giving him a Spirit Bomb-sized solar aura and filling him with a straining fury.

The main disadvantage of the attack, however, is the amount of time needed to complete the attack, thus the attack was used very rarely. Goku, Krillin, and Gohan were the only characters known to have used this attack, although it was Goku who gathered the energy before Krillin threw it – Gohan only rebounded the attack. Cell also claimed to be capable of using the Spirit Bomb (perhaps because of his having a pure evil heart, inheriting the ability from Goku, or even the more likely combination of both. Another possibility is that he was simply bluffing in an attempt to psych the Z Fighters out). While Goku was in the afterlife, he was taught this move by King Kai (shortly before his first fight against Vegeta).

Occasions it has been used

Against Vegeta (Fusion Spirit Bomb)

Krillin wielding the Fusion Spirit Bomb given to him by Goku.

During the battle against Vegeta, Goku had no choice but to use the technique King Kai had taught him: the Spirit Bomb. But Vegeta transformed into a Great Ape, and due to the enormous disadvantage he was at against his now monstrous enemy, many of Goku's attempts failed. He eventually managed, however, to collect the energy needed for his ultimate attack. Unfortunately, before he was able to unleash this attack on his foe, Vegeta thrashed Goku, reducing the amount of gathered energy and leaving him incapable of doing anything. Still, he managed to give what was left of the gathered energy of the Spirit Bomb to Krillin, and with some help from Goku's son, Gohan, the Spirit Bomb reached its target, Vegeta. Although a direct hit, the Spirit Bomb did not finish the Saiyan prince, presumably due to having lost too much power, although it did injure and weaken Vegeta.

Against Frieza (Large Spirit Bomb)

Goku charging the Large Spirit Bomb against Frieza.

Similarly to his fight with Vegeta, Goku could nott defeat Frieza even with his Kaio-ken x20. Therefore, he decided to once again use the Spirit Bomb. With some help from Piccolo, Krillin, and Gohan, Goku had enough time to collect energy from the remaining living beings of Planet Namek, as well as some nearby planets, thus creating a bigger Spirit Bomb than the one that hit Vegeta. Goku's Large Spirit Bomb was not strong enough to bring an end to the galactic tyrant though. This is speculated to be either because Goku underestimated Frieza's power (since he was only at about 50%) or because there was very little life left in the Namekian planetary system. Despite the fact that it failed, Frieza was still unable to reflect it.

Against Kid Buu (Super Spirit Bomb)

Goku charging the Super Spirit Bomb against Kid Buu.

After seeing that Goku as a Super Saiyan 3 had not finished off Kid Buu to allow Vegeta a fair chance to fight, Vegeta came up with the idea to make the Super Spirit Bomb by restoring the then-destroyed Earth and immediately reviving everyone on the planet in order for every Human to give Goku most of their energy. Only Goku's friends gave their energy at first, however, since everyone else had doubts about the voices they were hearing. Once Mr. Satan talked to the Earthlings and convinced them to raise their hands, everyone's energy became part of the Super Spirit Bomb, which eventually obliterated the evil Kid Buu (Goku formed the Spirit Bomb in base form, but had to go Super Saiyan since Kid Buu was deflecting it).

Against Omega Shenlong (Universal Spirit Bomb)

Goku charging the Universal Spirit Bomb against Omega Shenlong.

After Goku and Vegeta lost both their fusion and their transformations as Super Saiyan 4s, the battle against Omega Shenlong seemed practically lost. They would not give up, however, and with a Spirit Bomb powered by the whole universe, the Evil Dragon was beaten and completely destroyed.

Other appearances

The Spirit Bomb also appeared in several Dragon Ball Z films.

Movie 2

Title: The World's Strongest After having decided that it was the only way to defeat Dr. Wheelo, Goku started gathering energy for a Spirit Bomb. Dr. Wheelo flew high into space, shooting a beam intended to destroy the whole planet. But just then, Goku launched his energy ball and destroyed Dr. Wheelo once and for all.

Movie 3

Title: The Tree of Might Seeing that Turles had gained an incredible power after eating the Fruit of the Tree of Might, Goku once again recurred to the Spirit Bomb. But since the Tree of Might had absorbed all of the energy from the planet, there was no energy left for Goku to use his technique. Still, he collected the energy inside the very tree and used it to destroy both Turles and the tree he had planted after a brief showdown. In the English version, King Kai refered to this as a "Super Spirit Bomb". It could be considered the first one of its kind.

Movie 4

Title: Lord Slug When Gohan whistled as Piccolo asked him to, Slug quickly lost his edge, and right after Piccolo gave his energy to Goku, the latter attacked Slug with the Kaio-ken. Goku then disabled the generator that was causing Earth to freeze so that he could absorb energy from the Sun. With that energy, Goku launched a Spirit Bomb at Slug, destroying him and his generator as well.

Movie 7

Title: Super Android 13 Although in this film Goku does not actually throw a Spirit Bomb, he does gather the energy for it. Because he had transformed into a Super Saiyan, he had absorbed the energy, which ultimately he used to destroy Android 13

OVA

In the OVA Dragon Ball Z Gaiden: Saiyajin Zetsumetsu Keikaku, Goku uses the Instant Spirit Bomb to defeat Hachihyaku while using his Full Power Super Saiyan transformation.

In video games

The Spirit Bomb appeared in several video games, such as Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3. It appears as golden-yellow and red in some games, and light-green when Perfect Cell uses it in the Budokai video game series. It almost always inflicts extreme damage, being one of the strongest techniques in the games. In Budokai Tenkaichi 2 and Budokai Tenkaichi 3, when the user combines certain techniques, such as the Give Me Energy! or Kaio-ken together with the Spirit Bomb, it inflicts a tremendous amount of damage.

Premature and advanced levels

The following Spirit Bombs are presented in order of size and strength, from the smallest to the largest. The more spiritual energy is contributed to the bomb, the huger and more potent it will become.

• Fusion Spirit Bomb : A combined form of the Spirit Bomb that Goku used with Krillin and Gohan. It was used against Vegeta.
• Large Spirit Bomb: A larger and more powerful Spirit Bomb. The energy was gathered from life forms on Planet Namek. It was used against Frieza.
• Super Spirit Bomb: A much larger and even more powerful Spirit Bomb. The energy was gathered from the life forms on Earth and the Kai planet. It was used against Kid Buu.
• Universal Spirit Bomb: The most powerful version of the Spirit Bomb. The energy was gathered from all of the life forms in the entire Universe. It was used against Omega Shenlong.

Trivia

• Though neither character creates a Spirit Bomb, both Gohan and Kid Buu are contacted by the attack and manage to deflect it towards another target.
• At first, Goku can only create basketball-sized Spirit Bombs. Later on, he can create ones that were the size of miniature planets.
• Even though he is not pure of heart, Krillin is able to wield the Spirit Bomb when Goku gives it to him to attack Vegeta. In Dragon Ball Z: Supersonic Warriors, he is taught it by Goku. That may be because a pure heart is only required to create the Spirit Bomb, not to launch it.