Genki Dama

Directory: Techniques → Offensive techniques → Energy spheres

The Genki Dama (元気 玉, Genki Dama; FUNimation "Genki Dama", Viz "Genki Dama"; Literally meaning "Innate Sokidan") 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 Genki Dama 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 Genki Dama could absolutely obliterate a planet.

To use the Genki Dama, 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 Genki Dama has been fired, it is possible for one with a pure heart to deflect the technique, as Son Goku clarifies to Son Son Gohan and Kuririn, who subsequently demonstrate this in the Dragon Ball Z episode "Kuririn's Offensive". It should be noted, however, that although a person can be pure good or pure evil of heart, a Genki Dama 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 Freeza, a being of pure evil, was not able to deflect the Genki Dama, although he was able to survive it through brute force. In the video games (and the anime), the Genki Dama can harm even a relatively good person or a pure good being. Therefore, the Genki Dama harms anyone regardless of morality. In the Dragon Ball Z film Super Android 13!, Kuririn revealed that Son 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, Son Goku managed to channel the Genki Dama directly into himself while he was in his Super Saiyan form, supercharging his power, giving him a Genki Dama-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. Son Goku, Kuririn, and Son Gohan were the only characters known to have used this attack, although it was Son Goku who gathered the energy before Kuririn threw it – Son Gohan only rebounded the attack. Cell also claimed to be capable of using the Genki Dama (perhaps because of his having a pure evil heart, inheriting the ability from Son Goku, or even the more likely combination of both. Another possibility is that he was simply bluffing in an attempt to psych the Z Warriors out). While Son Goku was in the afterlife, he was taught this move by North Kaio (shortly before his first fight against Vegeta).

Occasions it has been used

Against Vegeta (Fusion Genki Dama)

Kuririn wielding the Fusion Genki Dama given to him by Son Goku.

During the battle against Vegeta, Son Goku had no choice but to use the technique North Kaio had taught him: the Genki Dama. But Vegeta transformed into a Great Ape, and due to the enormous disadvantage he was at against his now monstrous enemy, many of Son 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 Son 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 Genki Dama to Kuririn, and with some help from Son Goku's son, Son Gohan, the Genki Dama reached its target, Vegeta. Although a direct hit, the Genki Dama did not finish the Saiyan prince, presumably due to having lost too much power, although it did injure and weaken Vegeta.

Against Freeza (Large Genki Dama)

Son Goku charging the Large Genki Dama against Freeza.

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

Against Kid Boo (Super Genki Dama)

Son Goku charging the Super Genki Dama against Kid Boo.

After seeing that Son Goku as a Super Saiyan 3 had not finished off Kid Boo to allow Vegeta a fair chance to fight, Vegeta came up with the idea to make the Super Genki Dama by restoring the then-destroyed Earth and immediately reviving everyone on the planet in order for every Human to give Son Goku most of their energy. Only Son 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 Genki Dama, which eventually obliterated the evil Kid Boo (Son Goku formed the Genki Dama in base form, but had to go Super Saiyan since Kid Boo was deflecting it).

Against Omega Shen Long (Universal Genki Dama)

Son Goku charging the Universal Genki Dama against Omega Shen Long.

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

Other appearances

The Genki Dama 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, Son Goku started gathering energy for a Genki Dama. Dr. Wheelo flew high into space, shooting a beam intended to destroy the whole planet. But just then, Son 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, Son Goku once again recurred to the Genki Dama. But since the Tree of Might had absorbed all of the energy from the planet, there was no energy left for Son 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, North Kaio refered to this as a "Super Genki Dama". It could be considered the first one of its kind.

Movie 4

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

Movie 7

Title: Super Android 13 Although in this film Son Goku does not actually throw a Genki Dama, 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, Son Goku uses the Instant Genki Dama to defeat Hachihyaku while using his Full Power Super Saiyan transformation.

In video games

The Genki Dama 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 Genki Dama, it inflicts a tremendous amount of damage.

Premature and advanced levels

The following Genki Damas 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 Genki Dama : A combined form of the Genki Dama that Son Goku used with Kuririn and Son Gohan. It was used against Vegeta.
• Large Genki Dama: A larger and more powerful Genki Dama. The energy was gathered from life forms on Planet Namuek. It was used against Freeza.
• Super Genki Dama: A much larger and even more powerful Genki Dama. The energy was gathered from the life forms on Earth and the Kai planet. It was used against Kid Boo.
• Universal Genki Dama: The most powerful version of the Genki Dama. The energy was gathered from all of the life forms in the entire Universe. It was used against Omega Shen Long.

Trivia

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