Destructo Disc

Directory: Techniques → Offensive Techniques → Energy discs

Destructo Disk (気円斬) is Krillin's signature move and one of his most powerful attacks. The Destructo Disk is a razor-sharp disk of energy that can slice through nearly anything. It is however, infamous for its main weaknesses, which are that it is generally slow to create, it lacks accuracy, and it cannot be guided once it is thrown.

Overview

KrillinDestructoDiskFrieza — The Destructo Disk splitting

Krillin first used this technique against Nappa, but the Saiyan dodged it (only thanks to Vegeta's advice), resulting in only a gash on his cheek. He tried again, against Great Ape Vegeta, in an attempt to cut off his tail, but Vegeta also managed to dodge it. Krillin also used the Destructo Disk in a battle with the giant on Fake Namek, causing considerable damage. This giant is one of the only four characters (the others being Frieza, Cell, and Kid Buu, the three main villains of the show) to be hit directly by Krillin's Destructo Disk, but he might not count because he was only an illusion. Using the Destructo Disk technique, Krillin chops off Frieza's tail, hits Cell in the neck but to no effect (anime only), and chops Kid Buu in half (anime only) over the course of the series.

Later, during the battle with Frieza, Krillin was able to slice off Frieza's tail while he was in his second form as well as let loose several Destructo Disks at once. Later, he was able to throw a version that splits apart and attacks the target from multiple angles (anime only). During the Garlic Jr. Saga, Krillin used the Destructo Disk on Vinegar, who was able to catch it in his bare hand and throw it away. Krillin cut Kid Buu in half with the Destructo Disk when the Majin arrived on Grand Kai's planet in the afterlife (though Kid Buu was able to use his unique powers and immediately pull himself back together, not to anyone's surprise). Krillin later uses the Destructo Disk in Dragon Ball: Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!! to save his family from a collapsing building.

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Goku using the Destructo Disk in The Tree of Might

Vegeta, Goku, and Android 18 have similar attacks to the Destructo Disk which they use one time each. Vegeta used it during the Vegeta Saga to cut off Great Ape Gohan's tail. He later used a Destructo Disk again to free Goku from Cooler's wires in Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler. Goku used it in Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might, also to cut off Great Ape Gohan's tail, thus saving him from Turles' Kill Driver attack. Goku later used it to cut off Super Buu w/ Gotenks' antenna when he came to Earth in the Fusion Saga (this is Goku's first use of the move in the canon manga).

GokuDestructoDiskBuuSaga — Goku fires a Destructo Disk at Super Buu

Perfect Cell used the Destructo Disk against Super Saiyan 2 Gohan as one of his last-ditch attacks to defeat him, only for Gohan to catch them mid-air and then deflected them back at Cell, forcing him to dodge them.

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Perfect Cell using a double Destructo Disk against Gohan

Android 18 uses it when she faces "Mighty Mask" in the World Martial Arts Tournament to reveal him as Trunks and Goten in costume. Super Buu also can use a similar attack except his variation is red. He used this once against Goku and Vegeta before they fused in an anime filler scene: both Saiyans fired Energy Beams at Buu, but Buu countered with a volley of red Kienzan-like attacks called Mystic Shooter that cut through his two assailant's Ki beams and created hundreds of miniature blasts in the process.

Tumblr lj6xl4JY4K1qf8kb8o1 500 (1) — Android 18 charging a Disk

In Dragon Ball GT, Baby appeared to prepare a Destructo Disk to attack Uub, but he was interrupted by an energy wave from Uub. Baby and his possessed followers are capable of performing Ki blasts that can cut people's skin easily (as shown by Baby Goten managing to cut Vegeta's face with a deflected Ki Blast). However, Krillin's Destructo Disk is moderately more potent than these and very rarely explodes if it hits a target too tough to pierce. In the Super 17 Saga, Goku is in Hell fighting Frieza and Cell. Frieza attempts to launch a Destructo Disk at him and Goku jumps on it, riding it. Frieza throws another one at him, and he balances it on the tip of a spike, so that it would not touch him.

BabyKienzan — Baby prepares a Destructo Disk

Unlike energy blasts, the Destructo Disk can actually injure enemies many times the wielder's power level, such as being able to cut off Frieza's tail when energy blasts from the likes of Vegeta and Gohan proved ineffective. In the anime only, Krillin uses it once on Perfect Cell, with the disk shattering on Cell's neck, being too tough for even Krillin's ki disk's "edge" to cut.

Appearances in video games

Krillin uses this technique in the Gokuden RPG series. It is one the super attacks used by Krillin, as well as Android 18, in the Butōden series and the Budokai series (including Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit). Weaker versions of the Destructo Disk are also used by Vegeta and Frieza in Butōden series. The Destructo Disk is also used by Krillin in Dragon Ball Z: Taiketsu and Dragon Ball Z For Kinect, and by Krillin and Goku Super Dragon Ball Z.

In the Budokai Tenkaichi video game series, it is Krillin's Ultimate Blast, one of the Blast 2 used by Android 18, and Goku's charged Ki Blast when jumping. It appears also as one of Perfect Cell's Blast 2 in Budokai Tenkaichi 1 and Budokai Tenkaichi 2.

The Destructo Disk also appears as a skill acquired at level 26 by Humans of the Spiritualist class in the computer game Dragon Ball Online. Unlike the original technique, the energy disk does not dismember the target; it instead passes through the opponent and this trait is substituted by the effect of constant bleed damage every few seconds over a course of time.

Character meaning

気 (Ki) = Energy
円 (En) = Circle
斬 (Zan) = Slice; behead; kill

Variations

Homing Destructo Disk

FriezaKienzan — Frieza's Homing Destructo Disk in *Dragon Ball GT*

An improved version of the Destructo Disk called Homing Destructo Disk (called "Death Saucer" in Budokai Tenkaichi 3). It was created by Frieza, and has the ability to follow a certain target around. Krillin (as well as everyone else), was shocked when Cell unveiled this technique. Krillin even questioned whether Cell improved his attack. Cell can use both versions. Cell also used this attack in Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi.

In the Super 17 Saga, Frieza uses the Destructo Disk attack against Goku in Hell (it should be noted that he was able to control it a little better, but he still shouted "Destructo Disk!" when throwing it, hinting that he merely controlled the disk with his telekinesis).

Amond's Destructo Disk

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Amond's disk-launching technique

The Crusher Corps. commander, Amond, uses an unnamed disk-launching technique where he spins on himself before launching a razor-sharp disk of energy. He used this technique to deflect Krillin's Destructo Disk in The Tree of Might.

Consecutive Disks

Turtle Hermit, one of two optional classes succeeding the Spiritualist class in the computer game Dragon Ball Online, can acquire the stronger, rapid-fire variation called Consecutive Disks that is thrown in succession. This technique has area-of-effect properties ("5x8 Meter Radius Infront of and Including Single Target"), causes an additional 50% of the damage dealt if hitting the target(s) from behind, and while this version does not cause bleed damage, it stuns the opponents.

Dual Destructo Disk

A team attack used by Krillin and Android 18 in the video game Dragon Ball Z: Supersonic Warriors 2. Krillin and Android 18 charge up a massive Destructo Disk, then launches it at the opponent. Before contact, it splits into multiple disks, which then damage the opponent. Similar to the Destructo Disk Krillin used against Frieza on Planet Namek.