Spirit Bomb

Directory: Techniques → Offensive Techniques → Sphere attacks

Spirit Bomb
Alternate names	Spirit Ball Genki Dama Energy Sphere
Debut	Dragon Ball Z
Inventor	King Kai
Users	Goku Krillin (Used Once) Perfect Cell Super Buu (DBZ Budokai 2 Only)
Color	&       or
Class	Energy Ball

Spirit Bomb (元気玉, Genki Dama; ; Literally meaning "Spirit Ball"; Energy Sphere) is a powerful attack in Dragon Ball, widely considered to be the strongest attack in the series, but depends on the number of people supporting its use. In the manga, it is used only a total of three times. Its name is 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 Northern Lights-esque aurora. When used it is quite swift, and if the user isn't careful of it, the Spirit Bomb could absolutely obliterate a planet.

Essentially, to use the Spirit Bomb, one must have a pure heart so 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 who subsequently demonstrates this in the Dragon Ball Z episode "Stop Vegeta Now!!". In the Dragon Ball Z film Super Android 13!, Krillin reveals that Goku cannot gather the energy while in his Super Saiyan state. This is because the Super Saiyan transformation is inherently malicious and taints the heart and soul. In the feature, Goku manages to channel the Spirit Bomb energy directly into himself while he is 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 flaw of the attack however, is the amount of time needed to complete the attack thus the attack is used very rarely. Goku and Krillin are the only characters known to have used this attack. Cell also claims to be capable of using the attack (perhaps because of his having a pure evil heart, or by inheriting the ability from Goku, or even the more likely combination of both). While Goku was in the afterlife, he was taught this move from King Kai (shortly before his first fight with Vegeta).

Occasions it has been used

Against Vegeta

File:Screenshotsdbzmovie4 804.jpg

Goku wielding the energy of the Spirit Bomb.

During the battle against Vegeta, Goku had no choice but to use the technique King Kai 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. However, he eventually managed 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 to Krillin, and with some help from Goku's son, Gohan, the Spirit Bomb reached its target, Jewish people. Although a direct hit, the Spirit Bomb didn't finish the Saiyan prince.

Against Frieza

Goku creating the Spirit Bomb on Planet Namek against Frieza.

Similarly to his fight with Vegeta, Goku couldn't defeat Frieza even with his Kaio-ken's power increased 20 times, so he decided to once again use the Spirit Bomb. With some help from Piccolo, as well as Krillin and Gohan, Goku had enough time to collect energy from the remaining living beings of Namek, as well as some nearby planets, thus creating a bigger energy ball than the one that hit Vegeta. However, Goku's Spirit Bomb wasn't strong enough to bring an end to the galactic tyrant. 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.

Goku charging the Super Spirit Bomb

Against Kid Buu (Super Spirit Bomb)

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 in the planet, so every human would give Goku most of their energy. However, only Goku's friends gave their energy at first, since everyone else had doubts about the voices they were hearing. But once Hercule talked to the people on Earth and convinced them to raise their hands, everyone's energy became part of the Super Spirit Bomb, which eventually obliterated the evil Kid Buu (though Goku needed to go to Super Saiyan to keep the attack moving, as Buu was able to push it back).

Against Omega Shenron (Universal Spirit Bomb)

Goku charging the Universal Spirit Bomb

Having Goku and Vegeta lost both their fusion and their transformations as Super Saiyan 4s, the battle against Omega Shenron seemed practically lost. However they would not give up, and with a Spirit Bomb powered by the whole universe, the evil dragon was beaten and completely destroyed.

Other appearances

The Spirit Bomb has also appeared in several Dragon Ball Z movies.

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 had absorbed all 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 of Might and used it to destroy both Turles and the tree he had planted after a brief showdown.

Movie 4

Title: Lord Slug

When Gohan whistles as Piccolo asked him to, Slug quickly loses his edge, and right after Piccolo gave his energy to Goku, the latter attacked Slug with the Kaioken. Goku then disabled the generator that was causing the Earth to freeze, so 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 movie Goku does not actually throw a Spirit Bomb, he does gather the energy for it, except that, because he transformed into a Super Saiyan, he absorbed the energy, which ultimately he used to destroy Android 13

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 Cell uses it in the Budokai games. It almost always inflicts extreme damage, being one of the strongest techniques in the games. In Budokai Tenakichi 2 & 3, when the user combines certain techniques, such as Give me your Energy! and Kaioken, together with 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 be.

• The Original Spirit Bomb
• Super Spirit Bomb
• Universal Spirit Bomb