Dragon Ball

Dragon Ball

ドラゴンボール
1986 -1989 Toei Animation Fuji TV 153 episodes Completed
Action Adventure Comedy Martial Arts
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Details & Synopsis
Before the Saiyans. Before Namek. Before power levels meant anything at all, there was a kid with a tail, a talking pig, and a treasure hunt.
Son Goku is not the hero yet. He is a wild child raised alone in the mountains, strong enough to punch through boulders and naive enough to think Bulma's bra is some kind of helmet. When Bulma shows up hunting the seven Dragon Balls, Goku tags along, and what starts as a road trip comedy slowly, patiently, becomes the blueprint every shonen series after it would spend decades copying.
Produced by Toei Animation from Akira Toriyama's manga, Dragon Ball aired on Fuji TV from 1986 to 1989. 153 episodes that build Goku from a feral kid who has never seen a car into a genuine martial artist under Master Roshi's training, through two World Martial Arts Tournaments that establish the cast, Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, Chiaotzu, who would carry the entire back half of the franchise. Then Piccolo Daimao arrives, and the show that started as slapstick adventure comedy pivots into something considerably darker, ending on a cliffhanger that walks directly into the story everyone actually remembers.
This is the part people skip. That is a mistake. Every rule Dragon Ball Z would spend 291 episodes escalating, the tournaments, the training arcs, the villain who turns ally, the power that comes from pushing past your limit, gets written here first, at a fraction of the stakes and twice the charm. Goku punching a dinosaur because he is hungry. The Kamehameha as a discovery, not a signature move yet. Before he was the strongest fighter in the universe, he was just a kid who wanted to eat.
Watch this first. Or watch it after Z, once you already love him, and see where all of it actually started.
Alt Title ドラゴンボール
Studio Toei Animation
Network Fuji TV
Aired 1986 - 1989
Episodes 153
Genre Action, Adventure, Comedy, Martial Arts
Status Completed
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Original DB Technique Debut Directory

About this ledger

Archival note

First on-screen appearances in original Dragon Ball, ordered by episode. Each entry links to its debut episode when episode rows exist. Pair with gallery stills in Manage Lore for the framed card layout. This page is chronological; the DBZ Technique Encyclopedia is thematic.

Early Adventures

Dragon Ball Ep 1: Secret of the Dragon Balls @ 01:36

Jan-Ken (Power Martial Combo)

Janken · Physical Strike Sequence · Son Goku

A versatile close-quarters combat system based on Rock-Paper-Scissors. "Jan-Ken-Gu" delivers a high-impact heavy punch (Rock), "Jan-Ken-Choki" executes a blinding two-finger eye poke (Scissors), and "Jan-Ken-Pa" lands an open-palm concussive strike (Paper). Goku utilizes this during his early wilderness encounters before refining standard Turtle School taijutsu.
Son Goku

Debut: Ep 001 - Secret of the Dragon Balls

Dragon Ball Ep 4: Oolong the Terrible @ 13:34

Metamorphic Shapeshifting

Henge no Jutsu · Biological Utility · Oolong, Puar

The ability to alter physical cellular structure into inorganic objects, weapons, or alternative creature forms. While Puar maintains perfect mastery without time limits, Oolong's incomplete training restricts his transformations to five-minute intervals followed by a mandatory one-minute cool-down period.
Oolong Puar

Debut: Ep 004 - Oolong the Terrible

Dragon Ball Ep 5: Yamcha the Desert Bandit @ 16:56

Wolf Fang Fist

Roga Fufu-ken · High-Velocity Taijutsu · Yamcha

Yamcha's signature combat opener. Channeling the fierce feral speed and predatory instincts of a wild wolf, the user executes a lightning-fast combination of clawing palm strikes and sharp kicks before driving a dual-palm blow to the opponent's chest.
Yamcha

Debut: Ep 005 - Yamcha the Desert Bandit

Dragon Ball Ep 8: The Kamehameha Wave @ 14:44

Kamehameha

Kamehameha · Energy Concentration & Projection · Master Roshi, Son Goku, Krillin, Yamcha

The quintessential energy attack of the franchise. The user draws latent internal ki into a tight, vibrating sphere between cupped hands at the hip before thrusting palms forward in a concentrated beam. Master Roshi spent 50 years perfecting the technique, which he used in Episode 8 to obliterate Fire Mountain.
Son Goku Master Roshi Yamcha Krillin

Debut: Ep 008 - The Kamehameha Wave

Dragon Ball Ep 12: The Wish is Granted @ 19:46

Great Ape Transformation

Oozaru · Saiyan Metamorphosis · Son Goku

A radical biological mutation triggered when a Saiyan with an intact tail absorbs 17,000,000 Brute Waves emitted by moonlight. The transformation scales the user's size to colossus proportions, multiplying raw physical strength ten-fold while stripping away human speech and reasoning.
Son Goku

Debut: Ep 012 - The Wish is Granted

21st World Tournament

Dragon Ball Ep 25: A Danger From Above @ 04:37

Revolving Attack

Kaiten Kougeki · Kinetic Defensive Spinning · Son Goku

A temporary defensive counter created by Goku during the 21st World Tournament. By spinning on a single foot at blinding RPMs, Goku creates a centrifugal force wall that deflects incoming physical strikes, though it leaves the caster temporarily incapacitated by intense dizziness.
Son Goku

Debut: Ep 025 - A Danger From Above

Dragon Ball Ep 25: A Danger From Above @ 06:30

Aerial X-Slash

Tenkuu X-Jiken · High-Altitude Impact Kick · Nam

An extreme aerial assault designed to disable opponents cleanly. Nam leaps hundreds of feet into the stratosphere, crossing his arms over his chest in an "X" formation before plunging straight downward to drive a diving pressure-point strike into the target's collarbone.

Debut: Ep 025 - A Danger From Above

Dragon Ball Ep 26: The Grand Finals @ 16:12

Drunken Fist

Suiken · Erratic Stance Taijutsu · Jackie Chun (Master Roshi)

A deceptive martial stance modeled after traditional folklore. Jackie Chun mimics severe intoxication - stumbling, staggering, and swaying uncontrollably - to mask precise, unpredictable striking angles that throw off an opponent's analytical timing.
Master Roshi

Debut: Ep 026 - The Grand Finals

Red Ribbon Army

Dragon Ball Ep 37: Ninja Murasaki is Coming! @ 07:27

Body Subbing & Cloaking

Kakuremi / Tatamigaeshi · Shinobi Tactical Utility · Ninja Murasaki

Classic ninja trickery deployed inside Muscle Tower. Involves high-speed environmental camouflage using painted cloth, lifting tatami floorboards to block projectile shuriken, or swapping physical locations with wooden logs in a fraction of a second.
Ninja Murasaki

Debut: Ep 037 - Ninja Murasaki is Coming!

Dragon Ball Ep 52: The Pirate Treasure @ 16:00

Paralyzing Telekinesis

Kanashibari no Jutsu · Ocular Neural Lock · General Blue, Chiaotzu

A psychological locking art that projects psychokinetic waves through an intense gaze. General Blue utilizes this to instantly freeze an opponent's central nervous system mid-fight, leaving them physically immobilized until his visual concentration is broken.
General Blue Chiaotzu

Debut: Ep 052 - The Pirate Treasure

Dragon Ball Ep 59: The Notorious Mercenary @ 10:17

Lethal Tongue Strike

Shitatsuki · Precision Point Assassination · Mercenary Tao

A chilling demonstration of raw martial lethality. Mercenary Tao concentrates his precise physical output into a single thrust using only his tongue, driving it straight through a high-ranking target's temple for an instant execution.
Mercenary Tao

Debut: Ep 059 - The Notorious Mercenary

Dragon Ball Ep 62: Sacred Water @ 20:22

Pillar Flight Logistics

Chou Kousoku Tobitsukami · Kinetic Projectile Transit · Mercenary Tao

Mercenary Tao's legendary method of long-distance transport. Tao snaps a solid stone pillar off a structure, flings it through the sky at thousands of miles per hour, and leaps onto the flying column to ride it straight across continents to his target coordinates.
Mercenary Tao

Debut: Ep 061 - Korin Tower

Fortuneteller Baba

Dragon Ball Ep 76: The True Colors of the Masked Man @ 19:46

Divination & Astral Viewing

Uranai · Mystical Fortune Arts · Fortuneteller Baba

A magical perception capability channeled through a floating crystal ball. Allows the user to peer anywhere in the mortal plane or afterlife, locating lost items, forecasting impending events, or tracking specific individuals across dimensional boundaries.
Fortuneteller Baba

Debut: Ep 076 - The True Colors of the Masked Man

Dragon Ball Ep 74: The Mysterious Fifth Man @ 02:02

Devilmite Beam

Akumaito Kousen · Ethical Bio-Explosive Ray · Devilman

A sinister energy wave that targets the moral composition of the victim. The beam isolates any trace of negative or evil thoughts within a person's heart, amplifying those thoughts exponentially until the target's body violently detonates. Renders 0% damage against completely pure-hearted targets like Goku.

Debut: Ep 073 - The Devilmite Beam

22nd World Tournament

Dragon Ball Ep 91: Counting Controversy! @ 03:39

Crane Bukujutsu (Levitation)

Bukujutsu · Ki-Based Aerial Flight · Tien Shinhan, Chiaotzu

The foundational art of levitation popularized by the Crane School at the 22nd World Tournament. By controlling internal energy currents, the practitioner floats upon their own ki aura, unlocking complete three-dimensional movement through the sky without mechanical aid.
Tien Shinhan Chiaotzu

Debut: Ep 084 - Rivals and Arrivals

Dragon Ball Ep 89: Full-Moon Vengeance @ 18:37

Hypnotic Lunar Illusion

Saimin Jutsu · Neural Suggestion Stance · Jackie Chun (Master Roshi)

A high-level hypnotic technique deployed during the 22nd Tournament. Jackie Chun uses rhythmic hand movements and voice suggestion to trick a lycanthropic opponent (Man-Wolf) into perceiving a smooth bald head as a full moon, permanently curing his condition.
Master Roshi

Debut: Ep 089 - Full-Moon Vengeance

Dragon Ball Ep 98: Victory's Edge @ 15:08

Solar Flare

Taiyoken · Photonic Blinding Flash · Tien Shinhan, Son Goku, Krillin

A non-lethal tactical masterpiece invented by Tien Shinhan. The user places fingers near the eyes and releases internal energy as a sudden, intense burst of white light. Temporarily blinds anyone looking in the user's direction, creating a flawless opening for escape or counter-attack.
Son Goku Krillin Tien Shinhan

Debut: Ep 098 - Victory's Edge

Four Witches Technique

Shyouken · Anatomical Arm Sprouting · Tien Shinhan

A unique Crane School secret art where the practitioner manually sprouts two fully functional arms from their shoulder blades. Drastically increases blocking coverage and close-quarters striking density, effectively doubling the user's taijutsu output.
Tien Shinhan

Debut: Ep 100 - The Spirit Canon

Tri-Beam

Kikoho · Vitality Conversion Blast · Tien Shinhan

Tien Shinhan's ultimate artillery technique. Framing the target through a geometric hands-triangle, the caster converts direct physical stamina and vital life energy into a massive, square-shaped concussive force. Extremely dangerous to the user, with over-use resulting in immediate death.
Tien Shinhan

Debut: Ep 101 - A New Champion

King Piccolo Saga

Evil Sealing Wave

Mafuba · Dimensional Containment Kinjutsu · Master Mutaito, Master Roshi, Tenshinhan, Kami

A sacred forbidden art created by Master Mutaito to seal demonic entities inside air-tight containers (like rice cookers or vacuum flasks). The caster swirls green energy to physically bind the target before guiding them into the vessel. The extreme physical toll guarantees the death of the user upon execution.
Master Roshi Kami

Debut: Ep 111 - Roshi's Gambit

23rd World Tournament

Controlled Spirit Ball

Soukidan · Guided Ki Orb · Yamcha

Yamcha's proudest original innovation. The user condenses energy into a glowing, basketball-sized sphere that can be remotely steered in mid-air using index finger movements. Even if the ball misses or hits the ground, Yamcha can guide it upward from underground to strike from an opponent's blind spot.
Yamcha

Debut: Ep 138 - The Mysterious Hero

Super Giant Form

Chyou Kyoshin Jutsu · Namekian Anatomic Expansion · Piccolo Jr.

A terrifying Namekian biological capability revealed at the 23rd Tournament. Piccolo Jr. expands his body structure to the height of a skyscraper. Unlike crude muscular bulking, this form increases raw reach and physical weight without sacrificing speed or mobility.
Piccolo Jr.

Debut: Ep 144 - Super Kamehameha