The Dragon Ball series is considered by many to be one of the greatest shonen anime series of all time, featuring numerous chapters that detail the ordeals and fights that Goku, Vegeta, and the rest of the Z Warriors have to deal with. Initially starting out as an adventure anime of sorts, it was clear that Toriyama wanted to shift the focus of this anime towards something more battle-centric — a change that is perfectly depicted in Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super.
Given the high-stakes nature of most battles in Dragon Ball, it goes without saying that some fighters would put their body on the line in order to save Earth — quite literally at times. Keeping this in mind, here are ten times when the fighters of Dragon Ball had to resort to abilities in their most desperate moments... with mixed results.
10 Solar Flare
While the Solar Flare technique isn't really a damaging one by any means, one can't deny the fact that most fighters in Dragon Ball Z end up pulling out this technique only when they have absolutely nothing else left in their arsenal.
This technique has been used multiple times throughout the series when the Z Fighters needed a moment of respite from an enemy that was quite overbearing. One use of a Solar Flare allowed these cornered fighters to regroup and decide upon the next course of action that they could take.
9 Special Beam Cannon
While the Special Beam Cannon itself might not be a desperation attack per se — being used several times over the course of the series by Piccolo in fairly casual fashion — it's the move's first appearance during the Raditz Saga that has become the stuff of legends.
In the context of this battle, the Special Beam Cannon was certainly a desperation move. Goku had to hold Raditz down while Piccolo charged this new move, before unleashing it in a damaging blast that pierced both the Saiyans and led to their demise.
8 Saibaman Bomb
The Saibamen are some of the most reviled creatures in Dragon Ball history, appearing at a time when a bunch of powerful Saiyans had entered the fray and were wreaking havoc on Earth. In fact, these Saiyans were so powerful that they decided to use these artificial beings to fight the pitiful protectors of Earth.
The power of these Saibamen was nothing to scoff at, with their most powerful move — a self-destruction technique — being able to take care of a powerful fighter like Yamcha in one fell swoop.
7 Farewell, Mr. Tien
During the Vegeta Saga, the Z Fighters were overwhelmed to find out that the two Saiyans were on an entirely different level of power altogether. Nappa made it infinitely clear that there was a long way to go before this power gap could be covered.
The fact that Chiaotzu put his body on the line and self-destructed right in Nappa's face only for the Saiyan to get back up without a scratch is a testament to how frail the Z Fighters were in comparison to the might of the invading Saiyans.
6 Tri-Beam
Tien might not be all that relevant in the modern scenario of Dragon Ball, but there's no denying the fact that his signature attack does end up playing a major role in the story, at times.
The Tri-Beam is a powerful move that unleashes a damaging blast... at the cost of Tien's stamina itself. The manner in which Tien absolutely decimated Cell with this move at the expense of his own life is easily the most iconic use of this attack, cementing itself as a legendary moment in the Dragon Ball series.
5 Self-Destruct Device
The Android Saga of Dragon Ball Z is considered by many to be the best part of the show — along with the Cell Saga, obviously — and features a bevy of interesting antagonists in the form of Dr. Gero's powerful Androids.
These Androids are some of the most powerful creations in Dragon Ball Z... but pale in comparison to the powerhouse that is Cell. The fact that Android 16 initiated a self-destruct sequence in order to wipe out Cell only for the latter to come out unscathed is a testament to how powerful this genetic anomaly really was.
4 Unforgivable!
After Gohan reaches the level of an Ascended Super Saiyan in one of the most powerful moments in the entire series, Perfect Cell becomes nothing more than a cakewalk for him. In fact, Cell becomes such a walk in the park that a single punch from Gohan causes Cell to expel Android 18 from his body and revert to his Semi-Perfect state.
This enrages Cell to no end, who decides to blow himself up in a desperation move that could've had major ramifications for Earth... had Goku not stepped in and transported Cell's body to King Kai's planet.
3 Revenge Death Bomber
The idea of a self-destructive move that doesn't really have any major ramifications is a scary prospect, and something that Super Buu is more than capable of accomplishing with his Revenge Death Bomber.
Given Buu's regenerative properties, he ultimately uses this powerful explosive blast in order to distract Ultimate Gohan while he tries to figure out a different strategy in order to fight this incredibly strong warrior.
2 Final Explosion
One of the most iconic moves in the entire game, the Final Explosion is a patented technique by Vegeta who uses this move for the very first time when he's under the control of Babidi. This Final Explosion was meant to take care of Buu... but the latter was resilient enough to regenerate from this powerful technique.
The Final Explosion is actually used by Vegeta one more time in his fight against Top in the Tournament of Power — an attack so powerful that it completely destroys most of the ring and knocks Top out in a resounding fashion. However, Vegeta's body had become more resilient since his days of fighting Buu, and he was able to bear the strain of the Final Explosion without losing his life this time.
1 Spirit Bomb
The Spirit Bomb is one of the most powerful moves in Dragon Ball history, and is mainly used by Goku whenever he has absolutely no other options in battle. Thus, in a way, the Spirit Bomb is a desperation move in its won right.
The sheer number of ways in which the Spirit Bomb has made its iconic appearances throughout the Dragon Ball series is nothing short of immense, with most of the favorite moments that a viewer might've experienced coming as a result of the successful application of this technique.