Highlights

  • Fusion is a beloved concept in Dragon Ball, with the Fusion Dance technique proving as powerful as Potara fusion.
  • Fusion through synchronized poses creates a stronger warrior, but any mistake results in a weaker fusion lasting 30 min.
  • The Fusion Dance technique is stable and reliable in longer battles, outlasting the Potara fusion's 1-hour time limit.

Of all the concepts ever introduced to the world by Dragon Ball, fusion is widely regarded as the coolest and one of the most loved. Ever since the Buu Saga, this has been a very prevalent topic within the series and one that fans love to see whenever it is implemented, which may just be the reason why Akira Toriyama made fusion a thing that can be achieved in more than just one way.

One of the ways for Dragon Ball characters to fuse is through the Metamoran Fusion Technique, more commonly known as the Fusion Dance. This method, thought for the longest time to be the inferior one, has stood the test of time and proven to be just as powerful as the Potara method, but with one significant advantage over it. So, let's see what the Fusion Dance is and why it is such a powerful thing.

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What Is The Metamoran Fusion Dance?

A screenshot from Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn featuring Gogeta.

First Appearance

Dragon Ball Z, Episode 240, "Revival"

Debut Date

September 21, 1994

Story Arc

Majin Buu Saga

The Fusion Dance is a technique created by the mysterious race known as the Metamorans and is one that allows the union of 2 characters into one. In principle, it works very similarly to the Potara Fusion, in that it creates a single warrior from the merger of two, but the method to perform it is much different. Instead of each person simply putting on one of a pair of matching earrings, the Metamoran method has them performing a 'dance'.

Though it is called the 'Fusion Dance', it is actually just a series of poses that each of the participants must do. In the Buu Saga, it was explained that only those of a similar or identical power level can fuse using this method, as Trunks had to lower his to meet Goten's, but this is something that has largely been forgotten about since then and changed.

To perform the dance, the participants must stand a little apart from one another in a perfectly symmetrical way, so that the right shoulder of one should mirror the left shoulder of the other. Each of their movements has to be perfectly in sync, down to their breathing. Goku explained that to perform the dance perfectly, the participants must visualize 2 rivers that flow towards each other and converge at 2 single points, mirroring the fingers of the participants.

Starting with each arm pointing to the direction they're standing in with regard to the other, the users have to slowly perform the movements to get close to one another, all while still being perfectly in sync, essentially acting like the reflection of the other. Bringing their arms in and getting closer, the users chant 'Fu-Shion-Ha' as their fingers meet, transforming them into a fused warrior. This warrior is far stronger than them and sports a combination of the participant's physical features and personalities.

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Strengths of the Fusion Dance

Since this technique takes two warriors and merges them into one, the resulting fighter is far greater in terms of strength than either of their 2 constituents. Although it was initially stated that one character has to bring their power down to the others' level in order to use this technique, this is something that has largely been forgotten, as the powers of both fighters are added, and then further multiplied on top of that.

This was stated in the Dragon Ball Super: Broly movie, where Gogeta explained to Frieza that he is far greater than Goku or Vegeta. Moreover, the biggest advantage that the Fusion Dance has over Potara Fusion is the timer. If the fighter produced with the Potara is incredibly powerful, like Vegito is, then their sheer power and Ki can override the 1-hour timer that comes with mortal Potara Fusion. Both fusions are inconceivably more powerful than just about anyone else in the universe, but Gogeta can sustain this power for longer.

Every force you create has an echo. Your own bad energy will be your undoing!

This was seen in the battle against Zamasu, where Super Saiyan Blue Vegito had such an incredible amount of Ki that he burned through his 1-hour timer really quickly. This doesn't seem to be a problem with Gogeta, as he was seen to go all out against Broly in his Super Saiyan Blue form, but didn't time out of the fusion, which is why many dub this the superior fusion technique due to its stability.

Weaknesses of the Fusion Dance

Vegito and Gogeta (Super Saiyan Blue)

The biggest weakness of this fusion technique has to do with the very method that forms it. This is because the dance is very difficult to pull off, so much so that even intelligent characters like Vegeta can mess it up quite easily. If even a single movement is out of sync or has been messed up by either of the participants, the resulting fusion will either be incredibly overweight or incredibly underweight and drastically weaker than either participant.

To make this worse, this 'failed' fusion also lasts for a full 30 minutes and there is no other way to separate the participants other than waiting for the timer to run out or Forced Spirit Fission, the latter of which is an incredibly rare and difficult technique to learn. This happened in Dragon Ball Super: Broly, where Goku and Vegeta failed the fusion twice and were out of the fight for an entire hour, in which Broly beat Frieza up quite a bit.

Now hold on a second, having a name would definitely make us sound much cooler!

This fusion technique has pros and cons. If a quick method to fuse is needed in order to put the enemy down as quickly as possible, then the Potara may be the better option. However, if the enemy is incredibly powerful and more time could be spent to defeat them, then the Fusion Dance is far more reliable in a longer battle!

Dragon Ball can be streamed on Crunchyroll.

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Dragon Ball Super
Dragon Ball Super
Action
Adventure
Release Date
July 5, 2015
Creator
Akira Toriyama
Number of Episodes
131