The Spirit Cannon

With four arms courtesy of the Four Witches Technique, Tien Shinhan seizes total control of the fight. He grabs Goku's arms and legs simultaneously and delivers repeated headbutts that threaten to knock Goku unconscious. Goku fights back with the only limb still free: his tail, smacking Tien in the face until the three-eyed fighter is forced to release him.

Goku responds with his own variation. Moving his arms at such incredible speed that he appears to sprout six extra limbs, Goku matches Tien's four arms with what looks like eight of his own. The two fighters clash in a spectacular exchange that ends with both of them knocked to the ground simultaneously. The announcer counts to eight before both warriors rise.

Goku gains the advantage with a submission hold on Tien's legs, causing tremendous pain. Tien's extra arms reach up to choke Goku, but the effort fails and the extra limbs retract. After flipping Goku off and into a wall, Tien makes a desperate decision. He floats high above what remains of the ring and charges the Tri-Beam Cannon, a technique so powerful it shortens the user's lifespan with every use. Despite Chiaotzu's telepathic pleas, Tien fires. When the dust settles, the entire ring is gone, replaced by a gaping crater. Goku is nowhere to be seen.

The Tri-Beam's debut is the most visually stunning moment of the entire tournament. An attack so powerful that it erases the ring itself, the very battlefield the fighters stand on, redefines what energy attacks can accomplish in the Dragon Ball universe. The fact that it costs the user their lifespan makes Tien's decision to fire it an act of desperation that borders on sacrifice.

Goku's speed-based eight-arm counter to Tien's literal four arms is a creative solution that perfectly captures the series' inventive approach to combat. The simultaneous knockdown and eight-count sequence is the most suspenseful moment of the finals, with neither fighter willing to stay down.

This landmark 100th episode of Dragon Ball delivers one of the series' most iconic techniques. The Tri-Beam Cannon becomes a defining move for Tien throughout the franchise, used in critical moments across Dragon Ball Z and beyond. Its life-shortening cost establishes a recurring theme of fighters sacrificing their bodies for victory.

The Four Witches Technique, while impressive, proves to be a temporary advantage. Tien's decision to abandon it in favor of the far more dangerous Tri-Beam shows his willingness to risk everything for an honest win, a far cry from the fighter who entered this tournament content to cheat.