The Four Faces of Tien

Tien Shinhan unleashes his trump card: the Multi-Form technique. His body glows with intense energy before splitting into two, then four identical copies. The four Tiens swarm Goku from every direction, beating him to the ground in a coordinated assault. Goku speeds away and lands a simultaneous kick on all four copies, but the Tiens regroup and retreat to the four corners of the ring. From those positions, they fire a devastating combined Ki Blast Cannon directly at the center where Goku stands, leaving a crater in the ring.

The dust clears to reveal the crater is empty. Goku had jumped high above the arena at the last instant. The four Tiens target him in the air with beams from their third eyes, and Goku crashes headfirst onto the ring surface. Everyone assumes he is finished, but he stands up as if nothing happened, announcing he has found two flaws in the technique. When the Tiens repeat their attack pattern, Goku counters with a Solar Flare, blinding all of Tien's extra eyes. While the copies stumble, Goku demonstrates the second flaw: splitting into four divides Tien's power by four. Each copy is now far too weak to compete. Goku systematically overwhelms the Tiens and throws them all out of the ring, winning the semifinal. Tien admits that his own pride was his downfall.

The Multi-Form creates a spectacular four-on-one battle, with the four Tiens coordinating corner attacks that leave craters in the ring. Goku's survival of the air assault and head-first landing showcases his extraordinary durability. Master Roshi remarks that Goku defies the laws of physics. The Solar Flare counter is brilliantly ironic, using extra eyes against their owner. Goku then proves he can track all four copies without sight, relying on his training to sense their positions. The final revelation that splitting reduces each copy's power to one-fourth seals the match and establishes an important franchise mechanic.

Goku's victory demonstrates that raw power and tactical awareness trump flashy techniques. The Multi-Form's weakness of dividing power equally becomes a recurring limitation in later Dragon Ball sagas. Tien's gracious acceptance of defeat shows continued growth in his character. Piccolo watches the entire match intently, studying Goku for their inevitable final confrontation. The Funimation narrator incorrectly teases Goku vs. Junior as the next match, when in fact Piccolo must first face Hero.