Devilmite Beam

The Devilmite Beam operates on a principle entirely different from any other attack in Dragon Ball. Rather than relying on the user's ki to cause external damage, it targets the victim's own negative emotions. Any trace of anger, malice, selfishness, or aggression in the target's heart becomes fuel for the beam, which amplifies those dark impulses until the victim's heart detonates from the inside. The stronger the negative emotions, the more devastating the result.

This makes the Devilmite Beam an all-or-nothing proposition. Against someone harboring dark thoughts, it is instantly lethal regardless of their power level. Against someone with a truly pure heart, it does absolutely nothing. There is no middle ground.

During Fortuneteller Baba's tournament, Goku faces Spike the Devil Man as the mysterious fifth fighter. After overpowering Spike in conventional combat, Goku seems destined for an easy victory. Then Spike fires the Devilmite Beam. Master Roshi, watching from the sidelines, tells the terrified audience about the beam's history: how it once destroyed a mighty but compassionate warrior by exploiting even the faintest dark thought in his heart.

Everyone expects Goku to suffer the same fate. Instead, the beam washes over him with zero effect. Goku's heart is so completely pure that the Devilmite Beam finds no negative thoughts to amplify. Fortuneteller Baba later compares his mind to that of an infant or an animal: free from complex or impure thoughts. Spike is left standing there, his ultimate weapon rendered useless by a child who simply has never harbored a single dark impulse in his life.

Fans have long debated whether the Devilmite Beam could have been used against later villains like Frieza, Cell, or Majin Buu, all of whom are overflowing with negative emotions. When asked about this, Akira Toriyama acknowledged that while the technique would theoretically work on evil-hearted villains, Spike would never be fast or strong enough to actually hit them with it.

In Budokai Tenkaichi 3, the game implements this concept beautifully. The Devilmite Beam's damage varies based on the target's alignment: pure evil characters like Evil Buu, Janemba, and King Piccolo take catastrophic damage, while pure-hearted characters like Goku are immune. Even Super Saiyan transformations remove the immunity, since the form is fueled by rage, giving the heart enough darkness for the beam to exploit. It remains one of the most creatively designed attacks in Dragon Ball gaming history.