Failed Fusions

The Fusion Dance demands absolute precision from both participants. Every movement must be perfectly mirrored, every angle must match exactly, and even the timing of breathing needs to be synchronized. When any element goes wrong, the result is not a partial success but a dramatic and embarrassing failure.

Goten and Trunks produced the first failed fusions in the series when they attempted the dance under Piccolo's supervision while preparing to fight Majin Buu. Their first attempt created Fat Gotenks, a rotund and sluggish version of their combined form. The cause was Trunks extending his fingers at the wrong moment during the "sion" portion of the chant. Fat Gotenks initially fooled Krillin and Yamcha into thinking the fusion might have succeeded, reasoning that perhaps the bulky physique was needed to contain such immense power, similar to Majin Buu's own body type. That theory collapsed when Fat Gotenks became completely winded after a brief and slow jog.

Their second attempt produced Skinny Gotenks, an elderly, emaciated figure that could barely remain standing. This failure resulted from their fingers not meeting properly at the "HA!" climax of the pose. The sight prompted some memorable reactions from the spectators: Chi-Chi declared she could not love such a creature, Master Roshi noted the resemblance to his own age, and Yamcha pointed out the fusion's ribs were showing. Only on their third attempt did Goten and Trunks achieve a proper fusion.

The most famous failed fusion is Veku, the botched version of Gogeta that appeared in Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn. When Goku and Vegeta first attempted the Fusion Dance to defeat Super Janemba, Vegeta failed to fully extend his index finger at the crucial moment, producing an obese, weak, and thoroughly pathetic warrior. South Kai coined the name "Veku," combining syllables from Vegeta and Goku, while King Kai lamented that the fusion's rear end was even bigger than his own.

Veku could not throw a proper punch, could not execute any ki-based attacks, and his primary combat contribution was passing gas in Janemba's general direction. His one saving grace was the Rabbit Feet Technique, a comically fast running-away maneuver that allowed him to dodge Janemba's attacks until the 30-minute fusion timer expired. He also proved surprisingly durable, absorbing Janemba's blows without being destroyed. Once the fusion ended, Goku and Vegeta successfully performed the dance on their second attempt, creating the actual Gogeta who annihilated Janemba in seconds.

In Dragon Ball Super: Broly, Goku and Vegeta failed the dance twice while attempting to fuse against the rampaging Legendary Super Saiyan. Their first failure produced another fat version because Goku's finger slipped below Vegeta's, and their second attempt created an extremely skinny variant because their torso angles did not match. They finally succeeded on the third try, with the resulting Super Saiyan Blue Gogeta overwhelming Broly decisively.

Fat Gotenks made a return appearance in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero when Goten and Trunks, now teenagers, attempted to fuse against Cell Max but fumbled the technique because Goten had forgotten the proper form. Despite being a failed fusion, this Fat Gotenks managed to land a headbutt on Cell Max's head, dealing some actual damage in a rare moment of usefulness for a failed fusion.