Hypnosis Technique

The Hypnosis Technique, known as Saimin no Jutsu in Japanese, encompasses several methods of psychically influencing a target's mind. Practitioners stare into their victim's eyes or use specific gestures to induce a trance state. The effects range from mild suggestion (convincing someone of something) to full-on brainwashing and mind control. Different users employ different variations, but the core principle is the same: overwhelming the target's willpower with psychic influence.

The technique's effectiveness appears to depend on both the practitioner's skill and the target's mental resilience. Powerful fighters with strong willpower can potentially resist it, though even they are not immune when caught off guard.

Master Roshi, disguised as Jackie Chun, first uses his Sleepy Boy Technique variant during the 21st World Martial Arts Tournament to put Goku to sleep during their match. It works beautifully until Bulma shouts "Dinner!" and Goku snaps awake, driven by his bottomless appetite.

The more creative application comes at the 22nd Tournament, where Roshi hypnotizes Man-Wolf. The bestial fighter had been stuck in his wolf form since Roshi destroyed the moon with a MAX Power Kamehameha to revert Great Ape Goku during the previous tournament. Since Man-Wolf needs moonlight to transform back into a human, Roshi hypnotizes him into believing that Krillin's bald, shiny head is the full moon. Amazingly, it works, and Man-Wolf reverts to human form.

The Para Brothers and Android 17

In Dragon Ball GT, hypnosis takes several sinister forms. The Para Brothers use a hypnotic dance called the Para Para Boogie that forces targets to dance along involuntarily. More importantly, Hell Fighter 17 uses a brainwashing version to control Android 17, turning him against his allies. The controlled 17 even briefly hypnotizes Android 18 before fusing with his demonic counterpart to become Super 17.

Master Roshi deploys the Sleepy Boy Technique during the Tournament of Power against the transformed Ganos, showing the old master still has mental tricks up his sleeve alongside his physical ones. In the Dragon Ball Super manga's Granolah arc, the elderly Namekian Monaito uses Hypnosis to knock out a young Granolah during a flashback, and later puts Macki and Oil to sleep to prevent them from interfering with the battle against Gas.

In the Xenoverse series, Videl and Pan both have access to the technique, and custom characters can learn it through specific quest rewards. The technique's long history across the franchise shows that raw power isn't the only path to victory; sometimes, the most effective weapon is simply convincing your opponent they're already beaten.