Multi-Form

The Multi-Form is one of Dragon Ball's most tactically interesting techniques. Created by the Triclops race, it allows the user to physically split into four identical copies of themselves. Unlike the Afterimage Technique, which creates momentary visual illusions through speed, the Multi-Form produces tangible, independent bodies that can fight, speak, and use techniques on their own. The process involves the user powering up and splitting first into two, then each half splits again into four.

The catch is devastating. The user's total power is divided equally among the four clones. Each copy operates at roughly one quarter of the original's strength, speed, and durability. This makes the Multi-Form a high-risk strategy: four weak copies can be individually overwhelmed by a single strong opponent, and losing any clone means losing a portion of the user's combat effectiveness.

Tien Shinhan first deployed the Multi-Form during his match against Goku at the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament. Facing Goku's dramatically improved speed, Tien split into four copies to attack from all sides simultaneously. At first, the strategy worked, as Goku struggled to deal with four attackers at once. The four Tiens positioned themselves at the four corners of the ring and fired Ki Blast Cannons toward the center, forcing Goku to leap into the sky.

Goku's counter was brilliant. He hit all four Tiens with a Solar Flare, blinding every copy at once. Then, exploiting the Multi-Form's quarter-power weakness, Goku systematically knocked all four clones out of the ring one by one. The fight established a template for how Multi-Form encounters play out: impressive at first, vulnerable once the opponent figures out the power split.

During the Cell Games, Cell demonstrated what appeared to be a superior version of the Multi-Form. His four copies did not seem to suffer the usual power reduction, with each clone fighting at something close to Cell's normal level. This gave Goku real trouble for a time, as he faced four opponents who were each individually dangerous. Goku eventually lured the clones above the ring and pummeled them into a pile, forcing them to recombine.

The discrepancy between Cell's version and Tien's is never fully explained, though one theory is that Cell was fighting well below his maximum at the time, meaning his clones simply used a larger percentage of their available power to appear as strong as his suppressed state. After the Buu Saga, Tien found a more practical use for the Multi-Form: he combined it with the Four Witches Technique to become an extremely efficient farmer, using multiple copies of himself with four arms each to harvest crops at incredible speed.