One-Handed Kamehameha

The One-Handed Kamehameha is not a separate technique so much as it is a testament to its users' determination. The standard Kamehameha requires both hands cupped together to shape and direct the energy. When a fighter loses the use of one arm, whether through injury, exhaustion, or amputation, they must channel the entire blast through a single hand. This requires greater concentration and ki control, as the energy that would normally be balanced between two palms must be directed through one.

Goku was the first to use it, firing a one-handed Kamehameha during the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament when Piccolo had disabled one of his arms. The blast was successful, proving that the technique was viable even under compromised conditions. But it was Goku's sons who truly made the One-Handed Kamehameha iconic.

The most famous One-Handed Kamehameha in Dragon Ball history occurred at the climax of the Cell Games. After Cell killed Android 16 and triggered Gohan's transformation into Super Saiyan 2, Gohan dominated the Bio-Android. But Cell self-destructed and returned as Super Perfect Cell, and in the explosion, Gohan's left arm was severely injured protecting Vegeta.

With one arm hanging useless at his side and his father's spirit standing beside him, Gohan channeled every last ounce of his power into a one-handed Kamehameha. Cell fired his own beam, and the two attacks collided in the most emotional beam clash in Dragon Ball Z. Goku's encouragement from the afterlife and Vegeta's surprise blast from the sidelines gave Gohan the opening he needed. The young half-Saiyan pushed through and obliterated Super Perfect Cell with a single arm. "I've got one arm left," Gohan declared, "but that's all I need."

The History of Trunks special added another layer of tragedy to the One-Handed Kamehameha. Future Gohan, who had lost his left arm in a previous battle against Androids 17 and 18, used the one-handed version as his standard Kamehameha. In his final fight, knowing he was going to die, Future Gohan fired one last one-handed blast before the Androids overwhelmed and killed him. Future Trunks discovering his mentor's body in the rain, the image of a warrior who fought until the very end with the only arm he had left, remains one of the franchise's most powerful scenes.

Master Roshi also demonstrated the One-Handed Kamehameha during the Tournament of Power in Dragon Ball Super, proving that even the technique's original inventor could adapt when circumstances demanded it. In video games, the technique is available as a distinct skill in Xenoverse 2 and appears throughout the Dragon Ball Heroes series, typically associated with Gohan's most desperate and determined moments.