Shining Sword Attack

The Shining Sword Attack is a multi-stage Rush Attack that begins with Future Trunks leaping into the air and bringing his sword down in a vertical cleave that bisects the opponent. He follows with a rapid series of slashes that reduce the target to pieces, then finishes by pulling one hand back and firing a yellow energy wave to vaporize whatever remains. It is efficient, theatrical, and absolutely brutal.

The Shining Sword Attack debuts during one of Dragon Ball Z's greatest character introductions. Mecha Frieza arrives on Earth with King Cold, fully rebuilt after his defeat on Namek and ready for revenge. A mysterious Super Saiyan teenager appears, catches Frieza's Supernova with one hand, survives its detonation, and then fires a Burning Attack to lure both tyrants into the air. In the confusion, Future Trunks blitzes Frieza with the Shining Sword Attack, carving the emperor into pieces before vaporizing the remains.

The Z Fighters watch in stunned silence. Vegeta, who had been unable to defeat Frieza on Namek, observes the effortless execution and mutters, "That was Frieza! He cut him into bits, like it was nothing." In under a minute, Future Trunks establishes himself as one of the most capable fighters in the series.

Later, when Goku arrives on Earth, Trunks tests him by performing the Shining Sword Attack at full speed. Goku blocks every slash with a single finger. Trunks, shaken, remarks that "the sword you parried sliced through Frieza like he was butter!"

The Shining Sword Attack gets a spiritual successor in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, where Beast Gohan fires a Special Beam Cannon that pierces Cell Max's weak point in a manner that mirrors the attack's decisive, one-strike finality. The technique has appeared in dozens of games under various names including Burning Slash, Lightning Sword Slash, and Meteo Hell Slasher, and a stronger version called Super Shining Sword Attack appears in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot.