Tri-Beam

To perform the Tri-Beam, Tien gathers ki and forms a diamond-shaped "tunnel" with his hands by overlapping his fingers and thumbs in a specific pattern. He visualizes the target within that diamond, then shouts "Tri-Beam, ha!" and releases a tremendous beam of energy. The attack is devastatingly powerful, but it comes at a terrible cost: it drains the user's life force, not just their ki. Master Roshi warned that even surviving the technique shortens the user's lifespan with each use.

The attack casts the entire surrounding environment in a deep orange glow and leaves a characteristic square-shaped crater at the point of impact. Tien can also fire it one-handed, as demonstrated when he uses the Spirit Tri-Beam against Nappa after losing his arm.

Tien first uses the Tri-Beam at the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament against Goku, and it becomes a recurring part of his arsenal. But the technique's defining moment comes during the Cell Saga. After training with Korin, Kami, and King Kai, Tien perfects the Neo Tri-Beam, an upgraded version that lets him control exactly how much energy he channels into each shot.

When Semi-Perfect Cell is chasing Android 18 to achieve his perfect form, Tien puts himself directly in Cell's path and fires Neo Tri-Beams over and over. The power gap between them is astronomical. Cell should walk through the blasts without slowing down. But the Neo Tri-Beam keeps knocking Cell back into the crater, again and again and again. The attacks do not actually damage Cell, but they prevent him from moving forward. Tien fires until his body gives out completely and he collapses, near death. Goku uses Instant Transmission to rescue him just before Cell can retaliate.

This scene defines Tien's character. He knows he cannot win. He knows he might die. He does it anyway because someone has to buy time.

The Tri-Beam's history stretches back to before Dragon Ball's main timeline. During the King Piccolo wars, the disciples of Master Mutaito used Tri-Beams against King Piccolo's Demon Clan. They were all killed except Master Shen and Master Roshi, establishing the technique as ancient and widely known within certain martial arts schools.

Tien continues using it throughout Super, including during the Tournament of Power where he fires it at Frost in the manga. Frost emerges unharmed and eliminates Tien, a humbling reminder that even the Neo Tri-Beam has its limits against truly elite opponents. The technique also sees use in the 23rd Tournament, where Tien fires it into the ground to create a foxhole for the Z Fighters to hide in from Piccolo's Hyper Explosive Demon Wave. That might be the smartest use of the Tri-Beam in the entire series: not as a weapon, but as a tool for survival.