Max Power

Master Roshi first demonstrated his Max Power form when he agreed to extinguish the flames on Fire Mountain using his Kamehameha wave. To the shock of Goku, Bulma, and the Ox-King, the skinny old hermit's body suddenly expanded into an enormous, muscular frame. The transformation was purely physical: Roshi channeled all of his latent energy into his muscles, giving him the raw power needed to fire a Kamehameha strong enough to destroy the mountain (and the castle sitting on top of it). He later used the same form to destroy the Moon during the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai, preventing Goku from remaining in his Great Ape form.

Legacy as a Power-Up

Max Power established the template that many future Dragon Ball transformations would follow: a dramatic physical change accompanied by a significant increase in power output, but with a sustainability cost. Roshi could not maintain the muscular form for long periods, and using it left him drained afterward. This trade-off between power and endurance would become a recurring theme, appearing later in forms like 100% Full Power Frieza and Super Saiyan Third Grade. In Dragon Ball Super, Roshi continued to use a refined version of this power-up during the Tournament of Power, proving that even the oldest techniques in the series remained relevant when wielded by a master.