If there is one question about special techniques inDragon Ballmore than any other, it has to be: Why doesn’t Krillin use his Destructo Disk more often? The Destructo Disk, also sometimes known as the Kienzan, is a signature technique of Krillin’s invention that has been shown to quite possibly be able to cut through anything it touches. From mighty enemies to the hardest substance known to existence, this technique has sliced through it all.
However, it’s still rarely used by Krillin or any of the other fighters throughout the show. Does this mean the move is actually weaker than people might imagine? Or is there a bit more nuance behind why it sometimes works but isn’t always the best tool for the job?
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Krillin Vs. Nappa — The Vegeta Saga
The first ever use of the Destructo Disk in the anime was in episode twenty-seven ofDragon Ball Z— “Nimbus Speed.” In it, Krillin tries to convince Nappa to try and catch the dangerous razor blade of energy before Vegeta warns him to dodge at the last second. The resulting pillar of earth that is completely slashed through shows exactly why the Prince of Saiyans was so concerned.
Krillin’s line of “so close” after it narrowly misses, alongside Vegeta calling Nappa a fool for not realizing, shows just how deadly the technique could have been. Has Nappa actually tried to catch it, it was implied that the Saiyan would have been sliced in half as well. The technique is used twice more during these fights, once by Krillin in an attempt to cut off Vegeta’s tail while he is in Great Ape form, one again being dodged, and another when Vegeta uses it to successfully cut off Great Ape Gohan’s tail.
This shows one of the biggest flaws of the Destructo Disk — if the person dodges it, it becomes entirely useless. When it does hit however, it can help defeat foes far stronger than Krillin’s power level.
Frieza — The Destructo Disk And The Death Saucer
The fight against Frieza shows just how powerful the Destructo Disk can be, especially when taking enemies by surprise. Not only does Krillin manage to slice off Frieza’s tail while he’s in his second form, but even the Universal Emperor himself knows he needs to dodge each and every attack thrown at him. It’s one ofKrillin’s best moments in the seriesby far.
The power of the move is so apparent, that Frieza decides to steal a version of it for himself, naming it the Death Saucer. He even improves upon it, making it so that the disks can be guided (something that Krillin and others later in the series eventually develop the ability to do too). Ironically, the improved technique eventually leads to Frieza’s downfall, as when he loses sight of the disks and can no longer control them, they eventually come back and slice him into multiple pieces. If it’s strong enough to take downone of the strongest villains in all ofDragon Ball, that has to count for something.
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Destructo Disk Vs. Cell — The Canon Controversy
The controversy surrounding the power of the Destructo Disk gets particularly confusing during Krillin’s fight with Perfect Cell. Theanime completely ignores manga canonand allows the move to hit Cell right on the neck, only for it to do nothing. While this was used as a moment to try and show just how powerful the villain truly is, in every other part of the story, it’s shown to be an impossibly powerful move to take a hit from.
In fact, this happens during Cell’s fight with Gohan itself! When Cell tries to throw two Destructo Disks at the young fighter, not only does Gohan not dodge them, but he manages to “catch” them as well. Even then, Gohan knows better than to remotely consider touching the sharper blade-like parts of the disk, instead holding them in midair with his power before dispelling them completely.
Kid Buu — A Major Weakness
Unfortunately, Kid Buu shows one of the largest weaknesses of the Destructo Disk. If the enemy in question can heal themselves or is simply not quite a normal solid like most fighters, it’s not a potent move at all.
While the technique is obviously made to help take down opponents far stronger than oneself, this major flaw means that Krillin might need to come up with a few more tricks to not get his butt kicked in battles in the future.
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Goku Vs Jiren — Coming In Clutch
There is no denying that Jiren is one of the most powerful opponents Goku has ever faced. During the tournament of power, when Goku becomes desperate and cannot seem to defeat him, he turns to the power of the Destructo Disk. While Jiren is able to smash several of them, he also does something no one else in the series has ever done — catch one with his bare hand. Still, he does so in a way so that the spinning blade does not touch his hand, making it so he can throw it back and slice through the strongest substance in the universe which makes up the stage.
If that doesn’t show just how much even Jiren respects the power of the technique, it nearly eliminating him from the tournament of power had to have changed his mind. Goku’s Destructo Disk Hexa Blade is nearly able to trick Jiren into being knocked out of the stage as he uses it to slice through several rocks his foe is standing on before trying to go for a finishing blow.
While the strategy doesn’t work in the end, it shows that even when not directly attacking opponents, the Destructo Disk is a powerful technique that needs to be respected. If someone tried to use Solar Flare so that the opponent couldn’t dodge, it might even be one of the strongest moves in the entirety ofDragon Ball.
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