Most ineffective technique?

[Polyphase Avatron]

What technique is used regularly in the series (i.e. not just once or twice) that has the lowest rate of success?

I actually think it might be the Genki Dama, if we don't count the movies. It only really worked once, and that required a wish from Porunga to help out.

[Koitsukai]

Kamehameha keeps getting the spotlight and is always easily deflected by someone.

[Polyphase Avatron]

Kamehameha keeps getting the spotlight and is always easily deflected by someone.

Yeah but it also has a lot of instances where it worked.

[theherodjl]

Yamcha's spirit ball comes to mind. It's just a small ball of Ki that can follow an opponent and causes a general explosion when it makes contact.
Astounding!
Never heard of an attack that can do that.

[coola]

Shishin no Ken/Multi-form - Cloning technique used by Tien during 23rd Budokai, used only once in manga, since you also need to divide your power and speed
Genki-Dama - Ultimate sure-to-kill technique teached by Kaio-sama, worked only once on Buu (if you don't count movies)

[BWri]

Shishin no Ken/Multi-form - Cloning technique used by Tien during 23rd Budokai, used only once in manga, since you also need to divide your power and speed

This is one of those techniques that Tien should have "perfected" years ago. It really shouldn't split power/speed at this late stage in the series but it still does because Tien can't have nice things.

Yamcha's spirit ball comes to mind. It's just a small ball of Ki that can follow an opponent and causes a general explosion when it makes contact.
Astounding!
Never heard of an attack that can do that.

I think Yamcha's is special because it acts like a long range melee attack. The explosion is the weakest aspect of the attack but damn that uppercut he gave Kami with it could put a Shoryuken to shame.

I also agree with Spirit Bomb.

[theherodjl]

I think Yamcha's is special because it acts like a long range melee attack. The explosion is the weakest aspect of the attack but damn that uppercut he gave Kami with it could put a Shoryuken to shame.

It's not really that special though since other characters have basically created the same attack on several occasions but with more success than Yamcha. The spirit ball has some flash to it and may seem useful but as we've seen in Yamcha's battles, it's pretty piss poor when it comes to damaging opponents. He'd have had better results just using the kamehameha because he would at least have more power and destructive capacity with that.

[FoolsGil]

I'm going to go with Kaioken. As much as I love the technique, it has too many negative traits, and its best work was always done on jobbers or movie villains but otherwise had trouble sealing the deal. It wasn't until Super when it was even used again, to combine with the God Forms, and now that UI is a thing, I doubt Kaioken will be used anymore.

[BWri]

I think Yamcha's is special because it acts like a long range melee attack. The explosion is the weakest aspect of the attack but damn that uppercut he gave Kami with it could put a Shoryuken to shame.

It's not really that special though since other characters have basically created the same attack on several occasions but with more success than Yamcha. The spirit ball has some flash to it and may seem useful but as we've seen in Yamcha's battles, it's pretty piss poor when it comes to damaging opponents. He'd have had better results just using the kamehameha because he would at least have more power and destructive capacity with that.

As far as I know, the only thing similar to Sokidan is Piccolo's Chasing Bullet from the first Cooler movie, but even still Yamcha's has more precision. CB has more destructive power for sure along with an actual kill to its name but the Sokidan wasn't meant to be destructive like the Kamehameha. For that type of power Yamcha just uses the KMHMH. The point of the Sokidan is to confuse an opponent and land a long range blow. For that, it works pretty much perfectly.

I do agree that he could beef it up to make it more useful, but to be fair we only see it in canon action 1 time in a no-killing tournament.

[Lionel]

The Multi-Form could be valuable if Tenshinhan was able to overcome the ki fractionalisation with something like the Kaioken or the usage of techniques that operate somewhat independently from ki amount like the Kienzan or Mafuba. Like it was mentioned, sadly, Tenshinhan isn't given nice things. Not even Piccolo has been offered much and he's one of the closest figures to standing on the battlefield as support for Goku and Vegeta next to Gohan and the cyborgs.

[Grimlock]

In defense of Genki-Dama, Mira also used it to destroy Namekusei successfully.

I think I can't tell an ineffective technique because obviously it comes down to how you use it, when to use it and such. But maybe... Makkankosappo? Only hit once as far as remember and it was a pain the whole process.

[Jack Bz]

Self destruct is a pretty useless move in the series. The only time it ever works as intended was its introduction with the saibaman vs Yamcha.

Chiaotzu self destructing against Nappa does nothing. Vegeta self destructing against Majin Boo does nothing. Super Boo's self destruct against Gohan buys him time but nothing more.

I suppose Cell managing to kill Goku with it might count as a success, but it still basically backfired from what he intended.

[Polyphase Avatron]

Shishin no Ken/Multi-form - Cloning technique used by Tien during 23rd Budokai, used only once in manga, since you also need to divide your power and speed

This is one of those techniques that Tien should have "perfected" years ago. It really shouldn't split power/speed at this late stage in the series but it still does because Tien can't have nice things.

Well it logically makes sense that it would split his power, otherwise it would be a power multiplier technique. But if Tenshinhan learned something like the Kaio-Ken, then combined that with multi-form, he could possibly create many clones just as powerful as the originals without putting undue stress on his body.

Imagine Kaio-Ken x100 + Multi-Form x 100. Each clone is just as powerful as the original Tenshinhan since the power is split between them, and because it's split, he doesn't risk hurting himself with it.

[BWri]

Shishin no Ken/Multi-form - Cloning technique used by Tien during 23rd Budokai, used only once in manga, since you also need to divide your power and speed

This is one of those techniques that Tien should have "perfected" years ago. It really shouldn't split power/speed at this late stage in the series but it still does because Tien can't have nice things.

Well it logically makes sense that it would split his power, otherwise it would be a power multiplier technique. But if Tenshinhan learned something like the Kaio-Ken, then combined that with multi-form, he could possibly create many clones just as powerful as the originals without putting undue stress on his body.

Imagine Kaio-Ken x100 + Multi-Form x 100. Each clone is just as powerful as the original Tenshinhan since the power is split between them, and because it's split, he doesn't risk hurting himself with it.

Exactly! I proposed the exact same idea before the ToP, but Tien can't have nice things.

[PurestEvil]

Spamming Ki blasts like how Vegeta frequently does

[Yuji]

The Genkidama at least killed Boo. The Final Flash is Vegeta's ultimate move and it has achieved nothing.

[dbgtFO]

Spamming Ki blasts like how Vegeta frequently does

Ah yes, "That's Vegeta's technique!"_TM
Good ol' goof by Toriyama.

[PurestEvil]

The Genkidama at least killed Boo. The Final Flash is Vegeta's ultimate move and it has achieved nothing.

The only time it was somewhat effective was when it was used against Megetta

[Polyphase Avatron]

The Genkidama at least killed Boo. The Final Flash is Vegeta's ultimate move and it has achieved nothing.

The only time it was somewhat effective was when it was used against Megetta

And when he combined it with Goku's Kamehameha to beat the Trio de Dangers.

[Magnificent Ponta]

Given that it should theoretically be a one-hit kill whenever used, and at best it's dealt superficial damage, cut off a couple of tails here and there, and occasionally served as a bit of a distraction (not to mention that it nearly killed its own user once, on the debit side of the accounting) the various versions of the Kienzan have to be a contender here, surely.

It still does stuff, sure, but it's punching way below its weight as a technique.