Shin Kikoho... the WTF Attack of Doom!!!

[FistOfTheSun]

Logically speaking, why didn't Son Goku, Vegeta or anyone really, bother to learn the Shin Kikoho?

I mean for all intents and purposes, it's far more effective than even the Genki-Dama.

I mean at only half power, Freeza managed to survive the super Genki Dama on Namek. So we assume that this level of energy would be simply batted away with a laugh by Semi-Perfect Cell.

Now considering Tenshinhan is supposedly weaker than First Form Freeza, this fact just puts all the more emphasis on how powerful the technique is to hold Cell back. Especially since there is literally no charge time.

Now I suppose the drawback of the technique is the risk of it killing the user. However though the amount of times performed in the manga is unclear, in the Anime it is fired around 60 times at Cell. I'm personally of the opinion that if Goku tried to perform 60 full powered Kamehameha's, there would also be a great risk of dying.

[Amigo Ten]

Just one could kill you if you used enough power. Tien used loads of presumably not full power ones to stall for time. I don't think the Kamehameha is the same. When the Kikoho is first introduced Roshi is extremely worried about it because it's in a completely different league from the Kamehameha. Possibly killing the user being one of the reasons.

[Rocketman]

Logically speaking, why didn't Son Goku, Vegeta or anyone really, bother to learn the Shin Kikoho?

Because it's useless. With all the times Tien uses that attack, it hurts Cell far far less than the Spirit Bomb hurt Freeza.

[FistOfTheSun]

Note the far, far, FAR greater gap between Cell and Tenshinhan than there was between Goku and Freeza

[Daizensushi-x]

Plus, I was always under the impression that the attack was just a stalling attack. Like if someone kept pushing you back into a hole every time you tried getting out of it. It gets pretty annoying, but it doesn't really hurt.

[Bussani]

Vegeta's 'Final, Last Attack' self-destruct is probably more powerful, and still didn't do a lot of good when he used it.

There are probably a lot of reasons. In Vegeta's case, I doubt he'd want to stoop to using an Earthling's technique. Also, Kikoho in general is a desperation, all or nothing attack. If it fails, you're done. Finally, so long as this isn't a mistranslation, in the manga Kame Sennin comments that even if you survive using it, Kikoho will shorten your lifespan. It's the kind of technique you'd expect from the Crane school, who care only about killing their opponent. It's not the kind of attack that every character would adopt.

[Dayspring]

Note the far, far, FAR greater gap between Cell and Tenshinhan than there was between Goku and Freeza

The Shin Kikoho is nothing but rapid-fire multiple regular Kikohos, and the regular Kikoho is all about chucking your life force at your opponent. That means you run the serious risk of killing yourself. Added to all this, Tenshinhan is just as competitive as the others and even MORE anti-social than they. I seriously doubt he would take the time out of trying to develop his ace in the hole into a means of fighting on par with them, let alone if the reason is to show them how to use a stronger version of ace against him. On top of this, there was no reason to teach it to them. Teaching Piccolo MAYBE (he'd have the chance when it was Piccolo turn in the ROSAT), but not the Saiyans.

[Yamcha_krillin]

Now considering Tenshinhan is supposedly weaker than First Form Freeza, this fact just puts all the more emphasis on how powerful the technique is to hold Cell back..

He is probably above that level after King Kai training only.

[Ultimate_DB_Fan]

I've always been a fan of the attack and of Tien himself.
As far as I'm concerned, the attack does serve a purpose and I think it's definitely strong enough to defeat other competitive human opponents, such as Yamcha, etc.

[Shoryuken]

A Shin Kikoho can kill the user so it's hardly a useful technique.
Tenshinhan was a lot weaker than Cell, but managed to squeeze enough ki into the blast so they had a limited affect on him.
If Goku used the technique it would become even more powerful, but he could end up destroying the planet in the process.

[Bussani]

If Goku used the technique it would become even more powerful, but he could end up destroying the planet in the process.

A Kamehameha from Goku could destroy the planet at that point, so I'm not sure if it makes a difference in that regard. I don't think it's the kind of technique Goku would adopt, though.

[Shoryuken]

If Goku used the technique it would become even more powerful, but he could end up destroying the planet in the process.

A Kamehameha from Goku could destroy the planet at that point, so I'm not sure if it makes a difference in that regard. I don't think it's the kind of technique Goku would adopt, though.

The difference here is that Kikoho is harder to control because of it's extreme nature and lets out more power than a Kamehameha ever would.

[Dayspring]

If Goku used the technique it would become even more powerful, but he could end up destroying the planet in the process.

A Kamehameha from Goku could destroy the planet at that point, so I'm not sure if it makes a difference in that regard. I don't think it's the kind of technique Goku would adopt, though.

The difference here is that Kikoho is harder to control because of it's extreme nature and lets out more power than a Kamehameha ever would.

This is true: always see Tenshinhan desperately trying to aim whenever he fires, and always still manages to rip up chunks of the planet whenever he fires one.

[Aikachi]

This has never really entered my mind, I'd always kind of assumed that the Kikoho, "Tribeam", was related to Tenshinhan's third eye, and therefore the others wouldn't be able to use the technique anyway. I wonder now what might have happened if Goku had been able to use it. Having as much life force as he does, he could probably do some real damage with a techinique like that.