Different Techniques

[Insertclevername]

So what I'm going to ask kinda dwells into fan theory territory, so there really isn't any wrong answer.

What is the point of using different techniques that share the same property? For instance, what use would a Masenko have, compared to a Kamehameha? They're both beams (or waves I guess) right? What kind of theory do you have that might explain the different advantage. Also, don't be afraid to pull in resources that aren't the manga, I'm not really looking for how exactly Toriyama saw it, but how you interpret it. So if you have to use filler or a movie to explain yourself or provide an example, go for it!

[Saiga]

I'm going to guess that it's power. Gohan starts using the Kamehameha over the Masenko, and I guess it must be stronger for that.

Vegeta and Piccolo both use new techniques every so often without going back to their old ones, and I guess their techniques must not scale well, unlike the Kamehameha/Super Kamehameha.

[Fox666]

For instance, what use would a Masenko have, compared to a Kamehameha? They're both beams (or waves I guess) right?

I suppose it's like comparing an AK47 and a M16. They both fire bullets, but someone wielding it would feel the difference.

But it's interesting to note how Vegeta said that the Kamehameha was very similar to his Garlic Gun.

Vegeta and Piccolo both use new techniques every so often without going back to their old ones, and I guess their techniques must not scale well, unlike the Kamehameha/Super Kamehameha.

To be fair, most of their techniques are only used a single time.

[Saiga]

Vegeta and Piccolo both use new techniques every so often without going back to their old ones, and I guess their techniques must not scale well, unlike the Kamehameha/Super Kamehameha.

To be fair, most of their techniques are only used a single time.

Yeah, I know. I like to think the reason for that is because by the next time they fight, they've "outgrown" that technique and need a stronger one.

[Bussani]

I think even the Kamehameha might be outgrown from time to time, only to be replaced by a newer version. For instance, Goku refers to his as the "Super Kamehameha" in the 23rd tournament, which I'd guess just became his standard Kamehameha after that point.

[Son_Gohan]

Techniques can differ in versatility, which in this case, perhaps it is a matter of the amount of Ki the attack could have access to. As a character grows stronger, their techniques may also need to be continually refined in order to harness that new-found power. This could be exemplified by Piccolo's remark on the relative weakness of Cell's Kamehameha, due to the time period in which Goku's genes were taken:

Chapter: 363 (DBZ 169), P9.1-3
Cell: “Son Goku…Piccolo…and Vegeta’s cells were collected during the fight when Vegeta and co. came to Earth…”
Piccolo: “…Goku, from back then huh?...So that’s why your Kamehameha just now wasn’t anything special…”

The Masenko may not have been as adjustable in that regard. The Daizenshuu 7 entry for Vegeta's Final Flash notes that it can only be used in a state "surpassing the limits of Super Saiyan", so techniques can be very specific in what Ki they utilize. The Kamehameha however, has shown to be a very adaptable technique.

[Bussani]

And after all, the Kikoho was always stated to be better than a Kamehameha. It could use so much of your power in one go that it could kill you, or at least shorten your lifespan. Can you do that with a Kamehameha? If you could, Kame-sennin wouldn't have said that a Kamehameha couldn't possibly compare to it, if you ask me. By the Cell arc, though, I think Gohan and Goku's Kamehamehas might have been approaching that sort of level, where they can potentially throw all of their stamina into one massive attack.

[Marker]

This topic has me fantasizing about Super Saiyan 3 Goku taking out Pure Buu with a Kikoho. Just imagine how strong it would be... I mean, if Ten can hold off Semi-Perfect Cell with one at his power level I can only imagine the kind of multiplier it would put on a Super Saiyan 3's energy.