Across Dragon Ball‘s long and storied history, Goku has learned and used numerous attacks and combat techniques. These attacks run the gamut from basic strikes, kicks, and grapples to immense energy attacks that can obliterate planets in the blink of an eye.

While most of these attacks make sense in context, Dragon Ball Super gives Goku a powerful attack that has left Dragon Ball fans deeply confused because it doesn’t fit Dragon Ball‘s usual logic. Fans debate when Hakai made its first appearance in Dragon Ball, but how Goku learns the move is even more confusing.

The Weird Story of Goku’s Hakai in Dragon Ball

Goku’s Hakai Comes Out of Nowhere

Goku’s First Hakai Appearance in Dragon Ball

Hakai move makes its official debut in “Protect The Supreme Kai Gowasu Destroy Zamasu!” Dragon Ball Super‘s 59th episode. In the manga, it first appears in “Another Zamas,” the 19th chapter. Goku wouldn’t use this move until the manga’s 25th chapter, “Will It Be Goku?! Or Zamas?!” Chapter 25 picks up where the previous one left off, with Super Saiyan Blue Goku battling with Fused Zamasu. Things are looking bleak for the Saiyan as, despite giving the fight all he has, he can’t take Fused Zamasu down due to his regenerative abilities. Zamasu lands several strong hits on Goku, draining his energy and weakening him. Realizing he won’t be able to maintain his Super Saiyan Blue form for long, Goku decides that he has to go “all in.”

Goku has a revelation, saying, “Even though he may be immortal, that technique may still be able to defeat him.” Goku moves all of Super Saiyan Blue’s power into his fist. Goku and Zamasu fly toward each other, and just as they clash, Goku extends his palm, shouting, “Beerus, sorry for calling this a dangerous technique before, but I’m going to borrow it from you.” Goku then deploys the Hakai, turning half of Zamasu’s face to dust. However, Zamasu opens a portal and pulls Future Mai in front of him, forcing Goku to stop the attack.

Goku’s Second Hakai Appearance in Dragon Ball

Goku’s Hakai would come up again during the Granolah the Survivor Saga, in “The Evolution of Planet Cereal,” the manga’s 69th chapter. Near the start of Chapter 69, Goku and Whis watch on as Beerus asks Vegeta about the Saiyans and their destructive history. A short while into the conversation, Beerus suddenly lunges at Vegeta and attacks him before revealing he is the one who told Frieza to wipe out Planet Vegeta and destroy the Saiyans. Vegeta starts fighting Beerus, but after a short battle, Beerus grabs Vegeta’s arm and aims his palm at the Saiyan’s chest before unleashing the Hakai, destroying his armor and sending him flying into the air.

Dragon Ball fans question how Goku was able to learn the move. Most presume Goku learned the attack after seeing Beerus use it at some point. There is a precedent for this, as Goku has learned several techniques after seeing someone else perform them a single time. The most famous example is the Kamehameha, which Goku learned after seeing Master Roshi perform it once in the manga’s 14th chapter, “Kame Kame Kame Kame Kame Chameleon.” But this is far from the only time Goku has learned from observation, as he learned the Afterimage Technique and the Eight-Arm Fist technique the same way.

However, Goku doesn’t see Beerus use the Hakai during the manga. In the anime version of Dragon Ball Super, Goku is present when Beerus uses the Hakai to destroy Zamasu in “Protect The Supreme Kai Gowasu Destroy Zamasu!” In the manga version of this scene (found in the chapter “Another Zamas”), only Whis and Beerus are present, as Goku and Vegeta are fighting Goku Black in the other timeline, meaning this can’t be how Goku learned the attack.

Dragon Ball Fan Theories Try to Figure Out How Goku Learned Hakai

Some fans argue that Goku saw Beerus use Hakai in the Dragon Ball Z: Battle Of Gods movie, as near the end of their battle, Beerus extends his palm toward Goku and channels his energy as he does for the Hakai, only to decide against it at the last second. He then repeats this process when destroying a small piece of Earth to make good on his bet with Goku near the end, meaning Goku has technically witnessed the Hakai twice if fans personally believe the manga’s God of Destruction Beerus Saga is merely an abridged retelling of Dragon Ball Z: Battle Of Gods, rather than a separate continuity.

Another popular fan theory suggests Goku didn’t use the Hakai. These fans note that Goku performed the attack by channeling all of Super Saiyan Blue’s energy rather than tapping into the Power Of Destruction, meaning that, despite looking similar, Goku’s attack functions differently from the one Beerus uses. The theory would also fit Goku’s statement in “The Evolution of Planet Cereal,” as Goku doesn’t say he used the attack, just that he failed when he “tried copying it,” suggesting Goku was making up an approximation on the fly.

Many fans presume Goku saw Beerus use the move off-screen. The most obvious evidence for this theory is that Goku and Vegeta recognize the move and describe it as Lord Beerus’ signature move, despite never really seeing it in action. Beerus’ impulsive nature, combined with the fact that Whis treats Beerus destroying decorative planets as a mundane annoyance, suggests Beerus frequently destroys things for fun, making it very likely that Goku witnessed Beerus do it at least once while training on his planet.

Goku Doesn’t Fit the Hakai

A Move Focused on Destruction Doesn’t Fit Goku’s Character

Even if the plot hole of how Goku learned Hakai is resolved, Goku using the Hakai feels weird from a storytelling perspective. The main issue with Goku’s use of the Hakai is that it undercuts Vegeta’s arc. Dragon Ball Super has been making a big deal of Vegeta training under Beerus and attempting to harness the Power of Destruction. As shown in Dragon Ball Super‘s 69th chapter, “The Evolution of Planet Cereal,” Vegeta has to undergo a massive emotional change to even begin the journey, learning the true story of the destruction of Planet Saiyan and letting go of his guilt over the death of his people. Then, in the next chapter, “The Universe’s Greatest Warrior,” Vegeta destroying a pebble with Hakai is presented as a big deal, making it feel like he made a massive leap in power.​​​​

Vegeta using Hakai doesn’t have as much impact as it could because Goku used the attack many chapters before without having to undergo intense emotional turmoil. Despite Goku declaring his attempt a failure, the move did heavily damage Zamasu and panicked him to the point that he had to resort to dirty tricks rather than a traditional counter, making Vegeta’s destruction of a few pebbles feel like a party trick in comparison.

Goku deploying the Hakai doesn’t make sense on a thematic level. Due to its nature as the ultimate tool of the Gods of Destruction, the Hakai has always felt distinctly evil. In Dragon Ball Super Chapter 28, “The Gods of Destruction From All 12 Universes,” Belmod uses the Hakai to erase a servant who hassled Marcarita. In the anime’s 91st episode, “Which Universe Will Win Their Place? The Mighty Warriors Gradually Assemble!,” Sidra uses the technique to erase a city because its residents are panicking about the potential destruction of their universe. Because of this, having Goku, the ultimate good guy, bust out the move feels strange and wrong.

Goku randomly using a move inherently linked to destruction doesn’t fit Goku’s character. Goku has always been defined by his love of battle and desire to constantly find new challengers who can push his limits. Goku usually lets his foes live just so they can get stronger, giving Goku a chance to fight them again. Goku using a move that erases his foe feels unusual and unsportsmanlike.

Goku’s one-off use of the Hakai is one of Dragon Ball Super‘s oddest plot threads. While Goku has always learned and deployed new techniques during combat, the moves he copies tend to fit him or his fighting style. The Hakai doesn’t fit him, leading to a strange moment that doesn’t mesh with the overall Dragon Ball Super storyline. Later chapters have treated learning the Hakai as a massive mountain which requires immense work and focus, making Goku randomly using it with no build-up feel like a retcon.