Dragon Ball vs One Piece: Is Red Roc more iconic than Goku's Kamehameha?

Yet another anime-related controversy has taken the internet by storm. This time, it's between fans of two of the giants in the community, Dragon Ball and One Piece.

It began with a Twitter user named DoffyGlasses claiming Luffy's Red Roc, which was recently animated in Episode 1015, to be more "iconic" than the fabled Kamehameha of the DB universe.

Needless to say, Dragon Ball fans couldn't keep calm after the statement.

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How fair is it to call One Piece's Red Roc more iconic than Kamehameha of Dragon Ball?

While Luffy's new attack, Gomu Gomu no Red Roc (meaning Rubber Rubber Inferno Pistol/Fist Gun), has certainly made an impression, fans should have refrained from using the term "iconic." Earning that epithet in the anime community is a long and difficult process, which Red Roc hasn't gone through yet, unlike the Kamehameha.

There are many reasons why the well-known attack is yet to be displaced by Red Roc, the most obvious being that Goku's Kamehameha is more identifiable with Dragon Ball as an anime, much like Rasengan in Naruto, than Red Roc is with One Piece.

This association between the show and the attack was built gradually before becoming synonymous with it, something One Piece has yet to do with Luffy's attack.

Over the years, Kamehameha has managed to become a cultural phenomenon, owing to the global success of Dragon Ball. Fans over on social media can often be seen mimicking the blast pose, and it has also given birth to a number of memes and countless allusions.

In comparison, Red Roc, although at par with Kamehameha in strength, didn't have half the impact on fans as Kamehameha did throughout its epic run. The reason for that is that Red Roc is a fairly recent occurrence.

Goku's Kamehameha has transcended to a legendary status considering the history of its development throughout the series. The signature move has been a core element in some of the most iconic fights in anime history. Invented by Master Roshi (by practicing for 50 years), we've seen it passed over to Goku and witnessed its growth and development in his hands, resulting in multiple forms and levels.

On the other hand, Red Roc debuted in One Piece Chapter 1000 of Vol. 99 in 2021, has only been used once by Luffy, and doesn't boast a rich history like that of Kamehameha.

Goku using Kamehameha (Image via Shueisha)

Red Roc is indeed a powerful move that Luffy pulled against Kaido, but it is not a representative move in the show, one everyone has heard of. Besides being a fan favorite, Kamehameha is a word even people outside the community have come across at least once, which is a testament to the show's reach and its relevance.

Calling Red Roc more iconic than Kamehameha after keeping the above reasons in mind just doesn't make any sense.

Fans have wasted no time in ridiculing the original tweet, backed by valid reasons, and it's not difficult to predict which fandom will emerge victorious in this particular debate.

The immediate reaction that the tweet has sparked goes on to show just how passionate fans can be in the community and the extreme caution one must exercise before putting anything controversial out there. Knowing the Dragon Ball fandom to be gargantuan, they won't be satiated until they've gotten the absolute last word on the matter, and, in this case, quite rightfully so.