Tenshinhan why didn't I launch Shin Kikoho on Android # 18?

[SIAD]

Tenshinhan why didn't I launch Shin Kikoho on Android # 18?

I have wondered why I don't kill Android # 18 with a Shin Kikoho. Cell could not have reached perfection if Android # 18 had been destroyed.

 

[Captain Cadaver]

The closest thing we have to a valid answer is that maybe Tenshinhan didn't perfect it until going back to train with Chaozu, but it would be more of a stretch to assume he perfected it in so little time. You could argue it was due to not getting a good angle to hit just #17 or #18, but he could've just told everyone to get out of the way after Vegeta's defeat. There's no real answer beyond it being a clear plot hole.

If referring to when he launched it against Cell, however, it was due to Cell being the main threat at this point, as well as Tenshinhan's pride as a martial artist not allowing him to just take the easy route when faced with a strong opponent.

 

[GSM123]

Probably because you can’t use the Kikoho of

For real, I don’t think the Kikoho would’ve done anything to 18 that it didn’t do to Cell, so it wouldn’t matter. The Kikoho had a lot of force concentrated on it, but with little real strength to vaporize or flatten 18.

[mention]Captain Cadaver[/mention] SIAD is referring to after Cell absorbed 17 and Tenshinhan charged Cell so 18 could escape.

 

[Captain Cadaver]

The Kikoho had a lot of force concentrated on it, but with little real strength to vaporize or flatten 18.

Considering it was capable of leaving some light wounds on Cell, I highly doubt its strength isn't linear with its force.

 

[Emmeth]

Probably didn't have the power to destroy 16 and/or 18, on top of that he had probably sensed that they weren't evil and he's not a horrible person like Vegeta was at the time; He probably didn't want to kill them.

 

[GSM123]

The Kikoho had a lot of force concentrated on it, but with little real strength to vaporize or flatten 18.

Considering it was capable of leaving some light wounds on Cell, I highly doubt its strength isn't linear with its force.

Doubtful if that’s wounds or dirt though.

 

[Captain Cadaver]

It's definitely not dirt. Not only are these lines a classic Toriyama way of presenting superficial damage, but he seemed to present these marks before the last Kikoho knocked him into the ground if looking closely.

Spoiler

 

[Future Warrior]

It's definitely not dirt. Not only are these lines a classic Toriyama way of presenting superficial damage, but he seemed to present these marks before the last Kikoho knocked him into the ground if looking closely.