Liverpool player goes full Dragon Ball with unmistakable Kamehameha

Pro-English football player Harvey Elliott of Liverpool recently celebrated his winning goal against Crystal Palace Goku-style with a perfectly-executed Kamehameha move from Dragon Ball. Elliott’s Kamehameha clip, uploaded on X, shows the player excitedly mimicking Goku although several Dragon Ball characters eventually use the Kamehameha, Goku is the primary user by holding an imaginary sphere in his hands and launching it toward a cheering crowd.

The Kamehameha is a powerful energy wave and involves concentrating one's energy into their hands and releasing it in a powerful beam, usually accompanied by the chant Kamehameha as the energy is gathered and unleashed. Elliott was celebrating the goal he’d just made against Crystal Palace, which was almost a textbook cinematic win.

The 20-year-old player, who has been struggling to get playing time this season, was subbed in during overtime and truly rose to the occasion, scoring the goal that took the score from a 1-1 tie to a 1-2 win, deciding the match in Liverpool’s favor. The Kamehameha clip is now going viral on social media, with some fans criticizing Elliott for being kitschy, but others acknowledging it as a worthy celebratory move for the young player.

The connection between pro-athletes and anime, while interesting, isn’t new. American football players especially have been very public in their connection with anime indeed, the Los Angeles Chargers have had anime-themed promotional schedule release videos for the past two years. Other popular NFL players like the Saints’ Jamaal Williams and the Patriots’ Juju Smith-Schuster have routinely used their platforms to promote their favorite anime. Williams has dubbed himself the 1st Swagg Kazekaze both during Sunday Night Football and in almost all his social media accounts.

Epic Celebrations

The crossover between professional athletes and anime may be surprising, as in theory, these interests seem to lie in two very different worlds. However, logically, the overlap is obvious. The intense training, relentless push to become stronger and never give up attitude so prevalent in many anime titles, especially in major shonen franchises like Naruto, Dragon Ball and Kimetsu no Yaiba: Demon Slayer, mirrors the daily focus of professional athletes in many ways. Elliot’s Kamehameha celebration is another testament to how anime can both inspire and be a demonstration of becoming more powerful.