Which anime was the first to feature energy blasts?


A lot of animes feature characters capable of firing energy blasts (Dragon
Ball, Naruto, One Punch Man, Fairy Tail, etc.) But which was the first one?

Which anime was the first to feature energy blasts?




This is based on [this post](http://blawat2015.no-
ip.com/%7Emieki256/diary/201601304.html) and [this
discussion](https://animanch.com/archives/20155118.html) on origin of
kamehame-ha.

There are several possible precursors mentioned.

  * [Ultra man](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultraman_\(1966_TV_series\))'s spacium beam ([video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7t03hna2LzI)) Neither anime nor manga. 1966.
  * Spaceship Yamato's canon ([video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BD6Na13qvU)) 1974. The "charge the energy and fire" scheme is similar.
  * [Cobra](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobra_\(manga\))'s psycho gun. 1978. [This](https://dic.pixiv.net/a/%E3%82%B5%E3%82%A4%E3%82%B3%E3%82%AC%E3%83%B3) says it turns Cobra's spiritual power into energy.
  * [Hokuto shinken's](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fist_of_the_North_Star) several killing(?) techniques. 1983. In particular [北斗剛掌波](http://hokutosite.sakura.ne.jp/ougi/hokuto/sinken1/gousyouha.html) and [天破活殺](http://hokutosite.sakura.ne.jp/ougi/hokuto/sinken1/tenhakassatu.html). Both use kind of invisible power to attack opponents. The influence of Hokuto no ken is seemingly acknowledged by Dragon ball author.

In the discussion linked above, it is also mentioned that Dragon Ball(1984)
may be the first to express the energy blast as a beam emitting from human
body, rather than a shot or some invisible wave.




This is based on [this post](http://blawat2015.no-
ip.com/%7Emieki256/diary/201601304.html) and [this
discussion](https://animanch.com/archives/20155118.html) on origin of
kamehame-ha.

There are several possible precursors mentioned.

  * [Ultra man](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultraman_\(1966_TV_series\))'s spacium beam ([video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7t03hna2LzI)) Neither anime nor manga. 1966.
  * Spaceship Yamato's canon ([video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BD6Na13qvU)) 1974. The "charge the energy and fire" scheme is similar.
  * [Cobra](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobra_\(manga\))'s psycho gun. 1978. [This](https://dic.pixiv.net/a/%E3%82%B5%E3%82%A4%E3%82%B3%E3%82%AC%E3%83%B3) says it turns Cobra's spiritual power into energy.
  * [Hokuto shinken's](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fist_of_the_North_Star) several killing(?) techniques. 1983. In particular [北斗剛掌波](http://hokutosite.sakura.ne.jp/ougi/hokuto/sinken1/gousyouha.html) and [天破活殺](http://hokutosite.sakura.ne.jp/ougi/hokuto/sinken1/tenhakassatu.html). Both use kind of invisible power to attack opponents. The influence of Hokuto no ken is seemingly acknowledged by Dragon ball author.

In the discussion linked above, it is also mentioned that Dragon Ball(1984)
may be the first to express the energy blast as a beam emitting from human
body, rather than a shot or some invisible wave.

