Dragon Ball: Kaio-ken, Explained

A power multiplier that can push a user past their limit, the Kaio-ken is one of Goku’s signature techniques and was taught to him by King Kai.

Highlights

• The Kaio-ken, created by King Kai, is a powerful multiplier boosting Goku’s abilities with high ki control needed.
• Despite intense body strain, Goku pushed the Kaio-ken beyond its limits, reaching a x20 level against Frieza.
• Goku later combines Super Saiyan Blue with Kaio-ken for enhanced power levels, achieving x10 and x20 during epic battles.

When it comes to the power ups and transformations in Dragon Ball Z, virtually every form that Akira Toriyama introduced went on to attain iconic status in the Dragon Ball fandom as a whole. In fact, one of Goku’s most memorable power ups in the Saiyan Saga —which predated the subsequently introduced series of Super Saiyan transformations — was the fabled Kaio-ken.

When Goku first used it against Nappa and Vegeta following his return from Other World, his power skyrocketed, catching his opponents off guard. Later on, in the Namek Saga of Dragon Ball Z, Goku was able to push the limits of the Kaio-ken power-multiplier to heights that were unseen before. Having been crucial to some of his most celebrated victories, the Kaio-ken is one of Goku’s most prized abilities, and here is why that is the case.

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The Origins Of The Kaio-ken Technique

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As evident in how it bears his name, the Kaio-ken was invented by King Kai, the North Kai of Universe 7. Following Goku’s death during the fight against Raditz, he was told to journey along Snake Way and seek out King Kai in order to train with him before confronting the incoming Saiyan invasion led by Nappa and Vegeta.

Heeding this advice, Goku spent six months running on Snake Way, before finally arriving in Other World, where he was tested by King Kai, who accepted him as his student after he successfully passed. Subsequently, King Kai taught his new pupil the two signature techniques he had devised: the Kaio-ken and the Spirit Bomb.

In essence, the Kaio-ken serves as a power multiplier, amplifying the user’s base power level, speed, strength, and reflexes by boosting the flow of ki through their body beyond its maximum output when the technique is active. Originally, the high level of ki control required to maintain the Kaio-ken was so intense that Goku was only able to use it in short bursts. Moreover, the toll it took on his body was immense, and he could not maintain it for too long.

A Power Multiplier Like No Other

Beyond the rudimentary form of the Kaio-ken, which doubles a user’s power level, its greatest strength comes in how its multiplication of power can be compounded almost indefinitely as long as the user can control it. This application is where the true potential of the Kaio-ken can be harnessed, as a user can triple, quadruple, or even increase their power by ten-fold if executed properly.

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So far, the most extreme usage of the technique in the manga was Goku’s Kaio-ken x 20 against Frieza. When performing the technique, the user’s aura turns a fiery shade of red, and the stress of the technique can swell their muscles, raise their blood pressure, or generate intense internal heat, which manifests as steam emanating from their body. Unlike Super Saiyan forms, the user’s aura is always visible as long as the technique is active.

Pushing Past One’s Limits

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At first, Goku’s body was severely debilitated whenever he used the Kaio-ken, and he struggled to maintain anything more than a Kaio-ken x 3 in his fight against Vegeta. Upon pushing himself to a Kaio-ken x 4 in the clash between his Kamehameha and Vegeta’s Galick Gun, Goku was left immobilized after the technique ravaged his entire body.

Even a small pat on the back from an overjoyed Yajirobe left Goku in agony, illustrating the consequences of his reckless use of the Kaio-ken against Vegeta. All this aligned with King Kai’s fear of Goku losing his life from abusing the Kaio-ken’s power multiplication, even though he was able to avoid death by a small margin.

Fortunately, after undergoing intense training in a spaceship with enhanced gravity during his journey to Namek, Goku’s body was able to withstand using the technique for a prolonged period against Captain Ginyu. Not too long after, he could even handle the immense strain of using Kaio-ken x 10 and even Kaio-ken x 20 against Frieza, with the latter being the highest recorded usage of the technique in the anime.

After Goku’s fight against Frieza, the Kaio-ken did not appear in the rest of the original Dragon Ball manga, primarily due to the superior abilities of the Super Saiyan line of transformations. While Goku did tap into it in the anime during the Other World Tournament Saga, the technique’s relevance declined because of the intense ki control needed to maintain it, which was not always feasible when using Super Saiyan forms.

Enter Super Saiyan Blue Kaio-ken

Years later, after the end of the Majin Buu Saga, which concluded the original Dragon Ball manga and the Dragon Ball Z anime, a new entry into the franchise provided a fresh lease of life for the Kaio-ken technique. In the Universe 6 Saga of Dragon Ball Super, Goku was unable to keep up with the evolving Time-Skip ability of the assassin Hit while using his Super Saiyan Blue form.

Choosing a risky move to overcome this difference in their power, Goku proceeded to stack the Kaio-ken on top of Super Saiyan Blue, and multiplied his power by a factor of 10. This new form, dubbed Super Saiyan Blue Kaio-ken x 10, was made possible by the perfect ki control of Super Saiyan Blue. Unfortunately, he was not able to maintain the form for too long initially, and suffered from Delayed Onset Ki Disorder.

By the time of the Zeno Expo, Goku could harness this new form without too many drawbacks, and utilized it to great effect in his fights against Bergamo and Top. In the Tournament of Power, Goku’s command over Super Saiyan Blue Kaio-ken had reached such high levels, that he could use Kaio-ken x 20 effectively, which permitted him to momentarily fight on par with Jiren. With the introduction of his new Ultra Instinct forms, it remains to be seen whether Goku will still find any use for the Kaio-ken, even as it remains one of the Dragon Ball franchise’s most fondly remembered power ups.

Dragon Ball Z is available to stream on Crunchyroll.

Dragon Ball Z (1989)

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Dragon Ball Z is a Japanese anime series produced by Toei Animation and a sequel to the 1986 Dragon Ball series. It continues the adventures of Son Goku as an adult while also paralleling the life of his son Gohan. Son Goku typically defends the Earth from villains like Vegeta, Frieza, Cell, and Majin Buu. The series is followed by Dragon Ball GT and then Dragon Ball Super. 

Release Date

April 26, 1989

Studio

Toei Animation

Creator

Akira Toriyama

Number of Episodes

291

Streaming Service(s)

Crunchyroll

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Fuente: successacademy.edu.vn
Categorías: Anime