Kaio-ken
From Dragon Ball Encyclopedia
Directory: Techniques → Supportive techniques → Ki
The Kaio-ken (界王拳, Kaiō-ken; Literally meaning "World King Fist") is a supportive technique invented by North Kaio. Son Gokū is the only person ever able to successfully use it. It is a technique that multiplies the user's Ki for a "heart beat", enabling them to inflict serious damage to opponents who are considerably stronger than them. After the introduction of the Kaio-ken, it became one of Son Gokū's signature attacks; however, it became greatly overshadowed by his ability to become a Super Saiyan later on in the manga and anime. While in this state, the Ki aura's color becomes crimson.
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[edit] Description
As a result of the Kaio-ken, the user's base Ki level greatly increases for an instant, however, Son Gokū later learns to increase the effect of the Kaio-ken to higher multiplications. When Son Gokū first mastered the Kaio-ken, the furthest he could handle was the Kaio-ken x4, but through training at 100x gravity and then later with his dramatic strength increase after his fight with Captain Ginyu, he was able to withstand astounding multiplications of the Kaio-ken, such as Kaio-ken x10. The highest multiplication for the Kaio-ken ever seen was the Kaio-ken x20, which Son Gokū used against Frieza.
The technique however has its substantial flaws, such as if the user multiplies their base ki too much, the uprise of ki could easily obliterate them, or severely damage their body, as it did Son Gokū's; after taking the Kaio-ken x4 to overpower Bejiita's Galick Gun, Son Gokū's entire body was thrashed, and he could barely move without hurting himself. Even one friendly slap on the back from a gracious Yajirobē caused Son Gokū severe pain.
[edit] Uses of the Kaio-ken
The first time Son Gokū used the Kaio-ken was when he used it in the Saiyan Saga to catch up with and cripple Nappa before he could kill Son Gohan and Kuririn with his mouth blast. Later, after Son Gokū realized he could not defeat Bejiita even with the Kaio-ken x2, he powered up to Kaio-ken x3, raising his battle strength to near 24,000 and overpowering Bejiita. To prevent Bejiita from destroying Earth with his Galick Gun, he used a Kaio-ken x3 Kamehameha, a combination of the Kaio-ken x3 and the Kamehameha, in an attempt to save himself and the Earth, initiating an energy wave struggle. When both of their attacks proved unable to overtake the other, Son Gokū used the Kaio-ken x4, surging through Bejiita's Galick Gun and blasting him into the sky. Son Gokū also used the technique briefly when he fought Bejiita's Great Ape form, but was whipped aside by Bejiita's tail, surprised at Bejiita for remaining as agile as ever even in the huge size of the Great Ape transformation. After blinding the Great Ape Bejiita with the Solar Flare technique, Son Gokū uses the Kaio-ken one last time during the battle to help distance himself fast from the stunned Bejiita and buy time to form a Spirit Bomb.
Later, in the Frieza Saga, when Son Gokū fought Captain Ginyu, he demonstrated his Kaio-ken in a prolonged way, increasing his battle strength to a power level around 180,000, thus shocking Ginyu. After being healed in the rejuvenation chamber following his attack from Bejiita when Son Gokū himself had switched bodies with Ginyu, Son Gokū battled with Freeza with almost equal power, thanks to his Saiyan nature's ability to grow stronger after recovering from serious injury. After realizing Son Gokū was stronger than the others he had battled from Ginyu to Pikkoro and even Bejiita, Freeza used 50% of his maximum power, which gave him an enormous power boost. Son Gokū then had to resort to the Kaio-ken x10, to even have a chance at battling Freeza, but even this wasn't nearly enough. Son Gokū then attempted to use the Kaio-ken x20, which gave him near equal power to the tyrant. Son Gokū eventually used a Kaio-ken x20 Kamehameha combination, which amazingly, Freeza held off with one hand before stopping it with his own blast, barely hurt. A short time later, Son Gokū transformed into a Super Saiyan, which greatly overshadowed the Kaio-ken. However, since – according to battle powers given in the Daizenshuu companion released in Japan – becoming a Super Saiyan increases one's strength fifty times, it is unknown if a Kaio-ken x49 would have equaled the power of a Super Saiyan (if such a Kaio-ken level is even possible to pull off).
Son Gokū's battle against Freeza is the last time the Kaio-ken is used in the manga, as the introduction of Super Saiyan outclassed it. However, in the anime filler fight against Pikkon, Son Gokū used a Kaio-ken and Full-Power Super Saiyan combination (something he calls a "Super Kaio-ken"), which gave him an incredible power increase. Because of this one instance, it appears that Son Gokū can also demonstrate the Kaio-ken's usability in transformed states, which potentially means he can make his transformed states many times stronger. However, it can be argued that using Kaio-ken in transformed states could seriously injure or even kill him. This is evident in that the already-dead Son Gokū was exhausted after performing the technique for only a few seconds during his fight with Pikkon.
[edit] Films
Son Gokū uses the Kaio-ken to battle the villains in Dragon Ball Z Movies 2-6.
- In Dragon Ball Z: The World's Strongest, he first uses it to deflate the bio-warrior Misokatsun. He uses it again soon after to free himself after being frozen solid by Ebifurya, and then easily takes out both Ebifurya and Kishime with it. He later uses the Kaio-ken x3 to attack Dr. Wheelo's giant robotic body and succeeds in breaking off Wheelo's right arm. The two then engage in an energy wave struggle similar to the one Son Gokū and Bejiita have in the Saiyan Saga, and, just like in that struggle, Son Gokū overcomes Wheelo's blast by using the Kaio-ken x4.
- In Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might, Son Gokū first uses the Kaio-ken to avoid getting hit by the Great Ape-transformed-Son Gohan , but is eventually knocked down by him. He later uses it to take out Turles' henchmen. After Turles becomes more powerful with the fruit from the Tree of Might, Son Gokū uses the Kaio-ken x10 (x20 in the FUNimation dub) to attack him, but is still unable to keep up.
- In Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug, Son Gokū uses the Kaio-ken to rip a hole through the giant Lord Slug, after he gains some of Pikkoro's power.
- In Dragon Ball Z: Cooler's Revenge, after Cooler transforms and becomes far more powerful, Son Gokū uses the Kaio-ken to attack him, but has no success. Cooler even flies through Son Gokū's Kaio-ken Kamehameha combo.
- In Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler, Son Gokū again uses the Kaio-ken on Meta Cooler, but it again proves far too feeble, forcing Son Gokū to go Super Saiyan soon after.
[edit] In video games
Son Gokū has used the Kaio-ken in many Dragon Ball video games, usually as either a temporary power-up or physical attack like in the manga/anime, or even as a prolonged transformed state similar to his Super Saiyan forms.
In Kuririn's "what if" story in Dragon Ball Z: Supersonic Warriors, after dying of a heart virus, Son Gokū (with Baba's help) returns to teach the Kaio-ken and the Spirit Bomb techniques to Kuririn so he can protect Earth in Son Gokū's place. Kuririn can use these techniques in his level 3 form.
[edit] Dragon Ball Online
In the upcoming computer game Dragon Ball Online, which is set in 1000 Age, it is said that between the end of the original manga and the start of the game, King Kai taught the Kaio-ken to the inhabitants of Earth. This included: The Humans, the planet's original inhabitants who since the manga's end have began practicing different forms of martial arts, and the Namekians, who fled to Earth after their planet was destroyed by Miira. The Majin race, who were not taught the technique, managed to learn it through mimicry, similar to how Majin Bū learned Son Gokū's Kamehameha by witnessing it.
The appearance and effects of the Kaio-ken in the game are very similar to how it appears in the anime; activating it engulfs the player in a flaring red aura. The self buff increases the players' movement speed, allowing them to run faster, and in combat: their attack speed, chance of critical strike, and maximum attack power. However, the only increase that comes with multiplying the Kaio-ken buff is the chance of critical strike. (i.e.; activating it doubles (x2) the player's critical strike, and the following multiplication would put the increase at x3). During its use, both the players LP and EP are drained and cannot be deactivated manually, but instead deactivates itself when HP is considerably low. Kaio-ken also has a six-minute cooldown period.
Furthermore, the Kaio-ken technique can be amplified over x20, as never seen in previous uses by Son Gokū in the original series, and due to it being accessible to all classes thus far, it and can be used to increase the strength of trademark techniques other than the Kamehameha wave; for example, Wolf Fang Fist, Destructo Disk, Hellzone Grenade, Big Bang Attack, and Special Beam Cannon.
[edit] Trivia
- In the Garlic Jr. Saga, Son Gokū's wife Chichi, imitates the technique's signature red-colored aura after being angered by Kuririn's girlfriend, Maron. Despite the aura's appearence, it is not the Kaio-ken, but mimics it to represent Chichi's immense rage.
- In the video games Dragon Ball Z: Budokai and Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 2, the Kaio-ken is dubbed the "King Kai Fist", a rough translation at best.
- The attack has been usually pronounced incorrectly in the English versions of both the anime and video games ("KAY-oh-ken" rather than "KAI-oh-ken"). However, Peter Kelamis (Son Gokū's second voice actor in the Ocean Group dub) pronounces it properly in the movies The World's Strongest and The Tree of Might, and Sean Schemmel (Son Gokū's adult voice actor in the FUNimation dub) pronounces it properly in the video games Burst Limit, Tenkaichi Tag Team, Raging Blast 2, and Ultimate Tenkaichi, as well as for the Kaio-ken multipliers in Raging Blast 1. The technique is also pronounced correctly in the FUNimation dub of Dragon Ball Z Kai.
