Summary
- Kaioken increases power but poses risks like exhaustion due to intense ki control.
- Only Goku has mastered Kaioken, using up to x20 but never combining it with Super Saiyan.
- Combining Kaioken with SSJ is risky due to the emotional stress of SSJ affecting ki control.
Kaioken is one of the first (and coolest, honestly) power-ups introduced in Dragon Ball. Although it is "weaker" than most transformations like Super Saiyan, it is actually one of the trickiest power-ups as it has some downsides and can easily lead to exhaustion.
Of the main characters, only Goku has learned to use Kaioken (in Dragon Ball Z, in the anime). After SSJ was introduced in the series, many fans expected that he would eventually combine both SSJ and Kaioken. However, in the manga, he never does it. Why exactly doesn't he combine them to become even more powerful?
Dragon Ball: Kaioken, Explained
One of the most important moves Goku has ever learned from King Kai is the Kaioken. What does it do?
What Is Kaioken in Dragon Ball?
Kaioken, sometimes spelled "Kaio-ken", and also known as King Kai Fist, is a technique invented by King Kai/North Kai (as the name suggests). It increases the power, strength and speed of those who use it. However, it is a costly technique and it requires precise ki control.
When Kaioken is active, the user's aura turns red, and it must remain active with its aura at all times. As expected, it causes tremendous stress, and can even generate heat, putting the life of the user at risk and leading to exhaustion while allowing them to fight stronger enemies.
How Did Goku Learn Kaioken?
Goku learned Kaioken while preparing for the arrival of the Saiyans (in the anime, in Dragon Ball Z). As expected, since this is a technique created by North Kai, he learned it while training in the Other World.
King Kai taught Goku both Kaioken and the Spirit Bomb, which became his signature for a while. Kaioken is extensively explored in DBZ before Goku turns into Super Saiyan. After SSJ was introduced, Kaioken became less proeminent.
The first time Goku uses Kaioken is when he fights Nappa. Actually, there are "power-up levels" of Kaioken, and, in the series, we see Goku using up to Kaioken x20. These are all the levels of Kaioken that Goku uses throughout the series:
- Kaioken
- Kaioken x2
- Kaioken x3
- Kaioken x4
- Kaioken x10
- Kaioken x20
Supposedly, the more "powered up" the harder it is to control ki and the more risky it is to use the technique.
Kaioken is a technique, not a transformation. So it is theoretically possible to combine it with SSJ or any other transformation.
The Challenges of Combining Kaioken and Super Saiyan
Kaioken is not a transformation, so it is technically possible to use this technique while transformed into Super Saiyan. Although Goku never does it in the original manga, he actually does combine Kaioken and SSJ a few times in the anime, which is called Super Kaioken. He also uses Super Kaioken in the Dragon Ball Super anime, and he later combines Kaioken with Super Saiyan Blue (Blue Kaioken).
However, in the manga, he only uses Blue Kaioken and, since Toriyama was involved in Super's manga, fans speculate that he never wanted Goku to mix Kaioken and SSJ, except for SSJ Blue. For this reason, many fans consider that Super Kaioken is not canon.
But if Kaioken and SSJ can potentially be combined, why doesn't Goku do it in the manga? The answer is actually in Dragon Ball Super: Kaioken and SSJ make a deadly combination, because SSJ is a transformation that involves emotional stress, so SSJ cannot control ki as required to use Kaioken.
I know it's risky, but there's a big payoff, too! Super Saiyan Blue is about power through extreme control! Combining that with the calming focus of the Kaioken and there's no telling how high I can go!
— Goku in DBS
With this explanation, it makes sense that Goku "canonically" only uses it as SSJ Blue, since Blue requires a calm mind and focus — this "calm ki" allows the user to combine it with Kaioken while mitigating the risks.
Dragon Ball: Goku and Vegeta's Evolutions of Super Saiyan Blue, Explained
Super Saiyan Blue is a state reached only by Goku and Vegeta, but the way they both evolved beyond that was different!
Why Haven't Others Learned Kaioken?
While there are no clear answers as to why the other Z Warriors who trained with King Kai haven't learned Kaioken, some speculate that human bodies would not be able to handle the technique and that Goku was only able to learn it because he is a Saiyan.
As for why other Saiyans haven't tried to learn it, it probably has to do with the risks involved, and the fact that they could gain more power by turning into SSJ — at least, that would explain it in-story, but the truth is probably that Toriyama wanted to try new things and left Kaioken aside. If Kaioken can't be combined with SSJ, it wouldn't make much sense for them to try to learn it.
Dragon Ball is available to stream on Crunchyroll and other services.
- First TV Show
- Dragon Ball
- Latest TV Show
- Dragon Ball DAIMA
- First Episode Air Date
- February 26, 1986
- TV Show(s)
- Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, Dragon Ball Super, Dragon Ball DAIMA
- Created by
- Akira Toriyama
- Upcoming TV Shows
- Dragon Ball DAIMA
Dragon Ball is a franchise by Akira Toriyama which follows the adventures of Goku, a powerful warrior who protects the earth with his group of friends. A recent title from the series is Dragon Ball: The Breakers, an action style game where 7 players have to survive being hunted by the Raider.
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