Is Kaioken a Technique or Transformation? (2024)

Goku is easily anime’s most iconic martial artist, and he has earned that title through hard work and effort. The kind-hearted saiyan trained throughout the entire Dragon Ball franchise, studying under a number of masters to become a powerful fighter and learning a number of invaluable techniques along the way. In reaching a new threshold of strength, Goku eventually unlocked his Super Saiyan transformation.

The SSJ transformation gave Goku a noticeably altered appearance, and increased his battle power dramatically. SSJ was far from the first time Goku experienced that kind of change, though. During the Saiyan Saga, Goku tapped into the power of the Kaioken (sometimes stylized as Kaio-Ken), which changed his appearance by adorning him with a unique red aura, and also awarded him a sizable boost in power. While these two instances are extremely similar at face value, there are nuanced differences between the Super Saiyan transformation and the Kaioken technique that help differentiate the two as unique categories in Dragon Ball’s power system.

Why Kaioken is a Technique Instead of a Transformation?

Dragon Ball’s Transformations Are Achieved, Not Taught

While the SSJ form gives Goku immense power, Goku’s greatest source of power was always the experience he gained and the practice he had as a fighter. That experience is best expressed in the myriad of techniques he learned throughout the Dragon Ball series. Studying under various masters, Goku learned a number of skills, none of which he personally invented on his own. These techniques differ from transformations like SSJ in that they’re something Goku learned and which have nothing to do with his unique physiology as a saiyan.

Theoretically, almost any character in Dragon Ball can learn a technique, but none other than a Saiyan can achieve the Super Saiyan transformation. The Kaioken is a technique taught to Goku through practice, rather than something that he taps into through raw power. That’s what most differentiates techniques like the Kaioken from transformations like Super Saiyan.

While transformations like SSJ are fundamentally unlocked, not taught, that doesn’t mean learning from a master can’t help the process. This was shown in Gohan’s achievement of the SSJ form during his training with Goku in the hyperbolic time chamber during the Cell Saga. Gohan was already powerful enough to become a Super Saiyan, but he still didn’t know how. In this instance, Gohan could have willed the transformation upon himself through intense stress like Goku did on Namek. Instead, Goku helped Gohan along to master the form with less resistance.

Transformations are gained through raw power, but they can also be mastered through training to better hone them as a technique. This shows just how similar techniques can be to transformations, despite their fundamental differences. Still, transformations are related to a fighter’s physiology above all else. While Cell could use the same techniques as Goku and the Z Fighters because they can be learned, Goku could never transform into Cell’s Perfect form, because he has a different physiological makeup. Cell was even able to get a zenkai boost and become Super Perfect Cell, which was akin to a Super Saiyan, due to his Saiyan genes. However, even this form was still a unique transformation that only a being like Cell could achieve.

How Goku Learned to Use the Kaioken Technique

Goku’s Training With King Kai in the Other World Awarded Him With Two of His Greatest Techniques

Goku was first taught the Kaioken technique by King Kai. When Goku was sent to the Other World after dying during the fight with Raditz, he spent half a year (158 days) training with King Kai on his planet. During that time, Goku completed a number of tasks to prove his worth to King Kai. From making King Kai laugh, to chasing Bubbles through Kai’s extremely high gravity planet (which was over ten times that of Planet Earth) to catching a brick at high speeds. This workout trained Goku’s body immensely, to the point that he eventually came to traverse the high gravity like it was normal. Upon seeing how quickly Goku adapted, King Kai realized Goku was uniquely positioned to master his ultimate Kaioken technique.

The word Kaioken, when directly translated from its original Japanese, means “King Kai Fist”, which is indicative of its status as a technique. It was a technique that even King Kai himself couldn’t master, but having seen Goku’s immense potential, he felt the young saiyan just might have a chance to do what he could not. Goku isn’t shown using the Kaioken technique until the battle with Nappa and Vegeta, but Kai hints at its power as the "Kaioken that I have yearned of... but could never master myself!!"

Eventually, Kai also taught Goku another one of his signature moves: the Genkai Dama, also known as the Spirit Bomb. This was another extremely powerful technique that would go on to become Goku’s go-to move when in an insurmountable situation. Like the Kaioken, the Genkai Dama is only something Goku can use as a last resort, as it has too many drawbacks to use in an everyday fight. Kai even makes Goku promise that he can only ever use the Genkai Dama once, and only under the most dire of circ*mstances. To this, Goku responds, "No problem! I'll just make do with the Kaioken!"

The Kaioken is a method of focusing one’s Ki, allowing the user to amplify their power exponentially by calling up all their latent energy at once. This gives the user a boost of strength akin to a shot of adrenaline, immediately increasing their Power Level. Goku can control how much of his energy this taps into at once, giving him an exponential multiplier on his strength, speed and even his senses of hearing and vision. Throughout the series, Goku employs Kaioken multipliers of x2, x3, x4, x10, x20, and even x100 (in the Lord Slug film) in order to give himself the boost he needs to overcome his opponents.

The major drawback to the Kaioken is that the more instant power Goku gains through this technique, the greater the toll it takes on his body. The Kaioken is an unnatural boost of energy that gives Goku more strength than he’s supposed to have at that moment. This places his muscles under great stress, and using it too much in a short period could potentially even permanently damage Goku’s body if he isn’t careful.

Ultra Instinct Treads the Line Between Techniques and Transformations

UI Emphasizes the Similarities Between Techniques and Transformations in a Way Kaioken Never Had to

Despite being a technique, the Kaioken works quite similarly to a transformation in Dragon Ball. It gives the user a notable change in appearance by way of their dark red aura and increased muscle mass. Additionally, it gives them a noticeable boost in power over an extended period. However, this is not a transformation for multiple reasons.

First, the Kaioken is a skill Goku learns to use instead of something innate that he can tap into. Unlike Frieza or Cell’s transformations, Goku’s Kaioken is something that anybody could theoretically learn to use. This is made clear in the Dragon Ball Xenoverse videogames, in which both Krillin and Yamcha can use the Kaioken technique as well. Second, the technique doesn’t actually change the shape or appearance of the individual’s physiology. While it increases his muscle mass, Goku doesn’t actually change physically in any other way. This is best shown during the Frieza Saga, when Goku demonstrates his ability to use the Kaioken without it even showing a red aura as it did previously. No one other than King Kai was even aware that Goku had been using the technique the whole time.

This contrasts with the Super Saiyan transformations, which give Goku a definite change in hair and eye color that indicate his transformation. Notably, the Ultra Instinct form gives Goku changed hair and eye color as well. However, this says more about how UI treads the line between being a technique and a transformation than it does about the Kaioken or Super Saiyan. That’s because Ultra Instinct is more of a state of the Gods that can be reached, giving it many of the characteristics of both a technique and a transformation.

When using UI as a technique, Goku’s physical appearance doesn’t change - only his aura does, just like with Kaioken. This is the case with the Ultra Instinct Sign and True Ultra Instinct states. In these stages of UI, Goku’s physical form remains the same, but he employs the technique of Ultra Instinct to increase his speed and strength in combat. Whis is able to constantly fight in UI because it’s just the natural state he is in at all times. Alternatively, Goku can transform into the Perfected Ultra Instinct form, giving him white hair and silver eyes as first seen against Jiren in the Tournament of Power. This utilizes UI by making it more like a transformation that puts Goku into the state of the Angels. The downside is that Goku is unable to maintain this form for an extended period, which inevitably hurts him in a long, drawn-out battle.

Due to UI being akin to both a technique and a full-on transformation, Goku could hypothetically blend UI Sign or True UI with a transformation, such as SSJ Blue, to make himself even more powerful. While Goku has never mixed the UI technique with Super Saiyan before, he came closest to it during the Granolah Saga when he utilized UI while still tapping into his emotions. One of the main prerequisites for using the Super Saiyan form is emotion, so this opens the door for Goku achieving higher forms using UI in the future.

Goku Can Blend Techniques Like Kaioken With Transformations For Greater Power-Ups

Goku Uses Kaioken With Super Saiyan Multiple Times in the Series For an Added Boost

While Goku has never mixed UI with a transformation before, he has done so with Kaioken on multiple occasions. This is one of the greatest indications of how Kaioken is a technique instead of a form. Goku will often tap into the Kaioken technique for a few seconds or minutes at a time before powering down to conserve his strength. He even blends it with SSJ or SSJSS to give him unbelievable boosts in power. The first time Goku ever mixed the Kaioken with Super Saiyan was during the Other World Saga in his fight with Pikkon. However, this is a fight that’s not canon to the manga. In fact, Goku has never utilized the blend of Kaioken with a Super Saiyan form in either the Dragon Ball Z or Dragon Ball Super mangas.

Perhaps his most infamous usage of the Kaioken with SSJ was during his first fight with Hit in the Super anime. In order to match Hit’s overwhelming speed, Goku combined Kaioken with Super Saiyan Blue, placing unbelievable strain on his body. Nevertheless, it was enough to allow Goku to bypass Hit’s Time Skip technique, which was never done by anyone else before. Just like other such usages of Kaioken, this only occurs in the Super anime, with the manga treating the fight between Goku and Hit differently.

Whether it was helping Goku fight Vegeta, Frieza, Hit, or Zamasu, the Kaioken is a technique that has constantly allowed Goku to punch well above his weight class. Of course, it comes at the lofty price of risking his own well-being to use it. Nevertheless, because the Kaioken is a technique instead of a transformation, it actually gives Goku greater potential for power by letting him utilize multiple power increases at once. While the Kaioken became mostly irrelevant in the manga following the Frieza Saga, the introduction of new techniques like UI provides greater possibilities for Goku to once again break through his limitations in order to defeat the next great threat to the multiverse in Super, Daima, or beyond.

Dragon Ball

Dragon Ball tells the tale of a young warrior by the name of Son Goku, a young peculiar boy with a tail who embarks on a quest to become stronger and learns of the Dragon Balls, when, once all 7 are gathered, grant any wish of choice.

Created by

Akira Toriyama

First Film

Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies

Latest Film

Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero

First TV Show

Dragon Ball (1986)

Latest TV Show

Dragon Ball Super

Upcoming TV Shows

Dragon Ball DAIMA

First Episode Air Date

April 26, 1989

Cast

Sean Schemmel , Laura Bailey , Brian Drummond , Christopher Sabat , Scott McNeil

Current Series

Dragon Ball Super