If you are a fan of Dragon Ball, then you know what ki is. Well, theoretically, at least. The iconic franchise was created more than 20 years ago, but fans have kept the series alive for new generations. Back in 2015, Toei Animation and Akira Toriyama brought back the series for a brand-new anime, and the popularity of Dragon Ball Super has only reinvigorated interest in anime around the world.
Still, there is a lot to catch-up on when it comes to Dragon Ball. There are hundreds of episodes to watch barring any movie or manga add-ins; Even hardcore fans get confused sometime or need a refresher! Whether it be about the Kaioshin or the franchise’s multiverse, fans can get tripped up about Dragon Ball really easily.
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So, naturally, it should come as little surprise that ki can be hard to nail down.
The word is thrown around in the series, and it is always used when talking about power. In Dragon Ball, ki basically stands as the universe’s life force which flows through everything. The entity is nothing else but unadulterated energy, and plenty of Dragon Ball characters can harness ki in various ways.
At its core, Toriyama uses ki to give his characters power-ups, but there is more to the energy mass than simply strength. Ki is made up of various things such as courage and intellect. Energy only makes up one-third of the formula.
Outside of its composition, ki acts as an internal life force which fighters can use to battle with enough training. Each person varies with how much ki they can use, but some races are predisposed to wielding the energy. For instance, Namekians and Saiyans have a genetic one-up for manifesting ki.
When using it for power, ki can be concentrated in various levels to give a fighter a hand in battle. The ki then appears as an aura around the fighter, and its color will fluctuate based on how intensely the energy is compressed. And, as fans know, the force is definitely a strong one. Ki is what makes up moves such as Spirit Bombs and the Turtle Destruction Wave. If you see someone pointing any kind of ki beam at you, then you best run the other way.
Dragon Ball Super recently kicked off the ‘Universal Survival’ saga. You can check out the brief synopsis for it below:
“At Goku’s request, the Omni-Kings’ “Tournament of Power” martial arts tournament between universes now begins! …But this also proves to be the beginning of universal destruction. What awaits the victors of this tournament, and the vanquished…?! How will these intense team battles between the elites of each universe turn out…?!”
Dragon Ball Super‘s “Universal Survival” saga is part of the recent simulcast agreement that sites like Crunchyroll and Funimation have scored. Dragon Ball Super airs on Crunchyroll Saturdays at 7:15 p.m. CST. Toonami will begin airing the English dub on Adult Swim Saturdays at 11:30 p.m.
