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Directory: TechniquesSupportive Techniques

Ki Sense, also called Reading Ki,[3] is an ability that allows the user to sense ki and power levels. It is used by a vast majority of the Dragon Team, and was first introduced in the King Piccolo Saga of the Dragon Ball anime.

Overview

Ki sensing is the ability to sense the location, life force, and power level of anyone; the stronger and closer the enemy, the more powerful the sensation. Also, if a ki is very powerful, it can be sensed from afar by people who are trained to sense energy; like Gohan sensing Super Saiyan 3 Goku's energy all the way from the Sacred World of the Kai. Once a fighter masters the skill, they can use it even when their other five senses are incapacitated.

PopoUsingKiSense

Mr. Popo senses Goku's energy

No outsider knows the sensations associated with ki sensing, as Mr. Popo likens explaining it to someone as being like "describing sight to the blind." However, the manga and anime usually show a minor spark on their head to signify that the Z Fighter is picking up a power.

Despite how common the technique is in later sagas, and how easy it is to learn for an adept martial artist, it actually appears to be a rare ability, as the Frieza Force was unaware of the technique until they faced the Dragon Team. Frieza and his army, who did not possess this ability, use a device called a scouter that can give numerical readings of a person's location and power level. However, scouters have been shown to be very fragile, breaking when a fighter powers up too much, making the ki sensing technique preferred for those who know how to use it.

Androids have an artificial source of ki and cannot be found by the ki sensing ability. The Dragon Team had to find them using more practical means.

PopoSenseGokuEnergy

Mr. Popo sensing Goku's energy

Namekians are able to sense whether the life force is good or evil; such as when the Ginyu Force arrived on Namek: Krillin senses their presence and thinks it is Goku, but Nail says "I, too, sense the presence of evil coming." The Namekian ki sense is displayed for the first time on-screen when Raditz approaches Piccolo on Earth: Piccolo reasons that the incoming power could not be Goku because "It's too horrible." Trained fighters also have the ability to sense whether or not a presence is good or evil, as Goku says "It's a horrible power, too! I'm trembling!" as he senses Raditz approaching Kame House, and later when he says that he senses evil when Black Smoke Shenron is summoned. However, it appears that some beings are capable of masking their ki, as all three members of the Trio De Dangers had ki that could not be detected even by Goku's godly ki sense.

It appears as if each organism has a distinct ki signature, much like fingerprints in the real world. This is evidenced during Cell's introduction in the series, where the Z Fighters, prior to finding out who Cell was, described his ki signature as a combination of Goku's, Vegeta's, Piccolo's, Frieza's, and King Cold's ki signatures (the main components of Cell's biological makeup). This is backed up by Beerus and Whis revealing that Goku Black shares his ki signature with Zamasu. Gods have a holy kind of ki that cannot be sensed by Earthlings nor Saiyans; such ki can also be obtained by becoming a Super Saiyan God.[4]

GokuITCellSaga

Goku uses Instant Transmission to translocate himself using ki sense as a source

The Instant Transmission technique, requires the user to home in on a ki signature before teleporting them to that ki signatures location or somewhere nearby. Meaning the ability to sense ki is a requirement (the Kai Kai technique however does not require a ki signature or the ability to sense ki).

Trained warriors like the Gods of Destruction, can read an individuals spirit in their ki for any evil intent such as the intention to murder someone.

Variations

  • Godly ki sense - Since godly ki cannot be sensed by regular beings, gaining the ability to sense godly ki must be learned separately. Deities like the Gods of Destruction, their attendants, and the Supreme Kais can sense godly ki thanks to possessing it, and other lesser deities such as Guardians and Kais are also able to sense it. Goku gained the ability to sense godly ki after temporarily becoming a Super Saiyan God, and Vegeta gained it after several months of training with Whis. In Dragon Ball Super, Hit had the ability to sense Godly Ki, as he could sense Goku's power multiplying upon using Super Saiyan Blue: Kaio-ken. Jiren was able to sense Godly Ki as well, as he noticed Toppo powering up to his God of Destruction form.
  • Scouters - These high-tech devices originally designed by the Tuffles and later modified by Frieza Force engineer Gichamu to artificially detect ki and calculate an opponents Power level. Due to the ability to sense ki being an extremely rare ability among members of Frieza's army, its members and allied races such as the Saiyans often rely on Scouters as an alternative mean for them to detect ki. However, like Ki Sense, they are unable to detect godly ki due to it being different from normal ki. However, unlike Ki Sense, Scouters can be destroyed and/or damaged removing their ability to detect ki until it is either repaired or replaced.
    • 3D Scan Mode - Certain Androids, cyborgs, and robots come equipped with a built in feature that allows them to scan their opponents and even detect ki in order to determine their power level. Like Scouters, it is a way to artificially detect ki, though more advanced and serves as a way for entirely artificial beings to sense ki.
  • Energy Meter - A handheld device used by Babidi and his minions designed to calculate power levels far too high to measure even by using the best Scouters, using a different form of measurement known as Kili.

Gallery

References

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