Super Saiyan Blue Kaio-ken

Directory: Techniques → Supportive Techniques → Transformations

Super Saiyan Blue Kaio-ken^[1], also known as Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan: Kaio-ken^[3] or simply Kaio-ken Blue^[4], is a technique first used by Goku during his fight against Hit only in the Dragon Ball Super anime. The technique consists of using the Kaio-ken while transformed as a Super Saiyan Blue.

Overview

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Super Saiyan Blue Goku using Kaio-ken

This variation of the Kaio-ken boasts a double aura effect, placing a crimson Kaio-ken aura outside of a typical blue Super Saiyan Blue aura. The outer Kaio-ken aura manifests as violently fluctuating and jagged while the Super Saiyan Blue aura maintains a gentle, flame-like contour.

Goku began developing this technique for eventual use against Beerus. To use it, Goku transforms into a Super Saiyan Blue, then simply activates Kaio-ken in addition to it. As Goku has not yet mastered the technique, it has only a 10% chance of working and a 90% of failing, which had a chance of killing him. Thus, Goku must maintain an extraordinary amount of focus when activating the technique in order to ensure its success. Since Super Saiyan Blue has perfect innate ki control, Goku is able to utilize the power of the Kaio-ken in a similar manner to the way in which he can control it in his base form. By contrast, attempting to use the technique with his normal Super Saiyan transformation would almost certainly kill him, which he cited as the reason why he never attempted to use it in the past as a normal Super Saiyan. Use of this technique gifted Goku with such power that Hit's Time-Skip technique became ineffective, as Goku became so powerful while using it that he was able to strike Hit in spite of time being suspended. This form was even able to make Beerus nervous even before Goku increased its multiplier.

Goku attempts to use the x10 enhancement but after attempting to defeat Hit with it, the ten times Kaio-ken seemingly faded and his Kaio-ken dropped to a lower level for the rest of the fight. Boosting his power level by a ten times multiplier is the maximum level of this combination he has thus far demonstrated.

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Goku feeling the side-effects of using Kaio-ken

While the energy usage of this technique is very high, the Super Saiyan Blue form may serve to shield the user against the negative physical effects of the Kaio-ken to an extent. During his fight against Hit, Goku showed no obvious signs of physical strain caused by the Kaio-ken until he powered back down to his base form, at which point his body began to suffer severe muscle convulsions.

Screenshot 15 — Goku uses Super Saiyan Blue: Kaio-ken against Fusion Zamasu to escape his grasp

Goku briefly uses this technique once again in the "Future" Trunks Saga, in order to escape Fused Zamasu's grasp and send him flying with a swift kick. In the process, Goku manages to destroy Fusion Zamasu's Barrier of Light, but quickly returns to base form, unable to move.

Goku uses this technique a third time during the Zen Exhibition Match in his match against Bergamo, who was getting stronger with each blow Goku delivered until defeated by Goku's God Kamehameha. At this point, it appears that Goku was able to exercise a far greater degree of control with this form, as he did not succumb to any muscle spasms or contractions afterwards, but this is because he did not use the 10x power up. He later uses this technique against Toppo before being stopped by the Great Priest.

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Goku uses Super Saiyan Blue: Kaio-ken against Gohan

Goku later used this in a one-on-one match against a full power Potential Unleashed Gohan in preparation for the Tournament of Power. Although Ultimate Gohan was able to hold his own with a normal Super Saiyan Blue Goku, when Goku used Kaio-ken, he defeated Gohan after the two clashed.

In the Tournament of Power, while fighting a one-on-one against Jiren, Goku continuously uses this technique in an effort to keep up, however he is easily beaten down despite this. Goku has also grown to be able to utilize x20 Kaio-ken, however this does not widen the gap in power much. While using a Universe 7 Spirit Bomb in this state, Goku was able to force Jiren to exert more power by using both of his hands and shouting.

Variations

KK10x1 — Goku using x10 Super Saiyan Blue Kaioken

X10 Super Saiyan Blue Kaio-ken: An even further powered up version of the Super Saiyan Blue Kaio-ken utilized by Goku against Hit. When using this transformation to increase his power, the energy aura is so intense that Goku's blue hair appears several shades lighter than normal, and his skin appears to be illuminated by the Kaio-ken's aura to a dark shade of pink. Additionally, the user's clothes are affected as well, Goku's bright orange Gi changes color and becomes dark red; on the other hand, his dark blue belt, wristbands and shoes turns purple. The light generated by this technique is so intense, that the whole surrounding area is illuminated to many shades of red. This state was named in Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2. By the point of the Tournament of Power, Goku's mastery over this state is such that the stress generated is considerable slighter, making it appear as a normal Kaio-ken Blue.

X20 Kaio-ken SSB Goku — Goku using x20 Super Saiyan Blue Kaio-ken against Jiren

X20 Super Saiyan Blue Kaio-ken: The Super Saiyan Blue Kaio-ken taken to its highest. Goku utilizes this state against Jiren to no avail. Despite this increase, the gap in power does not widen, as Goku is still easily thrashed around by Jiren. However, it should be noted that Goku's mastery of the technique allowed him to withstand this empowered state with no signs of visible strain on his body or stamina levels. While pushing a full-power Spirit Bomb in this state, Goku was able to force Jiren to let out more power by forcing him to use both arms to push the Spirit Bomb back.

Video game appearances

Hgd935 — Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan: Kaio-ken Goku card for *Dragon Ball Heroes*

The technique makes its debut in a video-game and is firstly named in Dragon Ball Heroes, introduced in the ninth mission of the God Mission series (GDM9).

Trivia

Goku and Old Kai claim that he was unable to use the Kaio-ken with his normal Super Saiyan form due to the intense emotional turmoil/body stress caused by the Super Saiyan transformation, and attempting to combine the two would mean immediate death. However this creates a plot hole somewhat, as when training for Cell in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, Goku trained with Gohan to remove the emotional upheaval and stress present with the Super Saiyan transformation. Thus in theory, Goku should be capable of using Kaio-Ken while in his normal Super Saiyan state. However it is more likely that even Super Saiyan Full Power lacks the perfect ki control of the Super Saiyan Blue form, as perfect ki control is necessary to safely maintain the Kaio-ken.
- This revelation makes it unclear just how godly ki works in comparison to regular ki. It could be considered that the Super Saiyan form itself, mastered or not, pushes the body to its limits, therefore trying to multiply that would possibly damage the body. However, both Goku and Vegeta are shown to lose stamina after using their Super Saiyan Blue forms for a long while during the Tournament of Destroyers. While inconclusive, it could generally be assumed that each Super Saiyan form pushes the body to its physical limit, while Super Saiyan Blue takes away stamina simply down to inexperience with the form on Goku and Vegeta's part, by the time of the battle against Black and Zamasu, these drawbacks have lifted somewhat, as Goku and Vegeta dropped out and then reassuming this form during their fights. However, it is explained again by Whis that Super Saiyan Blue takes away stamina during the Tournament of Power.
This is the first technique that gives the user a double aura. The second is Super Saiyan Anger.
In Dragon Ball Fusions, the Super Saiyan Blue Kaioken only boosts Goku's ki and does not change Goku's body color.
In Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, the Super Saiyan Blue Kaioken drains Goku's health when activated. Further powering up to X10 Super Saiyan Blue Kaio-ken drains the health even faster.
- There is an unused voice clip of Goku Black being able to use his own variation of the Super Saiyan Blue: Kaioken, the Super Saiyan Rosé: Kaioken.
- When in Super Saiyan Blue Kaio-ken, Goku's stamina consumption is significantly lower when performing Z-Vanish (one bar of stamina can be used to perform 4 Z-Vanish, instead of one bar per Z-Vanish) and while in this state, Goku does not recover stamina. When Goku's stamina is broken, Super Saiyan Blue Kaioken will automatically end.

Gallery

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, 2016
↑ Treated as a transformation in video games. Also referred to as a transformation by Vados.
↑ Dragon Ball Heroes, 2016
↑ Name of the figure SSGSS Son Gokou ~ Kaio-ken Blue of the Cho Shingi Den figures line.

[XV2-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, 2016

[2] Treated as a transformation in video games. Also referred to as a transformation by Vados.

[3] Dragon Ball Heroes, 2016

[4] Name of the figure SSGSS Son Gokou ~ Kaio-ken Blue of the Cho Shingi Den figures line.

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