Ki Energy

Ki (気 "Ki", lit. "Spirit"), also known as Chi, or just simply Energy, is the life force energy used by Dragon Ball Characters.

Overview
Ki is also known as "latent energy" or "fighting power," which directly translates as "life force." This force is a tangible energy inside every living being. The major focus of this energy is in the center of the body. By tapping into it and drawing it out, an individual is able to manipulate it and use it outside the body.

Ki can be used for many different kinds of techniques. Since there are physical limits to the strength of the body itself, it is necessary to increase one's ki to overcome this barrier and become stronger.

Usually, the more concentrated the masses are, the more time the user requires to draw it out by powering up. When fighters gather ki, they are able to gain enhanced strength, speed, endurance, and can increase the power of their attacks to inflict greater damage towards opponents.

Normally, the more ki increased, the harder it becomes to control. Thus, it is important to have ki control. Energy can be lost when the user sustains injuries.

There may be some fighters out there who may not even use ki energy, yet they are very strong and their ki levels are incredibly high.

[Composition]
According to Akira Toriyama, ki is made up of 3 parts.
 * Genki (元気 lit. "Vigor")
 * Yūki (勇気 lit. "Courage")
 * Shōki (正気 lit. "Mind")

[Types of Ki]

 * Regular Ki/Good Ki : The standard original ki energy that is used by anyone that holds no evil intentions. It is also called Genki. Some techniques need Good Ki Energy to work. The appearance of this type of ki is usually a white aura around the user. Some techniques and transformations can change the appearance of this type of ki
 * Evil Ki (邪気 'Jaki', lit. "Maliciousness") : A ki energy manifested by evil hearts, or villains in a nutshell. This nature of ki can be changed if the user has no evil intentions. The appearance of this type of ki is usually a purple or pink color around the user.

[Amount]
The amount ki varies depending on the individual. Usually, non-trained individuals have really little ki. Training can increase the amount of ki greatly. The amount of ki is generally referred to as Power Level. The greater the amount of ki, the greater power level of the user.

If the ki is great enough, it can affect the surroundings. Such as generating powerful gusts of wind, shaking the ground [Even the planet], or even destroying it.

In order for someone to take attacks from a foe without any damage, the user must posses twice the power as their foe.

[Appearances]
Ki is described by Toriyama as invisible, but can be visible in high concentrations or other ways. When visible, it can come in a variety of colors. Such as white, yellow, red, purple, orange, blue, green, pink, and black. These colors can vary on the race, a technique being used, species that the character is, and/or the purity of the user's heart. It can also resemble electrical sparks or even sparkles of light.

[Auras]
Auras of ki radiate from the user when increasing the concentration of it inside their body. Warriors (Except for Androids) have a limit to how much ki their bodies can withstand, but the capacity for ki can be increased through mental and physical training. Some techniques (such as the Kaioken) can rapidly increase the concentration of ki in the body, enabling the user to fight at a strength level that far exceeds their regular limits for a limited period of time. Auras can displace solid matter.

The color and general appearance of one's ki can vary depending on the race of the said being, the kind of personality and soul the person has.

Ki Attacks
Ki can be used to enhance the combat abilities of the user. Usually to increase their strength. Advanced Ki users can also emit plasma from their bodies in the form of beams, spheres, explosions, and more.

Transformations
Depending on their genetic inheritance, some beings are able to transform. However, not everyone is able to transform at will, sometimes there must be certain environmental conditions required for their transformation to trigger. By transforming, a person can change the limits of their regular body. Effects of transformations usually include alterations in strength and ki capacity. Some other effects may include differences in speed and durability. Really there is a bunch of possibilities for the capabilities for some transformations. Transformation techniques are also possible, so even if you don't have the genetics to transform naturally, you're not out of the game yet. The negative aspect of most transformations is that the process itself consumes energy.

Ki Control
By gaining perfect control over their ki and thus stopping any of it from leaking out of their body, a fighter is shown to be able to become exponentially more powerful. Although, getting stronger isn't the only thing to ki control. Being able to manipulate it's energy to such a level can allow you to control techniques, create techniques, sustain transformations and power ups greater, and etc. can really help the user. Some transformations and power ups require levels of ki control to be used properly and/or efficiently. With enough practice and control over ki control in general can also help to control and manipulate other types of ki energy despite not have much experience doing so.

Ki Sense
A user with enough Ki control eventually learns how to sense it, being able to sense the location, amount and type, the stronger and closer the enemy, and the more powerful the sensation. Furthermore, if a ki is very powerful, it can be sensed from afar by people who are trained to sense energy. However, even with such great ki levels, they can be located and sensed better if the target's ki is actually being sensed or if the user bursts with strong energy that can be felt from long distance [Ex. Other side of a planet or across other planets]                                             With enough training the user can also hide their Ki so others cannot sense it.

Duplication
There are some beings that have the capability of replicating their ki and distributing them in different areas.

Defense/Guard
Ki carries more than just offensive and tactical power, once mastered at a basic level. While the durability of one's flesh and bones carry an obvious limit, (even for races such as Saiyans, Namekians and Deities) the extent of a fighter's ki does not carry these limits. As a result, fighters can increase their endurance by raising their guard to deflect ki attacks, although this obviously does drain energy. Lowering one's guard can result in much higher damage taken from attacks, even comparatively weak attacks such as scrapes, cuts, and bullets. However, one can use their ki to improve their bodies so that such things like cuts and bullets won't have nearly as much of an effect than normal.

Raising one's guard can be used to block attacks even more powerful than the user, although this can be extremely dangerous and often fatal. But it won't always be the case. Sometimes guarding against attack more powerful than the user won't be extremely dangerous let alone fatal. However, a powerful fighter can also take genuine damage from lowering their guard.

Ki Harvesting
Ki can be harvested from other beings and used by others in a variety of ways. The first is Energy Absorption in which one drains another being's ki to increase their own. Otherwise, ki can in fact be captured from other fighters and can be used to amplify someone else's ki to make them stronger, or to power and store it in an object or device. Sometimes doing this can trigger a power up or even a transformation, especially depending on the kind of ki given to them. Ki can also be captured and stored in devices such as wristbands, suits, etc. This means while the user may not have strong ki themselves, storing it inside of a device can allow them to use whatever ki energy they have in store. However, using the wrong ki for that user can be dangerous, especially if there's drawbacks to it all.

Ki Healing
Not very many people have the ability to do this with their ki, but healing someone is in fact possible. However this consumes an insane amount of ki. It takes much more to restore someone back to full strength. If not used for healing, ki can be used to stabilize a very injured individual and keep them from dying, as ki is the life force energy. As such, it is the very thing that keeps us alive. Healing wounds can take a lot of concentration and even stamina. However, so far there is no evidence shown that someone can be resurrected through ki healing.

Ki Users
While every living being posses ki and every individual has the ability to harness such ''ki. There are some races that may be able to manipulate ki'' to a better degree and even naturally have abilities of it compared to others.

Saiyans
Saiyans and their hybrid counterparts are naturally adept at using ki. They generally have little to no difficulty manipulating their energy and have evolved to have the ability to increase it numerous times in battle without much effort. This much unlike Earthlings, who usually spend themselves after the first increase. However, unlike Namekians, Saiyans don't seem to have a natural ability to detect ki by sensing ki signatures. That ability must be acquired through learning. It also seems likely that Saiyans generally do not know how to create amplified blasts, and need additional training in order to learn how to do so.

Namekians
Although Namekians are generally not considered as strong as Saiyans, their ability to use ki is seen in some ways to be better than that of Saiyans. Namekians have been shown to be able to freely suppress and amplify their ki more efficiently than Saiyans, although this does not count as perfectly controlling their ki, they need additional training to do so. Namekians also use ki in more mystical ways than Saiyans do, but they use it in the same when fighting. Namekians also are able to naturally detect ki energy by sensing the concentration of it. Namekians also are able to sense the "evil" in a being's ''ki. Furthermore, only Namekians with a more higher/special rank/status can sense the ki'' of deities.

Earthlings
It is very uncommon to see an Earthling who uses ki energy, though several humans have been shown to acquire full mastery of the art. Master Mutaito is one of the first humans who seem to have developed an understanding of the use and nature of ki, knowledge which he passed onto his students, Master Roshi and Master Shen, which they, in turn, passed on to their students such Yamcha, Tien Shinhan, Krillin, and Chiaotzu. It is a little more difficult for humans to learn and grasp ki, although it can be easier to learn depending on the individual and how easy and simple it is to explain how it works. Humans can focus ki on high spiritual damages; in some instances; techniques where the user must sacrifice health to produce the powerful attacks. Obviously, Humans can learn the Kaioken as demonstrated by Sly.

Hidden Potential
Every fighter contains an amount of latent strength, some hold more than others. This useless dormant energy found naturally within powerful fighters can become a great power up if brought out through some special technique not known to many. This energy is often depicted as clear silver. Meriah Kai has shown to posses this ability, as she unlocked some of Cole's hidden potential for the fight between Skull and Kyoa.

Kais
A Kai's energy is mostly invisible. Being deities, regular Kais possess godly ki, and the ability to sense it. Supreme Kais, being deities, also possess godly ki. Meriah has the ability to sense godly ki just like any other Kai.

Other
There are many other races who can learn to use ki, some of which have their own unique abilities with ki.