Kaio-Ken vs. Super Saiyan

Kaio-Ken is a technique invented by King Kai that multiplies the user's ki for a "heartbeat," enabling them to inflict serious damage to opponents. As a result of the Kaio-Ken, the user's base power level, strength, speed, and senses greatly increase for an instant as red-colored aura appears on the user. When the user's battle power is 8,000, their limit is double, and when they are at 3 million the limit is times ten, which explains why Goku (the only user in the series) had strained his body too much from using above those limits, for his battles were harsh, and his maximum is times 20. For example, when Goku uses Kaio-Ken x10, his power level was 180,000, which is too short for the 3 million limits and over the limits between five and eight times, thus creating the stain over his body.

Super Saiyan is an advanced transformation assumed by extraordinarily powerful members of the Saiyan race. This transformation is created by emotion, like when Goku witness Krillin killed by Frieza he felt rage, and multiples the Saiyan's based power level, strength, speed, and sense greatly. The Super Saiyan form multiplies the Saiyan's power by 50 times its normal amount. The most noticeable physical change is that the Saiyan's hair becomes golden in color and seems to stand on end, giving it a rising, flame-like appearance. The transformation has a noticeable effect on the Saiyan's personality. Any Saiyan that has turned to the side of good initially becomes ruthless and overcome with rage, and any Saiyan that was already ruthless, to begin with, has his ruthlessness amplified. From the second form, it multiplies the first form times two, the third multiples times four, and the forth multiples times ten.

A Kaio-Ken times ten would give the same power increase as the Great Ape form (which increase a Saiyan’s power 10-fold) though without the increased size and a Kaio-Ken times fifty would grant a power increase similar to the first Super Saiyan form (as it increases a Saiyan’s power 50 times their base power level). It could be possible if the user of the Kaio-Ken has the same power level as a Saiyan. If the user has more power level than a Saiyan in a based form, then the power of the Kaio-Ken could multiply less than the Super Saiyan form to be equally the same. If the user has 20,000 and a Saiyan has 12,000, then the user of the Kaio-Ken could boost up to 30 times to be equal with the power of 50 times from the first Saiyan form.

The difference the Kaio-Ken and Super Saiyan are simple. The Kaio-Ken is a supportive technique while the Super Saiyan is a transformation. The Kaio-Ken only last in short amount of time depending on how much power level the user has, while the Super Saiyan last longer due to it just being a transformation. The Kaio-Ken is triggered in an instinct while the Super Saiyan is triggered by rage. The Kaio-Ken can multiple up to the limits of the user’s power level, while the Super Saiyan can multiple into Super Saiyan one, two, and three in Dragon Ball Z, Super Saiyan Red, Blue, Rose, Berserk, and Legendary in Dragon Ball Super, and even Super Saiyan four in Dragon Ball GT. All in all, The Kaio-Ken is a technique while the Super Saiyan is a transformation.

The similarly between both increases the user's based level for their benefits. No matter how limited the user’s power level is the two help gain the user the upper hand from the increase of feats like speed and strength. They both create a strain on the user if not mastered. To this day in the franchise, the Kaio-Ken has not yet been mastered to reach a higher level up more than times 20. For the Super Saiyan transformation, there’s seems to be no limit to reach a higher form, but this is the only access to Saiyan characters. To sum it up, both are valuable to increase one's power if they are in combat.

As a result, Super Saiyan could be better than the Kaio-Ken if the user of the supportive technique could pass the limits without creating too much strain (like how Goku always overpass the limits to create strain in his body), and to be able to control it for a long time. The Super Saiyan form has some advantages to the Kaio-Ken like to be used longer because it's a transformation, yet the Kaio-Ken is actually stronger. The Kaio-Ken can be multiple up to any limits while the Super Saiyan form multiple times 50 with is multiple by the other forms from two to ten times. To my opinion, the Kaio-Ken is better than a Super Saiyan. It's possible if the user is able to handle using the Kaio-Ken more than Goku. If not, then a Super Saiyan is better.