Welcome to The Ki Control Class!

Intro

Hello, and welcome to a comprehensive guide to the power of Ki from the Dragon Ball series! Why am I doing this? I have no idea! Let's go!

Basics

Ki never really been described in depth within the series (to my knowledge) for some reason, other than being defined as the lifeforce of a person. However, this definition is... Well, it's not exactly a good one. For instance, it can't be purely spiritual, since if it were, Captain Ginyu, who can swap bodies with others, wouldn't be able to gain power from using his ability. However, since he does, could it be purely from the body? Well, that also doesn't make sense, because meditation also increases one's power.

Based on all this, it's pretty safe to say that Ki is based on the body, spirit, mind, and heart. Mental state, emotions, physical capability, and confliction all contribute to how well someone can use Ki in the series. That being said, how can we truly measure Ki in the series? Why does it seem so inconsistent? That, my friends, is where we have to get into the most dreaded topic in Dragon Ball.

Power Scaling

I'm not going to sit here and start arguments about if Ultra Instinct Goku could have actually beaten Super Broly, but I will at least argue two very important points.

1) Power scaling within the series is extremely inconsistent and should always be taken with a grain of salt.

2) Power Levels (like those mentioned in the Saiyan/Frieza Arcs) are SUPPOSED TO BE MISLEADING.

Allow me to elaborate on the latter of those two points. The very point of Power Levels in the series is to show that Frieza and his army really only judge their enemies purely based on strength, a fact which leads to their downfall. However, other factors such as speed, skill, and tactics help Goku survive against Frieza despite the Emperor being much stronger than he is. Granted, Frieza is just toying with him quite a bit through the fight, but he still came out on top with cleaver tactics and skill.