Kaio and Kaioshin FAQ

Kaio

So what's a Kaio? Kaios are a race of lesser gods who oversee entire galaxies or sectors of galaxies. Kaios are initially born with immortality, but that doesn't mean they're invulnerable; it just means they won't be dieing of old age.

Besides immortality, what makes them different from normal people? Well firstly, the Kaios are a lot more powerful than normal people; in fact they're several thousand times more powerful than normal people. Additionally they have a vast knowledge of everything in their galaxy, they also know quite a few amazing techniques (e.g. Kaioken, Genki Dama).

Since there are only so many galaxies and their sectors, how many Kaios can exist at once? Well, in Nerima, there exists sixteen galaxies, four per each pole (north, south, east, west). Each galaxy has a Dai Kaio, which rule over the entire galaxy. Then there arefour Kaios who rule the four quadrants of the galaxies. So, sixteen galaxies, five Kaios per galaxy, eighty Kaios would exist at a time.

So um..if there should be eighty Kaios how come we only see five in DBZ? Because, DBZ takes place in the northern galaxy, more specifically the earth is located in the northern sector of the northern galaxy. This is why King Kai/North Kaio was so heavily involved, the only reason we see the other three Kaios plus the Dai Kaio at all is because Goku visits heaven. Additionally, the Legendary Super Saiya-jin wrecked all the galaxies except the northern galaxy. I don't really think he could've entered heaven and killed the Kaios, but maybe Buu killed a few tens of them before he was sealed. So as you can see, there are a number of reasons we didn't see them in the series, but most likely it's because the events that occurred in DBZ wasn't of their concern.

Ah, so there are two different kinds of Kaios, Dai Kaios and normal Kaios? Well, yeah. As said before, the Dai Kaios oversee an entire galaxy, while the normal Kaios only oversee sectors of galaxies and are under the dominion of the Dai Kaios. Besides the Dai Kaio being treated with a lot more prestige, getting more privileges in heaven, and a much bigger and luxurious planet, they're pretty much the same.

So I suppose the Kaios keep a holier than thou attitude eh? I suppose some could possibly hold that kind of personality, but they aren't a legion of drones all acting the same. The Kaios each have a personality of their own, just like normal people, and they've also been known to be competitive with one another. Though they don't fight each other directly, they elect the strongest warriors from their sector of the galaxy to participate in outer world tournaments, and even place bids on the fights.

Kaioshin

So what's a Kaioshin? The Kaioshins are a race of greater gods that reside over the entire universe rather than just a galaxy. Just like the Kaios, they're born into immortality, but they aren't invulnerable.

So they're basically Kaios with higher ranks? I wouldn't say that, they resemble gods a lot more than Kaios in terms of mysticism.

Well, explain their differences. Alright, in terms of physical power, the Kaioshins are as high above Kaios as they are to regular humans, meaning they're in leagues with ascended Super Saiya-jins. Although the Kaioshins prefer to remain elusive from the rest of the universe, they hold a vast amount of knowledge and abilities as well. Kaioshins have been known to be capable of reading any mind (without overwhelming resistance) with ease, capable of teleporting to any place in the universe at will, and capable of the ability to freeze the bodies of others, preventing movement. One of the most remarkable things the Kaioshins are known for is the ability to release a person's true potential, increasing their physical power several fold. So as you can see, the Kaioshins have a wide range of different powers.

Cool, so how many Kaioshins can exist at once? Well, there are four Kaioshins, plus the Dai Kaioshin. Each of the four Kaioshins oversees a cluster of four galaxies, and the Dai Kaioshin oversees the entire universe, so that makes five.

So there are two different kinds of Kaioshins like there are two different kinds of Kaios? Yep, the Dai Kaioshin is the supreme ruler of the Kaioshin and Kaio hierarchy, he's under no one's dominion, he's treated with the highest prestige. The Kaioshins are also treated with high prestige, they're considered very holy.

Wait a minute, if there can only exist five Kaioshins at a time, why are there at least seven seen in DBZ, including flashbacks? I assume you're talking about Kibito and Rou Kaioshin. Well, the Kaioshin is more of a title than a race, even though Kibito was the same race as Northern Kaioshin, and had nearly the same amount of power; he wasn't considered a Kaioshin, just a servant. As far as Rou Kaioshin, it's my own belief that he was considered dead when he went missing (he was sealed in the Zet Sword) and was replaced by another Kaioshin, meaning they unknowingly added a sixth.