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In Bleach, the term is "reiatsu". In Naruto, it is "chakra". However, all I
ever really heard in DBZ is "power level". Is there a more formal descriptive
term for the source of their powers or the energy they give off?


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dragon-ball-z dragon-ball-series
What is the formal term for energy in Dragon Ball Z?


The original Japanese term is _ki_ (pronounced the same as "key", written as
気). It can also be spelled _chi_ or _qi_. The same term is used for a [concept
in martial arts](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qi), though naturally Dragon
Ball's version is quite a bit different from this. In the English dubs, this
term is never used, and "energy" is used throughout the series.

According to Toriyama, there are 3 components of ki, namely Genki (元気, roughly
meaning Energy), Yūki (勇気, Courage), and Shōki (正気, Mind). Ki also can be
positive or negative. The various charge up and transformation sequences are
all done in order to increase one's ki.

[Dragon Ball Wiki](http://dragonball.wikia.com/wiki/Ki) has more information
on ki in the series.


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In Naruto, they refer to energy or ki/chi as chakra, but they don't go into
detail about the human chakra energy system, but yes, they're basically the
same thing. It's all energy, just explained differently.

An interesting relation to DBZ - 7 dragon balls, 7 characters, Goku's
grandfather gave him the 4 star dragon ball, or it could be seen as the heart
chakra.

Google "chakra" and learn about the human in-built energy system. It ties in
body function with human emotion and fundamentally gives us both life and
existence.

Shaolin monks use energy in their system of fighting, integrating both body
and soul with the focus of their energy through fighting. It's not too
dissimilar from DBZ (although DBZ takes to another level, well, because they
can :P).

Anyhow that's my 2 cents.


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Power levels measure their strengths alone. Ki measures the energy they have,
and to do certain attacks they need to focus their ki, like when Gohan was
teaching Videl how to fly, she pushed her ki to the bottom of her feet to fly!


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