What is the source for the Androids unlimited energy supply?

Question

Do the Androids have ki or another source of energy? If so does, Android 16 have ki since he is fully mechanical and only living beings have ki?

Androids have Ki, they use Ki to perform Ki Blast, but it can't be detected. We did not see Android 16 used Ki Blast before, he might not have Ki. — Happy Face, Apr 28 '16 at 23:57
Then what about android 19? He too is fully mechanical but can absorb ki. Doesn't that stand to reason that he can use ki? — Analyst1996, Apr 29 '16 at 01:35
The androids were once formally human. I'll be back once I do more research. — Callat, Jun 29 '16 at 20:54

Timmy · Answer 1 · 2016-07-11T16:02:12.833

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I'd like to believe she has Ki, because she is part human. At the world tournament Goku asks how her and Krillin had a child together and he explains that she was human to begin with and turned into an android by Dr. Gero. (Season 7 episode 208 or 209)(I can't remember exactly)

"The correct term is Cyborg. Human with cybernetic parts, she was human by birth and turned into a cyborg, thus retaining certain human functionality, such as being able to get pregnant."

But that still raises the question why Goku and the others couldn't detect their energy. I guess some things should just be left unasked?

edited Jul 11 '16 at 16:02

answered Jul 11 '16 at 15:55

Timmy

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You should identify a person before using a pronoun (Android 18, in this case). And what is that a quote of? – Shaymin Gratitude Nov 09 '16 at 20:55

score 1 · Answer 2 · edited Nov 09 '16 at 20:58

Though I have to look it back up, a major thing is that their source of power was physical generators in their bodies. I recall there were even claims that they had unlimited power thanks to these generators. This is likely the source of their actual power.

As for why they are undetectable, there is a simple but fairly theoretical explanation for that. Scouters and the Z warriors general ability to sense power is not full proof, and in fact they work about the same. The Z warriors specifically learned how to suppress their power, which throws the sensing methods off, even to a point where scouters could not detect Gohan and Krillin on Namek. In a way, you could say they are leaking power, and that leaking of power is what is detectable. By actively containing it, it can't be detected. Androids have a purely mechanical method of generating power. It is completely feasible that because it is mechanical, instead of biological, it does not leak power, hence there is no surplus of power around them to detect.

In that way, all the androids do have some kind of Ki (as it can be used in the same way as Ki), and is undetectable for the same reason that Scouters were ineffective against the Z warriors on Namek.

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Apr 30 '16 at 03:42

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Just watched the first few episodes of Dragon Ball Z Kai with the androids yesterday: they say that the living people like Goku and Vegeta can't detect any ki from the androids (also see http://dragonball.wikia.com/wiki/Android_19), and that includes both 19 and 20 who absorb ki from people (although anime says "energy" never "ki"). Also, 20 has Dr. Gero's brain, so some part of him is alive I guess, but also isn't detected as ki when people are searching for him in the rocky hills after 19 is defeated. So, must not be ki.

answered Apr 30 '16 at 03:42

BishoujoHelper

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Android 18 was able to learn destructo disk, probably from her husband. If she doesn't have ki then how did she learn it? Also android 18 is not a full android but a cyborg so she has living parts. Doesn't that mean she has ki? About dr zero, he may have never learned to use ki and only gained power after he transformed. – Analyst1996 May 13 '16 at 02:56
@Analyst1996 it would be more precice to say that They naturally supress it like the Z warriors can do, simply due to how it works. Androids probably have a perfect form of "not leaking out any energy/ki" because of Gero's Genius. Nothing says they are not using Ki, or do not have it, just that its undetectable, Exactly like what Krillin and Gohan do on Namek to hide from Freeza and his men's scouters. – Ryan Jun 29 '16 at 15:50

score 0 · Answer 4 · answered Jan 07 '18 at 01:34

16 does not have ki, hence he uses laser eyes and arm cannons. 17 and 18 do, that is why they are able to use ki blasts. Just look at how 18 learned destructo disc. It's really simple, they use the suppression technique so the Z Warriors wouldn't sense them.

score 0 · Answer 5 · edited Apr 16 '22 at 20:49

Sounds like it was done just to progress the story and to keep it interesting.

There are a couple things that don't make much sense. Whatever form of ki production they have should be able to be detected. Even though it's made mechanically, it's still energy. Also, the way the Z fighters fight so well is because they learned to sense their opponents' ki/energy. If you recall when Popo trained young Goku, he says there's ki in all living things.

Don't forget about the spirit bomb, and that all living things provide energy to it. Also, remember when 17 adds to Goku's Genki Dama when fighting with

Kid Buu?

Lastly, even if they couldn't detect energy from the androids themselves, when the androids 19 and 20 absorb the others' energy, shouldn't they be able to detect their own stored ki?

I jumped around a bit there, but it should still get the points across.

What is the source for the Androids unlimited energy supply?

5 Answers5