Dragon Ball: Is Kami as strong as Shenron? Their powers explained

The fantasy world created in the anime Dragon Ball could be the most fascinating out of all anime. With dragons, aliens, celestial beings, and many other fantasy elements, Akira Toriyama created a world that captivates everyone's interest.

In the starting episodes of Dragon Ball Z, fans are introduced to Shenron (or Shenlong), a dragon that can grant any wish that a human desires. Be it resurrecting someone who died of some unfortunate reason or healing someone gravely injured, as long as the seven Dragon Balls are gathered in one place, any wish will be granted.

But Shenron is limited by his creator named Kami, a Namekian. Kami is also the good counterpart of King Piccolo, the father of Piccolo. As the creator of the great Shenron, does Kami's power equal his creation, or could it be greater?

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Dragon Ball: Is Kami as strong as his creation Shenron?

Yes, Kami and Shenron are of the same power level as indicated during a wish by the latter. Goku is revived at the start of Dragon Ball Z with the help of Shenron to fight against the Saiyans (Vegeta and Nappa). Before wishing for Goku's revival, Oolong asks if Shenron can kill the Saiyan who are invading Earth.

Shenron says that he cannot fulfill wishes that are beyond the powers of his creator, Kami, thus saying his power's limit is the same as his creator. This means that both Kami and Shenron have the same power levels.

Shenron as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Kami is a Namekian and the former guardian of Earth. He shares a single body with Piccolo, the son of his evil counterpart, King Piccolo, such that if one of them dies, the other one follows suit.

Kami is not the strongest in the series as his students, Goku and other Z fighters, surpass him pretty quickly. He can use all the usual abilities that the Z fighters can use, like flight, and other abilities.

In the series, his unique abilities include God Ki sense as the Guardian of Earth, eye lasers, iconic self-destruction attack, and Namekian Fusion Arts, which he has demonstrated a lot of times in the series and its games. He is also the creator of the seven Dragon Balls of Earth, collecting all of which summons the great dragon Shenron.

Shenron as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Shenron is the Eternal Earth Dragon who is summoned after collecting all seven Dragon Balls in one place and doing the ritual. He has the appearance of a Chinese dragon—four-fingered hands, green scales, and glowing red eyes.

Despite being such a colossal being, Shenron has no fighting capabilities. His existence solely depends on his creator's life (Kami's life). If his creator dies for some unfortunate reason, all seven Dragon Balls turn to stones and can no longer be used to summon Shenron.

At the start of the series, Shenron could only fulfill one wish of his summoner, which gets upgraded by Dende (Kami's assistant) to two, after the Cell Games Arc. He cannot resurrect someone who dies a natural death (age), which is the reason why Goku has been resurrected so many times throughout the series.

Shenron can only fulfill a wish as long as it comes under the power of Kami, his creator. Shenron can be destroyed by his summoner upon his summoning, but unlike his creator, he can be revived pretty easily.