Dragon Ballis no stranger to iconic villains. From its first truly evil antagonist, the Great Demon King Piccolo, to the instantly recognizable and endlessly entertaining Majin Buu,Akira Toriyama seemed just as gifted at creating villains as he was at creating heroes. None of those enemies, however, are as iconic and memorable as the evil space tyrant, Frieza. While Demon King Piccolo introduced the concept of a pure evil entity into the series,Dragon Ballhad never seen a ruthless force quite like Frieza, and the masterclass in shōnen writing that was the Namek Saga made him immortal.
WhenDragon Ballreturned for its mid-2010s renaissance, the franchise needed something that would attract fans both new and old, and there wasno better candidate for a return than Frieza. Fans of classicDragon Balladored him, while those just getting into the series were likely already aware of his prior role. Now, 10 years on from his reintroduction into the long-running and incredibly successful franchise, Frieza remains a major piece ofDragon Ball’s main cast—and the series is so much better for having him, despite a rocky start.
The Series Is Better With Him Around, But Frieza’s Return Wasn’t Without Hiccups
Though fans have widely accepted Frieza’s current role in the series,his initial return wasn’t all smooth sailing. Most were on-board with the direction when 2015’sDragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’was first announced,but how the series went about reviving the villain raised quite a few eyebrows in the community. Since his first defeat at the hands of Goku and later Trunks, Earth’s heroes have all improved exponentially. Seven-year-old Goten from the Buu Saga would have torn Namek Saga Frieza to shreds.
To combat that fact, it was written that Frieza’s fighting potential was always off the charts,and that only a minuscule amount of training would lead to an exponential improvement in strength. In only a matter of months, Frieza was able to take his original power level and launch himself beyond the strength of Goku and Vegeta’s Super Saiyan Blue transformations. It wasn’t the worst writing decision ever, but it was somewhat goofy that the evil emperor was able to reach the Saiyans’ level in only a few weeks' time.
Going off of that rule, it can be assumed that he did enough fighting during the Namek Saga alone to improve beyond the level of Goku’s Super Saiyan. Nevertheless, Frieza was given this new trait,and would forever have an easy path to whatever level the Saiyans reached. His initial time during theResurrection ‘F’arc was fine otherwise, and his eventual defeat after recklessly charging into battle before mastering his own abilities fit well within his character. However, it’s what came after that has made his return so satisfying.
Frieza Peaked As a Character During the Tournament of Power
The Space Tyrant Was Forced to Fight On the Side of the Good Guys
Frieza’s initial return toDragon Ballsaw the villain act as any fan would have expected. He got stronger and rushed into battle, before his overconfidence became his downfall and he suffered another embarrassing defeat.Resurrection ‘F’played out similarly to the Namek Saga, only shrunk down into a much more manageable runtime. However, when he was resurrected once more forthe Tournament of Power,he was given some actual development.
Filled with the same seething hatred for the Saiyans, Frieza was forced to fight by their side rather than against them. He joined Universe 7’s roster under one condition: if he won the tournament, he would have to be revived and allowed to do what he pleased in space. His involvement was entirely selfish, though over the course of the 48-minute battle royale, he fought alongside Earth’s greatest heroes,and even lent Goku his energy as Goku did for him on Namek.
Frieza’s time in the tournament culminated in one final press to eliminate Jiren, with the villain throwing away his selfish desire to be the sole winner and teaming up with Goku to get the job done.Their combined effort offered one of the greatest full circle moments inDragon Ball, with Goku flashing in and out of Super Saiyan, and Frieza pushing with all his might in his final form, just as both appeared on Namek. The sight was a shock to Vegeta, who could only stare dumbfounded and the rest of the team cheered them on.
There’s always the possibility that Frieza’s character arc isn’t finished just yet, and he’s left with no choice but to team up with his rivals one final time. He might even become one of Earth’s greatest heroes himself.
From that moment forward, the relationship between Frieza and the Saiyans shifted ever so slightly. His appearance in 2018’sDragon Ball Super: Brolyproved that while his main targets were still Goku and Vegeta,the hatred he once held turned into something resembling more of a rivalry. He understood that immortality would do him no good, and that artificially increasing his own strength with the Dragon Balls wasn’t a road he wanted to travel. He wanted to defeat the Saiyans, but on his own terms, and not by any means necessary.
Dragon Ball Super’s Future Is Frieza
Frieza’s Newest Transformation Hints That He’ll Play a Major Role In the Series’ Finale
Unfortunately,Dragon Ball Superhas remained on a lengthy hiatus since the passing of Akira Toriyama in March 2024,and there haven’t really been any signs that a return is coming soon. Nevertheless, Frieza made yet another grand entrance into the story withthe debut of his all-new Black Frieza form, and one-punched both Goku and Vegeta out of their most powerful transformations. Once again, the villain entered the frame as the strongest mortal being on the planet, just as he did duringResurrection ‘F’. This time, however, he showed restraint, and flew off before challenging his rivals.
Dragon Ball Super’s future is largely unknown, but fans can expect Frieza to play a major role in what appeared to be the build-up to the series’ final arc before it entered hiatus. Some may not want the iconic villain to be Goku and Vegeta’s final foe, but having the Saiyans finally put their biggest hater to rest would be a poetic ending nonetheless.
There’s always the possibility that Frieza’s character arc isn’t finished just yet, and he’s left with no choice but to team up with his rivals one final time. He might even become one of Earth’s greatest heroes himself. Regardless, whereverDragon Ballgoes from here,fans can expect to see a lot more of Frieza.
Dragon Ball Super
Cast
Dragon Ball Super is an anime series set after Majin Buu’s defeat. It follows Son Goku, now a radish farmer, as peace prevails until Beerus, the God of Destruction, appears. Seeking to challenge a legendary warrior, the series revisits events from two Dragon Ball Z films before exploring alternate universes.
