Frieza

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Created around the time of the Japanese economic bubble, Frieza was inspired by real estate speculators whom Toriyama called the "worst kind of people." The author intentionally gave him polite speech to create an unsettling contrast with his cruelty. His name is a pun on "freezer," and his minions are named after fruits and dairy products. Toriyama revealed he did not plan Frieza's transformations until midway through, creating three forms that suppress power before the fourth form unleashes true strength. The character's return was inspired by the 2008 song "F" by the metal band Maximum the Hormone. While often drawn as complex, Toriyama made his third form intricate only briefly to avoid drawing difficulty.

In Their Own Story

Before the series, Frieza destroyed Planet Vegeta out of fear of a Saiyan uprising and a prophecy about the Super Saiyan, sparing only Vegeta, Nappa, and Raditz who were on a mission. He later traveled to Planet Namek to find the seven Namekian Dragon Balls for immortality. After his army was defeated by Goku and Ginyu Force members fell to Vegeta, Frieza transformed through three forms to battle Nail, Piccolo (fused with Nail), and Gohan. Upon reaching his final form, he killed Dende and mortally wounded Vegeta before fighting Goku. Frieza powered up to 50% of his maximum power, then 100%, but was sliced in half by his own attack. He survived in space, was rebuilt with cybernetic prosthetics by King Cold, and traveled to Earth until Future Trunks sliced him into pieces.

Reader's Guide

Frieza appears as the main antagonist of his eponymous saga in Dragon Ball Z. In Dragon Ball Super and Resurrection 'F', he is resurrected by Sorbet and Tagoma after fourteen years in Hell. He undergoes four months of intensive training to achieve "Golden Frieza." In this form, he fights Goku's new Super Saiyan Blue form but lacks stamina for a prolonged fight. He executes his defeated army for incompetence upon the arrival of Goku, Vegeta, Beerus, and Whis. In English dubs, Christopher Ayres voiced him until 2018 when COPD forced his step-down; Daman Mills assumed the role in 2019.

Did You Know?

• Frieza's name is a pun on the word 'freezer,' leading to his minions being named after fruits and dairy products.
• Akira Toriyama gave Frieza polite speech specifically to create an unsettling contrast with his cruelty.
• The idea to bring Frieza back came while Toriyama was watching Maximum the Hormone perform their 2008 song 'F'.
• Christopher Ayres voiced Frieza in English until 2018, after which Daman Mills took over due to Ayres' COPD diagnosis.
• Frieza's third transformation is his most intricate form, which Toriyama kept brief because it was a pain to draw.