Frieza Saga

A galactic tyrant feared as the most powerful being in the universe.

Frieza first appeared in Chapter #247: "Dark Clouds Swirl Over Planet Namek," published on October 24, 1989. Created by Akira Toriyama during the Japanese economic bubble, he was inspired by real estate speculators whom the author called the "worst kind of people." While not appearing until the manga's second half, Frieza is widely considered the most iconic and popular villain in Dragon Ball. He serves as the archenemy of Goku, catalyzing key events through his destruction of Planet Vegeta. This act sent Goku to Earth, leading to subsequent conflicts with Raditz, Nappa, and Vegeta.

Lore & Background

Frieza operates as a broker who forcibly takes over planets to resell them, often rendering populations extinct. His name is a pun on "freezer," which inspired his minions and the Ginyu Force to be named after fruits and dairy products. Toriyama noted that he purposely gave Frieza polite speech to create an unsettling contrast with his cruelty. Although implied that Frieza's fourth form is his basic state, with earlier forms suppressing power to conserve it, Toriyama admitted he did not plan the transformations until midway through the story. He joked that three transformations might be one too many.

Reader's Guide

The saga starts after Vegeta's defeat on Earth, as Frieza travels to Namek for immortality. His inability to speak Namekian forces him to seek the Great Elder. Gohan, Krillin, and Vegeta hamper his efforts while the Ginyu Force handles interlopers. Nail buys time for Dende by fighting Frieza repeatedly until being defeated.

With his army gone, Frieza battles Vegeta, admitting he destroyed the Saiyan homeworld before transforming into his second form. After defeating Vegeta and dominating Piccolo (fused with Nail), Frieza transforms into his third then final form. He kills Dende to stop healing and wounds Vegeta before Goku arrives. Goku initially matches him but is beaten at 50% power.

Krillin's death triggers the Super Saiyan legend, allowing Goku to dominate. Desperate, Frieza damages Namek's core. At 100% power, he briefly gains an advantage but is sliced in half by his own attack. Spared by Goku, Frieza attempts a sneak attack and is blasted by him; he survives both the attack and Namek's explosion and is found by his father, King Cold.

Did You Know?

Frieza was modeled after Toriyama's editor at the time, Yū Kondō, according to Shenlong Times issue #2.
Toriyama got the idea to bring Frieza back while watching the metal band Maximum the Hormone perform their 2008 song "F".
In English dubs, Christopher Ayres voiced Frieza until 2018 due to end-stage COPD, after which Daman Mills assumed the role starting with the television broadcast of the Universal Survival Saga.