Dragon Ball's Strongest Hero Actually Created Super's Next Major Villain
Dragon Ball has no shortage of iconic villains. From the original King Piccolo Saga to the defeat of Majin Buu and beyond, the franchise's villains have managed to become just as recognizable as its heroes. Many of them have found recurring roles in the franchise, though none have managed to remain as popular or relevant to the series as Frieza.
The star antagonist of the iconic Planet Namek Saga, Frieza has remained popular not just because he's simply the most evil villain Dragon Ball has ever introduced, he's also inextricably tied to Goku's first Super Saiyan transformation, a moment that forever changed the course of shōnen anime and manga. That status made him the perfect candidate for a modern day revival, and Dragon Ball Super did just that in the 2010s.
Frieza has become a mainstay in modern Dragon Ball, and before it entered its ongoing hiatus, Dragon Ball Super teased his return as the series' next major villain. Black Frieza received minimal time in the story, but he didn't need many pages to prove he was going to be a major problem, knocking out Goku and Vegeta with a singular blow. Whenever Dragon Ball Super returns, Frieza is going to be a problem, and his latest power-up was only possible because of Gogeta.
Black Frieza Is Terrifying, and Gogeta Could Have Stopped Him
Dragon Ball's Strongest Hero Helped to Create Its Next Villain
Frieza's last major appearance in the Dragon Ball anime came during the 2018 full-length theatrical movie, Dragon Ball Super: Broly, during which the evil space tyrant stopped for the Dragon Balls while on his way to further spread terror and catastrophe throughout the universe. It was then that his path intersected with that of Broly, which kicked off the showdown between the Saiyans. Frieza wasn't able to do much damage to Earth's heroes or the rampaging Super Saiyan throughout the movie, and was left to scurry away back into space when the fighting was done.
However, there was a moment when Gogeta, at full power, stood alone with Frieza after the battle ended. The fused fighter stopped him from destroying Cheelai's ship, but presumably let Frieza go off-screen. During the first half of the film, Vegeta directly criticized Goku for bringing Frieza back from the dead, yet when Gogeta was offered the opportunity to put an end to the villain's reign of terror, he did nothing. That choice likely led to the destruction of countless planets and the eradication of even more lifeforms.
It also allowed Frieza to reach his Black form, a manga-exclusive transformation for the time being that was able to crush Goku and Vegeta at their strongest with a single blow. Unfortunately, Dragon Ball Super has remained on hiatus since Akira Toriyama's sudden and unexpected passing in 2024, so fans will have to wait to find out just what Frieza is planning for the future.
Dragon Ball Super Is Back, But the Manga Needs to Return Before Its New Era Begins
Earlier this year, it was announced that Dragon Ball Super would return to TV for the first time since the conclusion of the Tournament of Power in 2018, a reveal that kicked off the franchise's post-Toriyama era. Fans will finally have the chance to witness Moro in the anime, with the next arc currently in production and scheduled to air after the completion of 2026's Dragon Ball Super: Beerus.
However, this new era of Dragon Ball cannot truly begin until the Dragon Ball Super manga resumes. The franchise, though it's set to become far more active than it's been in some time, is still reliant on Toriyama's published work, and such source material will not allow for new projects forever. Until the manga returns and Black Frieza's story continues, the series is limiting itself in what can be produced and released to the public.