No character straddles the line of good and evil in Dragon Ball quite like Frieza does, especially in Dragon Ball Super. Despite being a villain for all of Dragon Ball Z, there are certain circumstances in Super that bring out his heroic side.
Throughout Super’s Tournament of Power, he proves himself a force of good many times over. Unfortunately, his Dragon Ball Z past (and even his initial appearance in Super) shows fans he’s still got quite the mean streak.
Here are five times Frieza was a hero in Dragon Ball, and five more times his villainous side left fans aghast.
Teaming up with Goku, and 4 other Dragon Ball moments show Frieza’s good side
1) Frieza gives Goku his energy
During Super’s Tournament of Power, it seemed like Frieza was about to kill a drained Goku, finally getting his revenge. The buildup perfectly portrays this situation, though it’s shortly revealed that Frieza just gave Goku some of his energy. Although a simple gesture, it does show the good Frieza has, even if it’s deep inside.
2) Frieza double-crosses Frost
Double-crossing Frost simultaneously shows his good and evil side. On the one hand, he remains loyal to Universe 7, and he also works with Gohan to not injure him terribly. On the other hand, his cunning tricked Frost into (eventually) getting erased by Zeno himself. Interestingly enough, it seems even when Frieza does a good deed in Dragon Ball, someone suffers.
3) Teaming up with Goku to defeat Jiren
In the Tournament of Power’s final moments, Dragon Ball Super’s Jiren proves too much for even a Mastered Ultra Instinct Goku to handle.
In a fantastic sequence, he, Frieza, and Android 17 team up to take the Pride Trooper down once and for all. They successfully do so, and Frieza shows his good side by playing nice with Goku when it matters.
4) Joining Universe 7’s team
While he did have his own motives for doing so, Frieza’s joining the Universe 7 team in Dragon Ball Super is somewhat of a good deed for him. Being already dead, he could’ve merely refused participation and let the universe die if he truly wanted.
At least in that way, he’d have his revenge on Goku and Vegeta. However, he proves himself to be a better person than expected, joining Universe 7’s team and proving pivotal in their victory.
5) Helping 17 vs. Toppo
Teaming up on Toppo with Android 17, although not resulting in a win for either, does show Frieza’s good-natured and somewhat considerate side. He also only intervenes by the time 17 is in serious danger of being knocked out of the Tournament. This further shows that, while he does have a good side, acting with it must also be in his own best interest.
Blowing up Earth, and 4 other villainous Frieza moments that left Dragon Ball fans shocked
1) Killing Namekian children
During Dragon Ball Z’s Namek saga, fans see Frieza mercilessly killing innocent, unarmed Namekian children.
While the original series saw Krillin die at the hands of Tambourine, he was also a full-fledged fighter in his own right at the time. Frieza essentially kills civilians on Namek, a heinous act that leaves every viewer in shock.
2) Taking Krillin for a ride
During Z’s Namek saga, there’s a point where Frieza rushes Krillin, impaling him on his horn. As if this wasn’t enough, he begins bouncing his head and body up and down, forcing Krillin to flail and the wound to worsen. He also makes jokes the entire time he does it, showing viewers a sadistic side.
3) Blowing up the Earth
In Dragon Ball Super’s Ressurection ‘F’ arc, Frieza is brought back to life and confronts Goku and Vegeta on Earth. Through a series of certain events, he eventually finds himself losing to Vegeta with no possible chance of winning. In a callback to the Namek saga, he blows Earth up, killing everyone on it, even if only temporarily due to Whis’ intervention. A truly evil act, indeed.
4) Killing Paragus
In the Super: Broly movie, Frieza is the one who finds and enlists the aid of Paragus and Broly to his own private army. After seeing Goku and Vegeta matching Broly’s power, however, he wants to see just how far the young Saiyan can go. As a result, he kills his father in an act of cold-blooded murder, pretending it was an accident just so Broly can go berserk.
5) Killing Vegeta
Finally, the ruthless killing of Vegeta on Namek is one of Frieza’s most evil and heinous moments. By this point, Vegeta was a non-factor in combat and couldn’t possibly be a threat to him. However, he kills the Prince without a second thought. Even after working for him for years, Vegeta got no remorse from his former employer.