Freeza

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Freeza
Japanese フリーザ
Romaji Furīza
Anime Name Frieza
Manga Name Freeza
Alternate Name(s) Freezer
First Appearance Chapter #247
DBZ Chapter #50
Appears in character appears in the Dragon Ball Z seriescharacter appears in the Dragon Ball GT series
Race Unknown
Family
DB Character Listing - Category

Freeza (フリーザ Furīza?) is a fictional character in the manga and anime Dragon Ball Z and makes another appearance in Dragon Ball GT.

Freeza is a powerful fighter, the master of an inter-galactic, planet invading and trading organization spanning at least 79 planets at the time of his introduction[1] with a personal army made up of strong inhabitants from all his conquered worlds. Freeza is an arrogant individual, capable of wiping out entire species without a second thought and has little mercy for any creature, even his most trusted servants. His actions and lust for power eventually bring him into conflict with the heroes of the series when he tries to take possession of the wish-granting Dragon Balls on Planet Namek.

His design is an amalgamation of what the creator Akira Toriyama thought monsters looked like in his childhood.[2]

He is voiced by Ryūsei Nakao in the original Japanese and in English by Pauline Newstone (of the Ocean Group) and FUNimation's Linda Chambers-Young in all succeeding movies, video games, and episodes (including a redub of the character's initial appearance).

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Contents

[edit] Name pun and debate

Freeza's name is a pun on all things relating to the cold, with family members introduced later following his example. As his name ends in a short "a" vowel (rather than the long "ā" which usually signifies "er" in kana spellings on English words), the character's name is typically spelled with an "a" at the end (as opposed to "Freezer"). However, during FUNimation's dubbing of Dragon Ball Z, the English writers went with the spelling of "Frieza". This has led to some conjecture over the "true" spelling of his name: U.S. released video games and the English dub use "Frieza", while the Japanese language subtitles on FUNimation's DVDs and Viz Media's translation of the manga use "Freeza".

[edit] History

[edit] Genocide of the Saiyans

Freeza had many races under his thumb in his planetary trade, but none were as prevalent as the Saiyans. Gifted with natural fighting ability, strength and the ability to become stronger after every battle, Saiyans became a powerful weapon in Freeza's subjugation of planets. However, these very abilities made them a liability to the paranoid Freeza, afraid that, left unchecked, the Saiyans could one day provide a warrior to rival Freeza himself.

Hearing the accomplishments of the low-level Saiyan Burdock and acting on his own fears of the Super Saiyan legend, Freeza resolves to eliminate all possible threats. He sends his henchman Dodoria to assassinate Burdock and his team, while Freeza himself set a course to the Saiyan homeworld. On his arrival, King Vegeta and his men are murdered in their attempt at an uprising.

As Freeza arrived in the planet's orbit he was confronted by a charging Burdock, lunging through the fields of Freeza's men to which the tyrant retaliated by laughing with insane glee as he prepared a Death Ball to annihilate the planet. The attack buries itself deep beneath the Planet's surface resulting in a massive explosion, seemingly ending the Saiyan race.

After the planet's explosion, a story was fabricated to ensure the loyalty of the few remaining Saiyans Freeza had kept in his employ as a convenience, Prince Vegeta, Raditz and Nappa. According to the myth that was created, the guardian of Planet Vegeta, ashamed at the immorality of the Saiyans, summoned meteors to impact and destroy the planet and the Saiyan race.

[edit] Planet Namek

Some twenty-five years later, Freeza spies on Vegeta's scouter during his mission on Earth and in doing so learns of the existence of the Dragon Balls on Planet Namek. Planning to obtain them and make a wish for immortality, Freeza uses his mercenary forces to try and extort the Dragon Balls from the Nameks. After Kiwi, Dodoria, and Zarbon fall to Vegeta, who had betrayed Freeza to collect the fabled items for his own ends, the Ginyu Force is summoned by Freeza to retrieve the Dragon Balls and neutralize the Saiyan mercenary, but fail to do so when Son Goku arrives at Planet Namek and fights.

While searching for the remaining Dragon Balls, Freeza is confronted by Nail, the strongest of the Namek warriors. Freeza defeats Nail effortlessly, leaving him to die after discovering the remaining Dragon Ball has already been taken by Kuririn and Son Gohan. Freeza, enraged, follows in pursuit of the heroes only to be faced with a much more powerful Vegeta who is now capable of matching Freeza's current strength.

Spurned on by Vegeta, Freeza unveils his second transformation, allowing him to defeat Vegeta and critically injure Kuririn, taunting Gohan with his friend's limp body. Before he can finish them off, Piccolo joins the battle - roughly even in abilities to Freeza, thanks to a fusion with the dying Nail. The heroes are able to regroup, Dende healing them one after another. Freeza himself is seriously wounded for the first time: Kuririn is able to chop off a portion of his tail using a Kienzan.

Having difficulty contending with Piccolo, Freeza again transformed, unlocking more of his power and enabling him to lay waste to his opponent. Finally he unveiled his true form, stressing that he intended to give his foes the pleasure of observing it before they died. As his first act, Freeza murders Dende, who had been healing the heroes, before brutally beating Vegeta. Just as Freeza was about to slay Vegeta, the healed Son Goku arrives on the battlefield, ready to fight Freeza. Vegeta, believing (incorrectly) that Goku had finally become a full-fledge Super Saiyan, taunts Freeza, even though, he, Vegeta, is too badly beaten to even stand. Freeza, proud of his past accomplishments, smirks before sending a ki beam through the Saiyan Prince's heart. Teetering on the brink of death, Vegeta is able to tell the newly-healed Goku of Freeza's genocide of the Saiyan race, imploring him to take revenge on behalf for all Saiyans. As Vegeta finishes his plea to Goku, he dies. Goku, saddened by Vegeta's death, buries him and vows to finish Freeza. Goku and Freeza then spar, with Freeza realizing that his opponent is the son of the Saiyan that gave him such trouble years before. Goku and Freeza are an even match for awhile, until Freeza reveals that he had only been fighting at 1% of his full power. Freeza then increases to 50%, and easily gains the upper hand against Goku, with Goku struggling to keep up.

Goku is eventually able to heavily wound Freeza using a Genki Dama, calling on the energies of Namek's solar system.

Freeza is vivisected by his own attack.
Freeza is vivisected by his own attack.

Believing the warlord dead, the heroes take the time to relax, not noticing that Freeza had emerged from the blast's crater, retaliating by mortally wounding Piccolo and murdering Kuririn. Already bordering on the edge of his rage, Freeza threatening Gohan, pushes Goku over it, his rage exploding, causing Freeza to inadvertently create what he had always feared: A Super Saiyan.

In the ensuing battle, Freeza and Goku trade blows, but as the fight progresses, Freeza's power gradually diminishes with the repeated punishment. In frustration, Freeza sends a Death Ball into the core of the planet, starting a chain reaction that would destroy Namek in "five minutes".[3] Freeza unleashes 100% of his power but Goku calls off the fight, claiming it would be pointless to continue; Freeza losing strength rapidly and Goku already having humbled the tyrant. Humiliated, Freeza refuses to relent, attacking Goku with two Tsuibi Kienzan. As Goku dodges the attacks, Freeza ironically becomes distracted long enough to be vivisected by his own attack.

Barely clinging to life but desperate to survive, Freeza begs for mercy, which Goku hesitantly provides. Freeza's arrogance refuses to allow him to be beaten and saved by a Saiyan "monkey", and he expends what little energy he has left to attack Goku. Overcome with anger, Goku fires a Ki blast that consumes both Freeza and his attack, seemingly ending Freeza's reign over the universe.

[edit] Death

Mecha Freeza is slain by Trunks.
Mecha Freeza is slain by Trunks.

Unbeknownst to Goku, Freeza survived the destruction of Namek. Able to do nothing more than breathe, Freeza floated in the planet's debris, kept company only by his thoughts of how the universe's conqueror had been thoroughly beaten by a Saiyan. His father, King Cold had crews search the area, not believing his son to have been killed by something as insignificant as the explosion of a planet. What could be found of Freeza was salvaged, his missing limbs and face reconstructed with cybernetic enhancements. Scarred and bitter - though feeling stronger than he had before - Freeza's first thought upon rehabilitation is revenge on those who sullied him.

Freeza beats Goku to Earth[4] and orders his henchmen to find and slaughter its inhabitants, with Freeza keen on killing his enemy's friends himself. However, his army is torn apart by the blade-wielding fighter Trunks. Freeza dismisses his challenger as an insolent child, and pays him almost no heed until the boy reveals himself as another Super Saiyan.

Dumbstruck, Freeza makes several different efforts to kill Trunks, each of which is parried easily.[5] He then plays his trump card in the form of a Death Ball ten times the size of the one that destroyed Planet Namek. Even this is nonchalantly brushed away, until a mortified Freeza causes it to detonate with another shot of ki. Thinking him dead, both father and son are stunned when Trunks fires a Burning Attack out of nowhere. Fuming, Freeza becomes oblivious to his opponent's position, and is surprised and sliced in half by the Saiyan youth before being cut to pieces and blown to dust.

[edit] After death

After his death, Freeza makes numerous cameo appearances throughout the remainder of the series from Hell, including observing Goku's fight with Buu alongside other defeated villains from the series.

In Dragon Ball GT, he teams up with Cell to act as a distraction for Goku while a horde of villains from the Z-Fighters' past escape Hell. Freeza traps Goku in the next world, but even allied with Cell, he is eventually defeated and remains in Hell.[6]

[edit] Forms and transformations

Over time, Freeza's power became so great that his body could not comfortably contain it, and a series of physical transformations were developed that limit his actual strength[7] While changing shape from his "first-form", each alteration builds on the previous. In all, Freeza demonstrated four transformed states, each with increasing power (some larger than others and each resulting in different physical attributes).

Freeza in his first (right), second (middle), and third (left) form.
Freeza in his first (right), second (middle), and third (left) form.
First form

In his weakest form, Freeza is a relatively short humanoid, albeit with a large chestnut-shaped skull with two horns. He also has a tail with a spiked end, as well as having three talon-like toes. He wears the same upper-body armor that many of his subordinates (including the Saiyans) are shown to wear, and while traveling, often gives the appearance of weakness by exclusively using his hoverchair for transportation, leaving his henchmen to do his "dirty work".

Second form

His second form is similar in appearance to the first, except much larger, both in height and muscle mass, Freeza claiming to have nearly doubled his power in this state.[8] He also grows longer horns, which now instead of protruding sideways from his skull curve sharply upwards into near right angles. His armor cannot contain his form and shatters, leaving him with a new, white natural armor covering his chest and shoulders.

Third form

Freeza's third form is again more brutish, with an extremely elongated skull. His facial features contort and change, with his nose melding into his mouth to form a crude beak. His original horns recede, and more now erupt in pairs along the length of his head. He walks and stands with a slight hunch, as if the strain of supporting his head was too much for even Freeza's own body to bear. This form vaguely resembles a Xenomorph from the Alien movies.

Final Form

Drastically differing from his previous transformations, in his final form Freeza instead regresses, becoming shorter and less bulky, his horns and spikes disappear and his physique becomes streamlined. His skin becomes pure, solid white with purple sections on his head, shoulders, forearms, chest and shins.

100% power

Freeza is also able to attain 100% power, greatly increasing his muscle mass. At 100% this is literally the peak of Freeza's potential and the maximum amount of power his body can output; his muscle mass becomes engorged compared to his previously sleek frame. However, due to the strain on his body he can not fight at full capacity for long, slowly weakening whether he is dealing or receiving damage.

Mecha Freeza

Physically ruined while caught in the Planet Namek's explosion after his defeat, what remained of the still-living Freeza was salvaged and rebuilt with cybernetic enhancements by scientists under the order of King Cold. The whole of the lower half of his body and right side of his face are replaced, with scarring and metal accouterments covering what little was left of his organic self. These enhancements allowed him to exceed the limits of power imposed by his fully organic form.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Techniques and special abilities

Bukujutsu
Like almost all Dragon Ball Z characters, Freeza is able to fly through use of his ki.
Death Ball
An attack used by Freeza. A spark of ki lights on the index finger, and once enough energy is gathered this spark may grow to the size of a small moon. When ready, this "Death Ball" is thrown towards the target. Typically this attack is used to destroy planets or as a last-ditch effort to kill an opponent.

Daichiretsuzan ("Great Earth Cutting Row")

A powerful, very long and invisible blade-like energy beam Freeza creates with two of his fingers; it can slice through anything, as stated by Freeza. While it is not named in the English dub of the anime, the name given in the Budokai game series is Death Wave.
Freeza Beam
Freeza's favored killing technique. He extends his right arm and fires a small, bullet-like beam of ki from his index finger, which barrels down and pierces an opponent. Able to be fired exceedingly quickly while maintaining precise aim. Freeza murders both Dende and Vegeta in this fashion, also heavily wounding Piccolo. Called Death Beam in the U.S. releases of recent Dragon Ball Z video games.

Hokaku Kon Dan ("Imprisonment Ball")

A special attack used on Goku, where he captures his opponent in a ball of energy they can't break out of. Freeza can manipulate this ball as much as he wants, but it explodes as soon as it touches any surface other than Freeza himself.
Kousengan
Precise laser-like beam shot from the eyes. Mild potency, but fast and able to nullify lesser attacks and small projectiles, as well as destroy weaker opponents and obstacles. Used by Freeza to enter the hut of the Namekian elder Saichoro while seeking the Dragon Balls and in battle with Goku.
Psychokinesis
Freeza can lift or move large objects through the air with his mind. Used by Freeza in his fight with Goku.
Freeza preparing the Tsuibi Kienzan attack.
Freeza preparing the Tsuibi Kienzan attack.

Tsuibi Kienzan ("Following Energy Circle Slicer")

Similar to the normal Kienzan (most commonly used by Kuririn), Freeza's are faster, a different color (purple), and can be controlled remotely. Freeza creates two of these to hound Goku until he's sliced in half by his own attack. Called the Energy Disc or "Destructo Disc" in the English version. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 names this attack the "Death Saucer."

Transformation (Henshin)

This is Freeza's ability to morph himself from a weaker state to a more powerful one. These transformations were originally a containment of his true power, with his actual form being what's commonly referred to as "final". In all Freeza demonstrated three transformations and four altered states, overlooking his bulk at 100% power and cyborg augmentation.

Yubisaki kara no Shogekiha ("Shockwave blast from the finger")

A fairly weak, but incredibly fast burst which explodes at a location Freeza points to. He uses this ability many times in rapid succession to quickly defeat Piccolo after transforming into this third form.


[edit] Voice Actors

Toei Animation

Ocean Group

Funimation

Brazil

  • Carlos Campanile

France

  • Philippe Ariotti

[edit] Movies and specials

Freeza appears in the following Dragon Ball Z movies and television specials:

Bardock: The Father of Goku - DBZ TV Special #1; released October 17, 1990

During the TV Special, Freeza mulls over the Saiyans' increasing power until Zarbon advises his master to eliminate Burdock and his team. In the end, Freeza is challenged by Burdock himself, who survived the onslaught and wants revenge for the death of his crew. Burdock fires a ki attack at Freeza, who makes a huge energy ball and cancels out Burdock's attack. Freeza then sends the ball straight into the core of the Planet Vegeta, wiping out almost the entire Saiyan race and many of his own henchmen.

Cooler's Revenge - DBZ Movie #5; released July 21, 1991

Freeza only appears in a flashback during the prologue of the movie, destroying Planet Vegeta. Coola watches him from his spaceship and scolds his brother for not seeing the escaping spacepod containing baby Kakarrot/Goku.

Fusion Reborn - DBZ Movie #12; released March 4, 1995

When Janemba appears, the dead are revived and they all escape to Earth, under Freeza's command. Freeza confronts Gohan and Videl, and immediately recognizes Gohan as Goku's son. Deciding the boy should pay for his father's "sins", Freeza sends his army of villains (Zarbon, Jheese, Butta, Bojack, Coola, Paragus, Reacoom, Thousar, etc.) to attack the couple, but Gohan flies through them all and silences him by punching Freeza in the stomach and blowing him away with an energy shot to the gut. His terrified minions quickly disperse.

In addition, Freeza's destruction of Planet Vegeta is shown from another point of view in Burn Up!! A Close, Intense, Super-Fierce Battle (DBZ Movie #8) and the mercenaries from Super Deciding Battle for the Entire Planet Earth (DBZ Movie #3) believe they would be strong enough to challenge Freeza after eating the fruit of the Tree of Might.

He also appears in footage from the Famicom game (and later Playdia remake) Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans. In it Freeza seems to be somehow resurrected, with he and past villains Coola, Tullece, and Lord Slug attacking Goku and his friends. Once it's revealed these are merely ghost-warriors meant to distract the heroes, however, the false Freeza and his allies are easily dealt with.


[edit] Video games

Toriyama's redesign of Mecha Freeza in Super Dragon Ball Z.
Toriyama's redesign of Mecha Freeza in Super Dragon Ball Z.

All games are listed in chronological order of release.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Vegeta visited Planet Freeza #79 briefly after his defeat on Earth (Dragon Ball #246). At the time, Freeza himself was using that planet as a base, but was absent while making his way to Namek. Not all Freeza-dominated worlds, such as Planet Vegeta, were numbered.
  2. ^ (January 2003) U.S. Shonen Jump, Issue #1, VIZ Media. 
  3. ^ The manga and especially the anime receive much flak for the amount of time it takes Namek to actually explode. The two fighters stand, stare, and exchange verbal barbs, other characters merely roam around aimlessly, non-superhuman characters do things on Earth or collect the Dragon Balls, North Kaiō offers running commentary and the amount of time to actually summon Shenlong and Porunga is great. The fight continues even after that in earnest, with Freeza's death pleas taking time unto themselves. In all ten episodes pass between the initial shot and Namek's ultimate destruction (DBZ episodes #97-106).
  4. ^ Despite his ill intentions towards Earth and all who lived there, Freeza notes "It's a good planet" on first viewing (Dragon Ball #330).
  5. ^ Only in the anime. Originally Trunks wasted no time and kills Freeza after a single attack (Dragon Ball #332).
  6. ^ Anything after Freeza's death on Earth is not supported by manga canon, happening only in the storyline of Toei's anime filler and movies.
  7. ^ While other beings in Dragon Ball Z transform to increase their power, Freeza transforms to control and contain it. His true form is his fourth form (Dragon Ball #303), with each of his other transformations meant to restrict his power and conceal it from his enemies. Freeza even says upon transforming to his second state that he has a harder time controlling himself and his power due to the immensity of his current strength. (Dragon Ball #296).
  8. ^ Freeza boasts that his fighting strength is "over a million" and he won't be as gentle as he was before (Dragon Ball #296).


[edit] References

Guide to Freeza's Transformations at daizex

Dragon Ball characters
Saiyans: Son Goku • Son Gohan • Vegeta • Future Trunks • Son Goten • Trunks • Pan • Broly
Humans: Bulma • Muten-Rôshi • Yamcha • Kuririn • Tenshinhan • Mr. Satan
Androids: Android 17 • Android 18 • Cell
Aliens: Piccolo • Freeza • Majin Buu • Baby • Coola
Character lists: Saiyans • Earthlings • Aliens • Supernatural beings
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