Freeza

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Freeza
Dragon Ball character
Freeza by Akira Toriyama
First appearance	Dragon Ball Z chapter 53 Dragon Ball Z episode 44
Last appearance	Dragon Ball Z chapter 138 Dragon Ball GT episode 44
Created by	Akira Toriyama
Voiced by	Japanese Ryusei Nakao[1] English Pauline Newstone (Ocean Group) Linda Young[2] (Funimation)
Profile
Aliases	Frieza Furiza Furiiza Furīza Freezer
Gender	Male
Known relatives	King Cold (father) Coola (brother) Kuriza (son, Neko Majin Z) Cell (modified clone)
Power level	530,000 - first form (Freeza Saga)[3]

Prince Freeza^[4] or Freeza (フリーザ, Furīza^?, Frieza in most English adaptations) is a fictional supervillain from the Dragon Ball universe created by Akira Toriyama. The character first appears in the Dragon Ball manga, followed by Dragon Ball Z. Freeza also appears in the television special Bardock: The Father of Goku, a few Dragon Ball Z movies, and in Dragon Ball GT. At the time of his appearance, Freeza is feared even to North Kaio.^[5]

Contents 1 Appearance 2 Character overview 3 Abilities 3.1 Forms and transformations 4 Other media 4.1 Video games 4.2 In popular culture 5 Notes and references 6 Bibliography 7 External links

[edit] Appearance

Freeza's design is an amalgamation of what Toriyama thought monsters looked like in his childhood.^[6]

Freeza is one of the supervillains in the series who possesses an entire range of transformations, each one being quite different than the others. It is implied by the character Vegeta in the series that Freeza's fourth, most powerful form is actually his original, with the other three being transformations that suppress his power in order to conserve it.^[7] Freeza later confirms this while fighting the series' main protagonist, Son Goku.

[edit] Character overview

Freeza is introduced in the series as a powerful galactic overlord on a personal mission for immortality and conquest. He is said to control seventy-nine or more planets.^[8] Freeza creates armies from the planets that he conquers, his most utilized race were the Saiyans. Freeza had heard about the legend of the Super Saiyan, a being with unrivaled power, but dismissed it as simple mythology; however, after several Saiyans emerged with rapidly evolving strength, Freeza began to fear that the legend would indeed come true, so as a result, destroyed the entire Saiyan race, along with their home planet, Vegeta. 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 alongside his henchmen Zarbon, Kiwi, and Dodoria. Freeza's fears were realized when he was defeated by Goku^[9], who in turn had become a Super Saiyan.^[10]

His character would return shortly thereafter,^[11] having survived the encounter with Goku but had been left with multiple metal prosthetics as a result of lost limbs/organs. Though accompanied to Earth by his father, King Cold, Freeza is unable to avenge his loss. He is killed with relative ease by a newcomer to the series: the half-Saiyan time traveler, Trunks.^[12] A blood sample taken before his ultimate fate would later become a catalyst^[13] for the next arc's featured villain: Cell, a warrior genetically engineered to be "perfect".

Toei Animation would continue to make use of the character in their anime adaptation, with Freeza making brief cameo appearances during the Majin Boo Saga, animated features and Dragon Ball GT. He is last referenced in the manga as a measure of the strength of the Kaioshin, the supreme lords of the Dragon Ball universe, as "each of whom could have felled Freeza in one blow".^[14] In Toriyama's self-parody of his earlier work, Neko Majin Z, Freeza sends Vegeta, serving as his henchman, on errand to retrieve his missing son, Kuriza, on Earth.^[15]

[edit] Abilities

Freeza is first seen moving at superhuman speeds and flying unaided in volume 9.^[16] He also appears to have quick reflexes.^[16]

[edit] Forms and transformations

Freeza's power, including his enhanced strength, became so great over time that his body could not comfortably contain it, and a series of physical transformations were developed that limit his actual strength.^[17] 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).

First form

In his weakest form,^[18] 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. Freeza 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". Though frail in comparison with his succeeding forms, Freeza still boasts sufficient force to destroy planets,^[19] stating during his battle with the Namekian fighter Nail that his power level is 530,000.^[20] While shifting to his next stage Freeza breaks his battle-jacket, revealing a natural white armor covering his chest and shoulders.

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 at least doubled his power (of over 1,000,000) in this state.^[21] He also grows longer horns, which now instead of protruding sideways from his skull curve sharply upwards into near right angles. While in this new body Freeza bears a great likeness to his father King Cold.

Third form

Freeza's third form^[22] 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 are now white in colour, erupting in pairs along the length of his head. His tail tip, which had been cut off by Kuririn's Kienzan, did not regenerate, so it is not known if it would have appeared any differently. He now carries 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 film series, particularly in skull structure.

Final Form

Drastically differing from his previous transformations, in his final, true form Freeza instead regresses, becoming shorter and less bulky. His previous form shatters, causing his horns and spikes to disappear with his physique becoming entirely streamlined. The lines of color and stripes present on Freeza before completely disappear; his skin is now a pure, solid white with purple sections on his head, shoulders, forearms, chest and shins. This is the form that allows him to release his full potential.

100% power

Freeza is also able to attain 100% power,^[23] his muscle mass becoming engorged compared to his previously sleek frame. At 100% this is literally the peak of Freeza's potential and the maximum amount of power his body can output; at full capacity he was able to make even Super Saiyan Goku struggle during the final battle on Planet Namek. However, due to the strain on his body Freeza can not fight at maximum strength for long, slowly weakening whether he is dealing or receiving damage.^[24]

Mecha Freeza

Physically ruined while caught in 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, as is his left arm from the elbow down, 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.^[25]

[edit] Other media

[edit] Video games

Freeza has been featured in nearly every video game covering Dragon Ball Z and further. Often, he's both a playable character and boss, though more frequently the latter. He is also usually able to transform into his many different forms, his mecha form being a separate character.

Freeza appears in the Famicom game (and later Playdia remake) Dragon Ball Z Gaiden: Saiyajin Zetsumetsu Keikaku. Freeza seems to be somehow resurrected, and he and other past villains start attacking Son 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. Other games highlight Freeza in alternate story paths, including those where he successfully attains immortality and goes on to threaten Earth.

In Super Dragon Ball Z, Akira Toriyama took Mecha Freeza's original design and slightly remodeled it specifically for the platform version of the game.^[26] Toriyama's revamp included a mine belt around his waist, an RPG strapped to his back, and razor explosives down the length of his tail.

[edit] In popular culture

• In the manga Black Cat by Kentaro Yabuki, Sven Vollfied is often seen using his cell phone. At the top of the phone's wrist strap is a miniature-sized badge of Freeza's head.^[27]
• A caricature of Freeza mixed with a grey was parodied as a mech pilot in an episode of Gainax's comedy Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi.^[28]
• The anime Yakitate!! Japan featured a spoof re-enactment of the fight between Goku and Freeza, with a character clad in a refrigerator representing the latter.^[29]
• The Cartoon Network staple Codename: Kids Next Door had a parody of their own of the climactic fight and the Freeza character, this time portraying him as a multi-headed monstrosity.^[30]
• Freeza was among other evil imaginary characters also appears in an episode of South Park in "Imaginationland Episode II".^[31]

[edit] Notes and references

[edit] Bibliography

• Dragon Ball Z manga, Volume 5 — ISBN 1-56931-934-0
• Dragon Ball Z manga, Volume 6 — ISBN 1-56931-935-9
• Dragon Ball Z manga, Volume 7 — ISBN 1-56931-936-7
• Dragon Ball Z manga, Volume 8 — ISBN 1-56931-937-5
• Dragon Ball Z manga, Volume 9 — ISBN 1-56931-938-3
• Dragon Ball Z manga, Volume 10 — ISBN 1-56931-939-1
• Dragon Ball Z manga, Volume 11 — ISBN 1-56931-807-7
• Dragon Ball Z manga, Volume 12 — ISBN 1-56931-985-5

[edit] External links

• Guide to Freeza's Transformations at http://www.daizex.com/

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