One Important Quality Made DBZ's Frieza a Better Villain Than Cell and Buu (2024)

Even when Frieza was eventually surpassed in strength by Cell, Buu, and many others in between and beyond, there was something about him that kept him relevant in fans' minds. His popularity was such that he was regularly depicted as Goku's arch nemesis throughout the Dragon Ball franchise; this is likely the reason he was selected to be resurrected in Dragon Ball Super. He us undiybtedly the biggest, most notorious villain in the franchise.

However, in order for Frieza to become that memorable, he would have ro have something over Cell and Buu besides strength. There had to be something that the other two didn't have that would make him stand out, and he did. Unlike Cell and Buu, Frieza had understandable motivations and a rich history that made him feel integral to the overarching story of Dragon Ball.

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Cell and Buu have backgrounds, but they're mostly there to explain where they came from. Cell was made in a lab with the DNA of the universe's strongeat fighters. Buu was created by Bibidi to destroy.These backstories may be interesting, but they don't necessariy tie the villains to the Z Fighters' story or make their decisions more understandable.

Frieza's backstory, on the other hand, is not only integral to understanding him but also his place in the overarching story. He was born into a family of planet conquerors and traders and grew up to be one of the strongest beings in the known universe. Naturally, this experience with absolute power molded him into the arrogant galactic tyrant fans know and love to hate to this day.

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What makes Frieza's backgroundbespecially important is how it connects him to the Saiyans and, by extension, Goku. Originally, Frieza employed the Saiyans to help him with his planet-conquering, and they were good at it. Too good.

Frieza feared that Saiyans were getting too powerful, so he blew up their planet and destroyed all but a handful of them. This contemptible act made Goku and Vegeta's battle with him all the more personal. Frieza was responsible for driving their race among many others to the brink of extinction, and someone had to make him pay.

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As if this wasn't enough, Frieza could actually make the stakes even more personal, especially for Goku. Not only would he mock his opponents by using fractions pf his power, but he would also take pleasure in killing off their friends one by one. In Goku's case, he succeeded in mortally wounding Piccolo and killing his best friend Krillin; he would have killed Gohan next if Goku hadn't turned into a Super Saiyan. Thus, Frieza is one of the few opponents to make Goku genuinely furious, even moreso than Cell and Buu., Frieza's defeat isn't just about saving the universe; he makes fights with him into something far more personal.

Speaking of personal motivations, that's another thing Frieza arguably has over Cell and Buu. Cell mainly did what he did instinctively to fulfill his programming and to see the look of teror on his victims' faces. Buu's motivations were even less concrete; he either destroyed for the sake of destroying or because he didn't know any better. These kinds of motivatioms are shallow and difficult to relate to.

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Frieza's motivations were much more grounded. While most people don't want to admit it about themselves, Frieza's delight in making those beneath him suffer is a very real feeling; this part of Cell's motivations is actually understandable, but the way Frieza revels in it is on another level. As for destruction, he usually only does it when he feels it's necessary; if one were to ask him about Planet Vegeta, he'd probably say it was just business. Again, this understanding of Frieza's motivations is best informed by his background.

Anothet one of Frieza's motivations, his search for immortality, was also readily relatable. People have been yearning to find the secret to immortality since the time of Gilgamesh, maybe even before that. That desire is probably just as real to the Dragon Ball universe as it in the real world. Also, again, Frieza wants immortality to help him rule the universe, not to fuel any destructive tendencies; for him, it's all business. With that said, the extremes he'll go to, killing others just to preserve his own life, are still unforgivably cruel.

As far as Dragon Ball Z villains go, Frieza's background and motivationsmake him the realest and most contemptible member of the bunch. They are both understandable and inform his decisions and actions throughout the series proper. They also make the desire to bring him down feel all the more imoortant, especially for the Z Fighters. Understanding Frieza's contemptibility this intimately is a big part of what makes him such an iconic villain, even compared to Cell and Buu.