Frieza runs a galactic empire that conquers planets, wipes out their people and resells the empty worlds. Polite in speech and cruel in action, he has an army of henchmen and the Saiyans among his soldiers. When he learns there are balls that can grant eternal life, he decides they belong to him.
The Saiyans work for Frieza, but he fears the race will grow too strong and produce a Super Saiyan. So he has the warriors gathered on their home world.
Bardock uncovers the plan and attacks the ship alone. Frieza answers with a giant energy ball, the Supernova, which kills Bardock and destroys Planet Vegeta with every Saiyan on it.
Frieza learns that Namek has Dragon Balls and lands with Zarbon and Dodoria. He wipes out whole Namekian villages to take the balls.
Vegeta betrays him, kills Dodoria and Zarbon and steals the balls Frieza had already gathered. Unable to make his wish, the emperor calls in his elite squad, the Ginyu Force.
While Frieza is away, his enemies summon the dragon Porunga with his Dragon Balls. Furious, he reveals he can transform and shows ever-stronger forms. He kills Dende and Vegeta and, finally, Krillin in front of Goku.
Krillin's death turns Goku into a Super Saiyan. Cornered, Frieza strikes the planet's core so it will explode. He ends up cut in half by his own energy disc and is left behind as Namek blows up.
Frieza survives, is rebuilt with mechanical parts and arrives on Earth with his father, King Cold, to take revenge on Goku before he returns.
They are met by a young swordsman from the future. He turns Super Saiyan, cuts Frieza to pieces with his sword and kills King Cold right after.
Years later, what's left of his army, led by Sorbet, uses Earth's Dragon Balls to revive Frieza. After four months of intense training, he reaches a golden form.
On Earth, Goku and Vegeta answer with Super Saiyan Blue. The golden form burns energy fast, and Vegeta starts winning. Desperate, Frieza blows up the Earth. Whis turns back time three minutes, and Goku finishes Frieza before he can do it again.
For the Tournament of Power, Goku talks the gods into bringing Frieza back from Hell for 24 hours as Universe 7's tenth fighter, promising to restore his life if they win.
Frieza plays both sides when it suits him, but in the end he fights alongside Goku against Jiren. As a reward, he gets his life back.
Toriyama created Frieza during Japan's bubble economy, inspired by real estate speculators, whom he called "the worst kind of people." The name is a pun on freezer, which is why his minions and the Ginyu Force are named after fruits and dairy, things you keep in a fridge. The idea to bring him back came at a Maximum the Hormone concert, during "F", a song about him.
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