Highlights
- Some fans speculate that Frieza may turn good due to his actions in the Tournament of Power, but it’s highly unlikely.
- Frieza’s ruthless nature and love for causing chaos make it doubtful that he will ever become a hero.
- Despite his evil ways, Frieza’s unapologetic attitude has made him a beloved character, and a redemption arc would ruin his role.
There is a common trend among many Shonen anime series of some villains having a perspective change, which ends up with them defecting to the side of the heroes. Dragon Ball is no exception to this, since it is famous for quite a few villains ending up as a part of the main squad of Z-Fighters. Some examples include Vegeta, Tien, Yamcha, and Piccolo, to name a few.
Such a trend has led fans of the series to nominate many villains in the series as the next to join the Z-Fighters. One name that has come up is the Galactic Tyrant himself; Frieza, who a vocal minority of the Dragon Ball fandom claims might be heading down the road to redemption. While initially an outrageous claim, let’s take a look at why some fans think Frieza might not remain evil!
The Case For Redemption
Why Some Fans Think Frieza May Turn Into A Hero
Since his introduction into the franchise, Frieza has been nothing but a thorn in the Z-Fighter’s side as one of the greatest villains they have ever faced! He is a ruthless dictator who views anyone below him as disposable fodder, not valuing the lives of the many underlings who serve him to the best of their abilities. However, despite such irredeemable qualities, some fans think that he might slowly come to the good side.
The biggest example of this comes from the Tournament of Power. Though he acted out of self-interest in coming back to life, Frieza proved to be one of Universe 7’s greatest assets, repeatedly putting his life on the line to ensure victory for his universe. Though this had more to do with the fact that he wanted to stay alive and continue to rule over the universe with an iron fist, fans believe that this could mean something more. After all, his teamwork with Goku and Android 17 was the biggest factor that cemented their victory over Jiren.
Frieza and Goku are fighting together!… Is Frieza planning to take himself out with Jiren?!
Another example of Frieza not remaining his cold and ruthless self may have come at the end of the Granolah arc, according to some members in the community. After showing his unmatched power in his Black Frieza form, which was far superior to both Ultra Instinct and Ultra Ego, he merely used his awesome power to knock out his rivals when he could have easily killed them. It’s no secret that Frieza holds no love for Goku and Vegeta, as they have been the biggest obstacles that he has ever had to face in his whole life, so him choosing to let them live at the end of this arc is seen by some fans as an act of mercy and, perhaps, growth.
Will Frieza Be Redeemed?
Will the Galactic Tyrant become a Z-Fighter?
Of all the Dragon Ball theories that have ever graced the internet, this is one that possibly has the most clear-cut answer of them all: No, Frieza will not become a good guy. Out of all the monstrous and cruel villains that the franchise has ever introduced, few have relished in causing as much carnage and killing as Frieza, since he considers his unmatched power to be a means of doing everything he ever wants.
The only ‘heroism’ he showed during the Tournament of Power was simply to save his own hide. If his universe was to be erased, he would simply cease to exist, but if they won, he would be brought back to life and free to roam the universe, carrying out his evil ways as he has always done. Frieza is evil incarnate and will never let anything come in the way of what he wants to do.
Even his act of leaving Goku and Vegeta on the ground after knocking them out of their most powerful forms was probably only done to let them live with the knowledge that they simply can’t stand up to him anymore and that they’re powerless to stop his evil ways. At this point in the story, Frieza undergoing a redemption arc to be a hero is nothing short of an impossibility.
This is because he simply doesn’t want to. Frieza admits that his ways are evil, but he doesn’t care because that is what brings him satisfaction. One plausible theory is that Frieza is on a solitary hunt to gather an incredible amount of power to eventually overthrow Beerus, since he is the only character who can (currently) stop him from doing as he pleases.
I don’t need an introduction, but just in case, I am the mighty Frieza, and yes, all the horrible stories you’ve heard are true.
Verdict:
Frieza being redeemed for his past and changing the way he is easily one of the greatest impossibilities that can exist within the Dragon Ball franchise. Though characters who have committed horrible crimes in their past as villains have eventually turned to the good side, Frieza is someone who shows no sympathy or regret for what he has done, nor will he.
This is an aspect of why he remains such a beloved character. His personality and unapologetic attitude are infectious, leading many fans to dub him the best villain in all of Dragon Ball. Making him go through any sort of redemption arc would not only ruin him as a character, it would simply bring down the role that he serves within the story as a whole!
Dragon Ball can be streamed on Crunchyroll.
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