Highlights
- The Frieza Force, led by Emperor Frieza, controls a vast portion of Universe 7 in Dragon Ball Z lore.
- Frieza’s army consists of various races, with strength being the key to hierarchy within the organization.
- After several defeats, Frieza and his troops continue to make comebacks in Dragon Ball Super, seeking to regain power.
Known by various names in Dragon Ball Z, including the Galactic Frieza Army, among others, the Frieza Force is a military organization which reports directly to the galactic tyrant Frieza. At the height of its power, it controlled a significant portion of Universe 7, with its Commander acting as the emperor of all territories within their grasp.
Prior to Frieza assuming control of the organization, it was commanded by his father, King Cold, and was formerly known as the Cold Force. King Cold himself inherited this army from his father, Chilled. Since its introduction in Dragon Ball Z, the Frieza Force has played a prominent role in the Saiyan Saga, and subsequent Frieza Saga, until it was later revived during Frieza’s resurrection inDragon Ball Super.
How Does The Frieza Force Operate?
Set up as a meritocracy where strength prevails above all else, Frieza oversees the organization with an iron fist in Dragon Ball Z. For the most part, he does not consider his soldiers to be employees or subordinates, but rather, a group of followers that he can call upon to do his bidding when necessary. The Frieza Force consists of a wide variety of races and functions with a strong sense of hierarchy in its chain of command.
While some members of the Frieza Force enlisted of their own free will, a large percentage of the armed forces consist of warriors from planets that were conquered by the Frieza Race in Dragon Ball Z. Having been enslaved by the sheer overwhelming might possessed by those of Frieza’s bloodline, many of these races have no choice but to obey the tyrant out of the fear of their home planets being destroyed.
Originally, the predecessor to the Frieza Force was known as Chilled’s Army during the time of Frieza’s grandfather. Although it was a relatively small militia at that point in time, the group’s numbers grew immensely during King Cold and Frieza’s tenures in charge, shortly before the start of Dragon Ball Z. The Frieza Force’s main objective was to conquer new worlds and put them up for sale to races in need of a new home world.
Upon taking over a planet, the Frieza Force usually subjugates its inhabitants and assimilates some of the strongest individuals among them into their military. If a planet is not fit for sale, members of the Frieza Force generally opt to destroy it. That being said, the decision to take this course of action is not always cut and dry, given the multilayered power structure within the organization.
A Hierarchy Based On Battle Power
At the very top of the Frieza Force’s hierarchy is Frieza himself, who adopted the title of “Emperor of the Seventh Universe” during his time in power. Below him are the High Executive-Class soldiers of the Ginyu Force, led by Ginyu, who serves as their Captain and Frieza’s right-hand man. Beside him, Zarbon and Dodoria are personal aides to Frieza, and both hold the rank of Commanders.
In the Dragon Ball Z movies, Frieza’s brother Cooler led the Cooler sub-faction of the Frieza Force. Underneath the Commanders are the Elite Soldiers, including Vegeta and his father, King Vegeta, who lead the Saiyan Army faction of the Frieza Force. Next come the Mid-Level Soldiers such as Nappa and Raditz, followed by the Low-Class Soldiers such as Bardock, who make up the majority of the Frieza Force’s numbers.
Role In The Dragon Ball Franchise
Making their unofficial debut with Raditz’s appearance during the Saiyan Saga, the Frieza Force was formally introduced at the time of the Namek Saga, when they journeyed to the planet Namek in order to retrieve the Dragon Balls. Prior to this, the Frieza Force had a hand in the destruction and subjugation of many planets, with Planet Vegeta being one among them.
After taking over the Frieza Force from his father, Frieza decided to eliminate the Saiyan Race after hearing about the legend of the Super Saiyan, as well as the rumors of an uprising led by King Vegeta. While he was able to quell the rebellion and kill King Vegeta without much difficulty, Frieza then went on to destroy the entire planet and kill all of its Saiyan inhabitants at once. In the aftermath of this tragedy, only a few remaining Saiyans, such as Goku, Vegeta, Nappa, and Raditz survived.
Later on, the Frieza Force accompanied the Emperor to Namek, where they encountered Goku and the rest of the Dragon Team, who were attempting to find the Namekian Dragon Balls to wish back everyone who had died during the battle against Vegeta and Nappa. The ensuing conflict also introduced the Ginyu Force and Frieza’s Aides, Zarbon and Dodoria, who went on to face the Dragon Team.
Following Frieza’s defeat at the hands of Goku on Namek, he took a huge number of his troops to Earth along with his father, King Cold, in a bid to destroy the planet as revenge against Goku. Unfortunately for him, the arrival of Future Trunks dealt a devastating blow to his schemes, as he, his father, and most of his army were promptly defeated by the young Half-Saiyan.
Reborn With Frieza’s Revival
Until the events of Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F, the Frieza Force managed to endure under the stewardship of a few stand-in Commanders, who succeeded in restoring Frieza to life once again. Not too long after, Frieza and his troops mounted another attack on Earth and nearly succeeded. Luckily, Goku managed to step in and defeat him a second time, and it appeared as if the Frieza Force was done for good. However, Frieza was brought back to life following the Tournament of Power in Dragon Ball Super, and it seems as if he is attempting to regain his former empire, as seen in the events of Dragon Ball Super: Broly.
Dragon Ball Z is available to stream on Crunchyroll.
Leave a Reply