Ever since Goku’s character was introduced by Akira Toriyama in Dragon Ball in 1984, he has faced many dangerous and ruthless villains. All of these villains bring a learning arc for the protagonist, as he finds out his limits and exceeds them no matter what. However, the perfect villain that paralleled Goku the most was Frieza, the former emperor of Universe 7.
Frieza in Dragon Ball | Credit: Toei Animation
Frieza was the perfect villain in Dragon Ball, and his character was so much appreciated by fans that Toriyama decided to keep him relevant in the story as a major character. But Frieza’s perfection was only seen during the Frieza saga, where he played the role of the main antagonist in the series.
Many fans won’t realize this, but during the Frieza saga, Goku and Frieza are portrayed as the reflection of each other in more than one way. Their time on Namek makes them realize that they are much more similar in terms of perspective towards the Saiyans and towards the art of battle.
Goku and Frieza’s Time on Namek
Goku’s and Frieza’s reasons to travel to Namek were similar and different at the same time. While both of them wanted the seven Dragon Balls from planet Namek, Frieza’s wish was to be immortal, and Goku just wanted to revive the people who were killed by Saiyans in the previous Dragon Ball arc.
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Ultimately, their paths collided, and the two showed off their immense abilities. Although Frieza was dominant during most of the battle, he could not stand a chance against Goku when he unlocked the legendary Super Saiyan power for the first time. This marked a big moment in the history of Dragon Ball, as from here on, the Super Saiyan power became a major theme.
Goku vs Frieza | Credit: Toei Animation
Both Goku and Frieza’s biggest achievements in terms of strength and power were seen during their time on Namek. They both believed that they were in their strongest forms until the other proved them wrong. This led to one of the greatest battles ever created in the history of anime and manga. However, it was more profound than fans realized.
Goku And Frieza Were Reflections of Each Other
While Goku and Frieza were opponents during the Frieza saga, Akira Toriyama portrayed them in a way that they looked similar in more than one aspect. The first was their confidence in themselves as warriors. As mentioned above, both Goku and Frieza felt that they were strong enough to face anyone, until they fought each other.
Goku vs Frieza | Credit: Toei Animation
The second aspect was the fact that they hated Saiyans because of their status as ruthless barbarian warriors in Dragon Ball. Goku despised them for the destruction they caused on Earth, and Frieza was concerned that they might challenge his tyranny as the Emperor of Universe 7. However, during their epic battle, the two realized the true potential of the Saiyan race.
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Goku understood what it truly meant to be a Saiyan after unlocking the legendary Super Saiyan power, and Frieza found out that his concern was correct. In the end, both Goku and Frieza became an image of those barbaric warriors who tried to tear each other apart just to win, making them more similar than they realized.
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