Frieza As An Overused Fanservice Dragon Ball Villain?

It's no secret that I purposely skipped watching Dragon Ball Super nor do I intend to rewatch all the Dragon Ball episodes. My argument is usually because it's gone too long and it can be easy to get lost. I'd like to focus on how Frieza became a fanservice villain because of his popularity. True, there can be moments when Frieza is often pitted against his Movie Only brother Cooler whose fifth form is theoretically more powerful. However, one can't argue that Frieza has become a fanservice villain throughout the years.

Frieza was finally defeated during the Namek Saga. What happened next was that Frieza became a fanservice of sorts. Cameos here, cameos there. It seems Frieza was simply given cameos because of how popular the villain has become. 



Frieza's popularity might be why he also made non-canon movie appearances. Cooler's own concept was already a contradiction of sorts. The events in Cooler's Revenge and Return of Cooler can't fit in. Cooler is basically a What If Scenario of Frieza having an older brother to rival him. However, that never stopped Frieza from showing up in some movies such as Fusion Reborn and Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans. I think Frieza was just so popular that he was given his cameo roles even when he wasn't the main villain.


When it came to Dragon Ball Super continuity - he was first brought back in Resurrection of F. However, the events were later retconned into the series making the whole movie no longer canon. A rehash of Broly was done with the Dragon Ball Super: Broly movie which ignored the three Broly movies. IMHO, it's a disappointment that Broly was treated merely as a What If scenario over an actual character arc. Frieza was also in the Dragon Bal Super: Broly movie. 

I'd say that Frieza himself may have been overused because he's among those Breakout Villains in the world of fiction. Heck, he was even brought back in Dragon Ball Super in the tournament arc. The non-canon Dragon Ball Heroes (used for promotional use) would also bring him and Cooler.  Frieza still stands out as among the most loved villains in the franchise. 

Frieza may be considered one of the most entertaining villains ever. He's a pretty arrogant and short-tempered spoiled brat. He's pretty childish but it plays the way he's still a threat. He still has a lot of entertainment value. 

Comments