Dragon Ball’s Frieza Armor Is Still Iconic After 28 Years & Here’s Why

Dragon Ball Z made its premiere with Toonami in 1998, and the world was introduced to a vast array of new characters, power levels and looks to the franchise. One of newest wardrobes was the Frieza battle armor, which was worn by invading Saiyans. The massive shoulder pads, thigh guards and hard exterior shell looked like a simple addition. Nevertheless, it’s continued to stay in the franchise with various changes and updates.

First off, Vegeta made this particular look famous. Yes, Raditz, Nappa and more wore the same look, but the egotistical, ultra-powerful Prince of Saiyans just made the entire ensemble work better. His personality and dismissive attitude just made the armor look cooler. From there, it continued to get better and better before it was adopted by the Z Fighters eventually. And through all of its reinvention, it’s made the armor more iconic than ever.

First Update Made The Uniform Better

The full armor did look cool, but Vegeta’s pad removal/vest look took them a step further. It’s a perfect example of less is more. As the Earth Saiyans continued to gain more power and ascend to higher Super Saiyan levels, they needed more mobility. This look played right into that. It also changed up the meaning as it relates to Vegeta’s former employer. The original looked felt more tied to Frieza. This change quietly told the audience that the fighters wearing the modified look were not a part of his evil force.

In terms of creative choices, it was a brilliant move for Akira Toriyama. It allowed him to show the fighters’ progress better without the armor getting in the way. The Cell Saga is the best example of this improved look. Future Trunks and Vegeta ascended to grades 2 and 3 of Super Saiyan when they battled the android. Although they didn’t go to Super Saiyan 3, it showed the audience that there were sub-levels to the first ascension and it was very obvious that they had bulked up in the hyperbolic chamber.

The armor helped the other father-son duo train in the chamber. Goku and Gohan change from their iconic gi and Namekian clothes respectively to train with the armor. It added another new perspective to the look. Vegeta was still growing as a character at this point and still represented someone that wasn’t fully good. When Goku and Gohan put on the armor, it represented a change that having it on didn’t make the character evil. It was just another way to improve as a fighter. Of course, it was in that journey that Gohan became the strongest character in the show for a short time, so the armor training clearly worked.

Frieza Force Made Its Own Changes

Frieza and his army continued to work on their advanced technology throughout the franchise and that included the armor and obviously outdated scanners. Dragon Ball Super: Broly gave everyone a completely new look. Although Frieza stopped wearing the armor because his constantly changing power forms, everyone else on the ship got to change into some new digs.

Cheelai and Lemo were the first two to show the changes, and it featured a lot more versatility. Some chose to wear the vest-only, Vegeta look. While others continued in the old-school fashion of full armor. One thing the armor did do was show off how absurdly strong Broly was. When he gets a new set on Frieza’s ship, the shoulder pads and everything else look so small in comparison to the giant. It set the tone for how strong of character he was without even having to see him fight.

The armor also managed to stay intact for the bulk of the fight. Whereas, the armor failed or broke in many smaller scale battles over the course of the series. Broly only had his armor fail when Gogeta appeared in Super Saiyan Blue form. Even then, it lasted for a bit before the reality-breaking attack. What started out as a uniform worn by evil world conquerors has now turned into an iconic Saiyan look.

It’s a rare transition for most shows or movies. A character’s uniform is a telltale sign where they stand – with the good guys or the bad guys. Dragon Ball did a good job of including this look on both sides to keep it going for the long term. What do you think? Was it the right move to keep the Frieza look going for this long? Let us know in the comments.

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