As one of the oldest and most iconic anime and manga franchises of all time, Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball has introduced us to a vast majority of incredible villains. The original manga was adapted into anime in two major parts: Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z. As a sequel to Dragon Ball, which set up the foundation for the story, Dragon Ball Z helped the franchise gain worldwide recognition. The stakes were higher in Z, with intense action sequences and iconic characters, including the villains. Each villain brings a new set of challenges for the heroes, leaving destruction in their wake.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Since Dragon Ball Z is an action-driven show, the fights against those villains are always thrilling. In the entire franchise, Frieza is often considered the series’ ultimate villain due to the impact of his character on the story’s stakes going forward, helping transform it into a worldwide phenomenon. He was introduced as the main antagonist of the Namek Saga, a space tyrant with exceptional powers who took pleasure in destroying planets. He also led the Planet Trade Organization, often referred to as the Frieza Force, whose primary function was to conquer planets, eliminate their populations, and then sell the planets to the highest bidder. While I see Frieza and understand his impact, the next truly massive villain saw that approach and perfected it.
Cell Brought Out the Best in Every Character, Including Himself
Compared to Frieza, who is an embodiment of pure evil, Cell is far more nuanced as an antagonist. On top of his strength, he was strategic, patient, and had an unnerving calm demeanor. In the Namek Saga, many characters faced off against Frieza but were easily struck down. Even Goku faced a lot of challenges, but he emerged victorious after his transformation. So, the fight against Frieza was basically a one-man show, which heavily focused on the protagonist’s development, instead of the story as a whole.
The Cell Saga, on the other hand, was about legacy, evolution, and the lengths the heroes would go to protect the planet. Piccolo, Vegeta, Tien, and even Future Trunks fought against the villain with everything they had. Goku arrived late as always and declared that Cell isn’t someone he can defeat on his own, which he never did in his fight against Frieza. The villain was defeated by Gohan, Goku’s son and half-Saiyan, who showed immense potential since the age of four.
Cell’s Birth Is a Consequence of the Battles Fought By the Z Warriors
Cell is introduced as a disgusting humanoid bug, who kept evolving depending on the number of people he consumed and their powers. Cell was created by Dr. Gero’s supercomputer, using the DNA of several Z-Fighters, including Goku, Gohan, Vegeta, Piccolo, Frieza, and King Cold. Gero also gathered DNA from some other characters like Raditz, Nappa, Tien, Krillin, and Yamcha. Cell was developed eventually in a future timeline and traveled back in time to absorb Androids 17 and 18 to achieve his perfect form.
He ultimately reached a limit that none of the fighters were capable of catching up to. In a sense, Cell was the culmination of all the battles fought by Z warriors and their legacy. His existence is a direct consequence of the battles the Z Warriors fought, since that’s how Dr. Gero collected the data required to create Cell. Without those fights, this horrifying villain may never have been born.
Compared to Cell, Frieza Comes Off as Rather One-Note
While there’s no doubt that Frieza is iconic (as he should be), his entire character revolves around domination and fear. He is the textbook example of a captivating shonen anime villain who sought power and dominance over the world. He also tried to achieve immortality, and that’s when he failed. The tyrant not only used sheer force but also hit Goku where it hurts. Frieza killed Krillin to aggravate Goku, and that’s what triggered his Super Saiyan transformation, a moment cemented in the anime and manga history.
However, he simply lacks the depth and evolution that Cell possesses. Frieza is petty enough to kill someone when he is challenged and destroys planets when he is angered. Despite his flashy new form in Dragon Ball Super, his character remains fundamentally the same. Compared to Frieza, Cell’s primary goal was to achieve his “perfect form” and then to test its limits by fighting powerful opponents.
Cell was created because of Dr. Gero’s hatred towards Goku and to take revenge against him. As he kept growing from his imperfect to perfect form, his demeanor kept changing, and he transformed from a creature struggling to survive to a confident tactician. I also like how he doesn’t simply end his opponents when provoked. Instead, he enjoys toying with them, testing them, and eventually forcing them to grow. Cell, as a Dragon Ball Z villain, represents a reckoning with the story’s past and what happens when the abilities of the world’s mightiest defenders are turned against themselves. His final confrontation against Gohan remains the most cathartic evolution of Goku’s Super Saiyan debut imaginable, being talked about by Dragon Ball Z fans even decades later.
Most Viewed
-
Image courtesy of 20th Century Studios -
Image courtesy of Ufotable
