Lord Frieza’s insatiable thirst for power and dominance has been the defining feature of the Dragon Ball villain. He destroyed countless planets & committed several mass atrocities to cement his position as emperor of the universe.
Such pathological lust for power is perhaps unrivalled in anime. However, unchecked power was rudely snatched from the Universal Emperor’s hands each time he came close to it. This aggravated an already burning desire into an outright obsession.
In Dragon Ball Super, he set his eyes on the ultimate seat of authority in the multiverse: Zeno the Omni-King. A fascinating fan theory envisions a harrowing plan by Frieza to kill Zeno by targeting his Achilles heel, and assume the topmost spot in the multiverse.
Zeno’s Achilles Heel: Zalama
Zalama, the Dragon God is the creator of the Super Dragon Balls. A fan theory by Cultural_Estimate_90 on Reddit argues that the relationship and position of Zeno & Zalama is akin to that of a Supreme Kai & God of Destruction, albeit at a supreme scale.
According to it, Zalama is the God of creation, and Zeno is the counterpart God of destruction, at the multiversal level. And similarly, both their lives are irrevocably intertwined. Thus, one could theoretically eliminate the invincible & almighty Zeno by killing his weaker link, Zalama. This is exactly what Frieza intends to accomplish according to this terrifying theory.
He has the might in the form of his powerful new form, & the cunningness to execute such a regicide. Once Zeno is eliminated, Frieza would be in prime position to rule over the multiverse. Such rule would come with the same ferocity & savagery which he wielded when he was at the height of his power.
The evil emperor even vocalized his desire to destroy Zeno and become the multiverse emperor in a quiet monologue in the Universe Survival Saga. Those ten odd seconds were easily one of the most disturbing and frightening moments in the entire Dragon Ball franchise. This insanely dangerous plan is tailor made for a character as dark, irredeemably evil & staunchly persistent as Lord Frieza.
A Deeper Look at Anime’s Most Chilling Villain: Frieza
If Goku is the epitome of heroism & kind heartedness, Frieza is the zenith of evil and malevolence. Terrifyingly cerebral, his words have a distinctly regal character about them. His breathtaking power is matched by his high fight IQ.
Cunning to a fault, he could be as stubborn as Goku himself. Super popular among fans, he has been brought back from the grave on multiple occasions. This has made him by far the most recurring antagonist in Akira Toriyama’s franchise. Such is the heft of the iconic character, that If there were to be a Mount Rushmore of anime villains, it would incomplete without Lord Frieza.
Fans would certainly love to see the evil genius in the upcoming Dragon Ball Daima.
Dragon Ball is available to stream on Crunchyroll.
