The most recent chapter of the Dragon Ball Super manga, chapter 87, marked the end of the Granolah the Survivor Saga after a surprise appearance from the franchise's most iconic antagonist, Frieza. With Goku and Vegeta pushed to the very brink by back-to-back fights against individuals who were both once the strongest beings in Universe 7, they find themselves relieved, surprised and dismayed when Frieza dispatches the arc's main antagonists, Gas and his brother Elec, in two hits.

Frieza decimates the enemy with characteristic ruthlessness, brandishing a brand-new transformation he dubs "Black Frieza". What does the re-establishment of Frieza as Universe 7's most fearsome foe mean for the Dragon Ball franchise going forward?

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Former Emperor of Space

Golden Frieza

Since Frieza's defeat on Planet Namek, and his subsequent embarrassment on Earth courtesy of Trunks, he was no longer a threat to the universe. However, the Resurrection of F movie saw the return of the space tyrant, sporting a new form that was meant to surprise and best his sworn enemy Goku, and Vegeta, but they were well-prepared with their Super Saiyan Blue forms.

With help from Whis, the threat of Frieza was suppressed once more, and it was assumed that he would never be as big a threat as he has been in the past, especially with the new heights achieved by Goku and Vegeta, the emergence of fighters far stronger than them in the other universes, and the presence of Beerus, The Destroyer. Frieza becomes even more of an afterthought in the Granolah the Survivor Saga as the arc's eponymous character uses the Dragon Balls from his home, Planet Cereal, to make himself the strongest warrior in the universe in exchange for a huge portion of his lifespan, and the arc's overarching villains, the Heeters, use the same Dragon Balls to make their youngest brother, Gas, the strongest in the universe under the same condition as Granolah's wish.

The Strongest Tactics in the Universe

Frieza Kills Gas – Dragon Ball Super Chapter 87

Naturally, Goku and Vegeta have their work cut out for them as they are first manipulated by the Heeters as Granolah was to engage in combat. The idea was that the Granolah would be snuffed out by the next best things, who would also be removed from the picture during the intense brawl; however, a bit of truth from Granolah's long-time guardian Monaito, the creator of Planet Cereal's Dragon Balls, sees Granolah setting aside his intense hatred for the Saiyan race to deal with a common enemy: Gas.

Granolah is manipulated by the Heeters, who hide the fact that the destruction of Planet Cereal at the hands of the Saiyans, ordered by Frieza, was a piece of business negotiated by the Heeters themselves. In an attempt to kill multiple birds with a single stone, the eldest Heeter, Elec, secretly contacts Frieza and lures him to Planet Cereal so that the new strongest in the universe, Gas, can deal with the emperor of space and allow for the new reign of the Heeters. As Gas's body begins to fall apart as a result of the negotiation of his entire lifespan in exchange for power, he gains even more of an upper hand against the Saiyans, but the realization of what his brother did to get him access to this supreme power leaves Gas shocked. He isn't allowed the luxury of thought as Frieza arrives and swiftly rams his hand through Gas's chest.

Meet Black Frieza

Black Frieza Heavy Finish – Dragon Ball Super Chapter 87

After disposing of Gas, Frieza quickly surmises that he was contacted by Elec so that he would arrive on Cereal, only to be killed. Elec lets slip that he wished that Gas be the strongest in the universe, so Frieza explains why that is meaningless: he stumbled upon a place where time flows differently, and managed to do ten years' worth of training there. He reveals the fruits of his labour: a brand-new form known as "Black Frieza". As explained in the franchise before, a Room of Spirit and Time (Hyperbolic Time Chamber) has different laws governing its physics, and one day in the one on Kami's Lookout equates to a year outside.

These places are effectively alternate dimensions, and that's further supported by the fact the inside of one such place stretches infinitely in any direction. Merus, the top Galactic Patrol officer and Goku's mentor regarding the use of Ultra Instinct showed that other such places exist, with similar structure, but the nature of each is different. Frieza was essentially not in the universe when Elec made his wish, leaving the emperor of space outside the calculations. His new strength poses an old, but new problem: Frieza is yet again, unmatched in strength, meaning that he is now capable of returning to his former glory.

Emperor of Space Once More

Frieza Beats Goku and Vegeta – Dragon Ball Super Chapter 87

Black Frieza is another example of the power creep that tends to happen in the Dragon Ball universe. As Goku reaches new heights, the series' villains have become stronger and stronger, leading the series into its current trajectory. However, the reemergence of Frieza as a true terror once more seems to be an attempt of the series to amend this power creep while also embracing the constant flux of a concept as loose as "Strongest in the Universe".

Currently, it does not seem possible for Goku and Vegeta to come anywhere near Frieza, who had an uncharacteristic showing of his brand of mercy when he leaves after delivering a heavy blow to the Saiyans. At his current level, Goku and Vegeta are mere flies to Frieza, and this return of Frieza as a genuine problem in the universe comes welcomed; especially after the events of Super, where it appeared that the tyrant would be receiving something akin to the series' well-documented redemption arc for villains. The problems with that are obvious, and Black Frieza shows a step in the right direction for him specifically: Frieza is, and should always be, irredeemable.

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