Frieza’s Downfall: A Blade’s Unexpected Victory

At the beginning of Dragon Ball, Master Roshi’s destruction of the moon sets the tone for the incredible spectacles that follow throughout the series. As planets explode left and right, one of the most significant events comes when Frieza obliterates Namek — an incident that, contrary to his prediction, took much longer than the five minutes he claimed.

This explosive climax marks the pinnacle of what many believe to be the greatest saga in the franchise, leaving both viewers and characters convinced that the most formidable villain to date had met his end. Frieza, already wounded by his own Destructo Disc, was blasted — and seemingly killed — by Goku (“You fool!”) and couldn’t escape Namek before it exploded. Surprisingly, however, Frieza manages to survive, showcasing an incredible level of resilience.

In truth, his survival was necessary to introduce the series’ next intriguing character: Trunks. When we next see Frieza, he’s easily defeated by the young warrior’s sword.

In a series that features its protagonist plunging through a Demon King as a child, Buu tearing apart realities with his screams, and multiple planets wrecked along the way, it might seem absurd for such a formidable foe to be taken down by a sword. But that’s the beauty of it: rule of cool.

When Trunks enters the fray, he instantly cements himself as one of Dragon Ball’s coolest characters. With his striking purple hair, Capsule Corp. jacket, enigmatic background, and iconic sword, he’s undeniably stylish. He’s also the first Super Saiyan we encounter after Goku achieved the form, before the series entered a Super Saiyan frenzy. Trunks’ arrival needed to showcase his power, and for that to happen, Frieza had to be taken down decisively.

Frieza withstood tremendous damage on Namek, even before being sliced in half (and once again, his final battle took significantly longer than five minutes). He endured a Spirit Bomb to the face and appeared to walk away with only a swollen eye. Yet a mere sword proves to be his undoing?

Trunks’ execution of Frieza produces a striking visual in the anime. We get a first-person view of Trunks slicing him in half before the camera shifts to reveal Frieza’s body splitting apart. The two halves hover momentarily, exposing the villain’s insides, before Trunks, not done yet, employs his sword for further carnage. He decimates Frieza into gruesome pieces and concludes the fight with a ki blast to the remains, obliterating the once