25 Best Anime Supervillains Of All Time

If there were an award for most iconic cartoon villain voice, Frieza would be a contender for the shoo-in, bringing the kind of raspy tones that would make Voldemort feel like he’s got work to do.

Frieza holds a very dear place in Dragon Ball lore, because he provided the backdrop for the series really entering its golden years. It was Frieza who acted as the lurking final boss at the end of the show’s Saiyan Saga, which is when the show evolved from out of this world to intergalactic.

Goku transformed into a Super Saiyan for the first time in order to defeat Frieza - a landmark moment in anime - and their rivalry is regarded by many as the best in the series.

Similarly to other DBZ villains, though, Frieza’s design is a major factor in his villainy. He’s got horns on his head for crying out loud, but it’s when he loses those and turns into his pristine white form that he’s at his most fearsome, an unsettling juxtaposition between good and bad.

Frieza comes back in numerous guises as the series and films progress, but it will always be that first meeting on Namek for which he’s best remembered.

He did also kill Goku’s dad and almost the entire Saiyan race, so there’s that, too.