Every Dragon Ball Z Saga Ranked From Worst To Best

"This isn't even my final form!"

An anime about getting stronger suddenly becomes much more of an ordeal when the villains themselves also get stronger. Even with Piccolo getting revived and Vegeta teetering on the brink of becoming a super saiyan, Freiza looks insurmountable.

Not only did his second form defeat Krillin, his third take Piccolo, and his final form best Vegeta, but he kept up this infuriating brand of smug confidence the entire time. Frieza also had remarkable endurance, surviving Goku's ultimate attack in the spirit bomb.

While his on-screen death toll didn't reach the highs of someone like Kid Buu, the fact that Frieza's destruction took place so early in the series made each kill feel fatal. Unfortunately for Frieza, that destructive tendency proved to be his downfall.

By killing Krillin, Frieza made Goku enraged enough to reach super saiyan for the first time in series history. The tides shifted and the rocks rose out of the ground. Lightning crackled through the sky as Goku's hair flashed gold, before he finally let out a scream and for the first time, millions laid their eyes on the iconic super saiyan form.

This was a landmark moment for anime, as Goku's hair became a spiky blond and the sound of his pulsating aura pumped out of TV speakers all over the world. This was the moment DBZ surpassed all predecessors, and would lead a new generation of shonen anime.