Episode 108 of Dragon Ball Super, first broadcast in Japan on September 24, 2017, pits the multiverse's two evil emperors against each other. Frieza and his lookalike Frost present themselves as partners against Gohan, but the tournament soon shows which of them is the better liar, and the game ends with the first fighter the Zenos erase during the tournament.
Summary
While Goku absorbs Ribrianne's "love" attacks, the gods of the exempt universes weigh in from the stands: Universe 8's God of Destruction backs the magical girl, Universe 12's Supreme Kai notes how strong Universe 11's three survivors are, and Universe 1's Supreme Kai dismisses the whole thing as a contest between low-level universes. A bored Frieza decides to go find a new "playmate".
Gohan, meanwhile, breaks away from Universe 3's Borareta and runs into Jimizu, a Yardratian from Universe 2 who has mastered teleportation. Jimizu keeps striking from behind, and Gohan cannot keep up. Just as the final blow is coming, Frieza shows up, but makes no move against the enemy. In the stands, Krillin and Roshi fear a betrayal; Shin points out that the Super Dragon Balls can grant wishes far beyond Earth's, and Whis adds that they could even kill a god. Nobody knows what the former tyrant really wants.
Frieza promises Jimizu he will not interfere, then knocks his finishing blast away, claiming his "hand slipped". He already knows how Yardratian teleportation works and dismantles it with ease, beating Jimizu so savagely that Universe 2's gods are horrified, though he is careful to miss the vital spots so he will not be disqualified. Then he throws him out.
That is when Frost appears to congratulate him: the two have been in league from the start, united by their hatred of Saiyans. Frieza attacks Gohan while Frost watches with a blast charged in case of betrayal. When Goku's son starts fighting back, Frieza turns Golden and knocks him out. Frost, now at ease, steps closer, and Frieza teaches him how to reach his 100% Full Power form, warning him it burns stamina fast. His last piece of advice is never to trust anyone, and with that he blasts Frost off the stage.
Gohan gets back up: he realized from the first punch that Frieza was not serious and played along. A humiliated Frost tries to attack Frieza from the stands, but the Zenos erase him on the spot and warn Champa that one more violation will cost Universe 6 its existence. Twenty-nine minutes remain.
Our take
This is the episode where Frieza stops being a gamble and becomes an asset, while remaining every bit Frieza. The Frost scene is built like a hall of mirrors: two near-identical villains, one who thinks he is clever and one who actually is. The masterstroke is how Frieza fools him, with a transformation lesson: he hands Frost the 100% form precisely to make him lower his guard.
Gohan is even more interesting. He reads the situation from the first blow and plays along. For a character fans often remember as naive, it is a nice sign of maturity, and it shows a silent understanding with his oldest enemy that will matter at the end of the tournament.
Frost's erasure, finally, is a real chill: watching a single fighter vanish into nothing reminds everyone that the rules are not a formality.
Trivia
- Written by Yoshifumi Fukushima and directed by Hideki Hiroshima, with Yoshitaka Yashima as animation director. It drew a 5.3% rating in Japan.
- It is Frieza's first time in his 100% Full Power form since the battle on Namek.
- In Funimation's dub, Beerus calls Gohan "Goku Junior".
- In the manga, Frieza never shows Frost the 100% form: he lets him exhaust himself against Universe 9, then throws him out, and Frost is not erased.
Did you know? Earlier in the tournament the Zenos had wiped out an entire universe, Universe 9, but Frost is the first individual contestant they erase, and only because he attacked from the stands.
Characters
- Frieza, Gohan and Goku
- Frost, Champa and Vados
- Ribrianne, Jimizu and Borareta
- Krillin, Master Roshi and Shin
- Beerus, Whis, the Grand Minister, the two Zenos and the gods of the exempt universes