Episode 124 of Dragon Ball Super, first broadcast in Japan on January 21, 2018 and titled A Storm-and-Stress Assault! Gohan's Last Stand! in Funimation's dub, pairs two characters who could not be further apart: Gohan and Frieza. Against the lightning-fast Dyspo they have to work together, and the match is decided by the sacrifice of Universe 7's team leader.
Summary
Goku and Vegeta press Jiren with a string of coordinated attacks capped by a Kamehameha and a Final Flash, but Jiren walks out of it as if nothing happened. Seeing his teammate raise his game, Dyspo decides to get serious against Frieza too. The former tyrant repeats Goku's criticism, that Dyspo's movements are too direct and predictable, but Dyspo speeds up even more, pummels him and tries to finish him with his circular attack. Frieza stops him at the last moment with his tail.
Then he makes an offer: if they keep this up they will wear each other out, and when time runs out Universe 7 would win on numbers anyway. Why not team up? He will help Universe 11 in exchange for being resurrected with the Super Dragon Balls. Beerus is furious, while Krillin and Piccolo suspect another trick. Dyspo refuses, convinced Frieza only wants to use him. So Frieza goes Golden and for a while is even faster, until Dyspo unleashes his ultimate technique, Super Maximum Light Speed Mode, so fast that not even the slow-motion replay on the Zenos' tablets can follow it.
As Frieza is about to be pushed off, Gohan steps in and kicks Dyspo away. Frieza is surprised, but for Gohan it is simple: you help a teammate. If Frieza betrays them, he adds, he will throw him out himself. The two attack together, but their blasts are too slow. Gohan realizes the only option is to take away Dyspo's room to move: he will create an opening, and Frieza must cage the enemy in. Frieza agrees to follow the plan, joking that Gohan is the team leader after all. A cage of energy beams surrounds Dyspo and Gohan: no escape, and in close combat the Saiyan has the edge.
Holding the cage costs too much, though, and just as Gohan goes for the decisive blow, Frieza's energy gives out. Dyspo dodges, but Gohan grabs him from behind and holds on. Frieza gets it instantly and fires: Gohan and Dyspo go over the edge together. In the stands Gohan apologizes, but Piccolo tells him he did great, and Goku is proud of his son. Six minutes remain.
Our take
The Gohan and Frieza pairing is one of the most history-laden matchups of the tournament. The terrified boy from Namek now gives orders to his old tormentor, and Frieza, in his own way, follows them. The episode does not overplay it, and that is a strength: a couple of lines, "if you betray us I will throw you out myself", are enough to show how much the balance of power has shifted.
Gohan's exit is the best he could have had. He is the team leader, he has spent the tournament protecting others, and he goes out with a plan and a sacrifice, without hesitation. The Japanese title speaks of fighting with your back to the river, with no line of retreat, and that is exactly what he does.
Trivia
- Written by Yoshifumi Fukushima and directed by Hideki Hiroshima, with Yōichi Ōnishi, Joey Calangian and Noel Añonuevo as animation directors. It drew a 4.6% rating in Japan.
- The Grand Minister promises the Zenos he will upgrade their tablets, since even slow motion cannot show Dyspo.
- In the manga, Frieza never goes Golden against Dyspo, the Super Maximum Light Speed Mode does not appear, and Gohan exits in an entirely different way.
Characters
- Gohan, Frieza and Dyspo
- Goku, Vegeta and Jiren
- Android 17 and Toppo
- Belmod, Khai and Marcarita
- Beerus, Whis, Piccolo, Krillin, Shin, the Grand Minister and the two Zenos