Does Frieza Really Respect Goku? Not a Chance!
As your resident Dragon Ball expert dedicated to analyzing every punch, kick, and insult between Saiyan and Frieza race alike – nope! Not in a million years. Frieza would rather explode Namek again than genuinely respect his arch-nemesis Goku.
Sure they‘ve traded a few words that don‘t involve "I‘ll roast you faster than my Death Beam!" But it‘s all a facade according to longtime fans like myself. When the tournament bells ring though, these dudes desperately want to cave each other‘s skulls in!
Let me walk you through the bloody history step-by-step and you‘ll see what I mean.
A Fear-Based Rivalry Fueled by Revenge, Not Respect
Frieza‘s genocide of the Saiyan race alone gives you a glimpse into the frosted tyrant‘s soul – he‘ll slaughter literally millions without blinking if it means assuring his status as the #1 power in the universe.
After getting intel about the legend of the Super Saiyan, Frieza decided to rip that possibility away stem and root by demolishing Planet Vegeta. It was a savage move even his most loyal footmen questioned:
| Year | Event | Death Toll | Power Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age 732 | Destruction of Planet Vegeta | ~10 million Saiyans | 530,000 |
So after his right-hand man warns him that provoking the Saiyans may backfire, how does Frieza react?
"Oh really? But I‘m afraid I disagree. You see, monkeys are a rather crude and violent species by nature. Brute force is the only thing their small brains seems to understand."
What a standup guy, right? It gets even better when he meets Goku for the first time. After hearing his Saiyan lineage from Vegeta, Frieza flips out and tries executing him on the spot.
Eventually we get to the infamous planet-wide fight on Namek where Goku starts unveiling the ancient Super Saiyan legends in living color. Frieza goes full-throttle trying to vaporize him, but Goku beats him within an inch of his life before showing mercy. This "respect" only comes after Frieza begs like a sniveling coward, shedding the faintest crocodile tears you‘ve ever seen.
Trust me – that moment lit an obsessive flame of hatred in Frieza‘s heart toward Goku that will never extinguish until the day he kills him, or dies trying yet again!
Temporary Team-Ups Don‘t Equal Trust or True Respect
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend."
Frieza takes this mantra to heart, working alongside fighters like Goku and Vegeta whenever it conveniences his ultimate goal – solo universal domination.
Don‘t confuse moments of mutual tolerance with actual respect. Did Frieza shed any tears when he nearly killed Goku at the end of the Tournament of Power? Or how about when he blew up Earth (again) in Dragon Ball Super: Broly, leaving Goku and co. with their jaws on the floor?
Actions speak louder than any polite words between sagas my friends!
Their Power Levels through the years reveal a lot too:
| Year | Battle | Goku‘s Power Level | Frieza‘s Power Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age 764 | Namek fight | 150,000,000 | 120,000,000 |
| Age 767 | Earth fight | ??? | 120,000,000 |
| Age 780 | ToP | Unknown, God level | Unknown, God level |
Considering Saiyan strength increases after every brutal fight, while Frieza literally lingered in a private Hell waiting for revenge, there‘s no way he‘s caught up. If the two ever throw down 1v1 again, my money is on Goku going Super Saiyan White and introducing Frieza to a mountain-shattering grave.
Frieza‘s Grudge Will Boil Over into All-Out War Again Soon!
For now an uneasy "respect" exists between the two titans – they‘ll cooperate to save their own skin, but once the greater threat disappears, all bets are off.
Frieza‘s an opportunist willing to kill anyone including his own followers to come out on top. Do you really think he‘ll pass up the ultimate prize of destroying his hated nemesis? Imagine the fear and dominance he‘d instill by taking Goku‘s head as a trophy!
I‘d speculate that within 1-2 major Dragon Ball releases we‘ll see these two on opposing sides again for the ultimate saga conclusion. Goku already has Ultra Instinct mastery that lets him evade virtually any offense. And you know Frieza‘s secretly powered up to finally surpass the Saiyans using his Golden final form.
When these two collide for the final time, I predict galactic shock waves that obliterate anything within a 10,000 light year radius!
So to answer the original question once and for all – Frieza respects Goku as much as a fox respects the henhouse. Temporary alliances at best. Their exponential strength increase over decades of conflict all but guarantee Frieza will orchestrate one last grand betrayal!
