Frieza is retroactively one of the most important characters in Dragon Ball, an unseen influence whose mere presence is instrumental in getting Son Goku to Earth in the first place. Frieza is a presence who can be felt throughout every arc in Dragon Ball Z, even the ones he’s long been dead for. So much time is spent with Frieza and his army on Namek, that it only makes sense Dragon Ball would reference the Frieza Force so much after the fact– they’re even back in full force for Super.
Comprising Saiyans and other assorted races enslaved by the tyrant, the Frieza Force is a hodgepodge of all the strongest warriors in the galaxy. They have next to no martial arts training, but the likes of Vegeta, Dodoria, and Zarbon put into perspective just how dangerous these soldiers are when compared to the paltry combat of planet Earth.
9 Raditz
One of four surviving Saiyans following the destruction of Planet Vegeta (in the original canon at least,) Raditz is Goku’s older brother and the first introduction to space aliens in Dragon Ball. Although the weakest named member of the Frieza Force in the grand scheme of things, Raditz overwhelms Goku unlike anyone else in the army.
It’s Raditz who’s responsible for Goku losing his life. It’s Raditz who’s so fast that Goku can’t even keep up. It’s Raditz who Goku can’t so much as hurt meaningfully with his strongest attacks. Raditz may be weak comparatively, but he was an utter monster upon his introduction.
8 Nappa
Vegeta’s right-hand man, Nappa defects alongside the Prince of All Saiyan sometime during the Saiyan arc. They’re no longer considered Frieza’s men by the time they arrive on Earth, a loophole that prevents the Earthlings from being revived in a cleancut manner. Nappa is considerably more powerful than Nappa, and puts the Dragon Team in their place in a similar manner.
While Nappa is subdued easily by Goku, he has one of the highest named body counts of any villain. Nappa is directly responsible for Chaozu, Tenshinhan, and Piccolo’s deaths. After being defeated by Goku, however, Vegeta deems Nappa worthless and murders the Saiyan on the spot.
7 Appule
A background member of the Frieza Force who manages to survive a jarringly long time all things considered, Appule isn’t much of a character. All the same, he’s present for quite a bit of the Namek Arc. It isn’t until a little bit before the Ginyu Force show up that Appule is finally killed by Vegeta.
While Appule might not be much of a character, his presence does show the scope of Frieza’s army and perhaps even suggests the soft loyalty that comes with being a member of the Frieza Force (something shown in spades throughout Resurrection F and Dragon Ball Super: Broly.)
6 Cui
Cui’s appearance in the Namek arc is a rather short affair, introduced as a dead even rival to Vegeta before being killed on Namek almost immediately. Cui’s presence is important, however, as it’s the first real introduction audiences have to an important facet of Saiyan biology. When a Saiyan is pushed near death but manages to heal their wounds, their strength increases considerably.
Cui and Vegeta were on even footing when he left for Earth, but nearly losing his life in his fight against the Dragon Team has resulted in Vegeta entering the Namek arc an even more Elite Saiyan. Vegeta goes on to systematically kill every member of the Frieza Force on Namek.
5 Vegeta
Taking into account that Cui knows Vegeta went to Earth, it’s more than safe to say Vegeta was still a member of the Frieza Force when he left. If nothing else, Vegeta was a member of the Frieza Force long enough for Cui to feel comfortable in the fact that they had an exact equal Battle Power.
Oozaru Vegeta would theoretically be stronger than Cui (and likely even Dodoria,) Vegeta permanently loses his tail following the Saiyan arc, preventing him from ever tapping into this ability again. While Vegeta becomes strong enough to counter Frieza’s forces, he lacks the power to fight off Frieza himself.
4 Dodoria
One of Frieza’s most loyal subordinates, Dodoria is almost always seen around Frieza when alive. Dodoria is the first major member of the Frieza Force Gohan & Krillin confront, the first to offer Vegeta a serious fight, and he even plays a fairly substantial role in the Bardock TV Special.
Dodoria may not be the strongest of Frieza’s soldiers, but he’s extremely powerful in his own right. That said, one power boost is more than enough for Vegeta to kill him on Namek. Of note, Dodoria is the one who reveals to Vegeta what actually happened to his homeworld.
3 Zarbon
The closest thing Frieza has to a right-hand man in Dragon Ball Z, Zarbon survives the longest of Frieza’s soldiers and is by far the strongest. Not only is his base form plenty powerful in its own right, Zarbon can transform into a grotesque monster who’s able to manhandle Vegeta with little to no effort.
Interestingly, Zarbon is the character who introduces transformations as we know it to Dragon Ball. Not only is he the first character to transform on-screen in a way reminiscent of future transformations, the manga has Zarbon reveal to Vegeta that Frieza also has the ability to transform.
2 King Cold
Frieza’s father, Dragon Ball Super: Broly revealed that Kind Cold gave control of his army to Frieza upon realizing his son was stronger. While this isn’t indicated in Dragon Ball Z, it also doesn’t contradict their relationship by any stretch. King Cold’s introduction in the Cell arc makes it clear that Frieza’s really the one in charge. It’s worth noting that Cold has “King” in his title, something Frieza noticeably lacks. Even when Frieza takes control of the Frieza Force, he doesn’t go by King Frieza.
1 Frieza
The leader of the Frieza Force, Frieza is a monster unlike any other. Both Cell and Majin Buu may be more dangerous foes in the grand scheme of things, but Frieza has a penchant for cruelty both later antagonists lack. Frieza commits mass genocide multiple times, enslaves virtually every race he comes across, and revels in torturing others.
Frieza is so absurdly powerful that his transformations are actually suppressors. Frieza’s “final” form is actually his true form, with his “first” three forms augmentations that keep his Battle Power in check in a tiered manner. Frieza is eventually defeated by Goku on Namek and subsequently killed by Trunks on Earth.