Dragon Ball Super's co-author, Toyotarou, explains the design of Frieza's new, terrifying form: Black Frieza. According to the mangaka, the name of the form comes from the world of banking, which perfectly suits the character of Frieza, a ruthless conqueror who has built a galactic empire off of shady business dealings.
One of the most shocking manga moments of 2022 was the return of Frieza in chapter #87 of Dragon Ball Super, in the conclusion of the two-year-long Granolah Arc. The presence of the galactic tyrant had been teased throughout the entire story arc, but his arrival still shocked fans, especially after Frieza unveiled his new transformation, called Black Frieza. Obtained after spending ten years training in a Hyperbolic Time Chamber, this form completely outclassed even Goku and Vegeta's most powerful transformations, Ultra Instinct and Ultra Ego, proving that Frieza is the strongest villain who has ever appeared in the series.
Black Frieza Was Inspired by Credit Cards
The return of Frieza's return to Dragon Ball Super was planned since the beginning of the Granolah Arc, so both Toyotarou and Toriyama spent a lot of time thinking about the new transformation of the character, to make it as impressive as possible. The concept behind Black Frieza was revealed by Toyotarou during an interview for the Dragon Ball official website series, "Weekly Dragon Ball News." In it, the mangaka explained why he chose "Black" as a superior step to the previous form, Golden Frieza. For credit cards, "black" is considered the supreme level, with "gold" following right behind. While Toyotarou says that this explanation is a half-joke, it actually makes a lot of sense in the context of Frieza's character.
Black Frieza Represents The Character's Connection To Capitalistic Greed
Frieza is not just a powerful, evil warrior who enjoys wanton destruction. Frieza is actually more similar to an amoral galactic businessman, selling planets to the highest bidders (except those few times when he actually destroys them) with complete disregard for their inhabitants, all to build a vast empire for himself. This fits quite well with classic depictions of greedy, destructive capitalism, and the Granolah arc really helped cement this image of Frieza by revealing new elements of his past dealings. Having his new and most powerful Black Frieza form being named after the most valuable credit cards, then, makes perfect sense.
The color black also has obvious ominous connotations, so it was a natural choice for Frieza, the biggest villain that Goku and his gang ever faced. Frieza's return was an epic, shocking moment, and Toyotarou himself admitted in the interview that it was his favorite scene in the entire Granolah arc. Black Frieza is the most intimidating form that ever appeared in Dragon Ball Super, and the explanation behind it further solidifies the image of Frieza as the personification of greed.
Source: Dragon Ball official website, "Weekly Dragon Ball News", January 2