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Dragon Ball Superwent on hiatus at a very high point. With the close of the Granolah arc, Frieza made his long-awaited return to the series, with fans seeing him for the first time since the Tournament of Power ended. Here, it was revealed that he didn’t just spend all this time sitting idly by, since one of the worlds that he conquered had a Hyperbolic Time Chamber on it. This allowed the villain to get 10 years' worth of training.
Due to his insane potential and the training he underwent for 10 years, Frieza unlockedhis incredible Black Frieza state, which was so powerful that it defeated Goku and Vegeta in a single hit despite the Saiyans being in their strongest forms. Now that the Black Frieza arc is an obvious one to make, many fans believe that it offers the perfect opportunity to bring a fan-favorite villain into the canon ofDragon Ball, so let’s go over why this is.
Debut Date
June 10, 2025
Cooler has been a part of the greaterDragon Ballfranchise for years, but alwaysas a non-canon villain. Originally introduced as Frieza’s envious older brother who resented him for earning their father’s favor, Cooler let Goku’s space pod escape during Planet Vegeta’s destruction as a gesture of ill will to his brother, not knowing that it would be the same space pod that would eventually bring his downfall.
So, upon hearing that his brother was defeated by a Saiyan, Cooler made his way to Earth, where he confronted Goku in a serious clash. However, once the hero went Super Saiyan, Cooler’s defeat was swift. However, this wouldn’t be his end, since the remaining parts of him would eventually merge with the Big Gete Star and birth Meta-Cooler in theReturn of Coolerfilm, where he would return as a cyborg trying to destroy Namek. This time, Goku and Vegeta’s combined efforts thwarted the villain for good.
Though he would be seen again inSuper Dragon Ball Heroes, Cooler was always left out of the canon despite being one of the most beloved villains inDragon Ball’shistory, with many fans even likening him to theperfect mix of Frieza and Perfect Cell. However, this could all change onceDragon Ball Superreturns with the Black Frieza arc. Many believe that this arc would serve as the perfect one to bring Cooler into the canon, specifically because it would focus on Frieza as the ultimate villain.
Although Frieza is far stronger than even the greatest forms of the heroes, it’s highly unlikely that he could take them all on at once, since the Divine Techniques, mixed with the unprecedented power of Gohan and Broly and the brilliant tactical mind of Piccolo, may just be too much for Frieza to deal with. Because of this, the common consensus is that Frieza will still need some kind of team to help him there.
Meet Black Frieza! Achieving this form took plenty of toil, I’ll have you know.
So, one of these allies could be Cooler, who would also have his Black form, which would ultimately serve the arc in other ways too, as it could give each of the heroes their own moments to shine. Having someone who is almost as powerful as Black Frieza would be an amazing way for Goku and Vegeta to each have their main foes for this story arc, while the remaining heroes are preoccupied with others who are also at this level. Of all the non-canon characters from theDragon Ballfranchise, there is no one that fanswould like to see again more than Cooler.
Some notable names, such as Janemba or Baby, come to mind, but none of them have ever had the same presence as Cooler did, which can easily be seen by how fans have been begging to see him again in one way or another. AlthoughSuper Dragon Ball Heroesdid show him, it wasn’t in canon, and to see this villain in the main story of the franchise is what the fans want.
How Cooler Can Be Introduced Into The Canon Of The Franchise
The Way It Can Be Done
Now that it’s confirmed why this should be done, let’s go over how.Dragon Ballis no stranger to last-minute character reveals or retcons, so it’s possible that the series takes the same route as it once did regarding Cooler, which is thathe is Frieza’s older brotherwho has just been in different parts of the universe while everything has been happening. Of course, this would be a lazy way to do it, but it could possibly work.
On the other hand, the objectively better way to handle Cooler is by making him a Frost Demon from a different universe. With Frost and the Universe 6 Saiyans, it was confirmed that some races are located in more than one universe, so it could be that Cooler is just the alternative to Frieza from a random universe, which could also explain his unique transformation. By having him unlock the Black state, Frieza could recruit him to his team to take over the multiverse.
