The strongest fighters in the Dragon Ball universe became what they are today after years of training and focus, but secretly, they were all created by Frieza. Frieza is an intergalactic tyrant who ruled most of the universe with an iron fist and is personally responsible for the decimation of a number of planets including Planet Vegeta and Planet Cereal. Frieza spawned many challengers during his conquests and in doing so accidentally created some of the most powerful fighters in the universe.
Before he was a Z Fighter, Vegeta worked for Frieza alongside other Saiyans who remained in Frieza’s army after the destruction of their home world. During his time under Freiza’s employ, Vegeta learned to be ruthless, vicious, and power hungry just like his emperor. Though he has learned to be more of a team player, Vegeta still carries those traits he formed while working for Frieza and they have been his driving force to be the strongest there is, pushing him all the way to his current state of power, that of the godlike Ultra Ego.
While Frieza inadvertently pushed Vegeta to be the strongest version of himself by making the Saiyan Prince commit a number of intergalactic atrocities, his influence on Goku’s rise to power was much more straightforward. During the “Frieza Saga” of Dragon Ball Z by Akira Toriyama, Frieza kills Krillin right in front of Goku, sparking a rage inside of the Saiyan that he had never felt before. Goku’s emotions manifested in the form of his first ever transformation into a Super Saiyan, something no one thought was possible outside of the Legendary Super Saiyan. Frieza forced Goku to break through a barrier of power, and because of that moment, Goku knew it was possible to keep breaking those barriers until he was finally able to surpass even a God of Destruction by accessing the angelic power of Ultra Instinct.
Before both Goku and Vegeta were accidentally inspired by Frieza’s villainy, Dragon Ball’s newest strongest fighter was driven to achieve greatness because of Frieza. Granolah, introduced in Dragon Ball Super, had his entire planet decimated by the tyrant years before the events of Dragon Ball Z. Granolah lost his family and his people to Frieza’s Saiyan army, a tragedy that sent him on the path to become an intergalactically renowned bounty hunter. Granolah’s drive for vengeance against Frieza subsided after he heard that the emperor was killed on Planet Namek, but when Frieza was brought back to life in Dragon Ball Super, Granolah decided he would become powerful enough to end his life, leading him to wish upon the Dragon Balls to become the strongest fighter in the universe, stronger, even, than Goku and Vegeta’s godlike power.
Frieza pushed Vegeta, Goku, and Granolah to become the most powerful versions of themselves in their own ways. Other villains that those three faced certainly made them more skilled fighters, but none of the other enemies through the years had the same impact as Frieza, making him secretly responsible for creating the strongest fighters in the Dragon Ball universe.
