Dragon Ball Super Drops Surprise Update on Black Frieza, Sharing a New Look At the Epic Transformation

The long-awaited Jump Festa 2025 is officially underway in Japan, and Dragon Ball fans are curiously watching on in hopes of any updates regarding the currently on-hiatus Dragon Ball Super manga. Though the wait may be tough to endure, series artist, Toyotarou, has shared all-new artwork of Black Frieza to hold fans over during the wait for Super's return. The drawing is Black Frieza's first appearance in nearly two years, since his original manga debut.

Frieza's arrival and subsequent beatdown of both Goku and Vegeta startled fans when Dragon Ball Super Chapter #87 was initially released. However, the series quickly shifted focus on its adaptation of the anime film, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, and Black Frieza was ultimately sidelined. Nevertheless, Toyotarou has returned to share a new look at the villain's epic power-up, in celebration of Jump Festa's arrival.

Black Frieza Looks Better Than Ever in New Official Artwork

Frieza is the proud owner of five different transformations, putting the evil space tyrant on par with Goku and Vegeta in just how many different forms he can assume. His latest, and the one featured in Toyotarou's commemorative drawing, is aptly called Black Frieza, and remains the most mysterious of the bunch. Only being featured in a few short pages of Dragon Ball Super's manga, Frieza transforms, one-shots both Goku and Vegeta at full-power, then detransforms and leaves.

Toyotarou's newest drawing also sheds light on the exact color scheme of the Black Frieza form. Going by the name of the transformation, it was easy to assume what color Frieza would be taking on, but the newest look at the villain features a distinct shine that was not prominent in the original manga debut. Frieza appears almost platinum in the drawing, similar to the appearance of his non-canon brother, Metal Cooler.

Dragon Ball Super's Eventual Return Will Prominently Feature Black Frieza

Black Frieza May Be Dragon Ball Super's Final Villain

Following the death of Dragon Ball's legendary creator, Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball Super's manga was put on sudden hiatus, and has yet to return. The future of the franchise is largely uncertain without its author at the helm, but while Super has been on break, the fresh and exciting Dragon Ball Daima has filled the void left by the manga's absence. Unfortunately, the two series' do not cover the same material, and Black Frieza has been returned to the sidelines indefinitely.

When Super does finally return, fans can expect Black Frieza to feature in a prominent role, as the series strongly hinted towards his being the final villain before the stoppage. The evil space dictator filling the role of antagonist once more in Dragon Ball's final battle before the 'end of Z' would be a poetic closing to a series which focuses on the two strongest Saiyans. Until Dragon Ball Super is officially announced, however, all fans can do is speculate and enjoy some fresh new art from Toyotarou.