With Dyspo knocked out, it falls to Toppo to battle our heroes from Universe 7. While we’ve already seen lots of Toppo before, the amazing interactions that he has with Frieza, along with his epic, drawn-out battle with Android 17, make this a thrilling episode and leaves me excited for the conclusion.
It’s no surprise that everytime Frieza is on screen, something awesome happens. Episode 125 takes Frieza’s arc to its natural conclusion as we see him be his cocky, boisterous self now that he’s happily eliminated Dyspo and Gohan in one blast. Wisely then, Super immediately throws him against a foe who utterly crushes him, as God of Destruction Toppo wastes no time putting Frieza in his place not once, but twice. Episode 125 wasn’t content to just physically beat him, though, and it’s the breaking of Frieza’s psyche that made things truly unique. In many ways, Frieza’s defeat mirrored his original one at the hands of Goku on Namek, and it’s interesting to see after all the changes he’s gone through, at his core, Frieza is still the terrible villain we know him to be.
While these moments would have been great on their own, it was the added context and story that went along with them that made them truly special. Frieza was once, in his own way, a bringer of destruction who would kill with no remorse and was the embodiment of evil power to countless millions. Episode 125 turns this upside down, as Toppo is shown to be so overwhelmingly powerful, that it’s now Frieza who is left cowering as someone else rains down destruction. This extra context makes Frieza’s loss of control even more bittersweet. The comments of those watching also helped add to the moment and Krillin’s deathly intimate knowledge of how twisted Frieza can be truly capped things off.
Frieza is a great villain, and Super had to make Toppo even better if he was to compete against him. Up until now, Toppo has been a solid but otherwise silly character whose reliance on “Justice” based attacks can get a bit tiring. However, unlocking his “God of Destruction” potential was just what the character needed to get closer to Frieza’s level of villain. While his demeanor and mannerisms in this new form are fitting to the character, it’s his visual appearance that really sells it. His giant size next to Frieza made the former emperor look like a joke, and his ability to turn energy blasts into nothing but dust truly sells how mighty the warrior has become.
What takes Toppo above and beyond many others is that his core character has remained the same. Throughout Dragon Ball history, there have been great examples of physically imposing enemies. Broly comes to mind immediately, but what many of them lack is an interesting personality to support their incredible might. Throughout Episode 125 we see the exact opposite, as Toppo acts in a controlled, calm, and calculated manner. It made his few outbursts exhilarating and helped make Toppo even more intimidating.
Android 17’s scenes weren't as impactful but were entertaining all the same. His tactical way of fighting was particularly fun to watch as we saw him put Toppo through several different tests as he tried to find a weakness in this new God of Destruction. The androids' infinite energy make a unique opportunity for flashier fights, especially since it allows them to end up blasting torrents of energy balls all over the battlefield.
What helped keep Android 17 relevant during such a heated episode was his demeanor. He was a great counter to what was happening between Frieza and Toppo, as 17 is a very cold and calm person who shows virtually no emotion or concern in combat. His quick remarks also helped break up the intensity of the episode. I particularly enjoyed his quip about throwing a stone at Toppo but “accidentally” hitting Frieza instead.
THE VERDICT
Episode 125 is a rare treat as it’s all about showcasing the most villainous, vile person in Dragon Ball history: Frieza. What’s more, it does so incredibly well. Throughout the episode we see his psyche break, and the true, evil Frieza emerges, only to get thoroughly stomped. To compete with Frieza’s exceptional character, Toppo received a massive power boost, but it only yielded the best of results, as his giant size and incredible power turned him into an incredible force to be reckoned with
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