Death Beam

The Death Beam is deceptively simple. Frieza extends his arm, points his index finger at a target, and fires a thin, concentrated laser of ki that travels at extraordinary speed. The beam is so fast that most fighters cannot react to it, and so precise that Frieza can target specific body parts with surgical accuracy. Unlike wider energy waves that engulf targets in explosive force, the Death Beam punches clean through whatever it hits.

Frieza has also demonstrated the ability to fire the beam from his thumb, and can rapid-fire multiple beams in sequence. The technique requires minimal energy per shot, allowing Frieza to use it dozens of times without significant ki drain, making it his go-to attack for both casual murder and serious combat.

The Death Beam's body count on Namek alone is staggering. In the manga, Frieza uses it to kill the young Namekian child Cargo. He pierces Dende with it after the young healer becomes too much of a tactical advantage for the heroes. Vegeta falls to a barrage of Death Beams, each shot puncturing his body while Frieza toys with the Saiyan prince, turning his execution into a slow, agonizing spectacle.

When Frieza fires it at Goku, Piccolo throws himself in the beam's path, nearly dying from the wound. Once Goku achieves Super Saiyan, however, the Death Beam bounces harmlessly off his body, illustrating the enormous power gap the transformation creates.

The Resurrection of F

In Dragon Ball Super and the Resurrection 'F' film, a powered-up Frieza uses an enhanced red Death Beam to obliterate an entire city. He also uses the technique to torture Tagoma, shooting him in multiple limbs after the soldier dares to offer unsolicited strategic advice. Frieza later fires it at Gohan in a PTSD-fueled rage, mistaking him for Goku, which results in Piccolo's death once again as the Namekian takes the hit for his student.

Cell uses the Death Beam thanks to Frieza's cells in his genetic makeup, employing it during the Cell Games to execute Future Trunks with a beam through the chest. King Cold and Cooler both possess their own versions, and Frost from Universe 6 uses a variant called the Chaos Beam.

The technique has spawned one of the largest variation families in Dragon Ball: the Death Laser, Barrage Death Beam, Golden Death Beam, Emperor's Death Beam, Cage of Light, and many more. In the Dragon Ball Super: Broly film, Frieza uses the Death Beam to assassinate Paragus specifically to trigger Broly's Super Saiyan transformation, demonstrating that even after all these years, Frieza's favorite weapon remains a single, perfectly placed beam from his fingertip.