Dragon Ball Super’s newest manga volume, volume 24, is set for release on July 30, 2025, in Japan, and early looks at the new volume are already teasing what to expect next by featuring Black Frieza extensively on the back cover. The villain’s appearance in his newest, most powerful form is already sparking rumors about his upcoming story arc in the series.
Frieza is, of course, one of the biggest and most notable villains inDragon Ballhistory. After being revived following the Tournament of Power, Frieza has been training extensively, having found a hyperbolic time chamber on another planet which he could use. In so doing,Frieza unlocked his new Black form, a step above Golden Frieza, and proceeded to show up unexpectedly and teach Goku and Vegeta a lesson. Surprisingly, he left the Saiyans alive to wallow in their defeat, suggesting that he has a more complex plan in the works that may need Goku and Vegeta alive, at least for now.
Black Frieza Graces the Back of Volume 24
Black Frieza Acts As a Reminder of What Threats Still Lay Out There
The front cover for volume 24 showed Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, Gohan, and Broly in their most powerful forms, so it only feels fair to have Frieza in his strongest form on the back cover as a reminder of what they still have yet to face. The art of Black Frieza on the back had actually been seen before, in the lead-up to Jump Festa 2025 back in December, but it serves to keep the new form in the minds of fans. While Black Frieza hasn’t been seen in the manga for quite some time, last appearing in chapter 87, fans have definitely kept it in their thoughts, eagerly anticipating Frieza’s eventual showdown with Goku and Vegeta.
The Black Frieza arc has been hotly anticipated since the form made its debut, so many fans were a little disappointed to learn thatDragon Ball Superwould instead be adaptingSuper Herorather than moving into a new original arc.Then, right asSuper Hero’s adaptation ended, Akira Toriyama passed away, sending the manga on hiatus for nearly a year before chapter 104 was published back in February. The Black Frieza arc is fully expected to be the next storyline whenDragon Ball Superofficially returns to serialization, although there has been no official confirmation that will be the case.
Black Frieza Brings New Challenges for Dragon Ball’s Heroes
Frieza’s New Form Sports Incredible Power
Of course, now that the Black Frieza arc will be taking place afterSuper Hero, Goku and Vegeta won’t necessarily have to face him alone.Gohan and Piccolo have their own powerful new forms, and Broly has managed to gain a degree of control over his berserk transformations, so the heroes have plenty of help to deal with Frieza, if they should need it. Whatever Frieza’s latest scheme is, he may not be prepared to face so many opponents. With Frieza teased once more on volume 24’s back cover, fans can only hope that the villain’s return toDragon Ball Superwill be sooner rather than later.
