Frieza has always been an iconic Dragon Ball villain. First introduced in the Frieza Saga, he has stuck around in the series for quite a while and even plays an important role in Super. Right from their first encounter, Goku has always bested the tyrant in most of their battles.
However, a recent power-up has implied that now Frieza has surpassed the Saiyan and has achieved a different level of power. In Dragon Ball Super chapter 87, Frieza arrives at the scene and basically wipes out everyone. Here's a look at how he has always been one step ahead.
Dragon Ball proves that Frieza has always been the superior warrior compared to Son Goku
Goku and Frieza first met on Planet Namek. The tyrant came in search of Dragon Balls to wish immortality for himself while the Z Fighters wanted them for another purpose. Anyhow, they crossed paths and Goku and Frieza ended up facing each other in an intense battle.
This was the first time Frieza was defeated by the Saiyan but that too, some say, narrowly, had Goku not deflected his Death Saucer. The attack was an improvement on Krillin's Destructo Disc. Carrying higher destructive power, it had the added ability of directional manipulation mid-flight.
However, taking Frieza's Death Saucer as an example, he has been ahead of Goku from the beginning. Even when Goku used the same move against Buu, it could not be compared to Frieza's version, proving that he had superior technique.
Following that, the two progressively got stronger and faced off multiple times, with the Saiyan raised on Earth standing tall each time.
Additionally, despite fighting tons of battles, Frieza was the superior warrior. Evident from the Tournament of Power, for instance, he proved he was a master tactician, a seasoned warrior, and an accomplished ruler who understood his power and knew how to build on it - Golden Frieza and now Black Frieza.
As seen previously in Dragon Ball, with Goku and Vegeta consistently breaking their limits and achieving new forms, Frieza wasn't to be left behind. Through intense training, he unlocked his Golden form which rivaled and surpassed Super Saiyan Blue. Quite impressive on his part to outdo their strength.
Recently, in Dragon Ball chapter 87, Frieza shocked everyone by transforming into a newer form, something he called Black Frieza. He downed Ultra Instinct Goku and Ultra Ego Vegeta in a single punch and annihilated Gas.
This was the fruit of another intense round of training. Based on what he said, he had been training in a chamber where time flowed differently. Thus, it allowed him to "squeeze in 10 years' worth of training". His new form has now surpassed the two Saiyans' godly powers by quite a margin.
Final thoughts
Frieza has been a villain loved by fans in the Dragon Ball community. He has been the only one to have consistently challenged the two protagonists time and again. Each defeat worked in his favor as he grew and gained experience.
While the Saiyans were achieving flashy forms and unlocking powerful abilities, he was doing the same behind the scenes. Black Frieza is a testament to the fact that Frieza is a superior warrior to Goku and has always been, with his Death Saucer standing as a prime example of his abilities and technique.