How strong is the Ginyu Force?

Key recommendations

• The Ginyu Force, Frieza's elite team, is the strongest in his army, second only to Frieza himself.
• Each member, chosen by Frieza, has unique strengths that make them a formidable team.
• Individually, their power levels vary, but collectively they pose a significant threat to Goku and his allies.

In his prime, the tyrant Frieza commands a vast army under the banner of his Planetary Trade Organization. His army is made up of different species from different planets, each with remarkable fighting power. He even hired powerful Saiyan warriors like Raditz and Vegeta.

There is, however, one team that is leaps and bounds ahead of the other warriors in this impressive organization. They are called the Ginyu Force. They are Frieza's pride and joy. Considered the best warriors in his army, how strong is the Ginyu Force really?

What is the Ginyu Force?

Before we get into the strength of the Ginyu Force, both individually and as a team, let's take some time to talk about who they are first. After all, even though they're pretty well known among Dragon Ball fans, some casual viewers might not know who they are.

A team of super elite warriors

As mentioned earlier, in order to support his vast enterprise of planetary conquest, Frieza hires countless powerful soldiers to help him find new planets, kill the inhabitants, and either drain him of his resources or sell the planet to the best bidder. These soldiers are known throughout the universe as the Frieza Force.

Among the countless members of the Frieza Force, the most elite of them belong to a group known as the Ginyu Force. In terms of power, they are second only to Frieza, which is why they report directly to him. They only do missions that are considered impossible to accomplish by the other members of the Frieza Force.

“M-Master Frieza, why the Ginyu Special Force? I'm afraid you'll think I'm impertinent to say this, but I feel there's no need to call them!”

–Zarbon, Dragon Ball Z Chapter 70

They are actually freelancers

The overwhelming majority of the Frieza Forces are humans whose planets were conquered by Frieza. Before destroying or colonizing any planet, the Tyrant likes to give the strongest warriors on the planet a chance to work for him. If they comply, they will join the Frieza Forces. If they refuse, Frieza will kill them.

The Ginyu Force is different. Rather than forced labor like the rest of the Frieza Force, members of the Ginyu Force are more like freelancers who are paid to perform certain tasks. One thing is for sure, only those whose strength has been recognized by Frieza himself can be members of the Ginyu Force.

Who are the members of the Ginyu Force?

The elite and highly respected Ginyu forces have five members and we first see them on Planet Namek. They are Guldo, Recoome, Burter, Jeice the vice-captain and the captain himself, Ginyu.

Captain Ginyu

Contrary to his status as a villain, Ginyu actually has quite a few heroic qualities. He is a fair leader who is kind but strict with his members. And unlike his boss Frieza, Ginyu actually has a deep sense of honor, especially during battle. He doesn't like fighting unarmed or injured opponents or fighting just for the sake of hurting other people.

He is also deeply obsessed with striking what he considers to be awesome fighting poses. In fact, he is the one responsible for creating the team pose and will be very displeased if the members get the positions wrong. He will also be visibly upset whenever someone makes fun of his poses. Aside from his outstanding fighting prowess, Ginyu has the ability to change bodies.

Jeice

Although Jeice is the second-in-command of the Ginyu Force, he couldn't be more different from Captain Ginyu. While the two share the same passion for showing sharp and striking poses, their attitude in battle is very different.

Jeice is not one to shy away from using dirty tactics to gain an advantage in a fight. He will even attack his opponent from behind and will gladly hurt unarmed or injured opponents. The moment he realizes that the opponent is stronger than him, however, he will cower like a coward. Jeice is the Ki Blast master of the group.

Burter

Speaking of Ginyu Force members who are far from their captain, Burter should be at the top of the list. Unlike Ginyu, Burter is incredibly arrogant. He is the type of person who looks down on his opponents and will use any trick to win. He is also extremely proud and narcissistic.

Burter is the tallest and largest member of the Ginyu Force. Interestingly enough, despite his brute strength and arrogant nature, Burter takes on the role of the group's strategist in Ginyu's absence. So there's a decent tactical brain under those layers of brawn and arrogance. Burter's most notable ability is his speed. He is the self-proclaimed fastest man in the universe.

Recoome

Recoome is the most extravagant member of the group. He is even more obsessed than Captain Ginyu when it comes to striking a pose and looking cool. He is also the least serious member of the group and has a tendency to fool around and make stupid jokes even during battle.

Behind his joking nature, however, Recoome is actually the most ruthless member of the force, even borderline sadistic. He will go out of his way to torture his opponents and find joy in their pain. Recoome's greatest quality is his raw strength and endurance.

Guldo

One look at Guldo and you can safely assume he's the odd one out of the bunch. He is short, stocky, and barely has the strength in his body to defend himself. Not only that, but he is also a coward through and through.

He talks big when he's with his team, but the moment he's in a one-on-one situation, the first thing he'll do is try to run away from the fight. The only reason he is part of the Ginyu Force is because he has an extremely rare psychic ability. Guldo can stop time as long as he can stop his breathing, and he also has a pretty powerful telekinetic ability.

How strong is the Ginyu Force?

The previous sections talked about the Ginyu Force, its members and what they are capable of. But when it comes to sheer prowess in battle, how strong are they really? Well, the answer is quite simple. They are the most powerful people in Frieza's organization.

The strongest under the tyrant

I briefly touched on the fact that the overwhelming majority of the Frieza Forces come from those whose planets were conquered by Frieza. The exception is the Ginyu Force, who resemble freelancers rather than direct employees like the rest of the Frieza Forces.

So how can they be freelancers while others have to be forced labor? The answer is because Frieza allows them. In fact, each member of the Ginyu Force was chosen by Frieza himself. The only reason he chose them is simply because the Tyrant recognizes their power. In a way, they are Frieza's strongest and most trusted warriors. That's why they are feared and admired within Frieza's organization. That fact alone should already tell you how powerful they are.

“Listen, you idiot! Every member of the Ginyu Force is about the same… No, they might be stronger than me! And there are five of them!”

– Vegeta, Dragon Ball Z Chapter 77

They hurt Goku, they play with Vegeta

The Ginyu Force's greatest show of strength is their fight against Goku, Vegeta, and the other Z-fighters on Planet Namek. When the Ginyu Force first appeared on screen, Vegeta was visibly afraid of them. Vegeta even begrudgingly admitted to Krillin and Gohan that they were levels above him in terms of combat prowess.

Forget the entire Ginyu Force, Vegeta was practically hopeless against Recoome, while Gohan and Krillin were nearly killed by Guldo. Even Goku was struggling against Ginyu, especially when the captain used his special ability. So as you can see they are really quite powerful.

Yes, Goku and the others eventually defeat them, and Frieza himself is far stronger than the entire Ginyu Force, but that doesn't take away from the fact that they are stronger than the overwhelming majority of their peers.

Power differential between members

While the Ginyu Force is collectively stronger than everyone else in the Frieza Force, things get a little more complicated when considering their individual prowess. Ginyu and Recoome are outstanding fighters, while Jeice and Burter are specialists who will do well in the right situations.

Guldo, on the other hand, is the glass cannon of the team. Under the right circumstances, he can easily decimate his opponents with his psychic abilities, but lacks the physical strength to go against those who can break free of his psyche. This difference in power between the members is why they are so effective and versatile as a team, but individual fight results can be very different.

In a way, one of the reasons why Goku and the Z Fighters can win against the Ginyu Force is because they fight them one by one. If the Ginyu Force fought together with Goku in a 5 vs. 1 situation, the result would have been different. Unfortunately for them, they are too arrogant and proud to use this strategy. In the end, it is pride that brings down the strongest warriors in the Frieza Force.3

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