*groan* "Everything looks the goddamn same on this goddamn planet! Wait a minute... a body! SOCIAL ACTIVITY!!!"
— Piccolo
Original Airdate: August 26, 2011
Nail cons Piccolo into helping him cheat death.
The epic battle of Freeza and Team Three Star begins...and quickly goes south. Meanwhile, desperate for some "SOCIAL ACTIVITYYYY!" Piccolo finds and fuses with Nail.Kiss my tropes, bitch! I'm immortal!
- Badass Boast: Vegeta declares that he has become a Super Saiyan before his fight with Freeza. Freeza seems to have heard the legend before and sighs out a "Here We Go" during this.
- Big Damn Heroes: Piccolo comes in to help the gang to the tune of Magus' battle theme.
- Bread, Eggs, Milk, Squick: After learning that Gohan and Krillin are from Earth, Freeza decides to stop over there on his way home, "pick up some space eggs, some space milk and BLOW IT THE F*CK UP!"Freeza: Oh, I'm sorry. I'm usually far more composed. I'm just a little bit absolutely livid.
- Call-Back:
- Krillin once again quacks like a duck upon seeing Freeza. He also brings up how difficult it is for him to stop talking whenever he's scared.
- When talking to Nail, Piccolo says he's switched from MySpace to Spacebook.
- Vegeta once again mentions throwing dog treats at Guldo.
- Upon Freeza transforming, Gohan asks Krillin if he can feel Freeza's increased power level. Krillin responds by saying he can taste it, referencing their reactions to Vegeta's Scream back in Episode 18.
- Upon meeting Piccolo, Freeza attempts to use his "How many Namekians does it take to screw in a lightbulb?" joke from The Stinger of Episode 23. Piccolo replies with "Just one," after uppercutting Freeza into a crevice.
- Can Not Keep A Secret: Freeza prepares to mention that he is capable of transforming into a stronger form, but Vegeta beats him to the part. When Freeza asks when and how, he says that Guldo told him back in the day.
- Dangerous Forbidden Technique: Nail discussing fusing with Piccolo:Nail: There's a special ability our people share. Forbidden, even amongst our most sacred clans.
Piccolo: And we're just gonna abuse it?
Nail: Oh, maliciously!
Piccolo: Bitchin'! How we do? - Everybody Knew Already: Freeze prepares to reveal his transformation ability, but Vegeta already knows about it.Freeza: OK. When and how?
Vegeta: Guldo told me. [...] And then I threw a dog treat at him. True story. - Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap!: Krillin at first was told he was immortal when he was healed from his impalement. Vegeta reacts thus:Vegeta: How the Hell did he get up?! I swear, if he used that wish of immortality on himself, I am going to murder— (beat) that... bastard.
- Fusion Dance: Piccolo and Nail do this in order to take on Freeza.
- Gag Echo: After mocking Piccolo's self-motivational speech as mentioned under Mythology Gag, Nail repeats it as Piccolo flies off to confront Freeza, much to Piccolo's annoyance.
- Horrible Judge of Character: In a flashback, Councilor Nappa thinks that King Vegeta just sitting down with Freeza and telling him not to blow up his planet will convince Freeza to do so, simply because he "likes the cut of [Freeza's] jib."
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Freeza puts his horn right through Krillin's liver. After (seemingly) disposing of him, he states that impalement is his favorite method of death.
- Implied Death Threat: Vegeta mentions that both he and Freeza were denied their quest for immortality since the Namekian Dragon Balls have lost power. Freeza responds that despite this, only he will "live long enough to regret it".
- Lampshade Hanging: Once again, it's stated by Gohan to Krillin how obviously almost any foe could be beaten by the combination of the Solar Flare and the Kienzan Disc after Krillin uses the Solar Flare to escape Freeza.Krillen: So I thought fast and I used the Solar Flare on him!
Gohan: And then you used your Kienzan to cut him in half?
Krillin: ..Uuum..
Freeza: I WILL MOUNT YOUR HEAD WHERE MY TAIL USED TO BE!!
Krillin: To answer your question Gohan...No, I did not do that. - Mathematician's Answer: During Freeza's flashback, one of the Saiyans informs King Vegeta about Bardock's ranting about Freeza destroying Vegeta. The elder Vegeta replies with "My son, the planet, or me?", to which the Saiyan hesitantly answers "Yes", earning his death.King Vegeta: Freakin' smartass...
- Medium Awareness: There are scenes in Freeza's flashback that he was not a part of and Vegeta was quick to call him out on it. Freeza simply hand waves it via transformation and continues fighting.
- Mythology Gag: Upon Piccolo fusing with Nail, he begins his "I can win! I feel great! I! Can! Do! This!" self-motivational speech from the original English dub as Bruce Faulconer's "Piccolo and Nail Fuse" theme plays in the background. Inside Piccolo's head, Nail asks him what he's doing, deflating the mood.
- No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Gohan manages to briefly catch Freeza by surprise with a rage-filled attack on him after Freeza impales Krillin.
- Please, Don't Leave Me: Played for Laughs when Dende is healing Gohan.Dende: Come on, you can't leave me alone here. You're the only one I can talk to!
- Properly Paranoid: King Vegeta orders Nappa to take [Prince] Vegeta away from [Planet] Vegeta in case his negotiations with Freeza "go south". The king and nearly every other Saiyan are wiped out by Freeza afterwards, so he clearly made the right choice.
- Retcon: In-Universe, Piccolo references going from being a demon in the original Dragon Ball to a slug-like alien here.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Freeza's scouter displays the message "F*ck this! I'm out!" before exploding, unable to scan Vegeta's increasing power level.
- Shout-Out:
- Freeza sarcastically replies to Vegeta's "Super Saiyan" speech by saying that Vegeta "went on to slay the Jabberwocky and save Narnia."
- In Freeza's Flashback, Councilor Nappa is wearing a turban clearly modeled off of Jafar's.
- After King Vegeta asks if he can talk with Freeza, he kills the king while using the Shoryuken from Street Fighternote . Afterwards the SF arcade announcer can be heard saying "K.O.! You Win!" Complete with Freeza saying Chun-Li's "Yatta."
- Upon transforming, Freeza begins singing his own version of "My Favorite Things."
- Freeza raises the "Krillin Owned" count so much that he starts getting 1Ups.
- During his No-Holds-Barred Beatdown on Freeza, Gohan says "Gohan smash effeminate alien! Gohan strongest there is!"
- Piccolo makes his Big Damn Heroes entrance near the end of the episode to Magus' battle theme.
- Sophisticated as Hell: Gohan let's out some interesting lines after Freeza pushes him past the Rage Breaking Point by impaling Krillen and leaving him for dead in the ocean just before pounding Freeza around.Gohan: You..condescending..sadistic..callous..MOTHERF*%&@R!!.
Freeza: Pardon?
Gohan: GOHAN SMASH EFFEMINATE ALIEN!! GOHAN STRONGEST THERE IS!! - Spoofed with Their Own Words: Piccolo's motivational speech? Comes straight from the original Funimation English dub.
- Third-Person Flashback: Freeza gives us one to the destruction of the Saiyans. All Vegeta really wants to know is, "How did you know about the parts you weren't there for?"
- Troll:
- Even while critically injured, Nail is this to Piccolo while using the fusion ritual. He tells him to go lower until he reaches his crotch. Then...
Nail: Ah! If we had junk, you'd be gay right now.- Dende telling Krillin that he's immortal after healing his wound from Freeza's impaling of him definitely counts as this.
Krillin: Holy crap, thank God I'm immortal!
Dende: Actually, I healed you, you idiot!
Krillin: Wait, so I could've died back there?!
Vegeta: Yeah. And unlike the runt and I, you don't get a power boost from it.
Krillin: HAX! I CALL HAX! - Villain Song: Freeza somehow manages to turn "My Favorite Things" into one:Freeza: ♪ Peaceful young races with fires on their houses ♫
♪ Millions of voices all silenced like mouses ♫
♪ Watching these cowards bow to their new king ♫
♪ These are a few of my favorite things! ♫
Krillin: Is it just me, or is he singing to himself? - Would You Like to Hear How They Died?: Freeza reveals how he killed Prince Vegeta's father, King Vegeta, before he blew up Planet Vegeta. The prince himself doesn't seem that shocked or angry since he already learned about it, but is aware that Freeza remembers it fondly.Vegeta: ...so it's "ha-ha" funny.
- Word of Gay: In-Universe, Guldo reveals Burter to have been this.
Freeza: Now tell me if you've heard this one. How many Namekians does it take to—(gets punched into next week)
Piccolo: Just one.
Piccolo: Just one.
