How strong is the Ginyu Force?

Key Takeaways

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

In his prime, Frieza the tyrant commands a vast army under the banner of his Planetary Trade Organization. His army consists of different species from different planets, each boasting remarkable combat power. He even employed powerful Saiyan warriors like Raditz and Vegeta.

There is, however, a 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. Touted as the best warriors in his army, how strong is the Ginyu Force actually?

What is the Ginyu Force?

Before we jump 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, while they are 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, to support his vast Planetary Conquering business, Frieza employs countless powerful soldiers to help him find new planets, kill the inhabitants, and either drain it out of its resources or sell the planet to the highest bidder. These soldiers are known throughout the universe as the Frieza Force.

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

“M-Master Frieza, wh-why the Ginyu Special Force? I’m afraid you will think me impertinent to say so, but I feel that there is no need to call them!”

–Zarbon, Dragon Ball Z Chapter 70

They are Actually Freelancers

The overwhelming majority of Frieza Forces are people whose planets have been conquered by Frieza. Before he obliterates or colonizes any planet, the Tyrant likes to offer 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, the members of the Ginyu Force are more akin to freelancers who get paid to do certain tasks. One thing’s for sure, only those whose strength has been acknowledged by Frieza himself can be a member of the Ginyu Force.

Who are the Members of the Ginyu Force?

The elite and highly respected Ginyu Forces have five members and we see them for the first time in 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 to his members. And unlike his boss, Frieza, Ginyu actually has a deep sense of honor, especially during combat. He dislikes fighting unarmed or wounded opponents or fighting just for the sake of hurting other people.

He is also deeply obsessed with striking what he considers to be marvelous combat poses. In fact, he is the one who responsible to creating the team poses and will be greatly displeased if the members strike the wrong pose. Likewise, he will also be visibly upset whenever somebody mocks their poses. Apart from remarkable combat prowess, Ginyu has the ability to swap bodies.

Jeice

Although Jeice is the second-in-command in the Ginyu Force, he can’t be more different than Captain Ginyu. While the two of them share the same passion for looking sharp and striking cool poses, their attitude in combat is vastly different.

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

Burter

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

Burter is the tallest and biggest member of the Ginyu Force. Interestingly enough, despite his brutish strength and arrogant nature, Burter takes on the role of the group’s strategist in the absence of Ginyu. So there is a decent tactical brain underneath those layers of muscle and arrogance. Burter’s most stand-out ability is his speed. He is a self-proclaimed fastest person in the universe.

Recoome

Recoome is the most flamboyant 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 combat.

Behind his jokey nature, however, Recoome is actually the most ruthless member of the force, borderline sadistic even. 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 that he is the odd one out of the group. He is short, plump, and barely has any strength in his body to defend himself. Not only that, but he is also a coward through and through.

He talks big when he is together with his team, but the moment he is in a one-on-one situation, the first thing he’ll do is try to flee the fight. The only reason why he is part of the Ginyu Force is because he has an extremely rare psychic ability. Guldo can stop time for as long as he can stop his breath, and he also has a rather powerful telekinetic ability.

How Strong is the Ginyu Force?

The previous sections have talked about the Ginyu Force, its members, and what they are capable of. But when it comes to pure combat prowess, how strong are they actually? Well, the answer is quite simple. They are the strongest people in Frieza’s organization.

The Strongest Under the Tyrant

We’ve briefly touched upon the fact that the overwhelming majority of the Frieza Forces comes from those whose planets have been conquered by Frieza. The exception is the Ginyu Force who is akin to freelancers, rather than direct employees like the rest of the Frieza Forces.

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

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

–Vegeta, Dragon Ball Z Chapter 77

Hurting Goku, Toying Vegeta

The Ginyu Force’s greatest display 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 Krilin and Gohan that they are levels above him in terms of combat prowess.

Forget the entire Ginyu Force, Vegeta was basically hopeless against Recoome while Gohan and Krilin 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 quite powerful indeed.

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

Power Difference Between Members

While the Ginyu Force are collectively stronger than everybody else in the Frieza Force, things get a bit complicated when we consider their individual prowess. Ginyu and Recoome are remarkable close-quarter combatants while Jeice and Burter are specialists that will do well in the right situations.

Guldo, on the other hand, is the glass cannon of the team. In the right circumstances, he can easily decimate his opponents with his psychic abilities, but he doesn’t have the physical power to go against those who can break free from his psychic. This differences in power between the members is the reasons why they are so effective and versatile as a team, but the individual combat results can be vastly 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 Goku together in a 5 v 1 situation, the result might’ve been different. Unfortunately for them, they are too arrogant and proud to use that strategy. In the end, it is hubris that brings down the most powerful warriors in the Frieza Force.3

Dragon Ball is available to stream on Crunchyroll.