Directory: Characters → Villains → DBZ villains → Frieza's henchmen
"He should've taken my advice back on Planet Vegeta. I tried talking some sense into him, but oh well." |
Cui (キュイ Kyui, lit. "Kewi") is an elite soldier who serves under Frieza in the Frieza Force.
Quick Answers
What is the relationship between Cui and Frieza in Dragon Ball Z?
How does Cui's personality affect his interactions with Vegeta?
What is the significance of Cui's indigo skin and fish-faced appearance?
What is the role of Cui in the Frieza Force?
Appearance
Cui is an indigo-skinned, scaly, fish-faced alien. With the exception of his boots being green (white in the manga), he wears the common Battle Armor and a green Scouter.
Personality
Cui is a rather cocky character who easily underestimates many of his enemies but has a cowardly side when confronted by an opponent too strong for him. He treats Vegeta with a great deal of rudeness and contempt, and he seems to regard other Saiyans with contempt. Like many members of the Frieza Force he has no regard for the lives of other races and will kill for fun.
Biography
Background
Cui in the midst of destroying a planet
In the anime, when Gohan, Krillin, and Bulma stumble into an unknown spacecraft, they find out that the inhabitants' planet was attacked by a battalion of Frieza's army, which was led by Cui. Cui single-handedly managed to slay all in his path and the survivors of the onslaught (who were led by Zeshin), told the story of his domination.[3] Cui was initially more powerful than Vegeta in the years he was working under Frieza.
Dragon Ball Z
Frieza Saga
Cui as he appears in the Frieza Saga
After Vegeta recuperates on Planet Frieza 79 from his fierce battle on Earth against Goku, Gohan, Krillin, and Yajirobe, Cui approaches Vegeta to give him some surprising news: Frieza is already on Namek and he is searching for the Dragon Balls alongside his top henchmen, Zarbon and Dodoria. Vegeta is furious about this because he hoped to collect the Dragon Balls for his own desire to obtain immortality. Cui mocks Vegeta, but this does not destroy Vegeta's confidence. In fact, Vegeta jumps into a space pod and speeds straight to Planet Namek in order to gain control of the situation himself, while Cui is left yelling and screaming after Vegeta, ordering him to stop.[4] However, during this brief intermission, Cui gets the order from Frieza that he can freely eliminate Vegeta. Cui, who has waited for Frieza's approval for quite some time to eliminate his arch-rival, decides to take action by boarding a space pod and following Vegeta. Once they both arrive on Namek, Cui traces Vegeta with his scouter and comes face to face with him.
Vegeta kills Cui
Cui claims to have gotten stronger and threatens that he will easily defeat Vegeta. However, Vegeta lets him in on a secret: his power level has increased substantially because of his previous defeat, and he also learned how to control its output and hide it. Cui expected Vegeta's power level to be approximately the same as his (18,000), but this was a complete underestimation of his archrival. Vegeta surprises Cui with his extremely high-power rating of 24,000 and overwhelms him with an astounding demonstration of his aura, destroying Cui's scouter in the process, also frightening Cui. However, Cui decides to try and trick Vegeta, saying that Frieza was behind him and taking the opportunity to launch an array of powerful blasts. After the dust clears, Cui laughs and thinks himself the victor, but is surprised shortly thereafter when Vegeta appears behind him and tells him that his speed increased as well, since he was able to dodge the blasts in a split second. At this point, Cui decides to flee the battle, tripping as he frantically and fearfully dashes upward. Vegeta, being the ruthless warrior that he is, flies right after him. He slams Cui's stomach swiftly, cracking his armor and propelling him into the sky. He then smiles and mercilessly blasts Cui to smithereens in midair.[5]
Dragon Ball GT
Super 17 Saga
Cui escapes from Hell alongside many villains
Cui made a cameo appearance when he was unleashed once more from Hell and terrorized the Earth alongside a slew of villains.[6] However, he was defeated once more by the Z Fighters.
Super Dragon Ball Heroes
Supreme Kai of Time Saga
An incarnation of Cui appears as one of the competitors in the Super Space-Time Tournament, along with Mecha Frieza, Zarbon, Dodoria, Shisami, Tagoma, and Sorbet.[7] As a result of his team failing to advance to the second round of the tournament, Cui and his space-time were erased.
Demon Invader Saga
In one particular Space-Time, Cui is absorbed by Majin Ozotto.[8]
Film appearances
Fusion Reborn
Cui, Medamatcha, Frieza, Zeeun, Medas, and Rasin/Lakasei appear in Fusion Reborn
Along with countless other Dragon Ball antagonists, Cui makes a cameo appearance when the residents of Hell make their escape to Earth. Cui escapes from Hell alongside dozens of villains from the past when Frieza gives the order to attack. However, he was presumably defeated again and sent back to Hell when Gohan comes to stop Frieza's onslaught.
Broly
Cui's brief cameo in Broly
Cui, or someone from his race, can be seen flying with Dodoria and Zarbon towards King Vegeta's palace on Planet Vegeta, when King Cold arrived to inform the Saiyans he is retiring and that Frieza will be taking over the Cold Force, renaming it the Frieza Force.
Other Dragon Ball stories
Dragon Ball Online
Cui when under Towa's control in Dragon Ball Online
In the fifth Time Machine Quest, after Cui is defeated by Vegeta, his remains are found by Towa, who resurrects him and brainwashes him with a green Time Breaker stone. Towa reveals Cui to Time Patrol Trunks and his allies and attempts to transform Cui into a giant for the battle but, due to her experiment not being complete, it causes him to shrink slightly instead. However, Cui's power is enhanced, and Towa sends him to fight the Time Patrol. Cui manages to hold his own, but he is eventually defeated and killed once more.
Power
- Manga and Anime
Zarbon and Cui himself both reference Cui as having been stronger than Vegeta was last time they saw him, leading to their shared belief that Cui can defeat him. Cui states that Vegeta's power level should be equal to his own power; since Vegeta is stated to be 18,000 by Dodoria,[9] Cui's power level should be 18,000.
However, due to Vegeta having done numerous planet assaults while Cui was not doing any sort of combat training, he was able to completely surpass Cui thanks to his Saiyan Power as well refining his ability to control his power (allowing Vegeta to suppress and raise as need be), thus allowing him to deceive Cui, who, like most of Frieza's army, relied too heavily on Scouter readings, before Vegeta showed off his newfound abilities and power level of 24,000, annihilating Cui despite his best efforts (even resorting to trickery, which failed due to Vegeta's superior speed).
Abilities
Bomb Strike
- Bomb Strike – First, Cui prepares a red aura around himself and flies at his opponent, crashing into them directly to inflict a moderate amount of damage.
- Finger Beam – The user holds out their index finger and releases an energy beam from their fingertip. Used in the anime only.
- Full Power Energy Wave – To use it, the user starts by charging an Energy Sphere in their hand(s). Then, they draw their hand(s) forward and fire the energy sphere in the form of an energy wave at the opponent, inflicting a great amount of damage. Called Dustard Impact in Dragon Ball Heroes.[10] In Super Dragon Ball Heroes: World Mission, Dustard Impact is localized in English as Dastardly Impact.[11]
- Continuous Energy Bullet – The user usually brings their arms to their sides, charges up ki, and then he throws his hands forward one after another as he rapidly fires many energy blasts.
- Ah! Lord Frieza! – First, Cui charges at the opponent, but stops and backs away from them cowardly. Then, he looks behind his opponent and shouts "Lord Frieza!" making the opponent look away. While the opponent is distracted, Cui blasts them with a powerful barrage of reddish-orange energy waves, finishing with a powerful blast, inflicting a great deal of damage.
- Flash Beam – Cui launches a barrage of energy blasts at his opponent and then releases a strong red ball of ki, which causes a massive accumulation of damage for his opponent.
- Exploding Wave – One of Cui's techniques in Dragon Ball Z II: Gekishin Freeza.
- False Courage – One of Cui's Blast 1 in the Budokai Tenkaichi series.
- Sleep – One of Cui's Blast 1 in the Budokai Tenkaichi series.
- Feint - Cui's signature attack in Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2.
- Time Breaker Cui
In Dragon Ball Online, after being defeated by Vegeta in Age 762, Towa resurrects and brainwashes him to serve the Time Breakers. In this form he has a green Time Breaker gem on his Battle Armor and red eyes.
- Failed Giant Form
- Scouter - A wearable, all-purpose computer.
- Attack Ball - A spaceship used for interstellar travel.
Manga Appearances
Appearances in Other Media
Video Game Appearances
Cui in Tenkaichi Tag Team
Cui in Raging Blast 2
- Dragon Ball Z II: Gekishin Freeza
- Dragon Ball Z: Super Saiya Densetsu
- Dragon Ball Z: Super Gokuden: Kakusei-Hen
- Dragon Ball Z: Goku Gekitōden
- Dragon Ball Z: Budokai
- Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2
- Dragon Ball Z: Harukanaru Densetsu
- Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3
- Dragon Ball Z: Tenkaichi Tag Team
- Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2
- Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Tenkaichi
- Dragon Ball Z For Kinect
- Dragon Ball Z: Budokai HD Collection
- Dragon Ball Heroes
- Dragon Ball Z: Dokkan Battle
- Super Dragon Ball Heroes: World Mission
- Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot
- Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero
In Gekishin Freeza, Cui is a boss and gets two color edits that appear as recurring foes: the blue Gonma (ゴンマー) and the red Payer (パイヤー).
In Super Saiya Densetsu, Cui is a boss and gets two color edits: the teal Gorin (ゴリン) (called "Cid" or "Grig" in English versions) and the green Strob (ストロブ) (called "Zoak" or "Nezio" in English versions).
In Super Gokuden: Kakusei-Hen, Goku Gekitōden, and Harukanaru Densetsu, Cui is a boss.
In Budokai, Cui is seen in a cutscene talking to Vegeta on Planet Frieza 79. According to the voice files, Cui was set to appear,[12] but for some reason that never happened, and he was replaced by (most likely) Great Saiyaman.
Cui's first playable appearance is in Budokai Tenkaichi 2 and his character is often used as a generic Frieza Soldier. For example, in the "Final Battle" saga, three Cuis appear to fight Bardock, while in the what-if saga Beautiful Treachery, Cui is a messenger for Cooler. If Cui is pitted against a Super Saiyan Vegeta in a versus mode, they will have special dialogue and Vegeta will question how he wants to be destroyed.
The resurrected Cui taking part in Frieza's revenge in Kakarot
In Kakarot, Cui appears as a boss that Vegeta fights on Planet Namek. As part of the A New Power Awakens, Episode 2 DLC, Cui is among the members of Frieza's Elite that join their leader in taking part in Frieza's revenge in the game's iteration of the Golden Frieza Saga.
Voice Actors
- Japanese: Kōji Totani † (DBZ and Budokai), Naoki Imamura (Budokai Tenkaichi 2 and 3), Eiji Takemoto (DBZ Kai and other games)
- English:
- German dub: Klaus-Dieter Klebsch
- Italian dub: Pino Pirovano
- French dub: Eric Legrand
- Spanish:
- Castilian Spanish dub: Ángel Corpa (DBZ Episode 43), Antonio Villar (DBZ Episode 45), Jorge Tomé (DBZ Kai)
- Latin American Spanish dub: Ricardo Hill (DBZ), Ricardo Tejedo (DBZ Kai)
- Portuguese:
- Brazilian Portuguese dub: Tatá Guarnieri (DBZ), Raul Schlosser (DBZ Kai)
- European Portuguese dub: António Semedo †
- Catalan dub: Xavier Fernández
- Greek dub: Manos Venieris
Battles
- Dragon Ball Z
- Cui vs. Vegeta
Trivia
- Cui's name in Japanese is an alternate spelling of the kiwi fruit.
- Interestingly, Cui's dialogue with Vegeta on Planet Frieza 79 slightly differs in the anime and manga. In the English dub anime, Cui insults Vegeta for getting beaten by a low-class Saiyan (presumably referring to Goku). In the Original dub and manga, Cui insults Vegeta for allowing his comrades Raditz and Nappa to get killed on Earth.
- Two other members of Cui's race appear in "Namek's Destruction" during the Frieza Saga. One of them was killed by the other when he insulted Frieza and took him for dead. The other held the rank of Commander and died as a result of a monitor explosion when one of the soldiers tried to read Goku's power level. On a related note, it's implied in this scene that Cui's species was nearly driven to extinction by Frieza and that Cui, the unnamed foot soldier, and the commander were the only ones left of the species (which was the main reason why the foot soldier had absolutely no love or respect towards Frieza and proudly declared him dead).
- The commander in question, named Gonma in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, states in the original Japanese that he is grateful to Frieza for increasing his family's social rank within the Frieza Force. Given Gonma's strong resemblance to Cui, its plausible that they share familial relations. This may explain how Cui was able to throw his weight around with Vegeta despite the latter clearly outclassing him in terms of fighting ability, even if they were supposedly equal at around 18,000.
- Cui's name is pronounced differently in both English dubs. In the Funimation dub, the "Cu" of his name is pronounced like a "Qu" and the "i" sounding like an "e". In the Ocean dub, the "Cu" is pronounced as such, while the "i" also sounds like an "e". This making the FUNimation dub's version sounding like "Cwe" and the Ocean dub's version sounding like "Cu-e". The name "Cui" is very close to the Ecuadorian delicacy known as Cuy.
- In the Ocean Dub for the episode "Held Captive", the dialogue among the Mirror ship occupants made it seem as though Cui was supposed to be Frieza and that he had personally led the invasion when in reality he had just been invading the planet on Frieza's orders. This was most likely because, at the time Ocean dubbed the episode, Frieza had not yet gotten a formal debut.
Gallery
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Dragon Ball Online, 2010
- ↑ Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn, 1995
- ↑ Dragon Ball Z episode 40, "Held Captive"
- ↑ Dragon Ball Z episode 43, "A Friendly Surprise"
- ↑ Dragon Ball Z episode 45, "Frieza Strikes!"
- ↑ Dragon Ball GT episode 42, "A Dangerous Union"
- ↑ Super Dragon Ball Heroes episode 41, "A Plan In Motion! The Mightiest Warriors From Across Space-Time Assemble!"
- ↑ Super Dragon Ball Heroes: Meteor Mission! chapter 11, "All-Out Battle"
- ↑ Dragon Ball volume 21, page 125
- ↑ ●DBH全キャラ必殺技集!DRAGONBALL HEROES ALL CHARACTER DEATHBLOW COLLECTION. youtube (November 1, 2014).
- ↑ Super Dragon Ball Heroes: World Mission, 2019
- ↑ Rumor Guide. kanzenshuu.
| Frieza Force | ||
|---|---|---|
| Leaders | Chilled • Frieza Race Conton City Hero • King Cold (Future • Cell) • Frieza (Future • Cell • Xeno • Team 4) • Frost • Frieza's Honor Guard (Captain Wata • Rigll) | ![]() |
| Sub-leaders | Captain Ginyu • Cooler (Meta • Future) • Froze • Garana • Sorbet • Tagoma • Kuriza • Frieza's Honor Guard (Bullgokin • Compression-01 • Toki Toki City Hero) | |
| Executives and elite soldiers | ||
| Mid-level soldiers | ||
| Low-level soldiers | Combatants • Cranberry • Cyclopian Guards • Three Planet Frieza #79 soldiers • Bardock (Future • Xeno) • Blueberry • Borgos • Cheelai • Fasha • Fisshi • Frieza Soldiers • Frog-Face • Guprei • Iru • Kakarot (Future • Cell • Xeno) • Krumbo • Leek • Mei • Melone • Monre • Nabana • Namole • Navel • Orlen • Raspberry • Robery • Scarface • Shorty • Shugesh • Taro • Tora • Turles (Xeno) | |
| Non-combatants | ||
| Fused members | ||
| Squadrons | Cooler Force (Cooler's Armored Squadron • Meta-Cooler Corps.) • Dried Fruitz • Team Dodoria • Frieza's Elite (Ginyu Force • Frieza's Honor Guard) • Namek Invasion Task Force • Frieza's Subordinates • Galaxy Soldiers • Third Stellar Region • Frieza Soldiers • New Frieza Army • New Gadget Super Lovers • Saiyan Army (Team Bardock • King Vegeta's Elite • Phantom Saiyans) • Team 5 • Team Zarbon | |
| Races controlled | Aka's race • Ankoku-seijin • Appule's race • Arcosians • Arlians • Boulean • Beppa-seijin • Blueberry's race • Bowlean • Brench-seijin • Burter's race • Buonean • Cabira's race • Cranberry's race • Cui's race • Dodoria's race • Earthlings • Fishman • Frieza Clan • Frieza Soldier race • Frog-Face's race • Ginyu's race • Hera Clan • Inhabitants of Plant • Iru's race • Jiggler • Kanassan • Kettlean • Ledgic's race • Litts • Malaka's race • Majins • Mixxileean • Namekians • Namekian Frogs • Recoome's race • Rejinean • Saibamen • Saiyans • Serpent • Sinkleean • Slug-jin • Sui's race • Toasterean • Tobi's race • Vewonean • Yardrat • Zalt-seijin • Zarbon's race | |
| Planets | Arcose • Bas • Big Gete Star • Cereal • Cooler No. 6 • Cooler's Unnamed Planet • Frieza No. 17 • Frieza No. 79 • Cooler No. 98 • Cooler No. 256 • Frieza No. 448 • Frieza's Training Planet • Kanassa • King Cold's planet • Litt • Meat • Shikk • Tritek • Vegeta • Zeshin and Bun's planet | |
| Motherships | ||
| Technology | Attack Ball • Battle Armor • Cosmic Suit • Drones (Assist Drone • Attack Drone • Recovery Drone) • Fruit of the Tree of Might (Demon Realm) • Galactic Arena • Grenade • Hovercar • Hover Pod • Kiri Charging Machine • Laser Sword • Medical Machines • Metamo-Ring • Ray Gun • Rocket Launcher (Frieza's Rocket Launcher) • Saibamen Set • Scouter | |
| Operations and Wars | Attack on Planet Plant • Occupation of Planet Vegeta • Kanassan war • Invasion of Planet Meat • Genocide of the Saiyans • Shikk conflict • Tritek conflict • Attack on Zeshin and Bun's planet • Attack on Gure's planet • Attacks on Earth • Fight on Planet Frieza 448 • Broly conflict • Frieza's Siege • Tournament of Time | |
| Allies & Affiliated Groups | Beerus • Cells (Cell • Cell Jr.) • Dragon Ball Heroes (Froze) • Dark Empire • Dark Namekians (First Narak) • Frieza Clan • Heeter • Mastermind's group (Mastermind • Giblet) • Pilaf Gang (Emperor Pilaf • Mai • Shu) • Red Ribbon Army (Red Pants Army) • Team Beerus (Shallot) • Team Universe 7 • Time Patrol • Whis | |
| Related | ||
| Dark Empire | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leaders | ![]() | ||||||
| Notable Members | Chronoa (brainwashed) • Gravy • Fin • Masked Saiyan (Xeno) • Putine • Salsa • Shroom • Xeno King Vegeta | ||||||
| Members | Android 8000 • Android 19000 • Black-Masked Saiyan • Bongo • Captain Bacterian • Captain Taylor • Cell • Cui • Chocolay • Demon Realm Soldiers (Σ • Ω • Δ • Λ • Reaper) • Dodoria • Dogidogi • First Narak • Future Android 16 • Gamelan • General Bon • General Sus • Gohan • Great Devilman • Guard Troops • Haru Haru • July • Lord Slug • Masked Future Warrior • Mira's Robots • Mr. Poko Poko • Psi Devilman • Octopapa • Skull Robo • Shun Shun • Turles • Week • Xeno Dende • Xeno Paragus | ||||||
| Fused Members | |||||||
| Other affiliates | Broly • Cooler Force (Big Gete Star • Cooler • Meta-Cooler Corps.) • Frieza Force (Dodoria • Frieza • Ginyu Force • Zarbon) • Xeno Cell (Cell • Future) • Android 13 • Future Android 17 (Present) • Future Android 18 • Janemba (Future) • Saibamen • Shadow Dragons (Eis Shenron • Nuova Shenron • Syn Shenron) • Universe Creation Planners (Dr. Wheelo • Bojack • Super 17) • Karoly • Waipa • Yamcha • Zamases (Zamasu (Future)/Goku Black/Fused Zamasu (Crimson-Masked Saiyan)) • Future Jiren) | ||||||
| Sub-factions | Demon (Majin (Demon Realm Race • Buu's subspecies • Android Majin) • Devils) • Frieza's Army remnants • (Captain Wata • Archie • Bomb King Nobel • Bullgokin • Compression-01 • Fry • Tick • Tock) • Red Pants Army (Tao X • General White Jr. • Android 9 • Cloned Dr. Gero • General Bon) • Warriors of Darkness • Dark Namekians (Copycat Nail • Narak-type Namekian • Dark Vassals) • Captain Bacterian's Pirates • Bio-Android | ||||||
| Conflicts |
| ||||||
| Related | CC Robot • Dark Dragon Ball (Dark Shenron) • Dark Energy • Dark Evolution • Dark Magic (Villainous Mode • Supervillain (Ultra) • Brainwash Attack) • Darkness Sword • Demigra Army • Demon God (Dark King • True • Transcended) • Demon Realm (Mechikabura's Tower • Southeast Prison Complex) • Demon Realm Crystal • Distorted Time Egg • Energy-Suction Device • Fruit of the Tree of Might (Demon Realm) • Gate • Kili • Ki-Sealing Handcuff • Pseudo Universe (Earth (Capsule Corporation • West City) • Planet Vegeta (Vegeta's Palace)) • Pure Majin • Rift in Time (Crack of Time) • Scroll of Eternity • Super Saiyan (Demon Realm Race) (Super Mira (Fin Absorbed) • Rampaging) • Time Breaker Mind Control (Giant Form • Mask) • Time Cutter • Time Power Unleashed (Brainwashed Berserk) • Universe Seed (Universe Tree) • World of Mind Control | ||||||
| Super Space-Time Tournament | |
|---|---|
| Team 1 | |
| Team 2 | |
| Team 3 | |
| Team 4 | |
| Team 5 | |
| Team 6 | |
| Team 7 | |
| Team 8 | |
| Team 9 | |
| Team 10 | |
| Team 11 | |
| Team 12 | |
| Intruders | |
| Berserkers | Android 13 • Baby • Bojack • Cell • Chilled • Fin • Gravy • Hatchiyack • Innocent Buu • Lord Slug • Putine • Salsa • Shroom • Xeno Dabura • Xeno Syn Shenron |
| Unknown Team Members | |

























