The Common Enemy

[Strife1]

Goku has been known for becoming friends with his enemies after teaming up against a stronger opponent, or doing something that requires another's help.
Goku and Yamcha became friends after fighting against Pilaf and Co.
Goku and Kuririn became friends after enduring Muten Roshi's training together, which humbled a cocky kuririn.
Goku and Tenshinhan, along with Chaozu, became friends after teaming up against King Piccolo, Goku had earned Tenshinhan's respect, but they were hardly friends.
Goku and Piccolo worked together against Raditz and would've held off their feud against the Saiyans until he died. By the time Piccolo fused with Nail he had no desire to kill Goku.
Goku and Vegeta worked together through the Android Saga, and became friends after the Buu Saga.

These are all examples of common enemies and challenges causing the Z-senshi to befriend one another.
Given the right Circumstances, do you think with a common enemy, Freeza and Cell could've changed? Vegeta did and after being in awe time after time of greater powers, even though he was still cocky, he eventually became somewhat humbled and much less malevolent.

[RandomGuy96]

Freeza had a business to run; he'd be doing so his whole life and I doubt he'd ever leave it for anything. So no, I don't think he was ever going to stop being a genocidal prick. Truth be told, neither did Vegeta, really, it's just that unlike Freeza he didn't have a place to go, and so thought that Earth would be a nice place to stay. He expresses no regret for his actions and goes back to being evil the first time being the strongest is in his reach.

Cell would at best just go back to fighting the heroes after it was all over. Didn't he say he was "programmed" to be evil?

[Monkey D Goku]

I think Vegeta had a connection with Earth. Even if he never consciously thought about it. Maybe the Z fighters reminded him of the sayians.

Frieza seems far too malevolent to change. He was always born with power and therefore probably never faced any struggles in his life until Goku came up.

All most every single Z fighter who was once evil faced some kind of struggle.

Cell is in the same boat as Frieza.

[FoolsGil]

There is a fanfiction regarding change for Cell, it's called Honor Trip. In the final battle, SSJ2 Gohan kicks him in the head in the exact same place Son Goku landed on as a baby. Alternatively I suppose if Cell was able to be captured and Bulma experimented, they could find a way to make him good, since it's his programming that makes him act that way.

Freeza is a lost cause. You'd have to take everything, throw him at rock bottom, and maybe he would change in a couple decades. And Bulma's love and his children at least kept Vegeta from killing everyone on Earth.

[Hellspawn28]

Buu and #18 also became good as well. Someone like Freeza would not become good since his whole family was evil and Cell was born evil as well. I think the other villains like Bebi, the Shadow Dragons and the movie DBZ villains (maybe possibly Broli) are in the same boat as well.

[RandomGuy96]

I don't think Buu really counts, since he only becomes good by expelling the physical embodiment of his evil. Anyone could become good if they had that ability. Though now I'm wondering if Super Buu ever could've stopped being evil (or at least could've agreed not to kill everyone/switch sides) without physically regressing into another form. Probably not.

[Kakarot88]

I think given Freeza and Cell's alpha mentality (Cell's coming in no small part from Freeza himself) would prevent them from actually being friends even if there were a common enemy because the relationship would dissolve shortly after their united efforts with anyone. Unless they could become equal in strength in the end their relationship would really have disolved given Freeza's need for self identification with being stronger than others, unless Freeza had a change of heart which seems diametrically opposed to that character's structuring.

[Cursed Lemon]

Vegeta became an ally due to a somewhat tragic backstory - his evil was the result of a vast amount of psychological baggage. Cell and Freeza are straightforwardly malicious.

I suppose Android 18 is a good example of goodness coming out of what was originally bloodlust, since nothing actually changed 18s heart aside from Krillin's compassion (and perhaps the fact that by the end of the Cell saga, everybody could whomp on her).

[Polyphase Avatron]

Will probably happen with Bills in the next movie.

Then he can get into an eating contest with Goku and Vegeta.

[mister yummy]

Throw Buu and Yajirobe in as well

[TheMightyOzaru]

I highly doubt Freeza would have changed to be honest. Cell, maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaybe, but it's still a long shot. Last I checked Cell was "programmed" to be evil so....

[Bullza]

Cell I could eventually becoming a ally in the same way Vegeta did. Cell loved to fight and test himself and he'd have seen Goku (or Gohan) as a rival to surpass.

Frieza however no I don't think he'd have ever have turned good.

[Polyphase Avatron]

Cell I could eventually becoming a ally in the same way Vegeta did. Cell loved to fight and test himself and he'd have seen Goku (or Gohan) as a rival to surpass.

Freeza however no I don't think he'd have ever have turned good.

I read a fanfic where he decided not to attack Goku at the end of their fight and flew into space to survive and turned good.

[caejones]

I don't see Freeza "Turning good", per se, but a fragile Enemy Mine type alliance, or maybe eventually just annoying him until he realizes his reputation would do better if he let Goku quietly fade into the shadows rather than get attention for fighting him... I could see Freeza not-dying that way, at least.
It would be hard to pull off without seeming contrived, though. For example, say Freeza has to deal with Buu attacking his territories, and Goku and co are already involved. Freeza seems like the type to betray Goku at great risk to himself, a little like Vegeta going Majin (I see Freeza unwilling to give Babidi authority over his empire just for beating Goku, unless he already had one foot in the grave, but there are plenty of ways to betray someone.).

Freeza's real problem is his inability to know when he's beaten. Even Vegeta, famous for his pride and arrogance, got the hell out of dodge when he was sufficiently roughed up on Earth. Freeza refused to retreat, like, ever, which says a lot about resources and military happenings over his career. (Or maybe it just says "Most powerful being in the universe does what it wants".)
Possibly, a good way to handle FRENEMY!Freeza would be to get him caught up in the mess with Gero, instead of lathe'd by Trunks. I say possibly; I'm not sure how that wouldn't just end in Freeza offering Gero a position in his army if he can kill Goku, or something.
But, yeah, if Freeza wound up enemies with Gero/his creations, I could see him leaving after Goku dies in the Cell Games, passing it off as his victory, and leaving no one the wiser.

[RandomGuy96]

Could Super Buu ever have allied with the protagonists, or is it just in his nature to always be evil? I'm wondering that, because Super Buu himself only exists because he's the evil form of Fat Buu. Could he convinced to have an uneasy alliance with the protagonists even while staying evil, kind of like Vegeta?

[Hellspawn28]

If Buu won against Grey Buu then maybe he could have turn into a good version of Super Buu. It would make a pretty cool what if story though.

[Jackal puFF]

Cell has more of chance of becoming good than Frieza that's for sure. Can someone really be programed to be evil? Maybe brainwashed by Gero's Computer. I mean the androids were supposed to be evil but yeah...

[PolatGuy92]

It's kinda hard for me to imagine the major villains as good guys especially Frieza! I mean Frieza a good guy? yikes...
Cell on the other hand don't know since he was programmed to be evil but maybe he can be a good guy if someone like Bulma and her father try to convince him to be a good guy
Not really a opinion about the Evil/Super Buu and Kid Buu was pure evil and later reincarnated into Uub but Super Buu had some goodness since the Fat Majin Buu was inside and I thought the Supreme kais also had to do with him to make him less evil.

[Steven Perry]

Well Freeza and Cell seem like pretty close buddies down in HFIL, don't they team up to try and take Goku down in GT? Perhaps getting killed and doing time in Hell changes even the most hardened of villians, and is perhaps the only circumstance under which change and willingness to team up could ever come about for one. I can't see Freeza putting his ego aside to enlist the help of Cell.

[RandomGuy96]

If Buu won against Grey Buu then maybe he could have turn into a good version of Super Buu. It would make a pretty cool what if story though.

Presumambly, Mr. Buu would just be Fat Buu again if that happened.

Someone needs to write a fan fiction on this. I mean Freeza and Cell both have redemption fics, why not Super Buu?