Kai Episode 54 (25 April 2010)

[Gaffer Tape]

Technically speaking, but not narratively speaking. Knowing that Buu blows up the earth doesn't make Raditz any less threatening to me when he kidnaps Gohan and starts stomping on Goku's ribs. But for Cold to really be the emperor and in charge of Freeza the whole time we saw him and Goku battling it out does undermine Freeza's character to a shocking degree. Granted, this is all moot, since, as the link says, Cold is inferior to Freeza, just as it should be.

[Kendamu]

Technically speaking, but not narratively speaking. Knowing that Buu blows up the earth doesn't make Raditz any less threatening to me when he kidnaps Gohan and starts stomping on Goku's ribs. But for Cold to really be the emperor and in charge of Freeza the whole time we saw him and Goku battling it out does undermine Freeza's character to a shocking degree. Granted, this is all moot, since, as the link says, Cold is inferior to Freeza, just as it should be.

Freeza probably isn't King Freeza only because King Cold was still alive.

[Cold Skin]

If I'm not mistaken, in episode 55, when they all fly to the landing place, Vegeta does mention that there's somebody at Freezer's side who is hugely stronger than Freezer himself. Incoherent as it may seem to you guys, it seems Cold is meant to be much stronger than Freezer in the anime version.

In the manga though, there is no word as to who is the most powerful between them, so I guess it's up to interpretation. I don't really mind personnaly, since at Trunks' level, there's virtually no difference between them in how easily he kills them both, so it doesn't really matter who's the most powerful since they're both in the "no sweat" category.