Frieza was the GOAT DBZ villain, and one of the most classic villains in the history of anime.
He had so many classic scenes that left you like "DAAAAAANNNNNG this dude is evil"
He had vast armies and leagues of henchmen and cold-blooded killers at his command
He was annihilating entire planets like
He had no qualms with murking little kids...
He had the hardest, most
villain in the series crying like a woman as he died...
He bodied the hero's best friend right in front of him
Not to mention that he was the catalyst for pretty much the whole series up until that point.
None of the villains after Frieza come close, IMO.