Bardock is one of the most underutilized characters inDragon Ball,andDragon Ball Supermissed out big time when it brought him back. Bardock is Goku’s father, and while the two have never really met (outside of Goku’s forgotten childhood), Bardock has always played a large role behind the scenes. He was one of the few Saiyans to stand against Frieza when Frieza decided to blow up Planet Vegeta, and he’s the reason that both of his sons survived their home’s destruction.
Bardock’s role in theDragon Ballcanon has never been too clear. It’s certain that he’s Goku’s dad, he sent Goku to Earth to protect Goku from Frieza — and that’s about it. He had a spin-off where he fought Frieza’s ancestor, Chilled, and turned Super Saiyan, but nobody considers that film canon. Still, Bardock made his return in theDragon Ball Supermanga in a big way, but there was one moment whereSupercould have really capitalized on Bardock’s triumphant return.
The Dragon Ball Timeline Is Messy
Nobody Really Knows What Canon Or Not
To call theDragon Ballcanon timelinemessy is an understatement.Nobody really knows what’s canon in the series and what isn’t.For the most part, everyone agrees thatDragon Ballstarts with the originalDragon Ballseries and then moves directly intoDragon Ball Z,as they’re both two parts of the originalDragon Ballmanga. Here’s where it gets complicated.
Jaco the Galactic Patrolmanis the prequel to the original timeline. None of theDragon Ballfilms are considered canon, and everything gets messy afterDragon Ball Zends. The finale ofDragon Ball Zis set 10 years after the final arc, and people are confused as to what happens during those 10 years.
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Dragon Ball GTis supposed to occur after those years, but it isn’t canon.Dragon Ball DAIMAis supposed to occurin betweenthat space, but it doesn’t make sense withDragon Ball Superbeing around then as well.
There are several timelines withinDragon Ball,and nobody really knows which is the right one. There has been a suggestion thatDragon Ball Superis an alternate ending toDragon Ball Zby a key-animator who worked on the series for a long time, but even his suggestions only muddy the water further.
Bardock Has Already Turned Super Saiyan A Few Times
His Super Saiyan Forms Have Never Been Canon Before
Bardock has already turned Super Saiyan a few times in non-canon events in theDragon Ballfranchise. He turned Super Saiyan in his fight against Chilled after being transported to the past, and turned both Super Saiyan 2 and Super Saiyan 3 inDragon Ball Xenoverse 2.
While none of the events in theDragon Ballvideo games are considered canon, it would have been cool to see Bardock’s transformations brought to the main series.Transformations are a huge part ofDragon Ball, and Bardock has already had a few.
His Reintroduction To Dragon Ball Could Have Been Even Better
Bardock Turning Super Saiyan Makes A Good Amount Of Sense
Bardock was finally reintroduced toDragon BallinDragon Ball Super.During the Granolah the Survivor Arc, it was revealed that the Saiyan who saved Granolah and Monaito was none other than Bardock himself. Before he went to Planet Cereal, his wife Gine just had Goku.
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He sees Granolah being protected by his mother and can’t help but draw comparisons between his newborn son and the Cerelians in front of him. He chooses to protect them from the Saiyans, but the Heeter family sees through his deception.
Bardock then takes on Gas inan incredibleDragon Ballfight. Bardock pushes the Heeter back, and in one of the panels, itlooks like he’s going Super Saiyan.He doesn’t, however, but he still has the golden aura and elevated Ki that comes along with the new form.
Bardock Is One Of The Most Underrated Characters In Dragon Ball
Goku’s Father Has So Much Potential In Dragon Ball
Bardock’s lack of a transformation inDragon Ball Supermakes sense, but that doesn’t make it any less disappointing. It makes sense with the main story line because Goku was the first Super Saiyan Frieza had ever seen during their fight on Namek. If Bardock had transformed during his fight with Gas, he would’ve transformed in front of Frieza too.
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While his transformation probably wouldn’t have saved his life from Frieza’s attack, it would have added even more confusion to the timeline. Overall, it was refreshing to see Bardock back inDragon Ball.He even wished for both of his sons to prosper when he got a chance with the Cerealian Dragon Balls, showing how both Goku and Raditz survived the destruction of their home world.
As Goku’s father, it’s awesome to see Bardock every time he appears on-page or on-screen.Dragon Ball Supereven proved that he was more than an underling of Frieza’s, showing that Bardock is willing to stand up to anyone to do what’s right.
