| “ | Finally, Alright guys, keep your body counts high. Lets go wild! | „ |
| ~ Bardock and his crew before massacring Planet Kannassa in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot |
| “ | Why the hell would I waste my time with that pathetically hopeless pipsqueak? Count me out! | „ |
| ~ Bardock dismissing and disregarding his newborn son Kakarot. |
Bardock is the overarching protagonist of the Dragon Ball franchise.
He is a low-class Saiyan warrior who carried out missions for the Galactic Frieza Army by wiping out planets and their inhabitnets for a profit. However he discovered that Frieza was planning on wiping out the Saiyans for fear of them becoming more powerful than him. He is also the father of Raditz and Goku, the main protagonist of Dragon Ball.
He is voiced by Masako Nozawa in the Japanese version and by Sonny Strait in the English version.
History[]
Dragon Ball Z: Bardock - Father of Goku[]
Bardock and his team of low-class Saiyan warriors were sent in to conquer Planet Kanassa for the Galactic Frieza Army. Using their Great Ape forms, Bardock and his team manage to wipe out the Kanassans in just a few days. However, as him and his team are resting in the aftermath of their victory, a surviving Kanassans catches Bardock off-guard and gives the ability of future sight as a dying in curse in revenge for the Saiyans crimes in the name of Friza.
While recovering in a healing tank, Bardock witnesses a vision of Frieza destroying Earth, as well as one of his son Kakarot on Earth. After exiting his healing tank, Bardock learns that his team was sent to attack Planet Meat and, despite being injured, hurries to join them. Before leaving, Bardock checks up on his newborn son Kakarot and scans his power level to see if his visions about him growing up to be a strong warrior is true, only to find that his son has an average power level.
Arriving on Planet Meat, Bardock finds his team has been completely killed off, with only a badly injured Tora staying alive long enough for Bardock to find him before passing away. Vowing to avenge his team, Bardock takes Tora's blood-stained armband and wraps it around his head as a memento. Bardock is then attacked by Dodoria and his elites, the ones responsible for killing his team. Though outnumbered, Bardock manages to outwit and fight off Dodoria's fighters. Dodoria himself then fights Bardock and easily overpowers him with an Energy Cannon, blasting him into his friends' dead bodies before leaving him for dead.
Unbeknownst to Dodoria, Bardock survived the attack and attempts to return to Planet Vegeta to warn them of Frieza's treachery. Returning to the planet, Bardock attempts to spread word but none of the other Saiyans believe him. In a last resort to stop Frieza from destroying his people, Bardock flies into space to confront Frieza himself and manages to fend off hundreds of Frieza's soldiers. Frieza himself then rises into the orbit of planet Vegeta and faces Bardock.
As Bardock declares that the Saiyans will no longer serve under the tyranny of Frieza, Frieza prepares to destroy Planet Vegeta. As Frieza charges up a giant Supernova energy ball, Bardock fires an energy blast at Frieza, but Frieza's giant ball of energy simply absorbs the blast as Frieza sends it hurtling into Planet Vegeta, slamming into Bardock along with several of his own soldiers in the process.
However, as Bardock dies, he sees one last of glimpse of the future: his own son Goku facing off against Frieza to avenge his race, allowing him to die peacefully. His last words were to encourage Goku to avenge the Saiyan race.
Dragon Ball Z: Episode of Bardock[]
In the special, Bardock somehow managed to survive Frieza's Supernova and was sent back in time into a past Planet Vegeta. after his battle against Frieza and wakes up in a bed on a planet that looks a lot like Planet Vegeta. He is found by an alien village on the planet and is treated the village doctor Ipana and his son Berry. After waking up, Bardock is informed by Ipana that the name of the planet he is on is Planet Plant, the past name of Planet Vegeta.
Just then, two of Chilled's Elites named Toobi and Cabira arrive and declare their intentions to conquer the planet, only for Bardock to go out and kills both of them. The villagers all go out to thank him, but Bardock ignores them and flies away to a cave. Berry later shows up at the cave to offer him a basket of food, but Bardock angrily tells him to leave. As he flees Berry leaves the food basket behind, and Bardock later decides to eat of it.
Chilled and his pireates later come to investigate Planet Plant due to the deaths of Toobi and Cabira. As Chilled and his Soldiers start terrorizing the planet, Berry pleads with Bardock to help his people. Remembering the deaths of his friends on Planet Meat, Bardock goes out to confront Chilled and his men, saving Ipana from being killed. Upon seeing Chilled, Bardock confuses him for Frieza and in a rage attacks him, only for Chilled to knock him back and begin beating him down.
As Chilled prepares to finish Bardock off Berry attempts to save him, only for Chilled to hit him with the blast instead of Bardock. Witnessing, Bardock becomes enraged, recalling the deaths of his team at the hands of Frieza's men. Transforming into a Super Saiyan, Bardock and Chilled begin fighting once more. As Bardock gains the upper hand, Chilled attempts to destroy Planet Plant with a giant energy ball, but Bardock fires a blast at Chilled that knocks him into space. The villagers then cheer Bardock as he smiles and walks away.
After being recovered by his men, Chilled would inform them to beware the Super Saiyans right before dying.
Personality[]
Like most Saiyans, Bardock enjoys fighting and is incredibly battle-hungry. He shows little care for other non-Saiyan races and has no compunctions with carrying out planetary genocides for the Galactic Frieza Army. However, Bardock also displays some traits that are unusual for most Saiyans. He is humble in his abilities as a fighter, despite being well respected by many of his comrades, and cares deeply for his teammates. When he found that his team had been slaughtered by Frieza's forces Bardock instantly vowed to avenge them. He also genuinely loves his wife Gine however he shows little care for his kids seeing them as weaklings.
In the Episode of Bardock special, though acting aloof at first, Bardock develops a more heroic personality after the natives of Planet Plant show him kindness. While shunning them at first, after being offered food by the Plant villagers Bardock eventually warms up to them. Upon seeing Chilled callously injure a young Plant villager named Berry, Bardock flies into a rage and goes Super Saiyan.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Oddly, Bardock's vision of Goku shows him on Namek facing off against Frieza in his first form, even though Goku canonically only encountered him in his final form on Namek. However, with the release of the film Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F', it may be that Bardock's vision was of Goku's confrontation with Frieza in that instead, as Goku does face Frieza in his first form.
- The version of Bardock in Dragon Ball Super doesn’t count as a villain as his actions under Frieza were completely unwilling and he was much more merciful, kind hearted, sympathetic and caring to people such as his family.
- However these traits have caused criticism with many stating that Bardock being a more openly heroic character not only makes him to be less nuanced and unique but it also goes against the established fact that the Saiyan race were still the villains despite their redeeming qualities.
