There’s always some level of risk involved when a beloved anime series extends itself through a sequel or some other form of continuation, but Dragon Ball Super has largely exceeded expectations and given Akira Toriyama’s shonen franchise new life. Dragon Ball remains focused on the efforts of Goku and company as they face progressively powerful tyrants, but there have been subtle changes that have helped the franchise survive for so long.
Dragon Ball Super has already creatively ret-conned classic characters as it retrofits them into the new canon and Goku’s father, Bardock, has been the most recent to experience such a facelift. Dragon Ball Super’s depiction of Bardock results in a very interesting version of the character who may become even more important in what’s to come.
10 He Can Tap Into The Saiyan's Great Ape Form
Before various levels of Super Saiyan became the easiest way to earn success in battle, one of the most useful tactics that a Saiyan could turn to is their Great Ape transformation. Great Apes represent the Saiyans in their most aggressive and animalistic state. One would likely assume that Bardock can turn into a Great Ape because this is true for most Saiyans, but Dragon Ball Super has made such interesting changes that nothing is ever a guarantee. However, there are explicit flashbacks to Bardock in his Great Ape form as he terrorized a young Granolah.
9 He's Married To Gine
The Saiyan are shown to be an extremely combative race and even though Goku and Vegeta have gone on to start families on Earth, this isn’t typical behavior for the warrior people. Most Saiyans only enter relationships for reproductive purposes, yet Bardock and Gine are one of the few romances that are fueled by genuine love and a bond between the two of them. Gine softens Bardock’s harsher edges and their relationship is one of the main factors in why Bardock does become more of an atypical member of his species.
8 His Team Consists Of Taro, Leek, Tora, Fasha, Borgos, And Shugesh
There can be warring sensibilities present between Dragon Ball’s manga and anime, with subtle differences sometimes causing confusion when it comes to characters. All depictions of Bardock show him as the leader of a team of low-class Saiyans.
In Bardock - Father of Goku, Team Bardock consists of Tora, Fasha, Shugesh, and Borgos, whereas the Dragon Ball Minus manga simplifies his unit to Leek, Taro, and formerly Gine. Dragon Ball Super: Broly combines the makeup of both teams and it’s indicated that Dodoria and his forces kill most of Team Bardock, while Bardock, Gine, Taro, and Leek perish on Planet Vegeta.
7 He's Suspicious Of Frieza's Deceitful Nature And Manipulation Of The Saiyans
One of the biggest events in the Dragon Ball universe is Frieza’s destruction of Planet Vegeta and his elimination of the majority of the Saiyan population as a result. Frieza is known for being a ruthless tyrant, but this betrayal stings so much because the Saiyans truly have no idea that they’re being manipulated to function as Frieza’s blunt weapons. Bardock is actually one of the few Saiyans who begins to develop suspicions over Frieza’s true intentions. Bardock isn’t able to prevent Frieza’s actions, but it proves that he has excellent intuition and judgment of character.
6 He's Involved In The Massacre Of The Cerealians
Dragon Ball Super’s manga has continued the series’ story far after the conclusion of the Tournament of Power. The most recent villain, Granola, reveals himself to be a surviving member of the Cerealian race. Granolah harbors substantial resentment towards the Saiyans because they’re responsible for the genocide of his people. Bardock’s compassion may eventually get the better of him and he’s able to do some good on Planet Cereal, but he’s still involved with the initial massacre on the planet. Bardock causes much destruction while in his Great Ape form.
5 He Sends Goku Away To Earth
Certain elements of Saiyan backstory have been revised in Dragon Ball Super, but the one crucial piece of backstory that’s remained consistent is that Goku survives the destruction of Planet Vegeta because of some swift thinking on the part of his parents.
Bardock senses that trouble is imminent and so he courageously sends Goku away in a space pod to keep him safe from Frieza. Bardock’s plan is to eventually rendezvous with Goku on Earth, but unfortunately, he doesn’t get the opportunity. At least Goku remains safe.
4 He's One Of The Strongest Low-Class Saiyan Warriors
It can be easy to generalize all of the Saiyan into generic warriors, but there are actually tiers of power and seniority that help define the many members of the race. Bardock may seem like a prominent Saiyan due to his connection to Goku and his foresight regarding Frieza but in the grander scheme of things he represents the lower food chain of Saiyans. Bardock is classified as a low-class Saiyan warrior, albeit one of the best of the lot. However, he’s still not at the strength of a standard middle-class Saiyan warrior, which is where Nappa’s strength ranked.
3 He’s Aware Of The Legend Of Super Saiyans
The first appearance of a Super Saiyan doesn’t occur until Goku’s momentous fight against Frieza on Planet Namek. However, Dragon Ball has featured a few flashes to the past that attempt to connect its dots and seed Frieza’s initial awareness of a Super Saiyan urban legend. The same rumors that make their way to Frieza also cross paths with Bardock. Bardock has no idea what a Super Saiyan is, but he finds solace in this idea and equates it with a happy future for the Saiyan people.
2 He's Responsible For Granolah's Survival
Bardock’s appearances in Dragon Ball have almost exclusively been reserved for flashbacks, but Dragon Ball Super’s manga brings the character back in a substantial capacity. Recent chapters of the manga feature the revelation that Bardock actually exhibited some sympathy during the Cerealian rampage and he helped both Granolah and his Namekian ally, Monaito, survive extinction. Bardock also spends time with Granolah’s mother before he liberates Granolah from the planet. This news turns Bardock into an anomaly of his species, much like Goku. Acts of compassion like this are few and far between in classic Saiyans.
1 Vegeta Is Aware Of His Existence
Bardock shares a greater connection to Goku than Vegeta since he’s the father of the former, but it’s important to remember that Bardock’s appearances have been independent of Goku. Goku is oblivious of his true father’s nature, so Monaito’s information about Bardock is especially important to him. Goku is humbled by what he learns about his father, but Vegeta’s reaction to Monaito’s news indicates that he was already aware of Bardock and his role on Planet Vegeta. This isn’t a big deal, but it’s still interesting that Vegeta has more awareness over Bardock than the Saiyan’s own son.
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