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If you have not yet read the latest chapter of the Dragon Ball Super manga on MangaPlus by Shueisha, this article will contain minor spoilers about Bardock and Goku. As we well know, the first appearance of the Saiyan father was in 1990, so his return ignited the excitement of his fans, but also their red alerts, as they feared that Bardock would go from being a ruthless antihero to a more pleasant character and, unfortunately, the last chapter seems to confirm these terrible fears of the fandom about this warrior.
In the movie where he made his first appearance, we see that the Saiyan worked with Frieza and was always cold, unconcerned about his family, being a low-class warrior who does his best to survive. The changes to his character began with the spin-off from the manga Dragon Ball: Episode of Bardock was the first to show changes in the character, in which he shows compassion towards other people, but they made sense because it takes place after the supposed death of Bardock at the hands of Frieza in Goku’s father when the Saiyan warrior changed his mind through a psychic connection with the future Goku.
Nevertheless, the true return of the character was with the movie Dragon Ball Super: Broly, where Bardock is shown to be caring and affectionate towards his family. The Dragon Ball Super manga continued this trend when it featured this saiyan as part of a flashback during the Granola arc. This warrior tries to protect the last survivors of the Cereal Planet (Granola and his mother) because they remind him of his own family. A sincerely emotional moment, but one that contrasts with his first appearances.
In the character’s original backstory in Bardock: Goku’s father, we see an antihero, a villain for hire at the hands of Frieza who would do anything for him. In his original appearance in the film, Bardock is cruel and ruthless like all the other Saiyans., killing people without any remorse. Bardock’s relationship with his newborn son Goku is also extremely cold and he even thinks of getting rid of him because of his low power level.
A new past for Bardock in Dragon Ball Super
This new past of Bardock in Dragon Ball Super changes all that and shows a deep emotional connection with his little son Goku, and everything is done just so that Goku’s connection to his family can be relevant (which was completely absent in the saga). During his fight with Gas, shown in chapter 83, Bardock is miles away from the ruthless fighter seen in Goku’s father. He shows concern for Granola and Monaito, telling them to take cover from the battle and even rejecting their chance to escape, despite Gas’s clear superiority.
The manga is trying to explain Bardock’s action with his willingness to fight against a strong opponent, but it sounds like an excuse to placate fans who wouldn’t kindly accept this retcon. The nature of the Saiyans as cruel and barbaric warriors was a core part of Goku’s backstory. Show that his father was actually a good man that he cared for others and his family takes a lot away from Goku that he is different from the rest of his people (something that was originally explained by head trauma). It also makes Bardock stand out much less as a character.
Now, Bardock’s return in Dragon Ball Super is now complete– He went from abandoning his son after a simple glance to being a loving father who fights to protect others. Dragon Ball Super fans have to accept that their worst fears about Bardock have been realized, and the current portrayal of the character is now entirely canon. In addition, he has left behind the facet of rudeness and insensitivity to become an emotional character, full of memories and even learning for his son Goku, as demonstrated by his last words addressed to the young Saiyan: “You have to survive”. His presence may serve to encourage the awakening of Goku’s true Ultra Instinct, but we will have to wait to find out in the following chapters.
Related topics: dragon ball
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