The Dragon Ball franchise has introduced a number of memorable characters over the years. Though some don’t always get the kind of screen time that they deserve, Dragon Ball’s roster is filled with interesting characters that have made some sort of impact on the series throughout its long run.
Goku’s lineage was always one of the underlining mysteries of the early Dragon Ball narrative, though it was never brought up in a way that made fans give it much thought. It wasn’t until the introduction of Raditz and the other Saiyans that the question of Goku’s heritage would be addressed. Of all the small characters introduced in the series, Goku’s father, Bardock, remains one of the most popular.
Who is Bardock?
While Vegeta came from royal blood, Goku’s family never held such high status within Saiyan society. Bardock was nothing more than a low-class Saiyan warrior, which explains why Vegeta didn’t expect all that much out of Goku upon first encountering him on Earth.
Much about Bardock’s life is unknown, with his childhood and most of his adult years not really covered in the manga or anime. When fans first encounter Bardock he functioned just as any other Saiyan did, clearing out planets alongside his teammates so that they could later be sold as a part of Frieza's Planetary Market.
For the most part, Bardock possesses some of the less desirable traits associated with Saiyans, being extremely overconfident in his abilities and having no reservations about killing in cold-blood for the sake of his assignment. But unlike most Saiyans, Bardock is shown to be much more rational and sometimes exhibits compassionate traits that make him stand out from others. The revamped version of the character from the Minus manga takes this a step further, showing himself to be outwardly friendly to other Saiyans and showing genuine care for his wife and sons.
Though Goku is much kinder and just than his father is overall, the two do share some qualities beyond their physical traits. Bardock is incredibly brave, proving himself to be one of the few Saiyans who wasn’t completely domesticated through his servitude to Frieza. This independence can be attributed to his Saiyan pride, giving some insight into what made Frieza so weary of the Saiyan race to begin with. Though it didn’t make him any stronger than he was, Bardock’s unique attitude is what made him stand out from many of his contemporaries, even King Vegeta himself.
Impact on the Story
Bardock’s relatively small role in the narrative has been tweaked and changed as his popularity has grown over the years, but the events that lead up to his and Planet Vegeta’s demise have always been more or less the same. Bardock’s direct impact on the narrative is ultimately minimal, but he gives fans some much-needed insight into the end of the Saiyan race while kick-starting the events of the original series.
Bardock was first introduced in the TV special Dragon Ball Z: Bardock - The Father of Goku, which served as the only material on the character until it was reworked years later. The special serves as a way of introducing fans to Goku’s father while also giving them a look at how the Saiyan race was wiped out by Frieza. The narrative itself would be reworked years later, but it did establish some key plot points that became essential to Bardock’s story, mainly his gaining clairvoyant powers and challenging Frieza in the face of Planet Vegeta’s destruction.
Toriyama changed the character a little in Dragon Ball Minus while mostly keeping the original backstory intact. The newer version of Bardock, depicted as much more caring for his son and family than the original, sends Goku off to Earth alongside his wife, Gine. Bardock’s ultimate fate remains the same, so fans can assume that the events of the original TV special played out in a similar fashion despite the slight retcons Minus introduces. In this new continuity, Bardock becomes much more involved by sending Goku off to Earth, indirectly kicking off the Dragon Ball narrative. Bardock is brought back in the Super manga, where it is revealed that he played a role in the Granolah the Survivor Saga, where it was revealed that he both played a role in the assault on Planet Cereal while also sparing Granolah and his mother. Even after death, Bardock still seems to maintain some relevance in the Dragon Ball narrative.