Bardock (Dragon Ball Z)

Articles about Bardock
Bardock (Dragon Ball Z), Bardock (Dragon Ball Super)

Bardock (Dragon Ball Z)
“ Frieza's taken our loyalty and paid us back in our own blood! „ ― Bardock
Vital statistics
Names	Bardock,Burdock,Bādakku
Gender	Male
Race	Saiyan/Saiyajin
Occupation	Warrior
Origin	Dragon Ball Z:The Father of Goku(たったひとりの最さい終しゅう決けっ戦せん～フリーザに挑んだＺ戦士 孫悟空の父～ Tatta Hitori no Saishū Kessen ～Furīza ni Idonda Zetto Senshi Son Gokū no Chichi～, lit. "A Final, Solitary Battle: The Father of a Z-Warrior Son Gokū, Who Challenged Freeza"
Alignment	Anti-Hero
Age	Unknown
Created By	Akira Toriyama, Takao Koyama
Height	{{{height}}}
Weight	{{{weight}}}

Bardock (バーダック Bādakku) is a low-class Saiyan warrior and the father of Raditz and Goku. He makes his debut as the titular protagonist of the 1990 TV special Dragon Ball Z: Bardock - The Father of Goku. Bardock's childhood until his early years in adulthood is unknown, but he is shown to lead his own squad into battle, and they are very successful in accomplishing their assignments. He is an adept fighter and a devoted Saiyan Army soldier under the Frieza Force until he realizes his tyrannical boss plans to annihilate the Saiyan race.

Appearance

As noted by Raditz and Frieza, Bardock bears a striking resemblance to Goku: he is a tall man of muscular built with black hair. His hair is unkempt with three bangs hanging to the right of his forehead and two hanging to the left. His hair also stands up in the front with five spikes and four in the back. Unlike his younger son, he has a tanner skin-tone and his eyes are more defined and sterner, much like his elder son. Arguably his most distinctive trait is the long thick rough scar running down his left cheek. Like most Universe 7 Saiyans, he has a long prehensile tail with brown fur which generally keeps secured around his waist akin to a belt. He wears a dark blue and green Battle Armor, dark blue combat pants, long red armbands with matching leg warmers, a green Scouter on his left eye, and black and green boots. Later, Bardock adopts Tora's blood-soaked armband as a headband when he fights Team Dodoria on Planet Meat, which he retains when he attempts to kill Frieza.

In Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru's original character design, Bardock had a longer scar, his hair was more spiked (similar to Vegeta's hair), his Battle Armor was a lighter shade of green, and it had three or four flaps at the waist, and did not wear the long-legged jumpsuit he has in Akira Toriyama's final design for the 1990 TV special.

The author also comments that all he really did was take Goku and give him the brutal edge of a warrior race, and dress him in the Battle Armor provided by Frieza's forces.

Personality

Like most Saiyans from Universe 7, he is somewhat cocky, loves fighting, and will kill in cold blood. But compared to the cold-hearted and simple thoughts of his race, Bardock also happens to possess calm judgment and a measure of humanity. Due to his actions of saving his companions, which is rare for a Saiyan, he is greatly adored among a portion of the low-class warriors. He has a great sense of pride and independence as while most Saiyans have all been tamed by Frieza and his army, even King Vegeta, Bardock is the only one that maintains something of their pure nature and showed a willingness to challenge Frieza.

As shown in Dragon Ball Z: Bardock - The Father of Goku, he has a very plain view in life. While praised by others as brilliant, Bardock rejects such compliments, believing that he is simply experienced for combat. His loyalty and compassion for his friends and allies was shown so deep that he mourned their respective deaths and vowed to avenge them, particularly Tora who he openly viewed as his best friend. Along with this, he also attempts to warn the other Saiyans that Frieza is coming to destroy Planet Vegeta, and even though they don't listen, he still risks his life to save them all. He has a laid-back and fearless personality as evidenced by him taking responsibility in confronting Frieza alone. He is a highly capable tactician in battle, able to perceive the situation at hand and act accordingly with it, as shown from his ability to out-maneuver Frieza's men. Later, in Dragon Ball: Episode of Bardock, Bardock remains unsociable, he says his name to Berry right after the boy asked him. But he also shows a little bit of stubbornness, when Berry offers him a basket of food and he denies it even being hungry, but soon Bardock starts to accept Berry's persistence and becomes softer with the child. When the Inhabitants of Plant thanked Bardock for Chilled's defeat, Bardock replies with a smile.

Biography

Background

Bardock is a low-class Saiyan mercenary who leads a small platoon comprised of four other Saiyan soldiers in Bardock - The Father of Goku: Tora, Fasha, Borgos, and Shugesh. His wife Gine was also part of Bardock's Team at one point. Together, the team makes a living by traveling to various planets where they decimate the defenses of these civilizations and prepare them for Frieza's Planetary Market. Bardock was famous for his bravery even among the Saiyans; he is mentioned by Paragus in Dragon Ball Z: Broly - The Legendary Super Saiyan when he recognizes Goku as Bardock's son, and it can be thought that Paragus was Bardock's superior according to the Supplemental Daizenshuu.

Dragon Ball Z

Saiyan Saga

Bardock appears at the beginning of the first episode of Dragon Ball Z Kai, he appears confronting Frieza in the stratosphere of Planet Vegeta, and attempts to attack him with his Final Spirit Cannon to change the future, however Frieza merely laughs and fires his Supernova which overtakes Bardock and then hits Planet Vegeta, resulting in the genocide of the Saiyans.

Frieza Saga

Because Bardock was primarily the creation of Toei Animation, it was only after the airing of The Father of Goku that Bardock would make an appearance in the manga. Bardock appeared in a two-panel cameo appearance, in Frieza's flashback when he sees Goku, who reminds him of Bardock, Frieza recalls that Bardock had attacked him right before he destroyed Planet Vegeta, and was killed alongside the rest of the Saiyans when Frieza destroyed the planet using a Supernova.

Bardock also made cameo appearances in the Dragon Ball Z anime series, including during Frieza's flashbacks to the 'final confrontation' scene featured at the climax of Bardock - The Father of Goku when Frieza deduces Bardock's relation to Goku when recalling his destruction of Planet Vegeta. Additionally, an apparition of him, Vegeta and King Vegeta all provide Goku with a mental pep talk after he is overwhelmed by Frieza during their battle.

Bardock - The Father of Goku

After clearing a society on the Planet Kanassa as Great Apes, a weakened survivor emerges, catching Bardock off-guard, and instills in the Saiyan the ability of precognitive foresight. This ability, the Kanassan believes, will over time serve Bardock with vengeance for the crimes the Saiyans commit in the name of Frieza. While in recovery after the platoon's return to Planet Vegeta, Bardock is met with what he passes off as a delusion. In his vision, he witnesses the destruction of his home planet by the hand of Frieza and also sees the salvation of the planet Earth through his son Kakarot. During this time, presiding doctors attest that Bardock's power level is approaching 10,000, and that at this rate he may surpass the strength of the Saiyan monarch, King Vegeta.

Bardock is still out of commission when Frieza executes his selfish plan to resolve the paranoia he is experiencing. Following Frieza's orders, the capable Soldiers Tora, Fasha, Borgos, and Shugesh are instructed to clear the civilization of Planet Meat. During their visit to the planet, the group encounters one of Frieza's most dangerous minions, Dodoria, and his elites, who betray them by Frieza's orders and make short work of Bardock's Team. When Bardock is informed that his Team has accepted an offer on planet Meat, a still injured Bardock hurriedly makes preparations to pursue his friends, unaware of the dangers that await at his destination. On his way to his Attack Ball, he comes across his newborn son Kakarot and checks his power level to see if his visions about him growing up to be a strong warrior is true, but disregards the notion after seeing that his son only has an average power level.

Eventually, once upon Meat, Bardock discovers his ravaged comrades and, to some fortune, finds that Tora is alive but in critical condition. Vowing to avenge the four, Bardock removes Tora's Armband, now soaked in blood, and dons it over his head. Bardock is suddenly assaulted by Dodoria's Elite, although for a low-class Saiyan, he is able to dominate over the elite-class fighters until Dodoria launches a Energy Cannon, overpowering Bardock, blasting him into his friends' dead bodies and leaving him for dead. Bardock barely survives this attack, and coming to terms with the fact that his visions are actual premonitions and not a case of delirium, he desperately struggles against time to return to Planet Vegeta and change the grim fate of his people. Upon his return to the planet, he immediately begins spreading the word of danger, but his panic (as well as the state of his condition) only leads the other Saiyans to believe Bardock is overreacting after having finally met his match during a typical mission.

"This will be an opportunity to change Planet Vegeta's fate, my own fate, to change Kakarot's fate... And yours too!" — Bardock about to deliver his "Final Spirit Cannon" to Frieza

Angry at the reaction he has received, Bardock yells at the other Saiyans for their disbelief and they are stunned into silence. Bardock realizes the hopelessness of his situation, but his son appears into him in a vision and Bardock goes into a frenzy takes to the skies where Frieza's Spaceship is orbiting, in a last resort effort to throttle Frieza's plan to eradicate the Saiyans. As Bardock displays an abnormal ability to fend off hundreds of Frieza's soldiers, Frieza decides that the situation is growing out of hand. Frieza's decision is solidified by his perceived insolence of another Saiyan, King Vegeta, who has invaded Frieza's Spaceship with his servants in an attempt to rescue their prince, Vegeta (who at this time is nowhere near the ship, as he is carrying out orders on another planet).

After killing King Vegeta and his Royal Guard, Frieza steps out into the orbit of planet Vegeta where he encounters Bardock, who insists that the Saiyans refuse to continue being oppressed and commanded by the tyrant and announces his intentions to avenge all killed for Frieza's cause. Intending to wipe out the Saiyans anyway, Frieza does not see a problem with Bardock's allegation, and somewhat patiently listens to Bardock's speech, staking out the perfect opportunity to commence his genocide. This opening comes when Bardock attempts to kill Frieza using a Final Spirit Cannon, which Frieza retaliates with by laughing maniacally as he expands a charging Supernova which absorbs Bardock's blast.

Within moments, the Supernova is set free from Frieza's fingertip and careens through numerous bystander soldiers en route toward Planet Vegeta; Bardock is among the first of many to be consumed by the ball of energy. As he is incinerated within the Supernova, Bardock has one final vision, that of his son Goku (born Kakarot) challenging and defeating Frieza, which brings a smile to his face. His regret, however, is that he never had a chance to hold his infant son in his arms before his child was commissioned to Earth only days after being born. In the Japanese version as well as in Dragon Ball Z Kai, however, Bardock tells his son Kakarot to avenge the Saiyans and Planet Vegeta.

Cooler's Revenge

The opening of Cooler's Revenge shows the ending scene of Bardock - The Father of Goku, which appears Bardock confronting Frieza. Cooler witnesses his brother confronting the last Saiyan as well as him destroying planet Vegeta. Salza then detects a space pod flying away, but Cooler decides to ignore it, saying that Frieza is careless and it is his fault that a Saiyan will survive.

Broly - The Legendary Super Saiyan

While he doesn’t appear in the movie, Bardock is mentioned by Paragus. After Goku arrives on New Planet Vegeta by using the Instant Transmission technique to track down the source of the Legendary Super Saiyan’s energy, Paragus arrives and greets him. Goku identified him as a Saiyan, and Paragus identified Goku as Bardock’s son. This gave Goku a stern looks on his face, until Paragus offered him to a meal, which Goku gladly accepted. He was also briefly mentioned by the medics looking over the then-infant Broly and Goku in Paragus's flashback to the birth of the two Saiyans, also in relation to Goku.

Other Dragon Ball stories

What-if scenarios

Episode of Bardock

"I'm just a Saiyan, I suppose." — Bardock's answer to Chilled after the latter asked who he is

As he is being overwhelmed by Frieza's Supernova, Towa uses a wormhole to capture him, however, he runs to the past. Bardock survives after his battle against Frieza and wakes up in a bed on a planet that looks a lot like Planet Vegeta. He is being treated by two aliens: the village doctor Ipana and his son Berry. Bardock remarks that the medicine used to heal him is similar to the fluid in Medical Machines and Ipana says that the name of the planet is Planet Plant, the old name of Planet Vegeta, so Bardock starts to wonder if he is in the past. When two Soldiers named Toobi and Cabira arrive and declare that they are going to conquer the planet, Bardock confronts and kills them. The villagers thank him, but Bardock flies away to a cave. When Berry arrives at the cave with a basket of food, Bardock tells him to leave, but eventually eats the young alien's food and grows tolerant of him over time.

When the space pirate Chilled and his soldiers come to investigate Planet Plant, due to the death of Toobi and Cabira, Berry tells Bardock that he has a bad feeling about him. When Chilled and his Soldiers start terrorizing the planet, Berry begs Bardock to help the Inhabitants of Plant. Remembering his friends' decimation on Planet Meat, Bardock accepts and saves Ipana from Chilled's men. When he sees Chilled, Bardock confuses him for Frieza and angrily attacks him with a punch to the face. Chilled kicks him and begins to crush him.

Chilled is about to deliver the finishing energy blast to Bardock when Berry rushes forward in an attempt to save him. However, Chilled throws the blast instead to him, wounding Berry. Upon seeing this, Bardock thinks of Frieza and the death of his crew and becomes furious. He then transforms into a Super Saiyan. He and Chilled begin fighting once more, and Chilled tries to Ki Blast him to death, and as a last resort, he uses a Death Ball to try to destroy Planet Plant along with Bardock. However, Bardock fires a Rebellion Trigger at Chilled, and the force of the blast sent the tyrant flying into space. The villagers cheer on Bardock and he smiles and then walks away. It is revealed that Chilled's knowledge about Super Saiyans was passed to his descendants.

Trivia

• Bardock's name, like all other Saiyan characters, is a pun on edible plant material, in this case, the burdock herb (this pun is more apparent in the Dragon Ball manga, where the character's name is literally spelled Burdock). Bardock's family are all named after root vegetables (burdock, onion, radish, and carrot). The word "burdock" transliterated into katakana is badokku (バードック, bādokku), but the character's name is written as Badakku (バーダック, Bādakku), changing the 'do' character to 'da'. This character change actually makes the kana sound more like "Bardock" to English speakers, making it difficult to accurately romanize the word to convey the pun. The word could be romanized as "Burdock", "Barduck", "Badack" or any combination of these syllables. While Viz's English publications of the manga use the spelling "Burdock", the Funimation dub of Bardock - The Father of Goku and the original Japanese version of Dragon Ball: Episode of Bardock both spell his name "Bardock". "Bardock" is also how Frieza pronounces his name while speaking aloud during the Frieza Saga of Funimation's Dragon Ball Z English dub.
• In a chapter of the Dragon Ball manga, Raditz alludes to Bardock when commenting that Goku "look[s] just like [their] father".
• Bardock was the first anime original character to later be included in two panels of the manga.
• In a flashback during the Frieza Saga, it is implied that during Bardock's confrontation with Frieza, all of the men behind him were part of his army to defeat Frieza. However, in Bardock - The Father of Goku, it is shown that those are all actually Frieza's men, and Bardock fought his way through them to get to Frieza.
• A commercial advertising Dragon Ball Z Kai on Nicktoons shows Bardock when he forms the blast about to attack Frieza. No blood is present, and Bardock's scar is missing from his face, this was to most likely censor Dragon Ball Z Kai because it was on a children's network.
• The way Bardock tries to warn the Saiyans about Frieza destroying them all in the 1990 TV special is similar to how Jor-El from Superman tries to inform his people of Krypton's destruction. Ironically, the 2014 Dragon Ball Minus manga further increases the similarities between Bardock and Jor-El.
• Sonny Strait gave Bardock three different voices; the first (in the original FUNimation airing) is somewhat high-pitched, almost similar to Krillin, the second (first appearing in 2000s until Raging Blast) is standard baritone in vocal pitch (as with most common male voices), and starting from Dragon Ball Z Kai, his voice exhibits a more virile and brazen disposition, sticking with his Japanese (aggressive) tone.
• In the Budokai Tenkaichi and Raging Blast series, if the player has Bardock fight Nappa, the latter will refer to Bardock as "garbage", owing to Bardock's status as a low-class warrior.