Welcome, brave Saiyan! Are you a fervent admirer of the Dragon Ball Z universe and the Saiyan people? Stay put, because you’ve come to the right place!
In this guide, we’re going to explore Bardock, an emblematic and important figure of the Saiyan people. He is the legendary father of Son Goku and had the courage to openly rebel against the fearsome Freezer.
Bardock (バーダック Bādakku) is a low-ranking Saiyan warrior. He is married to Gine and is the father of Raditz and Son Goku. He plays the main antagonist in the film: Bardock, Son Goku’s father. He is a fearless and skilled fighter, totally devoted to the Saiyan people. He served under Freezer’s orders until he discovered the Emperor’s true intentions, prompting him to rebel.
In this guide, you’ll discover:
- A detailed biography of the character
- The in-depth history of Bardock during Dragon Ball Z
- His favorite attacks
- Interesting anecdotes about Son Goku’s father
- The detailed history of Bardock’s team
Are you ready to start this guide? Then let’s get started without wasting a minute 😀 🔥PRODUCTS OF THE MOMENT🔥
APPARENCE OF BARDOCK
Bardock bears a strong resemblance to Son Goku, something noted in particular by Freezer and Raditz when referring to this Saiyan.
He is a rather tall man, with dark, unkempt hair. His hairstyle is unkempt, with numerous spikes on the sides and back. Unlike Son Goku, his facial features are more marked and severe. His skin is slightly more tanned, giving him a striking resemblance to Thalès. What distinguishes him most from his younger son is undoubtedly the long scar running down his left cheek. Like all Saiyans, he has a monkey tail wrapped around his waist. He wears green and dark blue battle armor, very solid but without shoulder pads. 👍
He also wears blue pants, red leggings and arm guards of the same color. As one of Freezer’s soldiers, he is equipped with a classic power detector in green. Shortly before his death, he will take Tora’s bloody armband, just after Tora has breathed his last, and use it as a headband. He will wear it until his death in his attempt to stop Freezer. 👊
In the very first drawing, Bardock had a much longer scar and the sheen of his green armor was lighter. The author who imagined Bardock said he was simply inspired by Son Goku’s model, giving him a fiercer look and adding the battle armor of Freezer’s forces.
BARDOCK’S PERSONALITY
Like most Saiyans in Universe 7 and Freezer’s Forces, Bardock is a rather arrogant character. He loves combat and is capable of killing without any empathy. However, he differs greatly from his fellow Saiyans by displaying a certain humanity and having a relatively calm character. Bardock is well-liked by his companions and cares deeply for others. This is particularly evident in his actions to save his comrades. He is proud of his origins and possesses a fierce determination to preserve his independence from Freezer. Indeed, all Saiyans, including King Vegeta, have submitted to the Emperor, but Bardock seems to be the only one with the courage to challenge Freezer. 🤼♀️
What’s more, Bardock seems endowed with great intelligence for someone of his race. His companions consider him a brilliant person, but he dismisses such compliments, explaining that he is simply experienced and methodical in combat. In combat, Bardock demonstrates strategy and generally acts intelligently. He is able to perceive the situation and adapt accordingly.
As previously mentioned, he feels great compassion for his friends and demonstrates unwavering loyalty. He takes time to mourn each of his fallen companions, especially Tora, who was his best friend and loyal support on the battlefield. When he discovers that Freezer plans to destroy the Saiyan people, he tries to warn his companions on planet Vegeta, even though no one believes him. Despite this, he gathers his courage and decides to go alone to confront Freezer, in the hope of saving his people. 🤜
BIOGRAPHY OF BARDOCK
Bardock is a low-ranking Saiyan who leads a group of four other warriors: Tora, his second-in-command, Fasha, Borgos and Shugesh. Reportedly, his wife Gine has apparently been a member of this squad in the past. The mission of this group of mercenaries is to travel to various planets in order to destroy the local populations. The aim is to leave the planets empty for resale on Freezer’s intergalactic market. Bardock is renowned in the Saiyan army for his courage and bravery. From the information provided by Paragus in the film Broly, the Legendary Super Saiyan, we can assume that he was one of Bardock’s superiors. 🤔
In the past, Son Goku’s father saved Gine on several occasions, and it was then that she began to develop feelings for him. The Saiyan warrior then left Bardock’s squad due to her overly gentle nature and her feeling that she wasn’t cut out for combat. However, his nature softened Bardock’s character and slightly changed his behavior, making him less cold. 👍
Generally, Saiyans show little interest in their children or the rest of the family, but this is not the case with Bardock, who seems to care deeply about the fate of Raditz and Kakarot.
BARDOCK COMMANDO
In this section, we’ll take a look at the four Saiyan warriors who make up Bardock’s team. 📝
TORA OR TOMA (トーマ Tōma) :
Tora is Bardock’s loyal friend and occupies something of a second role in the squad. His name is a pun referring to tomatoes. He is one of the most imposing members of the team and wears blue and gray combat armor. His hair is tied back in a ponytail and his skin is slightly more tanned than that of his companions. As one of Freezer’s soldiers, he is equipped with a green-colored power detector. He also wears a white scarf attached to his left arm, which serves as an armband. 👌
Tora shares many characteristics and personality traits with Bardock. Like him, he is a ruthless fighter capable of cold murder. He maintains a strong friendship with the rest of the group and displays a high level of loyalty to Son Goku’s father. However, he also has a sense of humor, particularly when pointing out their leader’s arrogance.
In the Dragon Ball SD version, Tora adopts a comic dimension when he encourages Bardock to perform a team-fighting pose heavily inspired by Commando Ginyu. However, Son Goku’s father finds the pose awkward and humorously berates Tora for doing something embarrassing. 😅
HISTORY OF TORA:
As part of an extermination mission, Tora takes part in the attack on the planet Kanassa with his companions Bardock, Fasha, Borgos and Shugesh in their Giant Ape form. 🐵
Son Goku’s father is badly wounded in a confrontation with the last surviving Kanassan and collapses to the ground. Tora reacts instantly and kills the surviving Kanassan with an energy attack. Subsequently, Tora and his companions take Bardock back to Planet Vegeta to receive the best possible care.
Shortly afterwards, Tora, Fasha, Borgos and Shugesh are given a new mission on planet Meat, which once again involves exterminating the local population. Bardock, still convalescing, is unable to accompany them, so the four Saiyans set off without him. Once there, the population of Meat is quickly massacred by the group of warriors. However, they are caught unawares by an ambush from Dodoria and his elite troops. Fasha, Borgos and Shugesh are the first to succumb to the assault, and Tora is finally brought down by a powerful punch to the face. The gravely wounded Saiyan tries to retrieve his fallen detector, but his enemy crushes it with a kick. Dodoria then reveals to Tora Freezer’s intention to eradicate the Saiyan race. Tora is left for dead, but continues to fight agonizingly. 💀
Bardock, having recovered from his wounds, arrives on planet Meat and discovers the massacre of his team. He has the chance to exchange a few words with his second-in-command before the latter takes his last breath.
Tora reveals Freezer’s plans to Bardock before dying. In tribute to his friend, Bardock unties Tora’s bloody armband and now wears it on his forehead.
This scarf, now red, will become one of Son Goku’s father’s most recognizable features. 📖
FASHA OR CELIPA (セリパ Seripa) :
Fasha is a Saiyan warrior from the planet Vegeta and a member of the Bardock Commando squad. She has an average stature and height, but her skin is rather pale. She has short hair with spiked bangs that bear an uncanny resemblance to one of Videl’s hairstyles. Fasha is also distinguished by the violet color of her eyes. She wears combat armor without shoulder pads, as well as a pink jumpsuit and a sturdy belt. Her gloves and boots are white. As a member of Freezer’s army, she is equipped with a green power detector, and also sports golden earrings. The Saiyan warrior also wears a long yellow stripe down her left leg. 🤞
Fasha shares her companions’ unfailing bravery and ruthless nature. She maintains a strong spirit of camaraderie and displays a certain maternal affection when talking about Bardock’s youngest son.
In the video games Budokai Tenkaichi 3 and Xenoverse 2, it is revealed that Bardock has a deep respect for Fasha and holds her in high esteem. Note that in Tenkaichi 3, Fasha is the only female Saiyan present and therefore the only woman capable of transforming into a Giant Ape. 🐵
Her original name, assigned by the author, was Kōn (コーン), a pun referring to the vegetable corn. However, Fasha’s name in Japanese refers to parsley.
Originally, cartoonist Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru had depicted Fasha in battle armor featuring protective epaulettes. She also wore a skirt and had longer, bushier hair. After Akira Toriyama finalized his character sketches, Fasha’s appearance was modified to match the current design. 👍
A widely held theory among fans suggested that Fasha was Bardock’s lover and Son Goku’s mother. However, this theory turned out to be false.
FASHA’S HISTORY:
The Saiyan warrior is introduced alongside her companions as they attack the population of the planet Kanassa in their Giant Apes form. After the victory, the Saiyans gather around a fire, and Fasha advises Bardock to visit his newborn son, but the latter refuses to listen to her advice. Some time later, Bardock is seriously injured in a clash with a surviving Kanassan warrior, and the group decides to take him back to Planet Vegeta for treatment. 🌕
The group of Saiyans entrusts Goku’s father to the doctors and then sets off on a mission to planet Meat for another extermination operation. The population is quickly decimated, but Fasha and his companions are caught off guard by an ambush from Dodoria and his henchmen, who seek to fulfill Freezer’s will. The four Saiyans are massacred, and Fasha endures torture inflicted by the Emperor’s right-hand man before succumbing. 💀
BORGOS OR TOTEPPO:
Borgos is the Commando Bardock’s most imposing Saiyan in terms of size, and he also possesses an imposing musculature. His original name was Jagga (ジャッガ). Endowed with a massive body, he has a shaven head, but features broad strands of black hair on either side of his head. He bears a few scars on his forehead. Borgos is of course dressed in a variant of Freezer’s Forces battle armor, and is equipped with a green power sensor. His armor plates are predominantly black, and he wears a blue belly plate. His pants are dark blue, with black protectors above the hands. 🖐
Borgos is a Saiyan who seems to have a great appetite, as evidenced by his tendency to eat most of the time he appears. It’s worth noting that this warrior is virtually silent in the original Japanese version. Indeed, we only hear the sound of his voice when he lets out his war cry as he charges Dodoria.
In the new dub, he chats with Fasha to confirm their feelings after a Saiyan transforms into a Giant Ape. He says it’s like waking up from a dream and that the memory is erased after the metamorphosis. Above all, Borgos is a ruthless fighter with an impeccable sense of honor and strong bonds of camaraderie with his companions.
In the very first original drawing, Borgos wasn’t as big, and was close in size to Bardock. What’s more, the Saiyan was originally bald, exactly like Nappa. Borgos’s scars, however, are not apparent when he is transformed into a Giant Ape. This differentiates Borgos from Vegeta, who retains his scars when transformed. 🐵
HISTORY OF BORGOS:
In their Giant Ape form, Borgos, Tora, Bardock, Fasha and Shugesh attack the planet Kanassa with the aim of wiping out the local civilization. Shortly after their victory, Bardock is seriously wounded by a Kanassan survivor, and the group decides to take him back to planet Vegeta for treatment. ✨
Shortly afterwards, the four Saiyans set off on a mission to planet Meat without their leader. The small group ends up facing Dodoria and his elite soldiers. A fight breaks out between the two camps, but the Saiyans are eventually massacred. Borgos is the one who holds out the longest, but dies after charging Dodoria and receiving a violent punch to the face.
SHUGESH OR PANBUKIN:
Shugesh is a Saiyan warrior belonging to the elite Bardock Commando. He has a relatively average height and a bulky body, seeming to contain more fat than muscle. However, this doesn’t prevent him from being very fast and playing an important role in the squad. His hair and eyes are black, and he sports a fine moustache. Shugesh wears a battle armor without epaulets in green and black. We can notice that his outfit slightly resembles Bardock’s, with an olive-green shirt under his armor. 👊
Like all members of Freezer’s army, the Saiyan warrior is equipped with a green power detector. Shugesh is an extremely skilled and ruthless fighter, while having a sense of honor and devotion to his leader. He has a strong sense of camaraderie with his fellow creatures. Its name in Japanese refers to the pumpkin, which fits quite well with its morphology and weight.
Interestingly, in early drawings, Shugesh looked very similar to Nappa. He was much taller and had a much more developed musculature. 💪
HISTORY OF SHUGESH:
Shugesh and his companions are on the planet Kanassa with the aim of exterminating the entire population. In their Giant Ape form, Shugesh receives a wound to the cheek caused by a weapon shot from one of the Kanassan defenders. He retaliates by crushing it with a powerful kick. 🦶
Importantly, after the Saiyans’ victory, Shugesh remembers the Kanassan warrior who left a scar on his cheek. After Bardock is seriously wounded by a survivor, the group decides to take him back to Planet Vegeta for treatment.
Shortly afterwards, a new mission on planet Meat is entrusted to the small group. Shugesh and Tora understand that they must leave without Bardock and complete the mission alone. After massacring the population of Meat, Dodoria arrives with his elite warriors to kill the group of Saiyans on Freezer’s orders. The four Saiyens are massacred, and Shugesh is one of the first to fall. 💀
BARDOCK IN DIFFERENT FILMS AND SAGAS
During the saga of the Saiyens, Bardock appears in an excerpt during the first episode of Dragon Ball Z Kai. He can be seen in space, facing Freezer above the planet Vegeta. The Saiyan attempts to attack the Emperor with his ultimate attack, the Final Spirit Cannon, in a bid to save his people. As Zarbon and Dodoria look on, Freezer simply sneers and fires his Supernova. The attack blows up Planet Vegeta, killing Bardock who was in the projectile’s path. 💥
Bardock also appears in the saga of Namek. Since Bardock is first and foremost a Toei Animation creation, it was not until the “Bardock Son Goku’s Father” movie was released that the character finally appeared in the manga. When Freezer first sees Goku, he recalls his face-to-face encounter with Bardock just before the explosion on Planet Vegeta. Freezer immediately recognized the striking resemblance between Son Goku and his father. Logically, the Galactic Emperor then deduces the kinship between Bardock and Goku. 🤜
Most of the information we know about the character comes from the film devoted entirely to him: Bardock the father of Son Goku. With his squad, Bardock completely eradicates the population of the planet Kanassa in the form of Giant Apes. Shortly afterwards, however, a Kanassan survivor appears. He touches Bardock with a beam of energy and gives him the power to see the future. He tells him that the Saiyan people are doomed to disappear and that Goku’s father will be haunted by this vision until his death. Bardock tries to attack the Kanassan but collapses to the ground. Tora kills the survivor and the group of Saiyans take Son Goku’s father back to Planet Vegeta for treatment. 🌕
While convalescing on Planet Saiyen, Bardock is struck by a hallucination that he interprets as a premonitory vision. In this flash, he glimpses the destruction of the Saiyan world by Freezer, as well as the Earth saved by his youngest son, Kakarot. At the same time, the doctors attending Son Goku’s father declare that his power has increased considerably, reaching nearly 10,000 units. One of them even claims that he could surpass King Vegeta’s level. 😮
Bardock is still in intensive care when, on Freezer’s orders, Tora, Fasha, Borgos and Shugesh (the four members of Bardock’s squad) go on a mission to planet Meat to eradicate the local population. 💀
Once there, Goku’s father discovers the carnage left by Dodoria and finds that all his companions have been killed. Only Tora, his second-in-command, is still alive but in critical condition. Tora explains Freezer’s betrayal to him before breathing his last. Bardock removes Tora’s bloody white armband and places it on his forehead.
Dodoria and his elite soldiers appear, intent on killing Goku’s father. Bardock, eager to avenge his companions, immediately goes on the attack. His new-found power enables him to gain an easy advantage over the elite soldiers, but he is finally brought down by a powerful energy shot launched by Dodoria. Bardock’s body crashes near his companions, and Freezer’s men leave the planet, leaving the Saiyan for dead. Having barely survived, Bardock realizes that the hallucination he had earlier was a true premonition, and decides to return to planet Vegeta to warn his people. Despite his injuries, he manages to land on the Saiyan planet and reveals Freezer’s plan to his fellow Saiyans. However, they laugh at him and decide to ignore the warning. 😦
Bardock then lashes out at the Saiyans, blaming them for their disbelief, which eventually brings them down. Son Goku’s father realizes that he can only rely on himself when Kakarot appears to him again in a vision.
Bardock gathers his strength and heads skyward until he reaches Freezer’s ship, which is in orbit above planet Vegeta. Despite his recent injuries, Bardock shows courage and more or less manages to fend off the hundreds of Freezer soldiers protecting the Emperor’s ship. 🛸
For his part, Freezer, exasperated by the Saiyans’ insolence, decided to intervene personally. A few hours earlier, he had been forced to kill King Vegeta, who had revolted with other Saiyens.
The Galactic Emperor leaves his ship and comes face to face with Bardock. Son Goku’s father declares that he refuses to allow the Saiyan people to continue to be oppressed under Freezer‘s rule and announces his intention to avenge all the Saiyans who have been killed. 👊
For his part, Freezer listens attentively to the Saiyan’s speech, savoring the moment and waiting for the perfect moment to unleash the genocide. Bardock begins charging his Final Spirit Cannon, and the Emperor decides to retaliate by attacking with his Supernova. The gigantic ball of evil energy engulfs Freezer’s men as well as Bardock before hitting planet Vegeta, which instantly explodes under the Machiavellian laughter of the Emperor. 💥
Just before being incinerated by the Supernova, Bardock has a final vision of his son Kakarot facing Freezer and defeating him. Goku’s father smiles and regrets not having had time to hug his child. Just before he dies, he implores his son to one day avenge the Saiyan people (this last scene is only visible in the remastered version of Dragon Ball Z Kai). 👍
We also get to see Bardock in the film Cooler’s Revenge. The scene of the planet’s destruction is once again shown, and Cooler watches his brother confront Bardock. Shortly before the destruction of the Saiyan world, Sauzer spots a space capsule taking off into space, but Cooler decides to ignore it altogether. He claims it’s Freezer’s fault that a Saiyan has to survive, pointing out his brother’s negligence.
Although Bardock doesn’t appear in the Broly film, Son Goku’s father is nevertheless mentioned by the Saiyan Paragus. Son Goku attempts to locate Broly’s super-powered energy using his teleportation technique and ends up encountering Paragus. The latter immediately recognizes Son Goku as Bardock’s son. 🤔
BARDOCK’S POWER
As a low-ranking Saiyan, Bardock’s power is relatively low. We don’t know exactly how powerful he was when he first appeared, but his level must approach 2000 units, slightly higher than that of his eldest son Raditz. However, he gets a huge power boost during the movie Bardock the father of Son Goku. After returning from the planet Kanassa in critical condition, his power reaches 10,000 units after receiving treatment. At that point, he becomes one of the most powerful Saiyans in the universe, rivaling even the power of King Vegeta. This newfound power enabled him to defeat many of Freezer’s henchmen, including elite soldiers. However, he is finally killed by Freezer. 😥
Like Son Goku, Bardock thus demonstrates that a low-ranking warrior is capable of achieving a formidable level of power.
BARDOCK ATTACKS AND TRANSFORMATIONS
Power Ball: Bardock is able to combine his own ki with a planet’s atmosphere to create a sphere of energy. He can then send it into the sky to create an artificial moon. This technique allows him to transform into a Giant Ape at any time, without having to wait for a full moon. In some versions, Vegeta claims that Bardock himself invented this technique.
Divination: Son Goku’s father possesses a rare ability that allows him to see certain future events.
Final Revenge: Bardock charges his opponent and violently punches him in the face. He then follows up with a powerful kick to throw him into the air. Bardock quickly rejoins his opponent and inflicts a violent uppercut, then hits him with a powerful punch to send him crashing to the ground.
Final Spirit Cannon: Bardock loads a sphere of energy into his hand and unleashes it in the form of a powerful ki shot towards his opponent. This is his most devastating attack. This technique is very well known in the Tenkaichi series.
Flip Shoot: Bardock leaps back to dodge his opponent’s ranged attacks, then sends a great wave of blue energy towards him.
Flash Spirit : Bardock first elbows his foe in the face, then knocks him to the ground and finishes him off with a powerful energy attack. This attack inflicts heavy damage and usually renders Bardock’s enemies unable to get up.
Lance of Rebellion: The user charges his ki and creates a blue aura around him. Bardock then charges his opponent, inflicting heavy damage as his aura acts as an explosive shield. In this state, the user is able to change direction several times, enabling him to strike multiple opponents.
Like all other Saiyans, Bardock is capable of transforming into a Giant Ape. His battle armor adapts to this form, and his power is multiplied by 10. This transformation confers destructive power, but he loses all mental control.
Here’s what Bardock would look like as a Super Saiyan!
ANECDOTES
Like other Saiyan warriors, Bardock’s name refers to a vegetable. In this case, it’s the burdock. Interestingly, all members of the Bardock family are named after a vegetable with a root: burdock for Bardock, onion for Gine, radish for Raditz and carrot for Kakarot. 🌿
In the Dragon Ball Z manga, Raditz mentions Bardock to Son Goku when he tells him he looks a lot like their father.
Bardock was the very first anime character to be included later in some pages of the manga.
In a flashback during the Namek saga, it’s implied that Bardock attacked Freezer head-on with many men at his side. However, in the film Bardock the Father of Son Goku, it’s clearly shown that Bardock was alone and had to battle numerous henchmen to reach the Galactic Emperor. 🛸
The way Bardock tries to inform his people of Freezer’s extermination of the Saiyans is similar to that of Jor El in the Superman universe (DC Comics) when he tries to warn of the imminent destruction of Krypton.
Over the course of the various films and adaptations, Bardock has had three different voices.
In the video games Budokai Tenkaichi and Raging Blast, while Bardock and Nappa clash, the latter taunts Goku’s father because of his inferior rank and low power. This presents a major inconsistency, as Nappa, supposedly a high-level Saiyan, has a power of 4000, while Bardock, of lower rank, has a power of around 10,000 units. 💪
ARE YOU A BARDOCK FAN? SHARE YOUR PASSION FOR THE UNIVERSE OF SAIYANS
That’s it, the guide to Bardock is now complete. You now know everything there is to know about Son Goku’s father! We hope you enjoyed reading this article as much as we enjoyed writing it. 👍
Don’t forget that Bardock, as well as being the father of our favorite hero, is a symbol of courage and represents the greatness of the Saiyan people. Indeed, he had the courage to face the fearsome Freezer alone in the hope of saving his world.
If, like us, you’re a big fan of the Dragon Ball Z series, and in particular of certain emblematic characters like Bardock… We invite you to discover these two figurines that make up a striking duo! Bardock and Goku fight side by side. These two collectible figures are the perfect addition to your collection! 😉 🔥PRODUCTS OF THE MOMENT🔥
