Dragon Balldelivered a lot of fan service when it let Goku’s father, Bardock, obtain Super Saiyan in the non-canonical special, “Episode of Bardock,” creating an exceptionally epic moment. However, canonizing this event would rob Goku part of what makes him a unique and interesting character.
“Episode of Bardock” is a special three-chapter manga by Naho Ooishi, released in 2011, which details a “what if” scenario where Goku’s fathersurvived the destruction of Planet Vegetaand was sent back in time, ultimately leading to him confronting Frieza’s ancient ancestor, Chilled, and going Super Saiyan to defeat him. It was later adapted as a short film, where it set the fandom ablaze. Many fans wanted the event to become canon, simply because it was very cool (and it was indeed). It might not seem like a big deal, but canonizing Bardock’s Super Saiyan status would make Goku’s achievements so much less impressive.
Goku is a Paragon of the Value of Hard Work, Not Inherited Power
Bardock Achieving Super Saiyan Makes Goku Look Worse
Goku attaining Super Saiyan for the first time is an iconic moment in anime history, but it’s far more than that. Goku’s ascension is the result of his intense training and effort, and the power of his bonds and ideals, which drive him to new heights. It’s something that Goku achieved with hard work alone; while he did have the benefit of being a Saiyan, he was still considered a “low-class” Saiyan, one incapable of reaching the levels of strength of others like Vegeta, due solely to his birth status. In a way, Goku is the ultimate example of a shonen hero truly earning one’s power.
Making Bardock capable of Super Saiyan, however, changes everything. Bardock was not supposed to be a special warrior, either, but rather a run-of-the-mill Saiyan.It’s part of Goku’s humble beginnings that Bardock was just an average guy, not a king like Vegeta’s father.If Bardock were to be canonically capable of Super Saiyan, he’d beonly the second Saiyan to attain the statechronologically, suggesting there’s something special about his bloodline after all. Goku reaching Super Saiyan then becomes an inevitability, a birthright, as opposed to the product of his hard work and ideals.
Bardock doesn’t need to be a glorious hero who managed to beat Goku to the punch with Super Saiyan. Arguably, part of what makes Bardock’s character so interesting is the fact that he’s an average Saiyan with a bit more of a conscience than most of his kind. He doesn’t have tremendous power to rely upon, but at various points he has stood up and done the right thing, such ashis protection of young Granolah inDragon Ball Super. If Goku inherited anything from his father, it was this conscience, and a desire to do what’s right and protect the weak.
Bardock is An Inherently Tragic Character, And That Makes Him Great
The Saiyan Father is Brave, But Ill-Fated
Bardock is a very popular character in his own right, thanks largely to the 1990 anime special “Bardock, The Father of Goku,” which showed Bardock bravely standing up to Frieza, even under hopeless conditions, and facing a tragic end for his commitment to do what was right.Bardock is cool specifically because of this tragic element to his story. It makes him into an honorable figure, one who Goku could respect rather than the barbarous Saiyan one might assume. It also passes the torch of getting vengeance upon Frieza to Goku, who ultimately fulfills this desire with his victory on Namek.
Bardock’s tragic fate adds to Goku’s story by making the battle against Frieza a generational struggle, even if Goku himself isn’t aware of that fact. It makes it feel like destiny that Goku and Frieza would face off, which is part ofwhy Frieza works so well as a villain, too. There’s a personal connection between Frieza and Goku that neither is fully realizing in the moment, but it makes their battle so much more intense when it’s understood.
If Bardock survives and finds Super Saiyan on his own, his story becomes muddled. While the “Episode of Bardock” storyline does a good job of turning the event into a stable time loop, it does so at the cost of Goku’s own progress and achievements, which damages the quality of storytelling going on during the Frieza saga. Seeing Super Saiyan Bardock is very cool, but the event should never be allowed to becomeDragon Ballcanon, and it was never meant to be, either.
