Dragon Ball Z TV Special: Bardock - The Father Of Goku
North American poster art
Directed by	Akira Toriyama
Starring	Masako Nozawa Ryuusei Nakao Ryu Horikawa Sho Hayami Yukitoshi Hori Shozo Iizuka Kinpei Azusa Yūko Mita Banjō Ginga Kozo Shioya Kazuyuki Sogabe Takeshi Watade Joji Yanami
Release date(s)	October 17, 1990 (1990-10-17)
Running time	41 minutes
Language	Japanese, English

Dragon Ball Z: Bardock - The Father of Goku, known in Japan as Dragon Ball Z: A Lonesome, Final Battle - The Father of the Z Warrior Son Goku, who Challenged Freeza (ドラゴンボールZ たったひとりの最終決戦～フリーザに挑んだZ戦士 孫悟空の父～, Doragon Bōru Zetto Tatta Hitori no Saishū Kessen~Furīza ni Idonda Zetto Senshi Son Gokū no Chichi~^?), is the first Dragon Ball Z TV Special, which is an addition to the popular manga and anime series. It first aired on October 17, 1990, between Dragon Ball Z episodes 63 and 64 (during the fight against the Ginyu Force). Bridge Entertainment's title is The Father of Goku. FUNimation re-released this and the History of Trunks film on a digitally remastered double feature DVD on February 19, 2008; a Blu-ray Disc version was released on July 15, 2008. The film was re-released in its remastered form on September 15, 2009 in a single disc release.

[edit] Plot

The special is the story of Bardock, a low-class Saiyan warrior. At the outset of the story, his son, Kakarot (Goku), is born on Planet Vegeta, and prepared to be sent to a "frontier planet" (Earth) in order to destroy all life on the planet. Meanwhile, Bardock and his crew are on an assignment to exterminate all the lifeforms of Planet Kanassa. After the planet is seemingly devoid of all other life, Bardock and crew rest up and celebrate their victory until one remaining Kanassan warrior (Tooro) catches him off guard and decides to give him the "gift" of seeing the future, before being destroyed by Bardock. This gives him the ability to see the destruction of Planet Vegeta, and the entire Saiyan race along with it, at the hands of their master, Frieza.

Bardock dismisses the visions, and goes to join his team on Planet Meat, but soon discovers his friends are all dead. He then briefly talks with the nearly deceased Tora, who tells him that Frieza ordered the attack on the crew, saying that Frieza was frightened by the growing power of the Saiyans. Saddened by his fallen comrade's words, he takes Tora's blood-soaked headband and wraps it around his head. He battles the ones responsible, and defeats them all, but is easily overwhelmed by a single mouth blast from Frieza's henchman Dodoria. He is left severely injured, but manages to make it back to Planet Vegeta.

After being revived back to health by the doctors on Vegeta, Bardock sees his son in the infirmary, but Bardock rejects him for only having an average power level. Though Bardock attempts to convey the danger that they are all in to the other Saiyans, since he has now realized that Frieza is going to destroy them all, everyone laughs at his claim and Bardock alone begins one final assault against Frieza. Killing many of his minor henchman and sending a large wave of ki to Frieza himself, Bardock seems about to change the future. However, Frieza counters this with his Death Ball technique, which kills Bardock, many of his own henchmen, and destroys Planet Vegeta itself. As he is dying, Bardock sees one more vision of the future: his son Kakarot facing Frieza. Being assured that Kakarot will be the one to kill Frieza, Bardock gives a small smile as he disintegrates along with the planet. Bardock, after his death, telepathically tells his son Kakarot in the space pod to avenge the Saiyans, which wakes Kakarot up.

Elsewhere, Vegeta, having just completed an assignment on a far-off world, is informed by Nappa (in the English version it is one of Frieza's minor soldiers who tells him) of his homeworld's destruction. His pride keeps him from expressing his shock, and he remains outwardly emotionless. Soon afterward, Kakarot's space pod touches down on Earth, where he is found by an elder man named Gohan, and giggles happily in the old man's arms. Gohan then decides to care for the boy as his own grandson, and re-names him Goku. The film ends with a montage of Goku's many heroic deeds on Earth, leading to his battle with Frieza.

[edit] Characters

• Bardock (バーダック, Bādakku^?) is the biological father of Raditz and Goku, Bardock is a Saiyan who is given the gift of precognition during one of his battles on planet Kanassa. In several of his recurring visions, he witnesses the destruction of his home planet by the hand of Frieza. After escaping certain death from Dodoria, he tries desperately to change his planet's grim future by attempting to combat Frieza and his legion of men head on. Bardock ultimately fails on ceasing Frieza's attack on the planet and is killed in the process. Moments before his death, he receives a vision of his son facing Frieza. While the Viz manga and Funimation's Japanese-language English-subtitled anime^[1] both use "Burdock", Funimation's English anime dubs use "Bardock",^[2] and some Japanese merchandise even use "Barduck".^[3] He is voiced by Masako Nozawa in the Japanese version and Sonny Strait in the Funimation dub. Bardock is later seen in two panels of the original Dragon Ball manga.^[4]

• Borgos: Muscular member of Bardock's team. Killed by Dodoria's soldiers. Known as Totepo in the original Japanese version.
• Dodoria: Underling of Frieza. He fights and heavily injures Bardock.
• Demetrious: Kanassan killed by Bardock's team.
• Fasha: Female Saiyan warrior that was a member of Bardock's team. Killed by Dodoria's soldiers. Known as Seripa in the original version.
• Frieza: Tyrant who oppressed much of the universe. He decides to exterminate the Saiyans after perceiving them as a threat.
• Shugesh: Overweight Member of Bardock's team. Killed by Dodoria's soldiers. Known as Panbukin in the original Japanese version.
• Tora: Tall Saiyan warrior that was in Bardock's team. He is killed along with the rest by Dodoria's soldiers. Bardock takes the blood-stained arm band that Tora wore and wore it as a head band as a reminder of his team. Known as Toma in the original Japanese version.
• Toolo: Kanassan who gave Bardock the ability to see the future so Bardock would see the Saiyan's exterminated just as Demetrious had to foresee his own race's destruction. He is killed by Tora shortly after.
• Zarbon: Highest ranking underling of Frieza. (excluding The Ginyu Force.)
• Zeso: A minor soldier of Frieza. (Note: Not named in film. Only in Japanese version of Budokai Tenkaichi 3. Called only Frieza Soldier in English localization of the game.)

[edit] Trivia

• A Saiyan who resembles Raditz can be seen in the bar Bardock enters to warn the others of the planet's imminent destruction. He has his back turned to Bardock. However, he is likely too old to be Raditz, and it would be difficult to explain how Raditz survived the destruction of planet Vegeta if that indeed is him. This Saiyan is perhaps a relative to Bardock and Raditz, however, it is more likely a coincidence or homage to Raditz. As stated by Turles in Movie 3, "The Tree of Might," lower class Saiyan warriors only come in a few types. While Raditz was classified as a lower class Saiyan warrior, the Saiyan race was clearly distinguished between specific types of people, proving that other Saiyans existed that resembled Raditz.
• In the Funimation dub's plot, Frieza apparently wishes to capture Kanassa because those who dwell there develop psychic powers. However, in the original story, Frieza had no idea.
• In Dragon Ball Kai (the recut and rebroadcast version of the Dragon Ball Z), the first episode used the footage of this special in the very beginning of the episode.

[edit] Music

• OP (Opening Theme)
  1. "CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA"
     • Lyrics: Yukinojō Mori, Music: Chiho Kiyoka, Arrangement: Kenji Yamamoto, Vocals: Hironobu Kageyama

• IN (Insertion Song)
  1. Solid State Scouter (ソリッドステート・スカウター, Soriddosutēto Sukautā^?)
     • Lyrics: Fuminori Iwazaki, Music: Fuminori Iwazaki, Arrangement: Dragon Magic Orchestra, Vocals: Tokio

• ED (Ending Theme)
  1. 光の旅 (Hikari no Tabi, Journey of Light^?)
     • Lyrics: Dai Satō, Music: Chiho Kiyoka, Arrangement: Kenji Yamamoto, Vocals: Hironobu Kageyama & Kuko (Waffle)

[edit] Funimation Dub Soundtrack

The following songs were present in the Funimation dub of Bardock: The Father of Goku:^[5]

• Saliva - Superstar
• Caviar - The Good Times Are Over
• Sum 41 - Makes No Difference
• American Hi-Fi - A Bigger Mood

[edit] References

1. ^ Funimation's Bardock - The Father of Goku DVD in Japanese audio with English subtitles uses "Burdock"
2. ^ Front cover of Funimation's Bardock - The Father of Goku and the English dub itself uses "Bardock"
3. ^ A Dragon Ball Z Super Barcode Wars card gives the name "Barduck"
4. ^ Bardock and his crew's character designs at http://www.daizex.com/
5. ^ Toriyama, Akira (Director). (2008 Feb 19). Bardock: The Father of Goku [Motion picture]. Japan: FUNimation.

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