While most Dragon Ball Super fans are familiar with Goku’s father Bardock, Goku himself has not been that fortunate; his juvenile brain trauma has erased any memories he may have had of his parents. Plus, with the Saiyan race on the verge of extinction, there aren’t many people left to tell him tales of his father—but it seems that Goku will finally get to hear his father, if only for a little period.
In recent chapters of Dragon Ball Super, the Granolah story has revealed a lot about Bardock, beginning with the fact that Bardock was there during the attack on Granolah’s home world of planet Cereal. Bardock, on the other hand, stood up to the Heeters, who orchestrated the invasion, and saved a young Granolah and his Namekian guardian, Monaito, who would wind up being the planet’s sole survivors. He even faced Gas, the Heeter’s muscle, who has proved to be a challenging opponent for current Saiyans. Because it paints a kinder picture of Bardock than many fans had hoped for, this new narrative has sparked debate, as it indicates that Goku’s generosity stems from his father rather than from the early brain impairment that prevented him from conquering Earth.
Monaito shows up in Chapter 82 with a broken Scouter that he’s had for 40 years, saying it’s the one Bardock wore when he battled Gas. Vegeta is able to switch on the Scouter in the hopes of learning more about Gas’ flaws from the recordings in the device’s memory. They can play an audio clip of Bardock’s speech using Granolah’s eyepatch-robot Oatmeel. While the chapter ends before the dispute between Bardock and Gas can be settled, it does provide Goku the opportunity to hear his father’s voice for the first time, bringing back memories of the moments before he was thrown to Earth.
Although Goku has never been concerned about not knowing his parents, the sound of Bardock’s words seemed to have reawakened something deep inside him. With just a few panels, it’s evident that this is a pivotal moment for Goku. After all, Goku has always been shown as possessing a disposition that is diametrically opposed to the majority of Saiyans, even his own brother Raditz, who almost killed him when they first met. Many fans think Goku banged his head when he first arrived on Earth, and it’s plausible that even Goku believes the same thing. However, this notion has the unintended effect of implying that Earth’s greatest hero is just the product of chance, and that everything that makes Goku “good” is essentially a flaw by Saiyan standards. This shift in Bardock’s personality is important, but the potential for Goku to learn about his father’s actions is maybe even more so; Goku is no longer the lone “good” Saiyan, and whether he cares or not, he can be certain that his father would be happy of the life he’s led on Earth.
Shonen characters often have tense relationships with their dads, who are typically absent, inattentive, or downright malicious. Goku’s absence of father concerns has distinguished him, but this incident does not change that. Hopefully, Goku and Dragon Ball Super can figure out a means to save Bardock’s message so that Gohan and Goten may connect with their history as well.
