Warning! Spoilers for Dragon Ball Super chapter 82 ahead!
While Dragon Ball Super‘s biggest fans know quite a bit about Goku‘s father Bardock by now, Goku himself hasn’t been so lucky; his youthful brain damage wiped any lingering memories he might have had of his parents. Plus, with the Saiyan species nearly extinct, there aren’t exactly a lot of other people around to tell him stories about his old man—but it seems, at last, that Goku will get to hear his dad, even if only for a moment.
The Granolah saga in Dragon Ball Super has revealed a lot about Bardock in recent chapters, starting with the fact that Bardock was present for the assault on Granolah’s home world of planet Cereal. However, Bardock took a stance against the Heeters, who organized the invasion, and actually defended a young Granolah and his Namekian caretaker, Monaito, who would become the planet’s only survivors. He even went up against Gas, the Heeter’s muscle who’s proven extremely difficult for the modern Saiyans. It’s a softer portrait of Bardock than what many fans had expected, so this new backstory has proven a bit controversial, as it implies Goku’s kindness came from his father rather than being a result of that early brain damage that kept him from conquering Earth.
In chapter 82, Monaito produces a broken Scouter that he’s apparently held onto for 40 years, claiming it’s the one that Bardock wore when he fought Gas. Vegeta is able to get the Scouter to turn on, in the hopes that any recordings in the device’s memory can provide some insight into Gas’ weaknesses. Using Granolah’s eyepatch-robot Oatmeel, they’re able to play an audio clip of Bardock’s voice. While the chapter ends before Bardock and Gas’ fight can be resolved, it does offer Goku the chance to hear his father’s voice for the first time, triggering a brief memory of the moments before he was launched to Earth.
Although Goku has never fretted too much over not knowing his parents, it seems the sound of Bardock’s voice has managed to awaken something deep inside. Even with only a few panels, it’s clear that this moment has significance for Goku. After all, Goku has always been portrayed as having a very different temperament than most Saiyans, including his own brother Raditz who very nearly killed him when they met. Many fans have chalked that up to Goku hitting his head upon his arrival on Earth, and it’s possible that even Goku believes that in universe. However, the consequence of that belief is that Earth’s greatest hero is merely the result of an accident, and everything that makes Goku “good” is actually a defect by Saiyan standards. This change to Bardock’s characterization is significant, but the opportunity for Goku to learn about his father’s deeds is arguably even more so; no longer is Goku the sole “good” Saiyan, and whether he’s ever cared about it or not, he can know with some certainty that his father would be proud of the life he’s lived on Earth.
Shonen protagonists often have difficult relationships with their fathers, who are usually either absent, neglectful or outright evil. Goku’s lack of father issues has set him apart, but this moment doesn’t ruin that. Hopefully, Goku and Dragon Ball Super will find a way to preserve this message from Bardock so that Gohan and Goten will get the chance to connect with their past, too.
