Warning: Contains spoilers for Dragon Ball Super Chapter #83
The death of Raditz, Son Goku‘s brother, happened at the beginning of Dragon Ball Z, and it was one of the rare (perhaps unique) instances where Goku did not regret the death of a foe, however it might have been a mistake. Thanks to some momentous revelations in Dragon Ball Super‘s latest chapter, the decision to kill his brother is not only just a mistake but one of his biggest ever.
Goku belongs to the Saiyans, a powerful warrior race that makes a living conquering and selling planets. Strength is everything for a Saiyan, and their battle potential is assessed at birth. Goku’s father, Bardock, was a low-class warrior who showed great potential and died trying to stop the galactic tyrant Frieza from destroying the Saiyan’s planet, Vegeta. Bardock had two sons: the eldest, Raditz, was on a mission on another planet when Frieza destroyed Vegeta; Goku was just a baby, but he was sent in a space pod to Earth shortly before his planet exploded. Years later, Raditz (who had been informed about Goku’s location by their parents) arrives on Earth and tries to recruit his little brother into the Frieza Army. In the process, he tells Goku (who has lost his memories after arriving on Earth) of his Saiyan heritage, opening the way for future developments in the saga.
Goku and Piccolo fight against Raditz and, despite him being stronger than both, manage to kill him thanks to Goku sacrificing his own life to let Piccolo hit both with his Special Beam Cannon. Goku never expresses any regrets for killing his brother, nor the wish to bring him back at any point using the Dragon Balls. Goku’s behavior is odd because, unlike other Saiyan, Goku is kind, merciful, and often expresses the desire to let his opponents live. Goku’s lack of interest towards his brother, however, could have been a great mistake. In Dragon Ball Super chapter #83 by Akira Toriyama and Toyotarou, a flashback shows Bardock’s fight against Gas on planet Cereal. The Saiyan is fighting to protect Granolah and Monaito, a Namekian, who uses the Dragon Balls to grant Bardock a wish. Refusing any help in the fight, Bardock wishes for his sons to prosper in the future.
Applied to Goku, the wish makes sense as he will become one of the strongest fighters in the universe, and a hero who saved the galaxy many times. However, it looks like the wish failed to reach Raditz, considering his short life spent in the service of Frieza. It could very well be, then, that Raditz was also destined to do great things, just like Goku, but his death at the hands of his brother stopped him in his tracks. The comparison with Vegeta is striking. Goku gave Vegeta a second chance, and the Prince of the Saiyan ended up becoming his closest friend and his equal in terms of power. If he did the same with Raditz, or if he resurrected him at the many chances he had to do so, the two sons of Bardock could have flourished together as the protectors of the universe.
Raditz’s close connection with Goku makes it hard to understand why the character was never further explored or developed. The big revelation in Dragon Ball Super throws a lot of shade on Goku‘s past actions, hinting that his decision to kill his brother Raditz could have been his worst mistake.
