Warning! Spoilers ahead for Dragon Ball Super chapter 83!
Goku’s father Bardock obviously undergoes a new transformation other than Super Saiyan in the latest chapter of Dragon Ball Super, but because manga are ubiquitously not drawn in color, it’s impossible to know exactly which new form he’s achieved. However, fans can speculate based on forgotten one-offs and how Super has recycled storylines from non-canon movies before.
Bardock has been somewhat of an enigma ever since he first debuted in the non-canon film Bardock: The Father of Goku. A three-chapter manga series called Dragon Ball: Episode of Bardock that takes place after the original movie added to the Saiyan’s enigmatic persona. Rather than dying, the destruction of planet Vegeta thrusts him into the past where he eventually assumes the form of Super Saiyan. Since it was written and illustrated by Naho Ōishi, fans don’t really consider this story canon, like the film that inspired it. But Dragon Ball creator and official mangaka Akira Toriyama seems to be justifying this particular plotline in the latest chapter of Super in some capacity. And it’s possible that Bardock unlocks a version of a transformation that first debuted in the DBZ film Lord Slug.
In chapter 83 of Super, a flashback shows Bardock battling the villain Gas, who has been trading blows with Bardock’s son Goku in the present day. After Gas unlocks his berserker-like form against Bardock that Goku himself still hasn’t been able to overcome, Bardock holds his ground even after sustaining heavy damage. Bardock eventually undergoes a transformation that allows him to overcome his opponent, though, he, too, passes out as a result. It’s clear that Bardock doesn’t actually become a Super Saiyan, however, as his hair appears to retain most of its characteristic darker color. Could Akira have just canonized some variety of False Super Saiyan, which Goku only unlocks in the Dragon Ball Z film Lord Slug? After all, Goku’s hair only changes slightly as a False Super Saiyan by incorporating a slight reddish hue. This would work chronologically if Akira actually canonizes the Super Saiyan aspect in Episode of Bardock. It would make sense for Bardock to first achieve False Super Saiyan when battling Gas before going Super Saiyan later on in Episode of Bardock.
Moreover, Dragon Ball Super has already recycled many plot points and character traits from non-canon films like Lord Slug. For instance, Gas’ siblings tricked Goku and Vegeta into following them to planet Cereal under the guise of serving as hired mercenaries. This mirrors the highly unique plot point in the original Dragon Ball Z Broly movie. During the film, the eponymous Saiyan’s father Paragus lures Vegeta under false pretenses to come with him to a planet he calls the new Vegeta, with hopes that the young prince will protect it from the Legendary Super Saiyan. There’s also the fact that the Cerealian Granolah in Super is basically another version of Dragon Ball GT‘s Baby who was also negatively impacted by ancient Saiyans, though indirectly.
Of course, there are many differences between Lord Slug‘s False Super Saiyan and the form that Bardock unlocks in Super. Most notable is that the rage Goku experiences as a False Super Saiyan is much more intense than that of a Super Saiyan, as he’s seen yelling throughout the entirety of the transformation. In contrast, Bardock is quite reserved for the amount of time he maintains his new form. Then there’s also the discrepancy in how the eyes appear, for Goku’s eyes become engulfed in a sea of whiteness, and Bardock’s pupils don’t disappear. Regardless, the combination of the possible correlation to the Episode of Bardock and how Dragon Ball Super has been recycling non-canon storylines creates the rather intriguing impression that Bardock may have actually ascended to a retconned version of the False Super Saiyan form.
