Dragon Ball Interview Teases How Bardock’s Parenting Changed History

Son Goku will always live in the shadow of a father that he has never met. Jettisoned from the Planet Vegeta right before it was destroyed by the mad despot Frieza, Goku landed on Earth and became a warrior of peace while protecting his friends and family. Recently, in an interview following the release of the Dragon Ball Super: Broly comic adaptation, Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama went into detail about how Bardock‘s parenting changed the course of history.

Akira Toriyama is a legend, ushering in the most popular fighting anime of our time with Dragon Ball, so when he breaks down how history is affected thanks to the action’s of Goku’s father, you best believe he’s speaking the truth. Toriyama’s direct quote on Bardock’s parenting, as revealed by Twitter User Cipher, is as follows:

“Bardock, unusually for a Saiyan and more similarly to Earthlings, seems to have just a bit of fondness for his son. Come to think of it, Goku doesn’t seem to think about his children all that much.”

(Photo: Funimation Productions)

Ouch! It’s an ironic twist of fate that a Saiyan who is entrenched in a race that glorifies violence is taking better care of his children than an Earthling who just so happens to be a Saiyan. Goku’s parenting skills aside, Bardock’s moment of kindness in deciding to shoot Goku to Earth was always well known in the Dragon Ball Z series but was extrapolated upon in the feature length film, Dragon Ball Super: Broly, showing more of his mindset in deciding to save his son.

Previously, the most we had seen of Bardock was in the Dragon Ball Z feature film, Bardock: The Father of Goku. In this story, Bardock was granted visions of his own future demise, attempting to stop Frieza while also given visions of Goku eventually defeating the tyrant on the Planet Namek. While Bardock may have died in his attempt to save Planet Vegeta, he certainly went out with a bang, both literally and figuratively. Though to be fair, it was later revealed that Bardock in fact didn’t die but was actually hurled back in time during Dragon Ball: Episode of Bardock where he fought Frieza’s ancestor and gained the ability to go Super Saiyan.

Goku’s parenting skills on the other hand have always been questionable, going so far as to throw his young son Gohan into a fight he wasn’t ready for with the villain, Cell. He also hadn’t had the chance to meet his second son, Goten, until many years after he was born, thanks in part to training in the afterlife. Piccolo, the former Dragon Ball villain turned hero, acted more as a father to Gohan than Goku, or anyone for that matter, creating a strong bond between the two.

Interested in talking about Goku’s lack of parenting skills? Hit us up in the comments or message me directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

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