Dragon Ball Super hit Goku hard with a heavy emotional flashback with the newest chapter of the series! The Granolah the Survivor arc has been unique to the series in that with the more we learn about the newest characters, the more we are also starting to learn about the series’ past. This arc has shed more light on the Saiyans and their work under Frieza, and previous chapters had brought back Bardock in a series of flashbacks that had teased his very important role in setting the arc in motion. But Goku himself has been steadily making those connections. ย
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Goku has no real emotional connection to his Saiyan heritage or family, while he knows of them (and is learning more about his father the more he realizes Bardock was involved in saving Granolah’s life and beating the Heeters before), the last thing he cares about is the fate of his father. But that’s all changed with the newest chapter of the series as when he hears a recording of his father’s voice, Goku is instantly brought back to the image of his father and mother sending him off Planet Vegeta all those years ago.ย
Chapter 82 of Dragon Ball Super sees Goku buying those on Planet Cereal time when he lures Gas to a distant planet that he wouldn’t be able to instantly teleport away from, and it’s here that Monaito reveals that he kept a hold of Bardock’s scouter back from when the Saiyan fighter had saved he and the young Granolah decades ago. It’s revealed that it has a recording of Bardock’s fight with Gas, and Bardock’s voice rings out as he tells Monaito and Granolah that they need to “stay alive.”ย
Hearing “stay alive” unlocked a hidden away memory in Goku’s brain to when Bardock was telling him to “stay alive” in the hours before Frieza had blown up Planet Vegeta. It’s likely a memory he hasn’t thought about for a long time, and something that has helped him visualize Bardock’s fight with Gas as the chapter comes to an end. This sparked memory will likely kick off a whole new avenue for Goku to explore when it comes to his self-actualization and could mean big things for the future.ย
But what do you think? How did you feel about Goku remembering this moment with his father and mother? What do you think it means about Bardock’s connection with his Saiyan roots? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animated and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!