Dragon Ball Super: Goku Finally Remembering His Parents Will Change Everything

Dragon Ball Super Manga Chapter 82 is now out, and it is quickly going down as a milestone chapter of the series – and really, the entire Dragon Ball saga. In the latest chapter of the Granolah Arc, Goku is locked in a furious battle with Gas, the evil criminal/fighter who once battled Goku's father, Bardock, and lost. Well, it's no surprise to Dragon Ball fans that battle is the one thing that Goku enjoys the most – but now fighting has done more for Goku than just upgrade his power level – it's unlocked a key piece of his mind! 

WARNING: Dragon Ball Super Manga SPOILERS Follow! 

In the new chapter "Bardock vs. Gas" Goku, Vegeta, Granolah and his Namekian friend Monaito try to come up with a plan to take down Gas, who has achieved the status of being the strongest warrior in the universe. Goku temporarily stops the villain by taking him on a high-speed relay race across the galaxy using Instant Transmission, eventually stranding Gas far enough away from Planet Cereal to gain the necessary time to heal up and form a battle plan. 

Monaito has one idea to try: the old Namekian pulls out an heirloom he's been stashing for 40 years: Bardock's scouter! The Freez Force power sensor also came with a side-benefit that Bardock utilized: the audio recorder. Bardock taped his entire fight with Gas, and one piece of dialogue from his father hits Goku like a lightning bolt: the words "Stay Alive." Those two simple words unlock the key memory of Goku watching his father say the same thing to him just before he and Goku's mother Gine sent him away from Planet Vegeta to Earth, just before Freeza's annihilation of the planet. 

Dragon Ball Z established that Goku hitting his head at a young age made him lose the memory of when he was a child and his Saiyan roots. That disconnect is what allowed Goku to grow up into a hero and protector of Earth, rather than a typical bloodthirsty Saiyan warrior. 

Dragon Ball Super has been steadily retconning Goku's history and his parentage (see: the Broly movie), into that of a more traditional superhero origin (i.e., Superman). Now that Goku has unlocked this memory of his parents, and is hearing his father's heroic acts first-hand, it will finally allow him to reconcile his identity as both a Saiyan and a hero, and finally give him a family legacy he can embrace and be proud of. It's a timely character change; this same chapter of Dragon Ball Super's manga also sets the stage for Goku to create his own Saiyan version of Ultra Instinct – and now, he has the mental and emotional pathway to get there. 

One thing's for sure: nothing will ever be the same for Goku again. 

Dragon Ball Super releases new manga chapters free online.