Original networkReleasedOctober 17, 1990Runtime48 minutesDragon Ball Z: Bardock – The Father of Goku, known in Japan as Dragon Ball Z: A Lonesome, Final Battle - The Father of Z Warrior Son Goku, who Challenged Freeza (: ドラゴンボールZ たったひとりの最終決戦〜フリーザに挑んだZ戦士 孫悟空の父〜,: Doragon Bōru Zetto Tatta Hitori no Saishū Kessen Furīza ni Idonda Zetto-senshi Son Gokū no Chichi), is the first TV special, which is based on the popular manga. It was broadcast on on October 17, 1990, between Dragon Ball Z episodes 63 and 64. It serves as a to the anime, taking place twelve years before the events in the.' S title is Dragon Ball Z: The Father of Goku. First released the special on in November 2000 then on in January 2001. Key file scavenger 5.3.
They later re-released this and the TV special on a digitally remastered double feature DVD on February 19, 2008; a version was released on July 15, 2008. The special was re-released in its remastered form on September 15, 2009 in a single disc release. In 2011, a sequel manga called was created and adapted into a short film. The main protagonists of the film: Shugesh, Bardock, Borgos, Tora and FashaThe special tells the story of, a so-called low-level soldier in 's armed forces. At the outset of the story, his youngest son, Kakarot, is born on Planet Vegeta, and is being prepared to be sent to a 'frontier planet' (Earth) in order to exterminate all life there.
Meanwhile, Bardock and his crew are on an assignment to slaughter the inhabitants of Planet Kanassa, which they easily accomplish by using the planet's full moon to transform into Great Apes. The next morning, after every last Kanassan is seemingly wiped out, Bardock and his crew rest up and celebrate their victory until one surviving warrior catches him off-guard and decides to give him the 'gift' of, before being destroyed by Bardock.
This haunts Bardock with visions of the destruction of Planet Vegeta, and the oppression of the entire at the hands of Frieza.Bardock dismisses the visions and goes to join his team on Planet Meat, only to discover most of them dead, and his best friend Tora mortally wounded. Before he succumbs to his injuries, Tora reveals that Bardock's squad was betrayed and killed by Frieza's henchman Dodoria and his elite soldiers, and that Frieza ordered the attack on the crew due to him becoming paranoid about the growing power of the Saiyans. Horrified and enraged by his fallen friend's last words, he takes Tora's blood-soaked armband and wraps it around his head, creating a makeshift bandana. He then battles Dodoria's Elite and defeats them all, only to be easily overwhelmed by a single mouth blast from Dodoria. He is left severely injured, but manages to return to Planet Vegeta.Now realizing that Frieza intends to by annihilating their homeworld, Bardock attempts to convince the other Saiyans of the danger that they are all in, but everyone laughs at his claims.
Bardock thus begins a final one-man assault against Frieza and his men. After fighting his way through Frieza's armed guard, Bardock sends a large energy blast at the tyrant himself, expecting a sure victory.
However, Frieza counters this with his deadly technique, which kills Bardock, many of his own soldiers, and destroys Planet Vegeta. As he is dying, Bardock sees one more vision of the future: his son Kakarot engaging in a climactic battle against Frieza. Being assured that Kakarot will be the one to defeat Frieza, Bardock gives a small smile as he dies along with Planet Vegeta. After his demise, Bardock telepathically wishes Kakarot to take care. At the same moment, Kakarot, who is still in his space pod, wakes up.Elsewhere, having just completed an assignment on a far-off world, is informed by of his homeworld's destruction, and that Frieza claims that the planet was destroyed by a huge meteor. Vegeta's pride keeps him from expressing his shock, and he remains outwardly emotionless.
Soon afterwards, Kakarot's space pod touches down on Earth, where he is found by an elderly man named and giggles happily in the old man's arms. Gohan then decides to adopt the boy as his own grandson, and gives him a new name:.As the credits roll, scenes are shown of Goku's many heroic deeds on Earth, including his battles against the Red Ribbon Army, Nappa and Vegeta, culminating with an image of Goku about to battle Frieza on Namek, with the spirits of Bardock and his fellow Saiyans watching him in the background.Cast Character nameJapanese voice actorEnglish voice actor(, 2000 - original/2008 - remastered)English voice actor(, c.