Dragon Ball Z Bardock - The Father Of Goku -199... May 2026

I’m talking, of course, about . The Premise (No Spoilers… Okay, Maybe a Few) Long before Goku became Earth’s hero, his father Bardock was a ruthless Saiyan soldier working for Frieza. Unlike the gentle, head-punched Goku we know, Bardock is violent, proud, and lives for battle. But after a final mission on the planet Kanassa, a dying alien curses Bardock with the gift of foresight —he begins seeing visions of the future: his son Kakarot (Goku) fighting Frieza on Namek, the destruction of Planet Vegeta, and the rise of a legendary Super Saiyan.

The tragic anti-hero, the 90s animation grit, and that final scream. Skip it if: You prefer your DBZ lighthearted and full of filler power-ups. Did you grow up watching this special on VHS? Or did you discover Bardock through Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot ? Let me know in the comments! Dragon Ball Z Bardock - The Father of Goku -199...

When most people think of Dragon Ball Z , they think of Super Saiyans, planet-busting power levels, and epic fights spanning dozens of episodes. But buried in the early days of the franchise—specifically in —Toei Animation released a 48-minute TV special that did something shocking: it made us care about a brutal, low-class Saiyan warrior we were supposed to hate. I’m talking, of course, about