Bardock

Japanese Names: Bādakku (バーダック)Name Pun: Burdock herbFUNimation Name: BardockSilver Shenron Name: BardockOther Names: Barduck, Bardack, Burdock Race: SaiyanHeight: 5'10" (177 cm) Weight: N/ABirth Year: N/ADeath Year: Age 737 (Survived in Episode of Bardock) Hobbies: N/AFavorite Food: N/AFavorite Vehicle: N/AFirst Appears: Chapter 204 [Manga], TV Special 01 [Anime]Appearances: DBZSeiyuu: Masako NozawaVoice Actor: Sonny StraitA low-class Saiyan warrior, The biological father of Kakarot (later known as Son Goku) and Raditz, Bardock is a low-class Saiyan mercenary who leads a small elite platoon comprised of four other Saiyan soldiers, Toma, Seripa, Panbukin, and Totepo. Together, the five make a living by traveling to various planets where they decimate the defenses of these civilizations and prepare them for Freeza's planetary market. During the invasion of the Planet Kanassa, a surprise from a Kanassan warrior named Tolo gave Bardock the power to see the future. Bardock saw the betrayal and destruction of the Saiyans by Freeza. He also saw that his son, Kakarot (Goku) would one day have to face Freeza. In an attempt to change this future, and to take revenge for his friends, Bardock challenged Freeza alone when sometime in the near future, a Saiyan warrior may arise that could possibly challenge his might, especially if the Super Saiyan legend was evidently true. 

Born a typical low-class soldier, Bardock raised his power level by fighting many battles. At the end, he had a power level close to 10,000. He displays the belligerency common to Saiyans, but he also has a strong affection for his friends. Incidentally, in the original manga, Bardock appears in a single frame, then is never seen again.

Bardock displays personality traits fairly typical of Saiyans. He is somewhat cocky, loves fighting, and will kill in cold blood. He has a laid-back and fearless personality, as evidenced by he and his crew accepting missions that baffle even Freeza's elite soldiers, and his taking responsibility in confronting Freeza alone. He is a highly capable tactician in battle, able to perceive the situation at hand and act accordingly with it, as shown from his ability to out-maneuver Freeza's men.

However, unlike a typical Saiyan, most of who cares little for comrades, Bardock deeply cares for the members of his team, and is enraged after finding them ransacked on Planet Meat, particularly Toma during their last conversation.

Until the Kanassan's gift of foresight begins changing his life, Bardock thinks fairly little of his being a father, and so he generally doesn't acknowledge the newborn Kakarot except when the child is a topic of conversation among his platoon, and when he begins experiencing visions of an up-and-coming Kakarot. Bardock showed his bravery when he saw his impending doom: instead of fleeing for his own life, he chose to stay behind and fight to the death. By his final confrontation with Freeza, Bardock has had a significant change of heart. Having faced the panic and distress of his life and the existence of his race coming to an end, he loses all concern for exterminating civilizations for selfish gain and instead tries to avenge those he killed.

Bardock survives after his battle against Freeza and wakes up in a bed on a planet that looks a lot like Planet Vegeta. He is being treated by two aliens: the village doctor Ipana and his son Berry. Bardock remarks that the medicine used to heal him is similar to the fluid in Medical Machines and Ipana says that the name of the planet is Planet Plant, the old name of Planet Vegeta, so Bardock starts to wonder if he is in the past. When two soldiers named Toobi and Kyabira arrive and declare that they are going to conquer the planet, Bardock confronts and kills them. The villagers come to thank him, but Bardock flies away to a cave. When Berry arrives at the cave with a basket of food, Bardock tells him to leave, but eventually eats the young alien's food and grows tolerant of him over time.

When the space pirate Chilled and his soldiers comes to investigate Planet Plant, due to the death of Toobi and Kyabira, Berry tells Bardock that he has a bad feeling about him. When Chilled and his soldiers start terrorizing the planet, Berry begs Bardock to help the Plants. Remembering his friends' decimation on Planet Meat, Bardock accepts and saves Ipana from Chilled's men. When he sees Chilled, Bardock confuses him for Freeza and angrily attacks him with a punch to the face. Chilled kicks him and begins to crush him.

Chilled is about to deliver the finishing energy blast to Bardock when Berry rushes forward in an attempt to save him. However, Chilled throws the blast instead to him, wounding Berry. Bardock, upon seeing this, thought of Frieza and the death of his crew, became furious. He becomes a Super Saiyan. They began fighting once more, and Chilled tries to ki blast him to death and, as a last resort, uses his Death Ball to try to destroy Planet Plant along with Bardock. However, Bardock fires a Final Spirit Cannon at Chilled, and the force of the blast sent the tyrant flying into space. The villagers cheer on Bardock and he smiles and then walks away. It is revealed that Chilled's knowledge about Super Saiyans was passed to his descendants.

Consistent with Raditz's quote in a chapter of the Dragon Ball manga, Bardock's appearance is very similar to Goku's: he has unkempt hair which partially stands on end and a scar on his left cheek. He wears black and green Battle Armor, and a green scouter on his left eye. Later on, he wears Toma's blood soaked armband as a headband when he fights Dodoria's Elite on Planet Meat. In Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru's original character design, Bardock had a longer scar, his hair was more spiked (similar to Vegeta's hair), his Battle Armor was a lighter shade of green, and it had three or four flaps at the waist, and did not wear the long-legged jumpsuit he has in Akira Toriyama's final design.