Dragon Ball: Episode of Bardock
A what-if sequel to Bardock – The Father of Goku.
Dragon Ball: Episode of Bardock is a three-chapter manga series written and illustrated by Naho Ōishi, based on Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball. It is a what-if spin-off sequel to the 1990 TV special *Dragon Ball Z: Bardock – The Father of Goku*. The story follows Bardock, who survives the destruction of his home planet and is sent back in time to a strange world, where he fights Chilled, an ancestor of Frieza.
The manga was serialized in *V Jump* across three chapters from June 21 to August 21, 2011. Toei Animation adapted it into a short anime film, which debuted on December 17, 2011, at Jump Festa 2012. The film was released internationally in October 2012 as a subtitled extra included with the Xbox 360 game *Dragon Ball Z: For Kinect*.
In the plot, Bardock wakes up in a village on Planet Plant—the former name of Planet Vegeta before the Saiyans took it over. A villager named Ipana treats him, and Bardock soon fights off henchmen of the space pirate Chilled. Though reluctant to get involved, Bardock eventually saves Ipana's son Berry and the village. Mistaking Chilled for Frieza, Bardock attacks but is overpowered until Berry is endangered, triggering his transformation into a Super Saiyan. Chilled's attacks have no effect, and his final desperate blast is overpowered by Bardock, sending the dying Chilled into space. Chilled warns his family about Super Saiyans. Centuries later, his descendant Frieza destroys Planet Vegeta out of fear of the legendary Super Saiyan, and Bardock's son Goku later defeats Frieza in that form.
Key characters include Bardock (voiced by Masako Nozawa), Berry (voiced by Houko Kuwashima), Ipana (voiced by Masashi Ebara), and Chilled (voiced by Ryūsei Nakao). Akira Toriyama provided the designs for Berry, Ipana, and Chilled.
The manga chapters appeared in *V Jump* on June 21, July 22, and August 21, 2011. An anime adaptation was announced on November 21, 2011, and premiered at Jump Festa 2012 on December 17–18. Kazuhiko Torishima, Toriyama's former editor, served as producer. The film was later released on DVD with *Dragon Ball: Plan to Eradicate the Super Saiyans* in the March 2012 issue of *Saikyō Jump*. The entire manga was reprinted in the April 2012 issue of *V Jump* with a slightly different ending matching the film. The film was also included subtitled in the European and North American Xbox 360 game *Dragon Ball Z: For Kin
- Type
- Manga series and short anime film
- Author
- Naho Ōishi
- Based on
- Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball
- Serialized in
- V Jump
- Manga chapters
- 3 (June 21 to August 21, 2011)
- Anime premiere
- December 17, 2011 at Jump Festa 2012
- Anime studio
- Toei Animation
Lore & Background
Bardock, having somehow survived certain death when Frieza obliterated Planet Vegeta, wakes up in a small village house on Planet Plant, the former name of Planet Vegeta. A purple creature named Ipana treats him, and Bardock defends the village from henchmen of the space pirate Chilled. Despite initial reluctance, Bardock eventually transforms into a Super Saiyan after Chilled attacks a boy named Berry, and defeats Chilled, who warns his family about Super Saiyans. Centuries later, Chilled's descendant Frieza destroys Planet Vegeta out of fear of the Super Saiyan legend, and Bardock's son Goku later defeats Frieza.
Reader's Guide
Dragon Ball: Episode of Bardock expands the Dragon Ball mythos by exploring a what-if scenario where Bardock survives and becomes the first Super Saiyan in history, directly linking his actions to Frieza's later fear of the legend. The manga was serialized in V Jump in 2011 and adapted into a short anime film by Toei Animation, premiering at Jump Festa 2012. The film was released internationally as a subtitled extra in the Xbox 360 game Dragon Ball Z: For Kinect in October 2012. The story's significance lies in its retroactive explanation for Frieza's paranoia about Super Saiyans, tying Bardock's transformation to the eventual defeat of Frieza by Goku. The work was produced with involvement from Akira Toriyama's former editor and features character designs by Toriyama himself.
Did You Know?
- The manga was serialized in V Jump in three chapters between June 21 and August 21, 2011.
- The short anime film premiered on December 17, 2011, at Jump Festa 2012.
- The film was released internationally in October 2012 as a subtitled extra to the Xbox 360 video game Dragon Ball Z: For Kinect.
- Akira Toriyama provided the designs for the characters Berry, Ipana, and Chilled.
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