Highlights
- Bardock was a low-class warrior who outsmarted Frieza and saved Goku by sending him to Earth, changing Universe 7 forever.
- King Vegeta led the Saiyan race to victory, but ultimately submitted to Frieza to protect his people from certain death.
- Paragus, exiled by jealous King Vegeta, raised Broly on Planet Vampa to seek revenge on the royal bloodline.
After the destruction of Planet Vegeta at the hands of the Galactic Tyrant Frieza, the Saiyan race is now almost extinct, with only 4 confirmed pureblooded Saiyans remaining in Universe 7. However, Goku, Vegeta, and Broly are the most powerful mortals in their universe, serving as the protectors against the most powerful threats in the entire Dragon Ball franchise.
However, none of these characters would be where they are if it had not been for their fathers’ influence over their lives in one way or another. Each of their fathers were revered members of the Saiyan race, and even after their deaths, they still seem to be influencing not only their sons, but the general legacy of all Saiyans in Dragon Ball! So, let’s look at who Goku, Vegeta, and Broly’s fathers were and why they were such important characters!
Bardock, The Low-Class Saiyan
Children: Goku, Raditz
|
First Canon Appearance |
Dragon Ball Z, Episode 78, “Fighting Power: One Million??” |
|---|---|
|
Debut Date |
February 20, 1991 |
|
Story Arc |
Frieza Saga |
Born a low-class warrior on Planet Vegeta, Bardock has since become a fan-favorite character who fans just fell in love with from his very first appearance in the story, so much so that there was an entire film dedicated solely to him! His very earliest mentions were in the Saiyan Saga of Dragon Ball Z, where Raditz spoke about him and even Vegeta mentioned him to Goku during their fight.
It was during this battle that Bardock’s incredible foresight was first hinted at. He was the only Saiyan to have guessed that Frieza was up to something, a prediction that turned out to be true when the Galactic Tyrant destroyed Planet Vegeta.
Maybe it’s because I’m constantly fighting, destroying, that I’d actually like to save something for once. Especially someone who is judged to be a lower-class warrior… like my Kakarot.
Moreover, Bardock was also revealed to be a Saiyan who did not blindly follow orders, as was seen in Dragon Ball: Super, when in the Granolah arc, he went against his orders and saved a young Granolah and his mother. Even fighting against the Heeters to protect them, Bardock proved himself to be a unique Saiyan with a brilliant mind, which caused him to send Goku to Earth in the first place, effectively changing the course of all of Universe 7!
Vegeta the Third, The Saiyan King
Children: Vegeta, Tarble
|
First Canon Appearance |
Dragon Ball Z, Episode 78, “Fighting Power: One Million??” |
|---|---|
|
Debut Date |
February 20, 1991 |
|
Story Arc |
Frieza Saga |
Just like Bardock, King Vegeta had a massive role to play when it comes to how he influenced his son’s destiny. He was stated to be a Saiyan born with an intelligence similar to a Tuffle, which led him to be the one to rally the entire Saiyan race in an effort to rebel against the Tuffles and claim the planet as their own. After their victory, he would be crowned the Saiyan King and his bloodline became royalty.
Though bold and arrogant at times, he was shown to be quite level-headed, as he knew that any resistance to Frieza’s rule would mean certain death for his people. So, he decided to become subservient to him and, despite knowing that this would mean that the Saiyans would effectively never know true freedom, he made sure to never let this be known to his people, who all viewed him as a symbol of their strength and pride.
Vegeta, you come from a strong bloodline, and you possess the potential power to join the super elite of all Saiyans.
He was also one of the few people Prince Vegeta truly loved, stating that he only joined Frieza’s army because the tyrant threatened to kill his father. While the king was prone to jealousy and arrogance, he was a great and highly respected leader to his people, and he played a huge role in the man Vegeta eventually became.
Paragus, The Saiyan Exile
Children: Broly
|
First Canon Appearance |
Dragon Ball Super: Broly |
|---|---|
|
Debut Date |
December 14, 2018 |
|
Story Arc |
Broly Arc |
Out of the 3 fathers of the pureblooded Saiyans, the least is known about Paragus. Originally a colonel serving in the Saiyan Army, Paragus was quite well-respected among his peers. His son, Broly, was born a genetic anomaly with a power-level so high that it became remarkable among the Saiyan race, since it was unheard of for someone from a low-class to be born with such power. This drew the ire of King Vegeta, who was jealous that an average Saiyan showed more promise than his own son, who was of royal blood.
King Vegeta grew jealous and cooked up an excuse to exile the boy to Planet Vampa, claiming that he posed a threat. Paragus quickly caught up and went to the planet along with his son, where the two of them lived in isolation for almost 50 years, with him spending every day thinking of ways to get revenge on King Vegeta for doing this to him.
This is our chance, my son! Attack!
Broly’s strength was incredible, but he could not control it, due to which Paragus kept an electrified collar on his son whenever he would start to act out. After being recruited by Frieza, Paragus is presented with an opportunity to seek revenge against King Vegeta’s son. In the following battles, Broly proves himself to be a monster and far surpasses Vegeta and Goku, whereas Paragus is killed by Frieza in an attempt to draw out Broly’s latent power!
Dragon Ball can be streamed on Crunchyroll.
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