Bardock, the father of Goku, appeared in numerous Dragon Ball franchise TV anime and movies and had a wide range of personality traits in canon and non-canon outings. It’s time to set the record straight and state that Xenoverse Bardock proved the best blend of all the other characterizations. Yes, his appearances are brief, and doesn’t have the same deep dive on his backstory. But hopefully, the evidence here will help sway opinion.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Xeno Bardock is obviously not part of the official canon, but his moral code, higher power levels and survival in his timeline make for a much deeper storyline. Much like Broly, Bardock was changed from a cold, violent Saiyan in the now non-canon Dragon Ball Z: Bardock – The Father of Goku to a compassionate, loving father and husband that did all he could for Goku in Dragon Ball Super: Broly. Unfortunately for both timelines, he got a swift, unceremonious ending when Frieza blew up Planet Vegeta. That wasn’t the case for Xeno Bardock.
Bardock’s Extra Lifeline Opens Door For More
Image Courtesy of Toei Animation
Xenoverse Bardock escaped the unfortunate doom that his timeline brethren fell prey to. Instead of dying with the rest of the Saiyans during Frieza’s planet-destroying attack, he was saved by a temporal anomaly, similar to a wormhole, that teleports him to another dimension. A deserved save in some ways considering most of the Saiyans at that time were brutal killing machines. Bardock was much more of an outlier. or at worst, and anti-hero by comparison.
Bardock’s original timeline from 1990 didn’t differentiate much from the ruthless Saiyan path. He was a cold, distant mercenary that had little similarities to his world-saving son. It’s a complicated web because he was so different from his son, but still puts up a fight against the evil Frieza before succumbing to the superior warrior. The canonical version seen with Dragon Ball Super: Broly is much more similar to Goku, however. He cares for his wife Gine and shows a love for Goku.
Those two stories definitely have their draws, but Xeno Bardock is the one with the biggest expansion opportunity, even if it’s not in a canon format. He grew to be an extremely accomplished warrior as noted by his ascension to Super Saiyan 4. He was counted out and considered a lower class warrior just like his son but made his own way.
From Mind-Controlled Madman To Hero
Image Courtesy of Toei Animation
Super Dragon Ball Heroes introduces him as the Masked Saiyan, and an opponent of the Z Fighters. Bardock is under evil mind control, but is eventually freed. He then joins the Time Patrol, a group that keeps timelines in check and tries to find and defeat evil travelers. It’s a great side mission story in its own right that could be explored further in the future. It’s another step in Bardock becoming a “good” Saiyan, which may sound weird to some. However, it’s a difficult journey for a warrior that used to conquer planets for something as trivial as money.
Unlike Goku being raised amongst good role models, Bardock basically had to become a hero on his own merit. He later proves a key component in defeating Dark King Demigra, with a three-generation Kamehameha. Goku is getting pummeled by a large energy blast but with the help of Gohan and then Xeno Bardock, they turn the tables on the Dark King. A nice moment between the three family members, even if the grandfather is from an entirely different dimension.
There’s still plenty to dig into with his storyline as he’s another new hero that the fanbase can latch onto. But who cares if it never becomes canon? It’s a fun story and not everything has to be a part of the official canon to be great. Dragon Ball has had many great stories that no longer exist in its official timeline now. The franchise also has a lot of starts to storylines only to come back around to the subject later, so anything is possible, just like Future Trunks’ return. Do you think Xenoverse Bardock deserves more of a run and is the best story of Goku’s father so far? Let us know in the comments.
Dragon Ball’s Frieza Armor Is Still Iconic After 28 Years & Here’s Why
More Anime
<img src="https://comicbook.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2026/11/Bocchi-the-Rock-2027-Movie.jpg?w=300" alt="After 5 Years, A Fan-Favorite Anime to Return With New Movie Ahead of Season 2″>Image Courtesy of Cloverworks
Anime
7 hours ago
After 5 Years, A Fan-Favorite Anime to Return With New Movie Ahead of Season 2
Courtesy of Toei Animation
Anime
7 hours ago
One Piece Goes All Out for Fortnite With New Anime Opening – Watch Trailer
Crunchyroll Confirms U.S. Release Date for Major Anime Movie Finale – Watch New Trailer
<img src="https://comicbook.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2026/10/Demon-Slayer-Infinity-Castle-Tengen-Uzui.jpg?w=300" alt="Demon Slayer Drops Cute New Look at the Coolest Hashira Ahead of Infinity Castle Part 2″>Courtesy of Ufotable
Anime
1 day ago
Demon Slayer Drops Cute New Look at the Coolest Hashira Ahead of Infinity Castle Part 2
