Episode of Bardock (OVA) - Dragon Ball
Based on the popular video game Dragon Ball Heroes, Dragon Ball: Episode of Bardock is a three-chapter manga written by Naho Ooishi. The manga was also animated and broadcast online later appearing as a bonus DVD for the March 2012 issue of Saikyo Jump.
Episode of Bardock is a ‘what if’ sequel to Bardock: The Father of Goku, a TV special that aired in the early 90’s that features the origin story of Goku and how his planet and his father, Bardock, was killed by Frieza. In Episode of Bardock, the story continues with Bardock surviving and entering a time slip instead of dying from Frieza’s attack.
Story
The story picks up where Bardock: Father of Goku ends, with Bardock, the rest of the Saiyans, and Planet Vegeta all being destroyed by Frieza. Bardock launches an attack on Frieza, who is outside sitting in his floating pod above his spaceship with Dodoria and Zarbon. Amid a conversation about how the three dislike Saiyans and how working with them is undesirable, Frieza fires a giant death ball at the Saiyan army and the planet. Bardock retaliates with an energy ball, but it is futile. The death ball hits and everyone seems to perish.
Suddenly, Bardock wakes up. He is surprised to see his surroundings look familiar, but is being treated by two unknown aliens. One is Ipana and the other is his son Berry. He hears that the name of the planet he is on is Planet Plant, the former name of Planet Vegeta. Bardock beings to wonder where he is, or rather, when he is.
Two soldiers arrive in a spaceship and begin to invade Planet Plant. Bardock confronts them and kills one with a kick to the face. The other tries to attack Bardock, but gets blown away with an energy blast instead. The residents of the planet come to thank him, but Bardock leaves and finds refuge in a cave nearby. Berry comes to Bardock’s cave to provide him food for saving their planet. Bardock initially refuses the offerings, but after some time, begins to accept them and even starts opening up to the young Berry. Elsewhere in space, Chilled, the leader of a band of space pirates, remarks on the absence of his warriors he sent to Planet Plant and sets off to find them. Chilled arrives on Planet Plant and, impersonating galactic patrol, heads off to engage the residents.
They lie to the residents of the planet, telling them that they are after two criminals who steal resources from planets. They are then told that the two criminals have already been taken care of and, in turn, ask that they be taken to the person responsible for a reward. Berry notices that Chilled has blood on his arm (from killing one of his henchmen earlier) and heads to Bardock's cave to inform the solitary Saiyan. Meanwhile, Chilled and his men begin to threaten the residents of Planet Plant. Berry pleads with Bardock to come and help and, remembering his own friends’ demise in the lead up to Planet Vegeta’s destruction, he agrees.
Bardock saves Ipana and the others from the space pirates. He then sees Chilled and mistakes him for Frieza and furiously rushes him with a heavy punch. Chilled isn’t beaten so easily and counterattacks with kicks. Bardock is then overpowered by Chilled with seemingly no chance of victory.
Bardock is losing against the powerful Chilled when they launch a devastating energy attack, only for Berry to jump in the way. Berry is gravely injured and, unable to forgive what Frieza did to his planet and race and what Chilled has done to his new ally Berry, Bardock is overcome with rage. He smashes his head and slams his fist on the ground in frustration. Remembering all of his friends’ painful deaths and envisioning Chilled as Frieza while hearing Chilled’s laugh forces Bardock over the edge. Electricity flashes around him and his aura turns yellow as he achieves Super Saiyan. Bardock begins dominating Chilled easily, throwing him by his tail and horns as Chilled is helpless to resist. Completely at a loss as to how someone could be more powerful than he is, Chilled resorts to a powerful Death Ball. Bardock, however, fires his own energy attack and repels the space pirate’s Death Ball without too much difficulty. Putting all of his energy into it, Bardock gives one last big push that cancels Chilled’s Death Ball and sends Chilled flying into space as the beam slowly dissipates above the planet. The residents of Planet Plant hail Bardock for saving them from the evil Chilled as Bardock smiles and gives them a thumbs up.
Chilled, unconscious and drifting through space, barely holds onto life and is found by his henchmen and put on immediate life support. As he regains consciousness, he recounts the story of what happened to him and his men on Planet Plant. He tells the story of the golden Saiyan warrior, thus starting the legend of the Super Saiyan, creating the foundation of Frieza’s fear of Saiyans and ultimately causing the demise of Planet Vegeta and the Saiyan race, leading Goku to be sent to Earth.
Links
Dragon Ball Series
Dragon Ball Z Series
Dragon Ball Kai Series
Dragon Ball Super Series
Dragon Ball GT Series
Super Dragon Ball Heros
Akira Toriyama