TV Special
Description
In the anime special Dragon Ball Z: Bardock - The Father of Goku, the character Kakarot is the infant son of the low-class Saiyan warrior Bardock and his wife, Gine. Better known by his Earth-raised name, Goku, Kakarot serves primarily as a symbolic figure whose impending fate represents a future hope, rather than as an active participant in the story that unfolds on Planet Vegeta.
Kakarot is born shortly before the destruction of his home world. As a newborn, he displays the standard traits of his species, including a naturally high level of aggression and a powerful tail. His father, Bardock, initially shows little interest in his youngest son, referring to him with mild disdain after a scouter, a device used to measure combat potential, reads Kakarot's power level as unusually low for a Saiyan warrior. This indifference is typical of Saiyan culture, where strength is valued above familial bonds. Despite this, Bardock ultimately decides to send Kakarot away from Planet Vegeta in an escape pod, not out of a proven paternal love in this particular special, but on a mission to conquer the planet Earth for the Planet Trade Organization. This act of delegation inadvertently saves Kakarot from the genocide his father attempts to prevent.
As a character, the infant Kakarot has no dialogue and his personality is not yet formed. He represents the archetypal Saiyan future, one of conquest and destruction. His role in the narrative is purely a foundation for the tragedy that befalls Bardock. The final visions granted to Bardock by the dying Kanassan warrior are crucial as they show not only the destruction of their race by the tyrant Frieza but also a glimpse of a much older Kakarot confronting the same villain in the future. This revelation transforms Kakarot from a weak, abandoned infant into the reason for Bardock’s final, defiant smile. The father dies content, not because of an intimate bond with his child, but because he sees that his son will one day avenge their people.
Kakarot's key relationships are defined by their absence. His connection to his father, Bardock, is a one-sided legacy of defiance and inherited destiny. His mother, Gine, is not depicted in this special, and his older brother, Raditz, is a minor character who is also off-planet during the events. Kakarot's only significant narrative function is his relationship to the future, serving as the endpoint of a prophetic chain that begins with Bardock’s rebellion.
Regarding development, Kakarot experiences no arc within this story. He begins and ends as an infant sent into deep space. His development is entirely projected by Bardock’s premonitions, which show him as a powerful adult warrior. In terms of notable abilities, as an infant, Kakarot does not display any unique combat techniques. He possesses the latent potential of a Saiyan, including immense strength that will manifest with training, the capacity to manipulate ki energy, and the biological ability to transform into a Great Ape when exposed to the light of a full moon. However, none of these are demonstrated in his infant state within this specific production.
Kakarot is born shortly before the destruction of his home world. As a newborn, he displays the standard traits of his species, including a naturally high level of aggression and a powerful tail. His father, Bardock, initially shows little interest in his youngest son, referring to him with mild disdain after a scouter, a device used to measure combat potential, reads Kakarot's power level as unusually low for a Saiyan warrior. This indifference is typical of Saiyan culture, where strength is valued above familial bonds. Despite this, Bardock ultimately decides to send Kakarot away from Planet Vegeta in an escape pod, not out of a proven paternal love in this particular special, but on a mission to conquer the planet Earth for the Planet Trade Organization. This act of delegation inadvertently saves Kakarot from the genocide his father attempts to prevent.
As a character, the infant Kakarot has no dialogue and his personality is not yet formed. He represents the archetypal Saiyan future, one of conquest and destruction. His role in the narrative is purely a foundation for the tragedy that befalls Bardock. The final visions granted to Bardock by the dying Kanassan warrior are crucial as they show not only the destruction of their race by the tyrant Frieza but also a glimpse of a much older Kakarot confronting the same villain in the future. This revelation transforms Kakarot from a weak, abandoned infant into the reason for Bardock’s final, defiant smile. The father dies content, not because of an intimate bond with his child, but because he sees that his son will one day avenge their people.
Kakarot's key relationships are defined by their absence. His connection to his father, Bardock, is a one-sided legacy of defiance and inherited destiny. His mother, Gine, is not depicted in this special, and his older brother, Raditz, is a minor character who is also off-planet during the events. Kakarot's only significant narrative function is his relationship to the future, serving as the endpoint of a prophetic chain that begins with Bardock’s rebellion.
Regarding development, Kakarot experiences no arc within this story. He begins and ends as an infant sent into deep space. His development is entirely projected by Bardock’s premonitions, which show him as a powerful adult warrior. In terms of notable abilities, as an infant, Kakarot does not display any unique combat techniques. He possesses the latent potential of a Saiyan, including immense strength that will manifest with training, the capacity to manipulate ki energy, and the biological ability to transform into a Great Ape when exposed to the light of a full moon. However, none of these are demonstrated in his infant state within this specific production.