Dragon Ball Z: Bardock - The Father of Goku

"This is the story of Bardock, the father of Goku."

1990 0h 48m JA

🙌

7.6

BANGER

⭐

7.8

IMDB

★7.6TMDB · 794★7.8IMDB · 6,914

AnimationActionScience FictionDramaFantasy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Bardock, Son Goku's father, is a low-ranking Saiyan soldier who was given the power to see into the future by the last remaining alien on a planet he just destroyed. He witnesses the destruction of his race and must now do his best to stop Frieza's impending massacre.

“This is the story of Bardock, the father of Goku.”

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Where to watch · US

Cast

Masako Nozawa
Bardock / Son Gokû (Kakarotto) (voice)
Kazuyuki Sogabe
Tôma (voice)
Yuko Mita
Seripa (voice)
Takeshi Watabe
Panbûkin (voice)
Kozo Shioya
Toteppo / Dokutâ (voice)
Ryusei Nakao
Freeza (voice)
Show Hayami
Zarbon (voice)
Yukitoshi Hori
Dodoria (voice)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Mitsuo Hashimoto
Writers: Katsuyuki Sumisawa, Takao Koyama
Languages: Japanese
Countries: Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 48-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

36 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Shunsuke Kikuchi. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Shinichi Fukumitsu shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Masako Nozawa and Kazuyuki Sogabe and Yuko Mita carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "This is the story of Bardock, the father of Goku.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0142245 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Mitsuo Hashimoto directs. Shunsuke Kikuchi scores. Shinichi Fukumitsu cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 48-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
236 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Original score by Shunsuke Kikuchi. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Shinichi Fukumitsu shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Masako Nozawa and Kazuyuki Sogabe and Yuko Mita carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "This is the story of Bardock, the father of Goku.".
7IMDB entry: tt0142245 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 10 themes, including "precognition", "alien", "prequel", "based on manga".
9Released under 35 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Original score: Shunsuke Kikuchi
Editing: Shinichi Fukumitsu
Runtime: 48 min · 0h 48m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: JA
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Dragon Ball Z: Bardock - The Father of Goku (1990)
IMDB rating: 7.8/10 · 6,914 votes
MPAA: Not Rated
US box office: $270,354

Also by

Mitsuo Hashimoto

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Production companies

Who made it

BI
Bird Studios
JP
Toei Animation
JP
Toei Company
JP
Fuji Television Network
JP

Key crew

ProducerKouzou Morishita
Key AnimationKazuya Hisada
Key AnimationMasahiro Shimanuki
Key AnimationMasako Misumi
Key AnimationYoko Iizuka
Key AnimationTomekichi Takeuchi
Key AnimationToshiyuki Kanno
Key AnimationTomoya Iida
Key AnimationYukio Ebisawa
Key AnimationNoriko Shibata
Key AnimationTadayoshi Yamamuro
Key AnimationNaoki Miyahara
Key AnimationHideko Okimoto
Key AnimationTakeo Ide
Key AnimationHisashi Eguchi
Character DesignerKatsuyoshi Nakatsuru
Animation DirectorKatsuyoshi Nakatsuru
Sound EffectsHidenori Arai
Production DirectorYuichi Suenaga
Sound RecordistKenji Ninomiya
Sound DirectorNobuhiro Komatsu
Art DirectionTomoko Yoshida
Art DesignerYuji Ikeda
Art DesignerTomoko Yoshida

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

precognition
alien
prequel
based on manga
destruction of planet
genocide
anime
future vision
tv special
home planet

Release history · US

When it landed

TV1990-10-17NR

Also known as

International titles

A batalha de Freeza e BardockBR
Dragon Ball Z Special 1: Bardock - The Father of GokuUS
Dragon Ball Z Special 01 - Bardock the Father of GokuUS
Dragon Ball Z - Bardock The Father Of GokuUS
Bola de Drac Z: El pare d'en Son GokuES
Bola de drac Z 14: El pare d'en Son GokuES
ドラゴンボールZ たったひとりの最終決戦〜フリーザに挑んだZ戦士孫悟空の父〜JP
Dragon Ball Z - Le père de SangokuFR
Dragon Ball Z Freezer contra el padre de GokuMX
Dragon Ball Z - Baddack Versus FreezerUS
Dragon Ball Z - Baddack contre FreezerFR
Dragon Ball Z - Le père de SongokuFR
Dragon Ball Z: Bardock, the Father of GokuNL
DBZ: A Final Solitary Battle! The Z Warrior Son Goku's Father Challenges FriezaNL
Doragon Bôru Z: Tatta Hitori no Saishuu Kessen - Furiiza ni Itonda Z Senshi Kakarotto no ChichiNL