One of Dragon Ball’s most epic moments occurred when Goku joined forces with his father and his son, proving their family’s incredible strength.
Warning: Spoilers for Super Dragon Ball Heroes: Ultra God Mission Chapter 18 & 19
One Dragon Ball manga provided fans with something they’ve always wanted to see–a team-up between Goku, his father Bardock, and his son Gohan. The epic team-up was possible thanks to the time-bending battle known as the Super Spacetime Tournament, which pitted alternate versions of characters against one another to determine the “true” history, with all others set to be erased.
In chapter 18 of Super Dragon Ball Heroes: Ultra God Mission, the tournament itself had gone completely off the rails, with the proceedings attacked by a villain known as the Dark King Demigra. Despite Demigra attacking the former Supreme Kai of Time, the organizer of this deadly tournament, Goku came to her aid, but quickly found himself struggling, even at Ultra Instinct. As Goku was beginning to falter, he still refused to give up, and launched a desperate attack.
But soon, he found he wasn’t alone in that attack: instead, he was joined by two of the now unmasked “Warriors in Black,” mysterious warriors in service to the former Supreme Kai of Time with familiar faces.
Goku’s Family Kamehameha is Every Fan’s Dream
The Warrior in Black is actually an alternate version of Bardock, Goku’s father, who ascends to Super Saiyan 4, while his compatriot is actually a version of Gohan from Trunks’ future, missing an arm just as Trunks remembers him. Goku unfortunately doesn’t recognize his father, but he should at least able to identify Gohan. Given that Goku was fighting to save their master, it only made sense for them to come to his aid, but the result is an epic family team-up shot. The attack is ultimately successful in chapter 19, destroying Demigra and saving the day. Their victory is even enough to get the former Supreme Kai of Time to call an end to the tournament for good.
Bardock is a fan favorite character, and many fans have longed to see him and Goku interact. While neither of them acknowledges their family connection here, it’s still a rather satisfying moment to see three generations of Goku’s family deliver a devastating blow to a villain together. The future version of Gohan is also rather popular for its very different take on the character, and one can imagine that for him, fighting alongside his long-dead father was also quite a big deal. The scene also offers one of the few times when Ultra Instinct and Super Saiyan 4 are both present, showcasing the power of the two different paths of Saiyan evolution.
With the Super Spacetime Tournament ended, and the villain defeated, Goku is eventually dismissed to his home timeline, while the alternate versions of Bardock and Gohan accompany the former Supreme Kai as she leaves. She asks Bardock about Goku, revealing that he, at least, understood the magnitude of their joint attack, even if Goku may never know. Bardock is, of course, stoic about the whole situation, but seems to be contemplating it himself. While only for a brief moment, Goku got to team up with both his father and his son, leading to one of the most satisfying victories in Dragon Ball history.
