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Father-Son Duo Bardock and Goku Take Center Stage in Dragon Ball Super Volume 20 Cover


Dragon Ball Super Volume 20 Bardock
Credit: Akira Toriyama / Toyotarou / Shueisha

Shueisha recently revealed the official Dragon Ball Super Volume 20 cover art, and it features a cool depiction of the father-son duo Bardock and Goku in action.

Goku and his father, Bardock, are key players in the Granolah the Survivor Saga, the climax of which happened in the chapters that are compiled in the next volume.

This new cover once again delighted fans, much like the Volume 19 cover, which showed the contrast between Goku and Bardock’s families.

Dragon Ball: Goku and Bardock

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Goku being on the cover of Volume 20 is no surprise, as he is the main character of the entire Dragon Ball franchise. Though what’s interesting here is that he is finally joined in a new official artwork by his father, Bardock.

Unlike many Dragon Ball characters, Bardock was introduced not in Akira Toriyama’s manga, but as an original creation by Toei Animation. But he soon became a canon character in the manga.

Bardock made his debut in the TV special entitled Dragon Ball Z: Bardock - The Father of Goku.

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The special delves into the backstory of Bardock, who is revealed to be a low-class Saiyan.

Despite being low-class, Bardock challenges Frieza when he found out about Frieza’s plans for the Saiyan race, though he is unable to match Frieza’s power.

At the very least, he saw a vision of the future where Kakarot faces Frieza. 

In Dragon Ball: Super, Bardock’s backstory is explored even more in the Granolah saga.

READ MORE: All of Dragon Ball's Timelines Explained

Dragon Ball Super Volume 20 Cover

The new volume cover was revealed recently ahead of its March release in Japan.

Aside from featuring Goku and Bardock at the front, the cover’s background shows other major players, including Granolah and Frieza.

However, the scene depicted on the cover does not actually happen. After all, Bardock has been long dead.

Nonetheless, it’s a nice tribute to the father-son duo, especially considering the events of the previous saga.

Fans were delighted to see the duo at the front of Volume 20, with praise being directed at the dynamic pose and high quality of the artwork.

Some even say that this is one of Toyotarou’s best works for the series thus far.

Dragon Ball Super Volume 20 will be released in Japan on March 3, 2023, and it compiles Chapters 85 to 88.

Currently, there’s no word yet on when the volume will be released internationally.

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Source: Shueisha Books

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