Saiyan backstory is over explored

[Future Warrior]

Am I the only one that feels this way? As a matter of fact I think it was explored enough even by the Namek arc through exposition.

It's a miracle that the Bardock special ended up being as greatly executed as it was (despite the concept being fanficy), but in all honestly it wasn't a necessary creation. There was no reason to gain any insight into his parents because as far as the manga is concerned, there's no reason to believe they were anything other than typical lower-class Saiyan brutes who didn't give two shits about their children. This serves to build Goku's characterization as being someone that's deemed as disposable trash by his own race, but in an ironic twist of fate is what allowed him to surpass the limitations forced onto him to becoming something more. While the special doesn't go against this premise (reinforces it in fact), it's basically everything we already knew (besides the fact that his father was the only one to rebel against Freeza).

My point is, while the Bardock special is a good story, it's not a story that serves to enhance anything originally presented in the original manga. It also doesn't help that if it wasn't for this special, we wouldn't have later works using the Bardock character to create vile garbage such as Minus and EOB.

Also Toriyama, please stop suddenly incorporating kind-hearted Saiyans into modern DB such as the likes of Tarble, Gine, Beets, and Broly. The Saiyans were some of the most evil scumbags the universe has to offer who ultimately got what was coming to them. Thanks.

 

[Boo Brand Milk]

It's not over explored, it's explored incorrectly. If they can give dbz a prequel with a dark tone and finally set the past in stone it could really work.

 

[Captain Cadaver]

I'd say it's something that needs to be explored to bring forth more interesting ideas in new material, but needs to be done in the right way. The conflict between the Saiyans and Tsufurians is one that could lead to interesting concepts such as Baby (too bad the execution wasn't good) and the interesting tidbit of the Saiyans having originally came from Planet Sadal before destroying it in civil war helps further reinforce the extent of their vicious nature and how, for the majority, they were a race beyond salvation that really makes Goku and Vegeta the right kind of special cases. The problem is, different creative staff can't just stick to one vision and roll with it, but have to keep redefining elements of the backstory until we're left with things like Planet Plant in the Episode of Bardock special. Toriyama needs to just stick with one linear history for them and run with it.

I'd disagree that the Bardock special didn't offer anything new in terms of exploring the concepts of the Saiyans. It was the first source to highlight that Saiyans in general have little attachment to family and that this wasn't just something unique to Vegeta (which retroactively makes Raditz's character a lot less generic than on first glance, when you think about it) and when you couple Vegeta's reaction to hearing of Planet Vegeta's destruction in the special and treat it side by side with the emotion he brought out when talking about its destruction during his death would suggest Vegeta's actions in the Saiyan/Freeza Arc have some ties to a dissociative personality disorder. It was also nice to see that a lot of Saiyans hang out in bars and do other activities similar to humans in their spare time, making it more reasonable how relatively quickly Vegeta later adapted to life on Earth.

 

[Future Warrior]

I'd disagree that the Bardock special didn't offer anything new in terms of exploring the concepts of the Saiyans. It was the first source to highlight that Saiyans in general have little attachment to family and that this wasn't just something unique to Vegeta (which retroactively makes Raditz's character a lot less generic than on first glance, when you think about it)

The fact that low-class newborn infants are sent to backwater planets as disposable trash should probably tell you enough how much their parents truly care for them.

and when you couple Vegeta's reaction to hearing of Planet Vegeta's destruction in the special and treat it side by side with the emotion he brought out when talking about its destruction during his death would suggest Vegeta's actions in the Saiyan/Freeza Arc have some ties to a dissociative personality disorder. It was also nice to see that a lot of Saiyans hang out in bars and do other activities similar to humans in their spare time, making it more reasonable how relatively quickly Vegeta later adapted to life on Earth.

These concepts seem pretty mundane to validate the special's existence.

 

[Captain Cadaver]

The fact that low-class newborn infants are sent to backwater planets as disposable trash should probably tell you enough how much their parents truly care for them.

Not entirely. It could be something that the parents didn't like but accepted or something that they'd find pride in once their children accomplished the mission. There were many ways in which this part of Saiyan society could've been presented.

These concepts seem pretty mundane to validate the special's existence.

They at least take up a short enough screen time that the special doesn't have to rely on these mundane concepts then.

As obvious as it is, Bardock is the main thing that validates the special's existence. Less so due to him being Goku's father or anything we already knew and more with exploration of his character in capturing both the savage and honourable aspects of the Saiyans, the latter trait of which would only be treat as a major part of Saiyan culture as of the Cell Arc. The way it explores fate in DB was also interesting, with how it was made apparent in a manner similar to a Greek tragedy that knowing about one's future doesn't always offer the plot convenience of being able to change it, especially if nobody heeds your warning. Stands out pretty well when you compare it to the Cell Arc's route of how it went about changing the future.

 

[Let's Go Fearless!]

I think they should explore more of it especially how rhe Saiyans conquered the Tsufurian's planet but only if it doesn't leave a contradiction which is impossible for Toei and Toriyama to do that.