Genocide of the Saiyans

"These barbarians pretend to be submissive, but they're dangerous. They could bear their fangs at us at any time. They are, after all, a species completely comprised of warriors. It's always best to put a sleeping beast down, before it can be awakened." — Frieza in Dragon Ball Super: Broly

Genocide of the Saiyans
Beginning	Age 739 (manga) Age 737 (anime)
End	Age 739 (manga) Age 737 (anime)
Place	Planet Vegeta Planet Meat
Outcome	Near complete extinction of the Saiyans Planet Vegeta is destroyed
Belligerents
Frieza Force
Saiyans
Commanders
Frieza Kikono Berryblue Kado Dodoria Zarbon
King Vegeta † Bardock
Strength
Numerous Combatants Dodoria Team Dodoria
King Vegeta King Vegeta's Elite Bardock Team Bardock
Casualities
Numerous Combatants
Nearly the entire Saiyan race
Previous	Invasion of Planet Meat

The Genocide of the Saiyans is the very brief but incredibly disastrous conflict between the Frieza Force and the Saiyan race. It should be noted that "Genocide of the Saiyans" is not an official term, but commonly used. As indicated by the name, one of the more infamous results of the conflict was the near-complete extermination of the Saiyan race in Universe 7.

Frieza's involvement in the genocide was unknown to most for a time, as the Frieza Force spread a false story of the genocide referred to as "Collision with Giant Meteorite" (巨大隕石の衝突, "Collision with Giant Meteorite") to avoid unnecessary animosity with remaining Saiyans.

Overview

Beerus' Order

During one of the God of Destruction Beerus' visits to Planet Vegeta, he tasks King Vegeta to find the most comfortable pillow in the universe which King Vegeta obtained through a bloody campaign that destroyed several civilizations, though Beerus was willing to overlook this due to the nature of his occupation as long as King Vegeta fulfilled his request. However, King Vegeta's stinginess led him to keep the pillow for himself and tries to pass the second most comfortable pillow as the pillow Beerus requested. However, Beerus discovered the Saiyan King's deception. Though King Vegeta submitted to Beerus' punishment which caused the young Prince Vegeta to attempt to attack Beerus to protect his father only to be paralyzed by Beerus' gaze. However, despite their defiance, Beerus elected not to destroy the Saiyans himself. However, as he disliked the Saiyans evil ways and King Vegeta's stinginess, he decided to mark their civilization for destruction, which he left up to his Agent of Destruction, the Galactic Emperor Frieza.

Frieza's Plot

After hearing of the legend of the Super Saiyan (and that of the Super Saiyan God), Frieza decides to eliminate the Saiyan race to avoid any threats to his rule. He has an order sent out to command all Saiyans to return to Planet Vegeta.

Upon arriving back, Bardock realizes that Frieza may be planning to wipe out the Saiyan race, and so he and his wife Gine choose to send their young son Kakarot away to Earth to keep him safe. The Saiyan prince Vegeta and his ally Raditz both hear the call back but chose not to respond to it and stay on the planet they were conquering. Nappa - the general of the Saiyan army - also remains on his mission and does not return to the planet within the allotted time.

King Vegeta's failed attack

Zarbon and Dodoria bear witness as Frieza executes King Vegeta with a single punch to the jaw

King Vegeta, supreme ruler of the Saiyan race, had been plotting to save his eldest son and heir from Frieza's grasp and to attempt to defeat Frieza and reclaim his rightful throne over his people. On the day that the genocide takes place on, King Vegeta gathers his most powerful Saiyan elites and launches an attack on Frieza. Vegeta and his elites arrive on Frieza's Spaceship and after killing numerous guards, successfully push their way into Frieza's chamber. However, upon arrival, King Vegeta's men are so stricken with fear, they cower behind their leader.

King Vegeta, alone, launches his attack on Frieza. Frieza effortlessly dodges a swift punch from the Saiyan king, and with an amazing display of power, kills the king with a single punch to the jaw as Zarbon and Dodoria bear witness. Frieza then also slaughters Vegeta's elites, and finally informs Zarbon and Dodoria that it is time to extinguish the Saiyan race with one final attack. Zarbon is initially skeptical, thinking it was no longer necessary to commit genocide against the Saiyan race now that King Vegeta and his elites were dead, although Frieza reminded him that the rest of the Saiyans would most likely follow King Vegeta's example in the near future.

Frieza's "Final Solution"

Frieza launches his Supernova

As Frieza's ship looms over Planet Vegeta, the final hour arrives. Members of Frieza's army fly down and engage Bardock. One of Frieza's advisors reminds Frieza that their forces would be drastically reduced in half. Frieza then departs from his ship, comfortably sitting in his hoverchair.

Bardock is incinerated by Frieza's Supernova

Frieza, with the lift of a finger, creates a massive sun-like energy ball, which he launches at Bardock and the planet below. Bardock launches a powerful energy wave at the energy ball. Bardock is obliterated by Frieza's attack, along with many of Frieza's own soldiers close by. The energy ball then proceeds to slam into Planet Vegeta, and after burying itself into the planet's core, Planet Vegeta blows up, killing nearly the entire Saiyan race in the process. Frieza watches on his scouter as it counts down to zero before leaving in his ship to continue business as usual. In a single day, the mighty Saiyan race was drawn near complete extinction.

Survivors and legacy

Frieza after he destroyed Planet Vegeta

Far away in space, a space pod containing a baby by the name of "Kakarot" lands on Earth. He is found by an old man named Gohan, who takes the child in and renames him, "Goku". This young boy would grow up into the powerful warrior who would one day prove the Super Saiyan legend true and reclaim his race's honor by defeating Frieza over two decades later. Prince Vegeta, the young son of the now late King Vegeta, and his aide, the Saiyan army general Nappa, also survive, as they are on an assignment when the planet was destroyed. Upon being informed by a soldier that his planet collided with a large meteor and was destroyed, Vegeta's simple response is nothing but an "oh... really?", but this event would come back to haunt him many years later. Raditz, Goku's older brother and the first son of Bardock also survives, due to being with Vegeta on an assignment (and partly because of a wish made by Monaito years earlier). Although a story about a meteor shower was fabricated to cover up Frieza's true involvement in its destruction, rumors about Frieza's genocidal action towards the Saiyans still persisted, eventually reaching the ears of Nappa, who attempted to tell Vegeta shortly after being brushed off for their accomplishment of the subjugation of the Shirts.

Other survivors include Turles, a Saiyan who escaped and left Planet Vegeta many years before its destruction. He went on to become a maverick warlord, but when he journeys to Earth, he and his team of mercenaries are defeated and killed by Goku. However, it was later revealed in the Universe Creation Saga that Fu saved Turles from his fate. In Dragon Ball: The Return of Son Goku and Friends!, Vegeta is revealed to have a long-lost brother named Tarble who comes to Earth seeking help against Abo and Kado, two remaining members of Frieza's army. Despite his place in the royal bloodline, Tarble's power level was considered weak and thus he was sent on assignment elsewhere by his father long before the planet's destruction. After Abo and Kado are defeated and reform, Tarble departs Earth. In Nekomajin another survivor named Onio appears, with his survival having been due to being off planet at the time per Toyotarō's interpretation. In Dragon Ball Online, the Time Breaker Mira saves Bardock from Frieza's attack and takes him to the future to become one of Mira's minions. In Dragon Ball: Episode of Bardock, Bardock somehow does not die, but is instead sent hundreds of years back in time to Planet Plant before the Saiyans arrived there. He confronts an ancestor of Frieza, the space pirate Chilled and becomes a Super Saiyan in the process. Chilled's experience with the Super Saiyan is passed down to his descendants afterwards.

The destruction of the Planet Vegeta and the near extinction of the Saiyan race was mentioned in Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods after awakening from his 39-year slumber, Beerus the God of Destruction of Universe 7 asks his attendant and mentor Whis if Frieza destroyed Planet Vegeta in which Whis replies yes without a trace left. Beerus revealed that he intended to destroy the Planet himself but ultimately couldn't be bothered as it was too far off for him to be concerned about. He was however surprised to learn that Frieza himself was beaten by a Saiyan named Goku in which he later hastily tracks down to ask about the Super Saiyan God.

Nappa, Raditz, Prince Vegeta, and two unnamed adult Saiyan survivors in Broly

In Dragon Ball Super: Broly, two adult Saiyans also survive due to being on assignment with Young Vegeta, Nappa, and Young Raditz. However, it is unknown what happens to them after. Additionally, Nappa mentions Vegeta's younger brother though Vegeta doesn't know if he survived or what planet his father sent him. This prompts Raditz to remember his mother had contacted him about sending his younger brother to Earth, misunderstanding his mother's message and mistakenly assuming it was an official infiltration baby mission. In reality Kakarot's departure from Planet Vegeta was unauthorized as Bardock and Gine had stolen an Attack Ball and sent Kakarot to Earth to save his life.

As a result, the Saiyan survivors and ironically the Frieza Force itself believed Kakarot was sent on an official Saiyan Army mission to conquer Earth, as shown by remarks made Raditz and Vegeta asserting it as fact. Unbeknownst to Vegeta, his brother had been exiled to a distant planet as he was an embarrassment to the royal House of Vegeta due to being a gentle-hearted Saiyan who lacked the power and ruthlessness of his father and brother, thus determined to be a low-class warrior like Kakarot. In addition, a young Saiyan was sent to the death planet Vampa on the order of King Vegeta as exile, both to prevent the boy from upstaging his own son, Prince Vegeta, and presumably because he viewed Broly to be a potential threat. The boy, Broly's father, Paragus, went AWOL upon this discovery to try and find his son, outraged that his liege would do that, with Beets accompanying the latter. Because they were stranded on Vampa after finding Broly, all three survived the genocide, although Beets was killed by Paragus due to lack of food resources from being stranded.

Only nine pure Saiyans are confirmed to have survived by the time of the Raditz Saga: Goku, Broly, Tarble, Vegeta, Raditz, Nappa, Turles, Paragus and Onio. The two unnamed male survivors presumably having perished prior.

In the Xeno dimension, there are five confirmed survivors of the incident by the time of the Dark Demon Realm Saga: Goku, Vegeta, Turles - who survived the same way as in the main timeline, as well as Bardock and King Vegeta - who were saved by the time-travelling Dark Empire to be used as masked warriors. Xeno King Vegeta's goal is to travel back in time and stop the genocide from ever having occurred in the Xeno world.

Super Saiyan God SS Evolved Vegeta attacking Beerus after learning of his role in the Saiyan Genocide

During the Granolah the Survivor Saga, the last surviving Cerealian Granolah is shown to have been fooled by the "Collision with a Meteorite" cover story, indicating Frieza has managed to coverup his involvement to the point that it is the accepted as fact even outside of the Frieza Force. Additionally, Beerus reveals his involvement in ordering Frieza to destroy Planet Vegeta to Vegeta causing him to attack the God of Destruction in his Super Saiyan God SS Evolved form in anger over the revelation. However, Beerus defeats him and even destroys part of his Battle Armor with Hakai, before beginning to teach Vegeta how to wield the Power of Destruction, which results in Vegeta attaining his Ultra Ego state. In the flashback to Gas and Bardock's fight with each other, it was revealed that Gas and Elec, members of the Heeter organization, had advance knowledge of Frieza's genocide, and proceeded to hint at those plans to Bardock. This ultimately led him to become suspicious of Frieza's plans, ultimately culminating in Gine and Bardock stealing an attack pod and launching it to Earth to save his youngest son.

Specials, movies, & games

Bardock - The Father of Goku

Main article: Dragon Ball Z: Bardock - The Father of Goku

Frieza's plot

Frieza, Zarbon, and Dodoria contemplate the fate of the Saiyans

After receiving word from Zarbon that a band of low-class Saiyans lead by Bardock had successfully conquered Planet Kanassa (though Bardock was injured in the process), a mission stated by Dodoria to be so difficult that even elite squadrons of his soldiers had not even bothered attempting it, Frieza was in utter disbelief. Initially, Frieza realized that no Saiyan alive at the time would be any sort of threat to him or his vast empire but contemplated on the fact that the Saiyans power was quickly growing, and sometime in the near future, a Saiyan warrior may arise that could possibly challenge his might, especially if the Super Saiyan legend was evidently true. Frieza soon ordered the Saiyan squad responsible for the Kanassan war victory to be given another assignment, one that would be used as a distraction for a deadly ambush.

Meanwhile, during Bardock's recovery, King Vegeta learned from his scientists that a Saiyan was born the day before with a power level of ten thousand, possibly making him the Legendary Super Saiyan. King Vegeta, fearing the threat that the baby, named Broly, may possess towards the Royal Family, orders for his execution. Paragus, Broly's father, intervenes and tries to reason to King Vegeta to spare Broly, and tries to convince him that Broly might prove to be a beneficial soldier to the Royal Family. The King tells Paragus that even if that possibility is to be considered, the possibility of Broly overthrowing the Royal Family is true as well. King Vegeta then attempts to execute Paragus for disallegiance and fires an energy beam at Paragus, severely wounding him. Meanwhile, one of Vegeta's guards enters the infirmary, picks up Broly, and stabs him in the stomach. The guards then throw Broly and his father, Paragus into a wasteland to ensure that they die.

While still in recovery from his injuries sustained on Kanassa, Bardock, a Saiyan warrior and father of Kakarot and Raditz, began to have psychic visions of the future after receiving said powers from a Kanassan warrior named Toolo. After seeing visions of Planet Vegeta's destruction and his son growing up on another planet, Bardock realized something was very wrong. After waking up in shock, Bardock simply believed the visions to be nothing more than a dream, and quickly set off for Planet Meat to join his comrades in the invasion, but not before seeing his infant son for the first time. Bardock initially believes his son sees the visions of the future as well, but after reading his power level, comments that he has only an average power level, and was apparently not special at all. He bids farewell to his son and heads off for Meat.

Ambush

Bardock finds Tora near death, and has one final conversation with him

Upon arrival to Meat, Bardock finds himself surrounded by thousands of Meatian corpses, thus believing the battle to already have been over. After reading four power levels on his scouter, Bardock sets off to find his crew, only to find them all dead, with the exception of his best friend, Tora who is in critical condition. After Tora tells Bardock of the ambush and why Frieza had them killed, Team Dodoria return to the battlefield, aiming to kill Bardock as well. Tora eventually dies in Bardock's arms, and Bardock uses Tora's handkerchief as a symbol of his rebellion. In a show of great skill and power, Bardock fights and kills all four of Frieza's elite warriors with relative ease, only to be ambushed by Dodoria himself, and is badly injured by a powerful mouth blast. Dodoria leaves Meat to report back to Frieza, unaware that Bardock was not killed by his blast. Bardock somehow finds the strength to pull himself up and into his space pod, and plots a course back to Planet Vegeta, in hopes of warning his race of their impending doom due to Frieza. Upon landing back at Planet Vegeta, he learned that Kakarot was just sent to Earth, with the medical staff admitting they would have delayed Kakarot's departure long enough for Bardock to say goodbye to his son had they known he was arriving. However, Bardock ended up disturbed at this revelation since, due to it confirming his vision of Goku going to Earth, it likewise proved Frieza's destruction of the planet from the aforementioned vision would in fact occur shortly as well.

After nearly being killed on Planet Meat, Bardock lands on Planet Vegeta in hopes of successfully warning his people of their impending deaths. Try as he might, Bardock is unable to be taken seriously, and is just mocked and laughed at by those he tries to inform. After realizing his efforts are futile, Bardock sees the tyrant's ship looming over his planet, and decides to face Frieza and his entire army... alone. Before flying to Frieza's ship, Bardock has another vision where he sees his son, Goku (known as Kakarot at that time), as an adult. Goku speaks directly to Bardock and tells him that it is not too late to change and not be like him (Frieza).

Final solution

Soldiers of Frieza's army are shocked at Bardock's display of will and power

As Frieza's ship looms over Planet Vegeta, the final hour arrives. Bardock, who realizes his visions of the future are in fact a complete reality, flies up toward Frieza's ship, in the hopes that he may be able to thwart the tyrant's attack. After witnessing Bardock's approach, Frieza orders his army to be released and to engage the lone Saiyan warrior. After killing numerous soldiers, Bardock eventually makes it to Frieza's ship, and calls the tyrant out for one final confrontation. Frieza then appears from his ship, comfortably sitting in his hoverchair.

Bardock is incinerated by Frieza's energy ball

After informing Frieza of his people's separation from Frieza's empire, Bardock launches a powerful energy ball at the tyrant. However, Frieza, with the lift of a finger, creates a massive sun-like energy ball, the Super Nova, which he launches at Bardock and the planet below while maniacally laughing. After having a final vision of his son's confrontation with Frieza in the distant future, Bardock realizes it will be his son that will be the one to defeat Frieza, and with this, Bardock finds himself at peace before finally being obliterated by Frieza's attack, along with the thousands of Frieza's own soldiers close by. The energy ball then proceeds to slam into Planet Vegeta, and after burying itself into the planet's core, Planet Vegeta blows up, killing nearly the entire Saiyan race in the process. Observing the "beautiful fireworks", Frieza laughs and congratulates himself on his newfound "accomplishment" before leaving in his ship to continue business as usual. In a single day, the mighty Saiyan race was drawn near complete extinction.

Just beforehand, Cooler and his Armored Squadron observe the destruction of the planet, as well as Bardock's last stand. However, the de jure leader, Salza, notices Goku's attack ball and orders for them to intercept its course and destroy it. However, Cooler interfered and ordered for the order to be belayed, due to his viewing Frieza failing to notice the space pod as the latter's mistake and didn't want to cover for him (nor did he have any time to do it anyways due to needing to conquer/destroy seven planets by the end of the day), and ultimately viewing Goku as harmless as is. Ironically, this led to Cooler being indirectly responsible for Frieza, and later himself, being beaten by Goku later on.

Movie-only survivors

Other Saiyans, who appear in Dragon Ball Z films, are also survivors alongside the ones mentioned above. Turles had long left Planet Vegeta before its destruction, and thus had not been present at the genocide. Paragus and his son Broly also survive, thanks to Broly using his already incredible powers to produce a barrier for them, although the events of its destruction evidently have taken a toll on their minds, Broly's even moreso, with them living in pain and fear as well as in hiding. Because of King Vegeta having already perished during the genocide, Paragus decided to settle with making his son, Vegeta, the target of their vendetta instead. Broly is revealed to be the Legendary Super Saiyan, and when Vegeta and the others are invited by Paragus to visit New Planet Vegeta, they learn of Broly's origins and power. Paragus, when reflecting on how they narrowly survived execution from King Vegeta, noted the irony on not only how Planet Vegeta had been obliterated by Frieza for exactly the same reason as why King Vegeta ordered for Broly's execution, but also about how they survived both times. In the ensuing battle, Broly kills his father (without remorse) and nearly the Dragon Team, but Goku eventually defeats Broly thanks to the power of his allies and friends. However, he survives and lands on Earth, where he remains frozen for seven years only to encounter Goku's sons Gohan and Goten and be blasted into the Sun, apparently completely annihilating him. A clone of Broly is later created, Bio-Broly, but he is defeated by the two young halfblooded Saiyans Goten and Trunks. According to the video game Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2, Broly survived being blasted into the sun and gained a new form before being vanquished, he would also resurface later in Dragon Ball Heroes: Victory Mission during the Jaaku Missions as a Super Saiyan 4 due to the time travelling capabilities of the Dragon Ball Heroes machines. Shin Budokai also has Broly directly reference his earlier survival of the destruction of Planet Vegeta, causing him to be amused at the irony that he essentially owes his life to Frieza when the latter committed his genocide, while Shin Budokai - Another Road implies that the genocide was the reason he ascended to his Legendary Super Saiyan form.

Time Breaker Alterations

In Dragon Ball Online, it is revealed that the current King of Demon Realm, the Demon Realm Race Bio-Android Mira had prevented the death of Bardock whom he had converted into his brainwashed servant, the Masked Saiyan.

In Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, Mira and his creator Towa (the younger sister of Dabura) travel to Age 737 and use a Wormhole to save Bardock whom they plan to turn into the Masked Saiyan. Unfortunately, Bardock manages to escape and flees into the past, suggesting that the Time Breakers are unintentionally responsible for the events of Episode of Bardock and recaptured Bardock after he defeated Chilled, taking him to Earth in Age ??? where Towa augments and brainwashes him to become the Masked Saiyan. Eventually the Time Patrol learns of the Masked Saiyan's identity leading to Time Patrol Trunks and the 2nd Future Warrior are sent to Age 737 to investigate, leading them to follow the past Mira and Towa to Age ???, where they are ambushed by the current Towa and Masked Saiyan. Fortunately, the two Time Patrollers manage to free Bardock who enraged at being used as a slave, grabs Mira and pulls him into a time rift that Towa had planned to use to banish the Time Patrollers to a Time Rift. Bardock then proceeds to fight Mira in his Super Saiyan form, before ascending to Super Saiyan 2, and the Super Saiyan 3 defeating Mira and knocking him unconscious, leaving Bardock's fate unclear, though the Time Patrol surmises he either was destroyed by the sheer power of Super Saiyan 3 or that said power allowed him to escape to somewhere in time. Additionally, his defeat of Chilled is revealed to have somehow become part of the official history, presumably due to Bardock's role in the Time Breakers defeat as Mira's defeat at his hands lead the Bio-Android to betray Towa and absorb her only to be destroyed in battle with Super Saiyan Blue Goku and the 2nd Future Warrior in Age ???.