Tora

"Then no one's safe from Frieza... not even you... "
— Dragon Ball Z: Bardock - The Father of Goku

Tora, also known as Toma (トーマ, Tōma) in the original Japanese version, is a Saiyan and a member of Team Bardock, a group within the Saiyan Army under the Frieza Force.

Overview

Conception

Tora's original character design by Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru differed much from the final draft by Akira Toriyama. Originally he had hair that closely resembled Vegeta's. His body was not muscular like it is now, he was actually drawn with a much thinner body, which made him look taller than Bardock. Like a few other members of Bardock's team, Tora's name was not changed completely from the original draft to the final draft, as it was Tomā　(トマー); the other members consist of Bardock and Shugesh.^[1]

Appearance

Tora is one of the taller members of Bardock's team and wears ice blue and black armor. His hair is flat at the top and kept in a small ponytail at the back, and his skin is a dark tan color.

Personality

Tora is much like Bardock in that he will kill in cold blood and is a ruthless fighter, yet has a high degree of honor and camaraderie. He is also shown to have a light-hearted side, often playfully teasing his allies, especially his best friend Bardock, to whom he makes of point of keeping the captain from getting too cocky.

In the Dragon Ball SD adaption of the Episode of Bardock, his light-hearted side is shown when he convinces Bardock and his teammates to perform a team fighting pose (which is identical to the Ginyu Force's signature team fighting pose), though Bardock finds the pose awkward and is comically angry at Tora for convincing him to do something so embarrassing.

Biography

Dragon Ball Z

Frieza Saga

Main article: Frieza Saga

Fasha, Tora and Bardock seen in a flashback in Dragon Ball Z

Tora made a cameo appearance along with Bardock and Fasha in an episode of Dragon Ball Z, during Frieza's recollection of various Saiyans whose deaths he was responsible for.

Dragon Ball Super

According to Toyotarō's interpretation of what may have happened to them during Dragon Ball Super: Broly, Tora is contacted by Leek about the order to return, however Tora and the other members of his squad have not heard it. They are then killed by Dodoria and two underlings.

Film Appearances

Bardock - The Father of Goku

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

Tora, along with Bardock, Fasha, Borgos, and Shugesh, attack Planet Kanassa in their Great Ape forms. After Bardock is attacked by the last surviving Kanassan, Toolo, Tora kills the Kanassan. Then, Tora and the others decide to return Bardock to their home world Planet Vegeta, so that he can receive treatment for his injuries.

After hearing that there is an inconsistency in his brainwaves, the group decide to leave without him to wipe out the inhabitants on Planet Meat, as this is their next assignment. It is assumed that after reaching Meat, they immediately destroy all of its natives, but before they can celebrate the moment, they are ambushed by Dodoria and his elites, who make short work of the team.

Before finishing Tora off with a brutal punch to the face, Dodoria reveals Frieza's intent to destroy the entire Saiyan race. Tora initially survives the attack, but dies of his wounds immediately after informing the recovered Bardock of what he has discovered. Tora is the only person Bardock gets the chance to talk to when the latter finds his group slaughtered by Dodoria and his elites. Vowing to avenge his four allies, Bardock removes Tora's armband (now soaked in blood) and ties it across his forehead, providing an emotional backstory for one of Bardock's most recognizable physical features.

Broly

Main article: Dragon Ball Super: Broly Tora makes a cameo appearance in Broly when Frieza was using his scouter to detect the snipers that were in King Vegeta's palace.

Power

Video Games

According to Dragon Ball Carddass, Tora's power level is 5,000.

Techniques and Special Abilities

Great Ape Tora fires a Mouth Energy Wave

Flight – The ability to fly with the use of ki.
Ki Blast - the most basic form of an energy attack.
Flame Ballet – An attack meant to ignite the opponent in blue flames. Used on Toolo in the TV special, and named in Dragon Ball Heroes.
Mouth Energy Wave – It is unknown if Tora can use this in his base form but he is seen using this attack in his Great Ape form in Bardock - The Father of Goku.
SP Fighting Pose 4 (3) – Used in Dragon Ball SD.

Forms and Transformations

Great Ape

Main article: Great Ape

As with all Saiyans with a tail, Tora is able to achieve the Great Ape transformation at the sight of a full moon (or another source of Blutz Waves). He used this ability while on Planet Kanassa. Great Ape Tora becomes a playable character in Dragon Ball Heroes, introduced in the tenth mission of the God Mission series (GDM10).

Video Game Appearances

Tora has made cameos or is mentioned in several video games.

In Budokai 3, Tora's face is shown whenever Bardock does his Spirit of Saiyans.

In Budokai Tenkaichi 2, Tora's corpse is briefly shown in the reenacted Bardock Special (although it was merely Nappa used as a placeholder for Tora).

In Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3, Tora's name is seen on Dodoria's biography page.

In Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit, Tora is mentioned by Bardock when he is about to fight Frieza.

Tora's first appearance as a playable character is in Dragon Ball Heroes.

In Dokkan Battle, he is playable both in his base and Great Ape forms.

In World Mission, he is playable in his base form.

Voice Actors

Japanese: Kazuyuki Sogabe (originally), Tetsu Inada (Dragon Ball Heroes)
English:
- Funimation dub: Mike McFarland
- AB Groupe dub: Doug Rand
Brazilian Portuguese dub: José Parisi Jr. (original dub), Alexandre Marconatto (redub)
Latin American Spanish dub: Ricardo Brust
Hebrew dub: Yuval Segal
German dub: Thomas Schmuckert^[2]
Greek dub: Tzimis Apergis

Battles

Pre-Dragon Ball

Tora, Fasha, Borgos, and Shugesh vs. Dodoria and his elites

Films

Tora (Great Ape), Bardock (Great Ape), Fasha (Great Ape), Borgos (Great Ape), and Shugesh (Great Ape) vs. Kanassan Commander, Demetrious, and Kanassan warriors
Tora, Bardock, and Shugesh vs. Toolo
Tora, Fasha, Borgos, and Shugesh vs. Dodoria and his elites

Trivia

Bardock wearing the bandana in the Full Color *Dragon Ball* manga

His name is a pun on the word "tomato".
In the Episode of Bardock, Tora is wearing armor in the same style that Bardock wears, without the shoulder plating. This is not what he wore in his original death scene in Bardock - The Father of Goku.
In the Dragon Ball manga chapter "The Ultimate Battle Begins!", Bardock wears his blood soaked armband as a bandana like in Bardock, Father of Goku in Frieza's flashback (depicted in two panels) of their encounter during the Genocide of the Saiyans. However in Dragon Ball Super: Broly, Bardock doesn't wear it when he confronts Frieza. It should be noted that Dragon Ball Minus: The Departure of the Fated Child (that Broly partially adapts into animation) does not actually show Bardock's encounter with Frieza like the Broly film thus this contradiction does not occur in the manga continuity.