Is Broly retarded?

[deadguy366]

Or has he simply lost his mind due to having so much power? All he ever says is Kakarrot-O!!! And he can't even figure out that Goten and Gohan aren't Goku.

[Blade]

Firstly, I don't like the use of the word 'retarded', but that's perhaps just me being a little politically correct.

Broly is essentially a shallow, underdeveloped character - who's main attribute and dramatic function is his strength. He's essentially a bulky physical obstacle for the protagonists to overcome, that is given no personality what-so-ever and displays only emotions associated with his villainy, such as anger and sadism.

Other than a ham-fisted back-story excuse to seek vengeance on Goku, the creator had no interest in the slightest of fleshing the character out - he's just there to blow things up and beat up the good guys.

Does that mean that he was intended to demonstrate learning difficulties or special needs? No - the character simply wasn't written to have that, or indeed any, level of depth.

Hulk smash.

[NitroEX]

Hulk smash.

Hey, I resent that. Hulk/Banner is a much deeper character than Broly.

[Darkprince410]

Besides, we see in movie 8 that he's not merely a mindless brute unable to say anything but "Kakarotto". It's only in movie 10, where he's received the injury from Goku in movie 8 as well as remained frozen for nearly 7 years that we see that he's "regressed" to the state you mention, but I could see that more in terms of him being blinded by his rage than actually being mentally impaired.

[Blade]

Hulk smash.

Hey, I resent that. Hulk/Banner is a much deeper character than Broly.

Mindless fits of destruction fueled by primitive rage aside, I'll give you that - as in comparison to Broly, Banner's Hulk persona is Hamlet.

Besides, we see in movie 8 that he's not merely a mindless brute unable to say anything but "Kakarotto".

He's hardly much better, though. Movie 10 just somehow managed to make a hollow caricature out of an already empty vessel.

[Freeza Soldier #156]

I actually do enjoy watching movie 8 from time to time. Broly isn't the most interesting character by any means but he's a bit less not interesting in movie 8. On the other hand, Broly in movies 10 and 11 is .

[KentalSSJ6]

Not so much retarded as much as a product of poor writing and character development.

[Polyphase Avatron]

No, but his fans are

(sorry, I couldn't resist... no offense meant )

[sekzee]

No, but his fans are

(sorry, I couldn't resist... no offense meant )

You're not fooling anyone.

[Cursed Lemon]

That depends.

Are you talking about movie 10, or movie 8?

Paragus fleshed out the plot in movie 8, making it completely unnecessary for Broly to be a literate villain - thus resulting in a good movie.

Movie 10 was exactly as you describe.

[deadguy366]

Yes, I'm referring to movie 10. It didn't quite make sense to me that Broly was able to make it all the way to earth for a rematch against Goku, but was unable to say more than 1 word once he arrived (except when he says time to send you to the next world, or something like that).

[Polyphase Avatron]

Yes, I'm referring to movie 10. It didn't quite make sense to me that Broly was able to make it all the way to earth for a rematch against Goku, but was unable to say more than 1 word once he arrived (except when he says time to send you to the next world, or something like that).

His only real line was, I think "not until you lie dead at my feet".

[deadguy366]

His only real line was, I think "not until you lie dead at my feet".

Yea that was it, thanks. My question has been pretty much answered, thanks all.

[Darkprince410]

Yes, I'm referring to movie 10. It didn't quite make sense to me that Broly was able to make it all the way to earth for a rematch against Goku, but was unable to say more than 1 word once he arrived (except when he says time to send you to the next world, or something like that).

I never took it that he intentionally made his way to Earth for a rematch with Goku, just that following his injury (Goku punching a hole into his torso), he made his way to Earth but fell unconscious, and during that time he became trapped within the ice. The extreme cold, while preserving most of his body, might have resulted in brain damage and thus falling into insanity. Alternately, his brain might have still been active in some bizarre way while he was frozen, and that constant activity, focused solely on Goku, might have resulted in the same insanity.

[Captain Sauza]

He's just a very poory made villain.

[KameRule]

Nah, not really. He just had a bad childhood - I mean, it had to have been traumatic being stabbed in the heart as a baby, and living through the destruction of his home planet, plus who knows what Paragus' ring may have done to him mentally. I don't think his unsophisticated linguistic skill and aforementioned "Hulk smash" mentality have anything to do with him having learning difficulties or the like

[AGentlemanSaiyan]

Broly was being controlled by his Father, which made him unable to do what he wanted. In the Japanese version of the movie, Broly was the "Exact representation of a Saiyan" without mind control. So Broly actually isn't a psychopath, hes a regular Saiyan with a cool transformation that only he has. Which is funny because everyone sees Broly as insane when actually hes not lol(besides the yelling of Kakarot, which for some reason everyone thinks that's the ONLY things he says....)

[gojirason]

I really don't think Broly is that bad. At least compared to many other villains in Dragonball; it's not exactly a "deep" story anyway, and 90% of it is just to be cool.

Does Nappa having more lines of dialogue really make him any "deeper"? I would even argue that Nappa's behaviour makes less sense, I have no idea what he gets out it, aside from maybe geting a thrill out of making himself look strong compared to weaklings.

What we learn about Broly is that he's insane. There's "something wrong with him" (Paragus). He's saiyan traits taken to the most extreme: lust for battle, rashness, and strength.
We even learn that he may enjoy destroying things because it literally makes him feel good; if he doesn't expulse his energy, he experiences pain. That's as good as incentive as anything for a guy who never had a social life. The one bond he had in his father resulted in betrayal, and Saiyans don't care much for familial bonds to begin with (which I'm pretty sure Toriyama has mentioned). All he knows is what he experiences, and nothing else matters to him. It's not that he's stupid, it's that he doesn't really have any use or desire for conversation. It's irrelevant. Words have never held any meaning in his life anyway, what have they done for him? What purpose do they have when the mouths they come from are so insignificant and destined for death anyway? Isn't that that the only reason they exist? It's like asking why the lion doesn't converse with the gazelle. Especially when he hasn't spoken to anybody for 7 years in a position where speaking would be meaningless.

It doesn't help that we're also clearly shown in series that Super Saiyan messes with people's heads in that form; LSSJ could be even worse. SSJ2 was worse than SSJ1 after all. What if Gohan never had it backfire on him? Wouldn't he logically retain that behavior and arrogance? Who would prove him wrong for being that way?

It's like the world is made of cardboard to him. He doesn't care about anything, it's all just easily disposed annoyances that don't pertain to his interests (fighting) and it literally makes him feel good to destroy it. Paragus was a horrible moral compass for his massive unusual power early in his life (imagine if Superman were raised by a madman), so he never learned to care and Paragus is just as disposable to him too, undoubtedly by the logic Paragus himself instilled into him on top of his natural instincts and positive reinforcement biologically when he acts violently. He has no reason to care about those things, and every reason to destroy them so the logical progression of his mindset is evil. He can't even properly appreciate technology in regards to spaceships because he can travel space on his own—even normal saiyans are forced to interact with others for that if for no other reason. He's really just immature and instinctual. Instincts would have been driven into him early, they're the only way he could have lived, his strength was important and he was traumatized to not trust his environment, and just exposing him to destruction, and how it didn't bother him, but even spurred his rebirth. Yes, he was a baby, but if the concept of shipping off baby saiyans proves anything, it's that they're already capable of retaining information at that age.

Then enter Goku: not only does he finally get a fight, but Goku is the constant source of the only stimulus in his life that makes him uncomfortable (beyond not destroying things). I would think that Goku reminds him not necessarily just of the crying as a baby, but of being a baby, when he was stabbed and the world was destroyed around him; of a time where he wasn't so confident, and he doesn't like that. For all that Goku triggered his anger in Movie 8, he didn't seem to care about him in particular when he was kicking everyone's ass until Movie 10, and that might be because he was just comfortable in his power over him, and thus triumph over past weaknesses.

Actually losing to Goku caused his previous mental state in regards to Goku's symbolism in his mind to be exacerbated; he has to beat him to prove that he's not vulnerable, to pay him back, and to symbolically remove the reminder of his weakness, now two-fold over, in his life, while also simultaneously seeking the one thing he actually wants: a good fight. And as far as he's concerned, Goku is the *only one* who can give it to him. It actually makes a good deal of sense that all of his motivations revolve around the guy at that point.

To those who say Broly can't tell the difference between Goku and Goten; of course he could, be serious. That doesn't mean he wasn't intimately aware of a connection between the two, which is obvious just from looking and hearing, let alone sensing ki, which he can do. He may even be calling out to him, wherever he is in the world, looking for him, since he has to be on this world.

At least... that's how I see it.

[SingleFringe&Sparks]

Broly was being controlled by his Father, which made him unable to do what he wanted. In the Japanese version of the movie, Broly was the "Exact representation of a Saiyan" without mind control. So Broly actually isn't a psychopath, hes a regular Saiyan with a cool transformation that only he has. Which is funny because everyone sees Broly as insane when actually hes not lol(besides the yelling of Kakarot, which for some reason everyone thinks that's the ONLY things he says....)

I would call broly more primitive than any mental-illness slur in comparison. He acts exactly like the sayians in the flashback-filler that portays them as barbarians that get high from killing. Broly wasnt raised under any form of society or nutured by anyone. His sudden increase of power also made him narcissistic. Broly isnt insane by the real definition, hes just has some sort of OCD and trauma enduced imagry associating Goku with his pain from being stabbed it being the same day.

It doesn't help that we're also clearly shown in series that Super Saiyan messes with people's heads in that form; LSSJ could be even worse. SSJ2 was worse than SSJ1 after all. What if Gohan never had it backfire on him? Wouldn't he logically retain that behavior and arrogance? Who would prove him wrong for being that way?

Thats true. Goku did warn Gohan he was on the brink of losing his mind in the angry her had for freeza along with the stress of the form consuming his personality. Vegeta also says SSJ adrenaline makes a Saiyan more agressive and needs battle to quench their ADHD personalities.

Maybe broly's mind was deteriorating from prolonged-insomnia. I mean, after he was born he was listening to Goku crying, doctors mocked him, he was kept in the dark, he was stapped right after for no reason he knew, his planet was blown up the same day, then since then everything was about protecting himself and his dad.. then when his dad knew his power his dad assumingly abused him and treated him like a tool thus wouldn't let him sleep. The distrust he had in his dad kept him up as well. With all the stres Broly endlessly has than god he wasnt an emo. He was just repressed.

[gojirason]

Maybe broly's mind was deteriorating from prolonged-insomnia. I mean, after he was born he was listening to Goku crying, doctors mocked him, he was kept in the dark, he was stapped right after for no reason he knew, his planet was blown up the same day, then since then everything was about protecting himself and his dad.. then when his dad knew his power his dad assumingly abused him and treated him like a tool thus wouldn't let him sleep. The distrust he had in his dad kept him up as well. With all the stres Broly endlessly has than god he wasnt an emo. He was just repressed.

As hilarious as that sounds, I doubt it; we see him sleeping in Paragus's flashbacks. I also imagine his motivations would be much more... sleep driven. As in, not destroy the universe and be in a good mood for hurting people, but find a place to take a damn nap and be in a bad mood that he has to fight these assholes at all.