The two DBZ Specials: "Bardock, Father of Goku" and "History of Trunks" are perhaps 2 of the most overlooked pieces of footage from the DBZ Universe.
Lets start with Bardock...once a man who fought and killed solely for the sake of...fighting and killing. He found himself the beholder of a power that no man should ever have to carry...he saw his own end.
Despite knowing he would die, he fought on against Dodoria and Freiza's men. Even after that beating, all that...he moved forth and confronted the greatest threat the Universe had ever seen (soon to be replaced...many times over.) and stared him down like nothing. He fought to the end for his life and the life of his son without hesitation knowing he would die, that made him a true hero.
Future Gohan..a greatly overlooked embodiment of what might have become of Gohan.
He alone fought the androids time and time again, not knowing whether or not he would bear witness to another day. He continued battling for earth and its people, until he joined the ranks of Vegeta and Piccolo as one of thier victims...he fought and died because he cared for others.
And the most popular one of them all, Future Trunks.
Although he was replaced by a more cocky, less powerful, younger Trunks, he remained one of the most loved Characters of Dragonball Z. He fearlessly moved on against the Androids and Cell not knowing what was going to happen. He fought and remembered those who died before and how, although he couldn't save his future, he could still give others a chance at a better life.
One of the best moments was him returning to his time and getting his revenge on 17 and 18. Without mercy, he made them pay for all the terrible acts they had commited.
These are the true heroes of DBZ, the ones who did not take the spotlight and defeat the big new transformed bad guy, but the ones who gave others a chance to live and fight.
