The Dragon Ball franchise is no stranger to weird and wonderful characters and one of the oddest yet most memorable characters was introduced in Dragon Ball Super. However, while fans may be unfamiliar with him, this character plays a massive role in the franchise's lore. However, this role is explored in a mostly forgotten Dragon Ball prequel.
Jaco instantly stands out in a crowd due to his tiny stature, blue skin, yellow eyes, and bright purple jumpsuit. When he first appears in Dragon Ball Super's Golden Frieza Saga, he referenced a previous interaction with Bulma. Something that doubtlessly left many fans confused as Jaco had not appeared in the anime at all before this.
Jaco actually originated from a manga called Jaco the Galactic Patrolman. This manga was launched in Shōnen Jump in 2013, and it was written and illustrated by Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama. It acted as a continuation of Toriyama's Galactic Patrolman series of stories alongside the short manga Jiya and Sachie-chan Good!! At the time, Jaco the Galactic Patrolman was Toriyama's first serialized manga in 13 years. It was also the first of Toriyama's works to be simultaneously serialized in Japan and overseas markets. In interviews, Toriyama explained that the manga was meant to be released around Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods' theatrical run, but he fell behind during the story's production, forcing it to come out later.
Jaco the Galactic Patrolman, followed Jaco, a Galactic Patrolman, who was sent to Earth to protect it from an evil alien who is predicted to land there soon. However, Jaco ended up crash-landing on a remote island on Earth, totaling his ship in the process. Jaco soon met reclusive scientist Omori, who says he will help Jaco repair his spaceship. However, while on a trip to get supplies, Omori and Jaco encountered a girl. This girl is called Tights, and she was being attacked by muggers. Jaco saved her from her would-be assailants, earning her friendship in the process. However, his actions draw the ire of Earth's police, making Jaco a wanted man. This leads to chaos for all three people as Jaco and his new friends repeatedly try and fail to fix the ship.
However, the final chapter is where things get interesting. The day the evil alien was supposed to land on Earth comes. However, Jaco saw nothing unusual and presumed that the Earth was safe. However, Jaco still needed money to get his ship airborne. Tights contacted her father, Dr. Brief, hoping he would give them the funds. Dr. Brief comes to the island with Tights' young sister, Bulma, in tow. Bulma fixed the ship, and Jaco returned to space. Ten years later, Bulma, now a graduate, visited Omori and showed him two mysterious orbs, saying she planned to use her new Dragon Radar to track down the others.
The final page showed a young Goku pulling fish back to his home, exactly like the first chapter of the original Dragon Ball manga. Making it clear that Jaco was sent to protect the Earth from Goku. However, he was too distracted by the chaos he had caused to notice the Attack ball landing. This prequel element was heavily promoted when the collected versions of the manga were launched. Viz Media's promotional material for the English version went as far as saying that the last chapter revealed the "secret of Goku's origins".
Jaco is one of the most fascinating characters in Dragon Ball history due to his unique origin. While he plays a massive role in the series' lore, he wasn't introduced until well after the franchise had established itself. Thus, his appearance in Dragon Ball Super can come as a shock for those unfamiliar with this often overlooked manga, as he seems to come from nowhere, despite knowing most of the core cast.
