Goku's mother, Gine, is one of those characters who barely gets any spotlight but has such a quiet, tragic presence in the backstory. She’s shown in 'Dragon Ball Minus' and 'Broly' as this gentle Saiyan who worked as a meatpacker on Planet Vegeta—totally unlike the warrior race stereotype. What gets me is how Toriyama fleshed out her relationship with Bardock; she’s the only Saiyan he’s shown affection toward, which says a lot about her kindness in that brutal society. When Frieza destroys Planet Vegeta, Gine stays behind because she’s not a fighter, and that moment always hits hard. She sends baby Kakarot off to Earth knowing she’ll die, but hoping he’ll survive. It’s a tiny thread in the grand saga, but it adds this emotional weight to Goku’s origins that makes his later heroism even more poignant.
I love how 'Dragon Ball Super: Broly' gave her a little more screen time, though. Seeing her interact with Bardock—how she worries for Goku but trusts Bardock’s plan—makes her feel real. Most Saiyan stories are about power-ups and battles, but Gine’s existence reminds us that even among conquerors, there were ordinary lives lost. It’s why I headcanon that Goku’s compassion comes from her, not just Earth’s influence. The series never revisits her directly, but that bittersweet legacy lingers.