The End of Commander Red

"Alive? Yes, commander! Sorry to disappoint you. And I heard every word you said! Do you mean all of this was so that you could gain a few inches!?"
— Staff Officer Black to Commander Red

"The End of Commander Red" (レッド総そう帥すい死しす！！, Reddo Sōsui Shisu, lit. "Commander Red Dies!!") is the tenth episode of the Commander Red Saga and the sixty-seventh episode in the Dragon Ball series. This episode first aired in Japan on June 24, 1987. Its original American airdate was November 12, 2002.

Summary[]

GokuKicksStaffOfficer — Goku kicks Staff Officer Black

In an attempt to acquire two Dragon Balls, Goku infiltrates the Red Ribbon Army Headquarters, where he must face, and destroys most of the army. Witnessing the chaos, Red angrily declares the hundreds of soldiers being killed by Goku to be idiots, as despite their being trained professionals, they couldn't even handle one child (Goku). Staff Officer Black then reminds him that Goku did possess extraordinary powers, with Red sarcastically stating he noticed and didn't need a reminder due to only missing one eye while deriding Black as an imbecile, as well as blaming Black for not training the soldiers properly. Meanwhile, Colonel Violet, realizing that the Red Ribbon Army's finished, proceeded to raid the safe containing the various funding for the Red Ribbon Army and proceeded to steal it as her "severance package." She also deliberately made sure she was near a security camera, knowing full well that the Red Ribbon officers are unable to do a thing about it in the current situation even if they knew. Afterwards, Black, noticing that the various Red Ribbon Army soldiers are evacuating the premises and informed Red about this development. Red then ordered Black to demand they stay put, as it "wasn't a democracy." With time running out, Commander Red refuses to leave or to fight Goku, having Staff Officer Black fight Goku instead. Goku and Black then fight, with Black vowing that he will allow Goku to see the Commander... in pieces.

RedExecutedBlack — Staff Officer Black kills Commander Red

Although Black manages to hold his own against Goku, Goku still was the superior fighter, and managed to punch Black out of a window. Unfortunately, Red witnessed the whole fight from within his office and decided to activate a trap ceiling, hoping to kill Goku. Celebrating Goku's death, Commander Red makes preparations for his wish: contrary to what he led his army to believe, it was not about world domination, but in actuality to become taller. Staff Officer Black, having survived and gotten out of his precarious situation, overheard Red's true wish, and confronts Commander Red on it, claiming that it was a selfish goal that had nothing to do with the Red Ribbon Army. Commander Red justifies that the wish will not only make him grander, but also at the same time make his army larger, citing that Black doesn't understand his plans.

TimeToThrowTheTrash — Black in his Battle Jacket, fighting with Goku

Black then tells him that Red's lame plan is going to get the entire army killed for nothing. Red then states that he is the Red Ribbon Army, and that his wish to become taller is for the good of everyone in the army, citing that he had to spend most of his life being a pebble in a land of giants, growing sick of having his genius being confined in a minuscule body. Black denounces him as having no loyalty, exclaiming that the Commander sold him out to satisfy his vanity. Red then cites that Black will never become leader in this life because he's just a lackey and an errand boy, citing such station to be pathetic for a man in this day and age. Black retaliates by ending the Commander's life, shooting him in the head while addressing his plans to have the Red Ribbon Army ushered into an era of greatness to make up Red's squandering of power, with his first order of business being the conquest of this planet. Goku, revealing that he had survived, is then extended an invitation to join the Red Ribbon Army by Black, which he plans to rename the Black Ribbon Army, but Goku refuses, and they do battle once more. With just Staff Officer Black and few soldiers left, the odds are favored for Goku, but the diabolical Staff Officer has a few tricks up his sleeve.

Major Events[]

Commander Red reveals his intention behind his wish.
Staff Officer Black kills Commander Red.
Staff Office Black enters into a Battle Jacket to combat Goku.

Battles[]

Goku vs. The Red Ribbon Army
Goku vs. Staff Officer Black
Goku vs. Staff Officer Black (Base/Battle Jacket)

Appearances[]

Characters[]

Locations[]

Red Ribbon Army Headquarters

Objects[]

Differences from the Manga[]

The anime (in the English dub) omits most of Commander Red's motivations for wanting to become taller, namely the fact that he wanted girls to adore him, with it only being briefly implied that he was bullied as a youth for his dwarfism when he says "Soon no one will ever be able to look down at Commander Red again!"
- In addition, how Red admits his true wish is different: In the manga, he obliviously admits it in front of Staff Officer Black in a state of panic upon learning that Goku was headed for him. In the anime, he forces Black to fight Goku and then attempts to kill them both via a trap ceiling (with Black narrowly surviving thanks to Goku punching him out of a window earlier), and reveals it after thinking Black was dead, and also comes across as much more confident even when confronted with Black's survival in admitting it.
- Another change was that the aforementioned scene with Black killing Red happened before Goku even entered the office in the manga. In the anime, he retreats to the control center above the office while leaving it to Black to handle Goku. When Goku asks Black if he's the leader, he replies that he isn't in the anime before threateningly vowing to Goku that he'll have the latter meet the actual leader "in pieces." In the manga, since Red is already dead there, his reply is "I am, since but a minute ago".
- Due to Red almost killing Black along with Goku during his attempt, in the anime, the staff officer is far angrier at his commander when he finds out his true wish for the Dragon Balls. In the manga, Black is a bit more composed when he hears Red say his true desire and only snaps when he hears that the lives of his men mean nothing to him.
All scenes with Colonel Violet are filler. Her raiding the vault and escaping the base, while having a close encounter with Yamcha and the others, wasn't in the manga.
Upon seeing the soldiers attempting to flee, after Violet's deserting Black orders the soldiers to remain at their posts at Red's command otherwise, they will all be executed. No such order was given in the manga.

Trivia[]

In the shot after Goku jumps through the window to confront Staff Officer Black, the sheath of his Power Pole is colored brown.
Several times during this episode, in the English dub, Commander Red reverts to his Scottish accent as heard in his early episodes. This is especially apparent near his death, where he says "I am the Red Ribbon Army! What's good for me is good for everyone and I want to be taller! All my life, I've drawn the short straw; I've had to contend with being a mere pebble in a land of giants. It is the curse of my existence." in standard English but then says "You couldn't possibly understand what it's like...the nightmare of being a genius...yet trapped inside this ugly little body!" in a Scottish accent.
In the English dub, there's a reference to Black having a sister when Red scolds him for not training his soldiers properly. There's no such indication in the Japanese version.
The rabbit soldier that Goku kills has a goat quality to his voice for whatever reason in the Funimation dub.
In the Funimation dub, when Black advises Red to retreat, Red's response "Retreat from a child!? Never! You overestimate his chances!" is similar to Grand Moff Tarkin's line from Star Wars, "Evacuate? In our moment of triumph? I think you overestimate their chances!"
Despite this being the last episode of the Commander Red Saga, it does not fully resolve the conflict (unless you count Red's death marking it as the end) with the Red Ribbon Army. The next episode would be the proper resolution.
Red when alone proceeded to gloat that he only needed one more Dragon Ball before he can finally get his wish about becoming taller. Ironically, even if the Red Ribbon Army had managed to defeat Goku, he would have still failed to find the final Dragon Ball due to Pilaf's Gang using a Dragon Radar-proof material to hide it.
Commander Red and Staff Officer Black's exchange just prior to the latter executing the former was completely rewritten in the English dub.
- When Red confesses his true goal, he simply repeats his desire in an excited tone to become big in the Japanese version. The dub has him instead comment that none will dare look down on him ever again, while verbalizing he shall soon live among giants.
- When Black makes his survival known, he does not directly mention Red by name and rank in the Japanese version, and merely repeats his question without actually answering Red's inquiry on his survival while making clear that the cost of Red's goal was within the hundreds of their own men. In the English dub, Red expressed shock at Black's survival, with Black finishing Red's question and confirming it as well as overhearing his remarks before demanding to know if gaining a few inches was his goal all along.
- Staff Officer Black immediately condemns Red after the latter confirms what he just stated for making an absolutely selfish wish that had nothing to do with the Red Ribbon Army as a whole, never mind their world domination plans in the English dub. In the Japanese version, he states he thought the point behind getting the Dragon Balls was so they could rule the world. Likewise, Red's response in the Japanese version was confirming that world domination was in fact on the Red Ribbon Army's goals, but that would have taken time with or without the Dragon Balls, and that he wanted the Dragon Balls specifically to be liked by the ladies while implying that it was indirectly tied to his world domination plans so he'd be big enough to actually rule the world. In the English dub, he does not mention trying to attract the ladies at all, and instead tries to give flimsy justification of how the Dragon Balls by making him huge would also help make the Red Ribbon Army become huge as well.
- In the Japanese version, shortly after the above, Black asks in a dumbfounded manner whether wanting to hook up with ladies is Red's underlying motive for wishing to become taller, only for Red to become incensed and tell Black he can never understand due to Black never having to live life as a dwarf, before directly admitting that he was always mocked and belittled for his size ever since he was in grade school, and then demands to know what is wrong with such a goal of wanting to become taller before mentioning he's the boss. In the English dub, Black instead directly tells him that his lame plan would only succeed in getting the entire Red Ribbon Army killed, which causes Red to instead claim himself to be one and the same with the Red Ribbon Army and project his desires as being the same as for everyone before ranting about how he's had to be cursed with living as a dwarf without directly mentioning his traumatic past over being mocked for his size.
- In the Japanese version, Black directly states that whether or not he sympathizes with Red's goal is irrelevant because Red nearly got him crushed earlier as a result of his mad dream, with Red being infuriated with his insubordination and reminding him that he's in charge and won't tolerate being talked to like that, as well as saying explicitly that what he does with his soldiers is up to his own leisure. He also implies he's aware Goku survived due to stating to Black that the latter is ultimately going to be taken down by Goku regardless. In the English dub, Black merely states he's aware Red's incapable of understanding loyalty and mentions he sold Black out to satisfy his own vanity without directly mentioning the collapsible ceiling, while Red decides to make things personal to Black by accusing the latter of being envious of Red's position of commander and also cruelly admitting that he views Black as being completely expendable. Red even implies he felt Black was pathetic for that role in this day and age.
In the original Japanese broadcast, the first 15 seconds of the next episode preview were devoted to next week's show, and the other 15 seconds were devoted to a movie ticket lottery drawing for Dragon Ball: Sleeping Princess in Devil's Castle (Released in theaters on July 18, 1987). This preview was not included in the Dragon Box. Instead, the preview used was the rerun version for the next normal episode, "The Last Dragon Ball".

Gallery[]

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