Future Trunks' Life in Dragon Ball Z & Dragon Ball Super (2024)

Since his debut at the beginning of the Android Saga, Future Trunks has been one of the most popular characters in Dragon Ball Z. A time traveler from a ravaged future, Future Trunks' tragic childhood and his quest to save the world with the help of Goku, Gohan, and his father, Vegeta, makes for one of the most engaging and emotional stories in the series.

While Dragon Ball Z gave Future Trunks as happy an ending as he could get, Dragon Ball Super brought the character back into action with a new horror to his timeline. From his introduction in Z to his final moments in Super, Future Trunks goes from fighting to protect his world from the androids to the last survivor of his timeline.

Future Trunks' Life in Dragon Ball Z

Future Trunks Grew Up After the End of the World

Future Trunks, the half-Saiyan son of Future Vegeta and Future Bulma, was born shortly before Future Androids 17 and 18 went online. Future Vegeta was not present during this early period of Future Trunks' life, and he never got a chance to make up for this; after killing their creator, Dr. Gero, Future Androids 17 and 18 killed Vegeta and the rest of the Dragon Team — save for Future Gohan and Future Bulma — and took over the world.

Future Trunks grew up in the post-apocalyptic world created by the androids, being raised by his mother to be a kind and polite young man while living in constant fear of the mechanized menaces. Future Gohan, Earth's only remaining hero, spent time with Future Trunks when he could and became his role-model.

Future Trunks Trained Under Future Gohan

Future Gohan, despite being outclassed in power, regularly attempted to stop the androids during their regular rampages. Each time he fought them, he lost and was only allowed to live because he provided 17 and 18 with entertainment. Being a half-Saiyan just like Future Gohan, Future Trunks wanted to train with him, believing they could defeat the androids together. Future Gohan eventually agreed and became Future Trunks' mentor.

One day during their training, the androids attacked. Future Trunks wanted to go with Future Gohan to fight them, but Future Gohan knocked him out for his own protection. This was Future Gohan's last battle with 17 and 18, who stopped showing him mercy and killed him. Future Trunks awoke to sense that Future Gohan's ki was gone. Flying to the sight of Future Gohan's last battle, Future Trunks found his corpse. Filled with heartbreak and fury, Future Trunks turned Super Saiyan for the first time. Future Trunks spent the next several years mastering this form, while Future Bulma completed her time machine.

Future Trunks Traveled Back in Time to Change History

Future Trunks uses Future Bulma's time machine to travel back in time to prevent the androids from ever going online and save Goku from being killed by a heart virus. Future Trunks arrives as Frieza and his father, King Cold, arrive on Earth to conquer it. As Vegeta and the other Z-Fighters attempt to figure out a plan of attack, Future Trunks swoops in and effortlessly kills Frieza and King Cold.

After Goku arrives, Future Trunks gives him the medication needed to prevent his heart virus, and instructions on how to stop Dr. Gero from ever turning on the androids. Leaving the matter in the hands of the heroes his mother told him stories about growing up, Future Trunks returns to the future.

Future Trunks Tried His Best to Stop Cell

Future Trunks is shocked, disappointed, and horrified when he returns to the past, three years later than the time period he'd previously visited. He learns that Goku didn't take his medicine and is still dying and that the Dragon Team didn't heed his warning and purposely allowed the androids to come online, so they could fight them. Future Trunks engages Androids 17 and 18 with the other fighters but is no match for the androids, who he reveals are far stronger than they were in his timeline.

As Cell absorbs people around the world, Future Trunks aids the Dragon Team in investigating what he is. After Goku is healed by his medicine, he informs the others about the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, where they can do a year of training in a day. Future Trunks, who has been trying and failing to bond with Vegeta, goes into the chamber with his father. When Vegeta and Future Trunks emerge from the chamber, they are powerful enough to kill Cell and leave Kami's lookout to eliminate him.

Future Trunks stands back while Vegeta toys with Semi-Perfect Cell, but when Cell convinces Vegeta to allow him to achieve his perfect form, Future Trunks blasts his father away, and attempts to kill Cell himself. With Vegeta intervening, Cell achieves perfection, and becomes far too powerful for Vegeta or Future Trunks to fight. Future Trunks is mortified to learn that Cell being here is his fault but convinces him to spare Earth for the time being, giving the Z-Warriors the chance to save the world at the Cell Games.

Future Trunks heads back into the Hyperbolic Time Chamber with Vegeta in preparation for the Cell Games. When the day of the tournament arrives, Future Trunks watches as Goku and Gohan fight Perfect Cell. Future Trunks fights the Cell Jrs with the other Z-Warriors until they're killed by Super Saiyan 2 Gohan. Cell is seemingly defeated after he blows himself up, but he regenerates as Super Perfect Cell and kills Future Trunks.

Future Trunks Returned to the Future and Defeated the Androids

After the defeat of Cell, Future Trunks is resurrected by the Dragon Team using the Dragon Balls. He spends more time in the past mourning Goku's death with the other Z-Warriors and bonds with his father. Future Trunks then returns to his future and, with the immense power he gained while in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, he easily destroys Future Androids 17 and 18, liberating his world, and completing his mission.

Future Trunks' Life in Dragon Ball Super

Future Trunks' World Was Menaced by a New Threat

Future Trunks helps his world to rebuild over the next seven years, during which time he prevents Dabura and Babidi from awakening Majin Buu by killing them both, unlocks Super Saiyan 2, and enters a relationship with Future Mai. The time of peace ends when Goku Black appears and destroys everything that Future Trunks has built, even killing Future Bulma. Future Trunks, Future Mai, their resistance fighters, and a small group of civilians are all that remain of Earth's population.

Seeking their help once again, Future Trunks travels back in time to receive the aid of Goku and Vegeta. The two agree to help him, and together they engage Goku Black and uncover his true identity of Zamasu. During his time in the past, Future Trunks meets his younger, present-day self, reunites with Android 18 — who, to his shock, is now a Z-Fighter — and accepts that this version of Gohan is happier as a scholar and a father than Future Gohan ever was as a warrior.

Future Trunks Lost Everything but Started a New Life

After multiple attempts at fighting Goku Black, and several trips between the past and the future, Future Trunks, Goku, and Vegeta engage Goku Black and an alternate Zamasu in a final battle, set in Future Trunks' timeline. Goku Black and Zamasu fuse to form Fused Zamasu, whose power is too much for the heroes. Future Trunks unlocks a new form, Super Saiyan Rage, to combat Fused Zamasu.

Using the power of everyone left on Earth, Super Saiyan Rage Future Trunks forms the Sword of Hope and uses it to destroy Fused Zamasu. Because of Fused Zamasu's immortality and his intense will, he survives the destruction of his body and becomes Infinite Zamasu, an entity attempting to become one with the universe itself. Infinite Zamasu kills nearly everyone left on this Earth, as Future Trunks and the others are helpless to stop him.

To prevent Infinite Zamasu from spreading into other universes and timelines, Goku calls Future Zeno to help resolve the situation. Future Zeno erases Infinite Zamasu, along with the rest of the timeline. The only survivors of Future Zeno's attack are Future Trunks and Future Mai, who escape back in time with Goku and Vegeta. Beerus and Whis offer Future Trunks and Future Mai the opportunity to live in a new timeline at a point from before Zamasu and Goku Black appeared, promising to make sure history does not repeat itself. Future Trunks and Future Mai accept this offer and leave to start their new lives.

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  Dragon Ball Z (1989)

  With the help of the powerful Dragonballs, a team of fighters led by the saiyan warrior Goku defend the planet earth from extraterrestrial enemies.

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  Dragon Ball Super

  With Majin Buu defeated half-a-year prior, peace returns to Earth, where Son Goku (now a radish farmer) and his friends now live peaceful lives.