Future Trunks Brief

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"You're about to find out what it's like to fight a real Super Saiyan, and I'm not talking about Goku..."
Future Trunks Brief in "The Mysterious Youth"

Future Trunks Brief (トランクス ブリーフ みらい, Torankusu Burii Mirai; FUNimation "Trunks Briefs"; Literally meaning "Trunks Brief Future") is the Human and Saiyan hybrid son of Future Vegeta and Future Bulma Brief from an alternate timeline. By the time Trunks Brief is born, the timeline has been altered by trips to the past by Future Trunks and Future Cell. Therefore, the two Trunks have completely different lives (as opposed to those who live before the time machines arrive – they live the exact same lives as their counterparts up until the point at which the two timelines diverge, three years before the Artificial Humans arrive).

This is the first Trunks that the readers and/or viewers ever see in the manga and the anime. Trained by the alternate timeline's Gohan, Future Trunks travels through time to seek help from Son Goku to prevent the Artificial Humans from ravaging the world like they did in his dark future. Future Trunks is a loyal and uncompromising warrior, but can be slightly cocky at times. He inherits his mentor's do-or-die attitude and his father's brash confidence (though he displays less of it at different times. It is most on display in his fight against Future Freeza and Future King Cold). He wields a sword of unknown origin and wears a Capsule Corporation jacket.

Personality

Future Trunks, having never met his father or grew up under his influence combined with the fact that he grew up in an apocalyptic world, is very cautious and serious. This is unlike his alternate timeline counterpart, who had a personality very similar to his father's. Future Trunks feared the Artificial Humans and panicked at the introduction of Artificial Human No. 16. He was very respectful to everyone, especially his mother and master, before going back in time.

Because he comes from an alternate timeline future and believes he knows what is going to happen, Future Trunks is usually shown thinking that only some things will matter and others probably will not (although he is usually right in the long term). This is shown in, at first, his resistance to do anything unless Son Goku is present. Other things, such as his surprise that Piccolo's Fusion would make a difference, also show this. As such, he is usually surprised at events (on a different layer than the fact that history was different from his recollection). He is even (though very rarely) shown to be cocky, such as when he became a Super Saiyan 3rd Grade – but when he loses his seeming "advantage", this cockiness dissolves instantly. Molded from his dark timeline, he is very serious and a determined fighter like his father. He is also the only full or half-Saiyan who does not display a voracious appetite at some point during the series, with the exception of The History of Trunks when he imitates his mentor Gohan's eating habit.

Unlike his father or main timeline counterpart, Future Trunks is often shown to be very polite and well-mannered. This is clearly shown in the original version through his speech as he is often heard using the polite form of Japanese phrases when addressing his allies. After returning to his timeline to defeat the androids, he is never seen in the series again. While talking to Son Chichi in Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Unbound, Bulma states that Future Trunks has come back to the past one last time to enter the Tenkaichi Tournament. When Akira Toriyama was asked by a Trunks fan in an interview about what had happened to Future Trunks and the Majin Boo of his timeline, he stated that he did not realize that the series was going to continue past the Cell Saga and that it was supposed to be the final chapter in the Dragon Ball series. Due to overwhelming demand from Japanese fans, however, he continued the series.

Appearance

Trunks and Future Trunks

Like Goku, Future Trunks is muscular, yet a bit taller (after his training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber) and more slender. He has blue eyes and straight, light purple hair due to his maternal side. From his first appearance to the time he enters the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, Future Trunks' hair is cut short, only reaching the middle of his ears. After his exit from the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, his hair is long, reaching his shoulders due to a year of having to cut it himself. Bulma Brief cuts it before his second year in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, however, and again after the Cell Games. Future Trunks gains his facial features and his light tan skin color from his paternal side.

Throughout Future Trunks' appearances, he is usually seen wearing golden boots, grey pants, a black sleeveless shirt, and an indigo Capsule Corporation jacket. (Although his jacket is a light blue color in The History of Trunks.) He also wears clothing identical to his father's, a blue skin-tight jumpsuit, white gloves, white boots with yellow tips, and Saiyan Armor. Like most other Human-Saiyan hybrids in the series, he has never been seen with a tail.

Differences

Due to living in such a bleak and dangerous future, Future Trunks is much different than his present time counterpart. Due to a hostile and lonely life with nearly everyone dead, Trunks' best and only friend is Future Gohan, which is comparable to the friendship of Trunks and Goten.

It is unknown how Future Trunks would react to meeting Trunks, however this does occur in Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2, Dragon Ball Z: Legendary Super Warriors, and Dragon Ball: Raging Blast. In Budokai 3 andShin Budokai, Trunks states that it is "Just like having a brother" whereas in Legendary Super Warriors and Tenkaichi 2, he does not even realize it is his future self and the two have a sparring match. Upon encountering his past self in Raging Blast, Future Trunks is disappointed that Trunks has become spoiled and arrogant in times of peace. He retracts his disdain for the boy, however, after being surprised by the young Saiyan's strength after they battle, most notably at his ability to transform into a Super Saiyan at such a young age. They did meet twice in the manga and anime, but Trunks was still just a baby. The first time was when Future Trunks rescued him and Bulma from Doctor Gero's attack and the second time was when Future Trunks came to Capsule Corporation before the Cell Games announcement. For a minute, Trunks incessantly pulled on Future Trunks' hair.

Biography

Manga

Main article: Cross Epoch

Future Trunks appeared aboard Captain Vegeta's flying ship in a Dragon Ball/One Piece crossover.

Future Trunks' timeline

"Gohan, why'd you have to do it, why'd you have to leave me? It's not fair! Oh gosh no... what did they do to you Gohan? You were my best friend, you were everything to me... everything! This just isn't fair! Gohan, Gohan, GOHAN!!!"

Future Trunks and Future Gohan preparing to confront the Artificial Humans.
Future Trunks crying after witnessing the death of his best friend, Future Gohan.
Future Trunks finally transforming into a Super Saiyan after finding Future Gohan's dead body.
Future Trunks being defeated by Future No. 17 and Future No. 18.

Future Trunks was born in 766 Age and was from an alternate timeline, one in which Planet Earth was continually terrorized by the evil Future Artificial Human No. 17 and Future Artificial Human No. 18. By the time the pair of Artificial Humans were introduced, over three fourths of the world's population has been eliminated by them during their spree of destruction. In this future, Future Gohan and Future Trunks were weaker versions of themselves without the training of the experienced Z Warriors later on.

In this alternate timeline, Future Son Goku had died of a Heart Virus six months before the Artificial Humans arrivd, leaving the Z Warriors without one of their greatest heroes. Future Trunks' father, Future Vegeta, and all of the heroes of Planet Earth (except Future Gohan) were killed, with the Artificial Humans easily outclassing them in power since they were both built to be more powerful than Future Goku. Over the course of the next thirteen years, Future Gohan became Future Trunks' mentor and trained him in everything he knew. Future Trunks was 14 years old at the time. He tried his best to teach Future Trunks how to become a Super Saiyan as well, necessary for him to compete against the Androids' might. With everyone already dead and having not yet felt a certain level of sadness and sorrow, Future Trunks simply could not find the motivation to transform. (In the manga, Future Trunks had already became a Super Saiyan,)

Future Gohan and teenage Future Trunks face the Androids in battle. Future Trunks, in his inexperience, was cornered by Future No. 18]]. Future Gohan was forced to sacrifice himself to save Future Trunks and lost his arm in the process, which only further demoralized Future Trunks and caused his confidence to fall. Future Trunks tried repeatedly to attain Super Saiyan during training, but still struggled with it. This is unlike his alternate timeline counterpart who attained it at a much younger age and with relative ease.

Later, the pair were drawn into battle against the Androids again. Future Gohan knocked Future Trunks unconscious knowing that if he faced them again, he would most likely be killed because he was not strong enough yet. Future Gohan held his own against the Androids, being stronger than each individually (only in the anime, as Gohan initially lost against Future No. 17 who was using less than half his full strength and even after the years of training with Future Trunks he was effortlessly defeated by the foe and killed before Future Trunks awoke), but unable to compete with both of them and their infinite energy reserves. Future Gohan was defeated and killed, leaving Future Trunks to find his body lying in the rain. Overcome with anger and grief, Future Trunks finally transforms into a Super Saiyan (as said above, in the manga, he was able to transform already, but due to his inexperience was unable to even keep up with an armless Future Gohan in his base form, until his training for the next 3 years) and spends the next few years training to avenge his fallen allies but despite all this, he struggles to defeat the Androids.

After another close escape, Bulma reveals her time machine to Trunks, which she hopes he will use to return to the past and save Goku, hopefully altering the future. In this future, Trunks did not know his father, Vegeta, at all, as he was only an infant at the time he was murdered by the Androids. When he finally meets his father in the past, he is seen to be constantly trying to impress him. This is often mixed with disgust and horror towards his father's uncaring attitude towards those around him, especially when Vegeta refused to save Bulma and baby Trunks when Dr. Gero blew up the capsule plane, forcing Trunks to save his present counterpart and his mother, instead.

Having lived in an age of apocalyptic terror, Future Trunks had to go through intense training that made him stronger in the end than his alternate-self in the main Dragon Ball Z timeline, who lived in an age of peace with the Androids and Cell defeated, though this counterpart seen in the main timeline is able to naturally transform and wield far greater power than Trunks had as a teenager whilst only 8 years old, enough to hit Super Saiyan Vegeta in the face, in the Buu arc.

Every time Future Trunks travels into the past, he creates different timelines, each one unaffected by different outcomes, which is why he didn't go back in time and destroy the Androids before they were activated by Dr. Gero, for it would simply create an alternate timeline and would not affect his own. The time machine he travels in was also low in power, so he would have been stuck in the past forever. This also means that if Future Trunks told Bulma or Vegeta that they were going to have a son together around the time of his first time-travel and before Bulma stopped dating Yamcha, it would have no effect on his existence whether Bulma and Vegeta decided to have a child together or not.

Time travel

"These androids are ruthless, they delight in causing pain and chaos. Living on Earth in my time is like living in a nightmare... always running and hiding, looking for a way out."

Future Trunks deflecting an attack from a soldier in Freeza's Force.
Future Trunks slicing Mecha Freeza in half with his sword.

In 784 Age, Trunks travels back in time 20 years, in order to warn Goku about the android threat in the future, as well as to deliver medication that will cure Goku of the heart virus that he is supposed to die from. However, upon arrival he is greeted by Frieza with his father King Cold. They had come to Earth in order to seek revenge upon Goku's loved ones. Trunks, then seventeen years old, did not look like much of a threat to Frieza, and he freely told him so. Frieza was then given three opportunities to kill Trunks, but the young Super Saiyan was able to block and dodge the attacks with ease (and kill all the minions he had brought to Earth with his father) to great frustration of Frieza. Frieza then turns angry and fires his a large orange sun-like energy ball (the same attack he used to blow up Planet Vegeta) at Trunks. Trunks just catches the attack and tells Frieza that he must have "dropped it," after which Frieza detonates the blast with an energy wave (only in the anime, while in the manga Frieza never tried a planet-busting ki attack, and fired this blast immediately instead). Trunks then easily remains unscathed and performs what he calls his Burning Attack to have Frieza dodge the blast, which is followed up by his sword (Shining Sword Attack).

Frieza, cut in half, was completely destroyed by being hacked to bloody bits and then blown to dust in an instant, and was soon followed by his arrogant father King Cold. Trunks later finds out, to his chagrin, that he interfered with the timeline unnecessarily. Goku, although miles away in space, was prepared to step in using his Instant Transmission technique (just as he did in Trunks' original timeline) when Future Trunks showed up, and killed Frieza himself.

Trunks informs Goku of the future where the Androids arrive and kill all of the Z Warriors in a large battle, also telling Goku not to inform anyone about it, however Piccolo's sensitive Namekian ears pick up the conversation and tells the Z Fighters of the future, inspiring the heroes to train their hardest for the next three years. However, inadvertently, Trunks' revelation of the future alters it slightly.

The Androids and Cell

"I agreed with my mother that I should travel back in time, but I had my own reasons for wanting to go. I had hoped that in the past, with Goku's help, I would find the androids had some weakness. That way I could go back to the future. And even though I still wouldn't be able to bring back all those already gone, I might be able to save the people who are left."

No. 18 effortlessly blocking Trunks' sword attack.

When the androids eventually appear and they face the Z Warriors, Goku had not contracted the heart disease six months prior like he was supposed to, instead he contracted it during the battle against #19. Vegeta then saves Goku, telling Yamcha to take him home and cure him with his medication, and reveals his new Super Saiyan form, killing #19 with great ease when he uses his signature Big Bang Attack to reduce him to a smoldering head. Trunks returns to the past to find Android 19 (from his detached head) and Android 20, two androids he never saw in his timeline and realizes that this timeline is now branching off considerably from his own. When Android 20 (in reality, Dr. Gero) releases the real androids of his future, Android 17 and Android 18, they rebel and kill their creator before releasing the previously unknown Android 16.

Because Future Trunks warned the heroes of the future and they trained to become stronger, the androids of this timeline have been made considerably stronger, to the point where Android 18, the weakest of the three, by herself is able to even easily take down Super Saiyan Vegeta and Trunks together. Vegeta attempts to fight Android 18 but is no match, so Trunks rushes to his father's aid but is smashed down by #17; when Trunks rises again to attack #18, she breaks his sword and throws him at Vegeta.

Eventually, Future Cell from another alternate timeline was revealed and hatched from his larval state. He set about absorbing the androids of the current timeline. Because the androids and Cell are superior in strength to any of the fighters, the heroes go to train again, this time in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.

When Vegeta and Trunks train in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber together, Trunks believes he surpasses Vegeta in power (though he fails to see the reason why Vegeta stops increasing his maximum power at the time) by ascending further to the Ultra Super Saiyan state like Trunks. However, throughout the year that was spent in the Time Chamber, Trunks realized Vegeta's real sense of Saiyan pride and thought it was best to hide his true power level out of fear of upsetting his father, unaware of the fact or reason Vegeta purposely didn't ascend.

Trunks had managed to reach what is known as Ultra Super Saiyan, where the Saiyan is still a Super Saiyan, but has greatly augmented their physical strength from even the Ascended Super Saiyan state. However, due to the overblown muscle mass, the brute force benefit in this form is offset by a gross decrease in speed, a point which Cell proved by toying with him, constantly dodging his every move, then explaining the flaw and proving he could bulk up just the same. It is later realized that Vegeta was at the very least just as strong as Trunks (most likely even stronger, based on his attitude and taking Trunks' full power Finish Buster blast without harm) and could have easily reached this same level of power if he wanted, but decided against it due to knowing full well the form's weakness, something Trunks failed to spot during their training due to his inexperience.

(Incidentally, Goku came to the same conclusion as Vegeta when he and Gohan were training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, and hence stopped his training as well, but Gohan at first failed to spot the weakness and thought that it would give him the power to defeat Cell, to which Goku responds that "all the power in the world is no good if you can't even hit the guy!". This scene further proves both the inexperience factor which caused Future Trunks to miss the weak point and the fact that Vegeta did understand it, since if Goku could deduce such a thing then certainly so could the much more tactical Prince of All Saiyans.)

Combating Cell

"Your kind ruined my future. And I'll sacrifice everything to change it!"

Perfect Cell fighting against Ultra Super Saiyan Trunks.
Super Perfect Cell killing Trunks upon his return.
Trunks being revived by Shen Long.

Trunks is the second Saiyan to take on Perfect Cell with the intention of destroying him. Although Future Trunks' power was enough to deal significant damage to Cell, Future Trunks simply kept increasing his power, unaware that his speed was greatly decreasing and his energy consumption greatly augmented to a point where sustaining the state would prove to be a problem. His body became too bulky and slow from the large quantity of muscle and this gave Cell the upper hand, despite not even having powered up and slightly below Trunks in brute strength. Trunks quickly realized that he was too slow and gave up hope right before Cell's eyes. The battle hungry Cell however, was intrigued at how strong Trunks had become in such a short period of time and posed a challenge to the strongest fighters on Earth (The Z Fighters) to train as much as they could over a period of ten days. Then at the end of these ten days all the greatest fighters of Earth will compete in the Cell Games. Trunks then left the battlefield and spread the word about the Cell Games before taking a position in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, again training for a whole year in one day.

When Trunks emerges from his training his power had seen very little increase compared to last time. Trunks is forced to contend with Cell's smaller but incredibly powerful clones along with the other heroes, slowly and gradually losing the fight and being forced to drop out of Super Saiyan, unlike his father. After Cell self destructs out of fear of Super Saiyan 2 Gohan, one cell containing the core of his being survives and he uses it to resurrect himself, much stronger than he ever had been before. Upon his reappearance, he impales Trunks through the chest with a powerful energy blast, killing him. (While the FUNimation dub states that this was intentional, the original version implies that he was just firing randomly, thus meaning that the kill was unintentional, as evidenced by the line "Trunks? Oh, so that's who I killed...".)

This act causes a drastic change in Vegeta who becomes enraged that someone who cared about him has been killed and reveals his affection for his son. Vegeta then gives everything he can give to try and take down Super Perfect Cell although he fails and is overwhelmed by Cell's power, who takes all his attacks without a scratch and severely cripples him with a halfhearted blow, preparing to kill him like he did Trunks (only to have Gohan shield him, but at the cost of over half his power along with the use of his left arm). After Cell's defeat, the dead Trunks is taken to Kami's Lookout where he is revived by Shenron. Later when told how his father reacted to his death, Trunks became shockingly proud of his father.

Back to the Future

"You hate the fact that you're powerless to stop me, that you're completely outmatched. Well imagine feeling the way you feel now all the time like the people of this planet do. Fools! How do you think my master Gohan felt when you ganged up on him in the rain and he had no way out? Well now it's your turn, I hope you enjoy it."
Future Trunks Brief to Artificial Human No. 17 and Artificial Human No. 18

Trunks flashing a sign of respect to his father, Vegeta, before returning to the future.
Future Trunks destroying Future Cell.

After the celebrations for Cell's long-waited defeat, Vegeta acknowledges Trunks while he says his goodbyes. After saying his goodbyes, Trunks returns to his own time to exact revenge on the androids for murdering the Z Fighters. After reuniting with his mother, Bulma, Trunks hears a news update on the location of the androids and he quickly powers up into his powered Super Saiyan form, now greatly augmented by his two years of training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Meanwhile, the androids are about to kill another innocent man (in the manga he is killed before Trunks' arrival by being shot to the face by #17), when suddenly Trunks hurtles a very accurate energy attack which narrowly misses Android 17. The cocky androids foolishly underestimate Trunks and try to rush him. Trunks easily dodges their attacks and punishes them duly, obliterating Android 18 in a point-blank energy blast. Android 17 looks on in disbelief and his feelings soon turn to hatred when the outclassed android charges Trunks again, but he too is terminated with ease in a single blow, before being blown to dust effortlessly.

The completely unscathed Trunks returns home since everything now seems at peace with the Earth, except for one thing: Cell. Three years pass before the determined bio-android roams around in his weakest form looking for the now non-existent androids and comes across Trunks and Bulma saying their goodbyes near the time machine. Trunks is age 23 at the time. As Trunks is about to leave for the past one final time to inform them of his success, he senses Cell and sends his mother away. He turns towards Imperfect Cell and begins to taunt him with his knowledge from the alternate past. He informs him that he has killed the androids from the current time.

The cocky Cell approaches the half-Saiyan under the false impression that Trunks is still at the level of power when he initially went back in time and warned Goku, even weaker than the future Androids who are in turn inferior to Cell's strength by a long shot. The fight begins and Cell is clearly outclassed as Trunks hurls him outside of the city with a simple energy wave in his base state. Once outside West City, Trunks then transform into Super Saiyan and then proceeds to clobber Cell with great ease. When declaring that Cell must die, Cell gets enraged and launches his tail at Trunks. Future Trunks takes action by grabbing Cell's tail and swinging him around in a circle, building up momentum, and then hurling him high into the air. Cell realizes that he has no hope against the new powers of Trunks, and prepares a Kamehameha wave large enough to destroy the planet, knowing all too well that he could survive in space. Cell begins the attack but is interrupted when Trunks powers up and unleashes a massive destructive wave of energy which incinerates Cell completely. With the future finally at peace, Future Trunks is seen for the last time in the series, thanking Goku and his friends in the past one last time.

Another alternate timeline

In another alternate timeline, Future Trunks went into the past and helped Goku just as in the main timeline. Future Trunks and the Z Warriors managed to defeat the Androids, and he traveled back to his alternate future timeline. Because this was a completely different timeline, the events of Cell never occurred and he never trained in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. When he returned to his alternate future timeline, he disabled the other future Androids and was going to go back to the past to tell the others of their defeat. Instead, he ran into and fought against Cell, who killed him and went on to take Trunks' time machine to the main timeline to mess with the events of the past. This timeline, however, returned to a peaceful state as the Androids were deactivated and Cell traveled to the main timeline. This came with the loss of Trunks, which could have brought the Saiyan race to what seems to be extinction in this specific timeline.

Films

Future Trunks appeared in Dragon Ball Z: Super Android 13!, Dragon Ball Z: Broly: The Legendary Super Saiyan, Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Unbound, and Dragon Ball: Plan to Eradicate the Super Saiyans.

Video games

Future Trunks appeared in the following video games.

This story is only featured in Shin Budokai: Another Road. It has been some years since the defeat of Cell and Future Trunks has entered the World Martial Arts Tournament. He meets the Supreme Kai and Kibito and has to hold off Babidi and Dabura, but knew he could not do it alone. So he goes back into the past and brings Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Krillin, Piccolo, No. 18, Goten, and Trunks to help him stop Future Majin Boo. With Future Broly, Future Coola, and Future Janemba also on the loose, the Z Fighters made Dende the future Earth's new Guardian. Gohan also brought the now alive Future Son Gohan, Future Pikkon, and Future Bardock (who Goku was surprised to see) to help them. Babidi stole the Dragon Balls, but Hercule stole his wish from conquering the universe. Babidi lashes at Hercule, but Majin Buu took the blow and he turned Babidi into candy and ate him. He became his pure form when he did that. Goku, Gohan, Goten, Future Bardock, and Future Gohan defeated him with the True Family Kamehameha and the future world was back to peace.

Techniques

Future Trunks uses some signature attacks in the manga but none of them are actually named. The well-known attacks he has are in fact taken from the Dragon Ball video games such as Budokai or Budokai Tenkaichi; from there come the names like Burning Attack, a powerful blast Future Trunks creates by performing a series of rapid arm movements, then releasing an energy ball from his hands, with his index fingers and thumbs touching. In the games he also performs several others attacks, not used in the original manga: Finish Buster and Buster Cannon, which looks similar to the attack he used against Bojack in Bojack Unbound. The "Heat Dome Attack", which looks similar to the attack he used to kill Imperfect Cell after returning to his own timeline and the Shining Sword Attack, which mimics his movements when he killed Frieza the first time he came in the present timeline.

Masenko

Main article: Masenko

It is stated in Future Gohan's data file in Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 that Gohan taught him the Masenko technique. Also, in Dragon Ball: Raging Blast, he has the Masenko as one of his Super Attacks in all of his forms. He is even shown using the Combined Masenko with Gohan against Broly in Dragon Ball Z: Broly: The Legendary Super Saiyan but it had no effect, apart from destroying the stone tower Broly was standing on.

Burning Attack

Main article: Burning Attack

Future Trunks firing the Burning Attack at Mecha Freeza.

The Burning Attack is the first technique used by Future Trunks in the anime or manga and is his signature technique. Trunks performs a series of rapid arm movements before placing his palms forward, with the thumbs and index fingers touching each other to form a small diamond shape. He then fires a powerful blast of energy from his palms towards the opponent. The true power of this attack is unknown. In the Dragon Ball Z: Budokai series it is an enormous wave of energy that decimates the entire field while in Dragonball Z: Sagas and the Legacy of Goku series it is a weak blast of energy. This is further supported by the fact that, when it was fired against Frieza to distract him in time for Trunks to slice him to pieces, Frieza dodged the attack, saying "You challenge me with that low level technique?"

Buster Cannon

Main article: Buster Cannon

Future Trunks firing the Buster Cannon.

The Buster Cannon is an attack named in the Dragon Ball Z: Budokai series and first used in the History of Trunks special. It is a blue and white (violet and white in the game) beam of energy fired from both hands. Trunks uses this technique in an attempt to destroy Android 17 and Android 18 together but it fails.

Burning Storm

Main article: Burning Storm

The Burning Storm is a continuous Ki wave form of the Buster Cannon and named in the Budokai Tenkaichi video game series. Trunks used it after the Buster Cannon failed, with the same effect.

God Breaker

Main article: God Breaker

The God Breaker is a ki wave named in Dragon Ball Z Gaiden: Saiyajin Zetsumetsu Keikaku. Trunks used it to kill King Cold.

Shining Sword Attack

Main article: Shining Sword Attack

Future Trunks finishing the Shining Sword Attack with an energy blast.

The Shining Sword Attack is a technique Trunks uses to kill Frieza and uses the final portion of the attack to finish Android 18 in his own timeline (the blast is called Change the Future when he uses it against Android 18). He fires a Burning Attack slowly enough for the opponent to dodge by taking to the air, where he surprises and slices the opponent to bits before finishing them off with a flash of yellow energy shot from one hand. The attack gets its name from the Budokai Tenkaichi series, where the Burning Attack misdirection is not included in its sequence, though in the original Budokai series it's called the Burning Slash. In Budokai Tenkaichi 3, the Burning Attack distraction is replaced by Trunks using a backflip kick to knock the opponent into the air.

Finish Buster

Main article: Finish Buster

The Finish Buster is an attack Trunks uses against Vegeta who tries to prevent him from stopping Cell from absorbing Android 18. Trunks charges up a giant ball of energy in his hands and from that ball of energy fires an enormous beam (in the Budokai Tenkaichi series he merely throws the ball of energy at the opponent). Vegeta ignored the attack because he assumed Trunks wouldn't be able to carry it out and acknowledged it too late. The attack sent him flying into a far away lake.

Another End

Main article: Another End

Another End is a technique that Future Trunks used against Future Android 17. Future Trunks kicks the opponent away and jumps up in the air to fire an energy wave down below to the opponent. He used this to destroy Future Android 17.

Change the Future

Change the Future is a technique that Future Trunks used against Future Android 18. Future Trunks charges at the opponent, but stops right in front of them to fire a large energy wave in the opponent's face. He used this attack to attack kill Future Android 18.

Heat Dome Attack

Main article: Heat Dome Attack

Future Trunks using the Heat Dome to kill Cell and save his timeline.

The Heat Dome Attack is the final attack Trunks uses in the series, and most likely (at least as indicated by his advanced Super Saiyan form in the Budokai Tenkaichi video games) his ultimate attack. He uses it to finish Imperfect Cell in his timeline once and for all. Trunks surrounds himself in a large dome of energy and fires an enormous blast of energy from it, capable of completely obliterating most opponents (such as Cell, who suffered this fate while charging a Kamehameha).

Blazing Rush

Main article: Blazing Rush

The Blazing Rush is a rush attack that Trunks uses against Perfect Cell. Future Trunks attacks the opponent and kicks them up in the air before teleporting behind them to knock them down to the ground with a double axe-handle punch. He used this attack against Perfect Cell, but the Android effortlessly dodged it due to Future Trunks' decrease in speed in his Ultra Super Saiyan form.

Lightning Sword Attack

A technique used by Trunks in Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3. Trunks swings his sword rapidly, sending waves of energy blades that hit the opponent. In Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit Trunks keeps the energy in the blade and slashes the opponent with it. This attack is called Shining Slash.

Sonic Sword Attack

Main article: Sonic Sword Attack

The Sonic Sword Attack is a wave of energy channeled through Trunk's sword used in Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku II.

Burning Breaker

Main article: Burning Breaker

Burning Breaker is a rush attack used by Future Trunks in his Ascended Super Saiyan form.

Transformations

Super Saiyan

Main article: Super Saiyan

Super Saiyan Future Trunks

He transforms for the first time after seeing his mentor Future Gohan killed at the hands of the androids in his timeline (notably, in the manga, he is able to achieve Super Saiyan all along, making it somewhat likely he simply is able to transform naturally, as his present timeline self; he however struggles with even Future Gohan's base state in the form, which may suggest that it was rather recently reached, due to its meager power, despite his harsh training). The energy involved in the transformation causes Future Trunks' hair to stand on end and turn a golden color. His facial expression is sharpened, and the color of his eyes turns a bright emerald green. When in this state Trunks' power level increases dramatically. Even so, he always maintains his sincere, serious demeanor.

Ascended Super Saiyan

Main article: Ascended Super Saiyan

Super Future Trunks

After their defeat at the hands of Android 17 and Android 18, he and Vegeta underwent severe training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, during which Trunks gained the ability to take this form. When taking this form, Future Trunks' muscles swell, making his body several sizes larger than normal, and his power and speed are elevated beyond his previous Super Saiyan limits. He first used this form to fight against Semi-Perfect Cell, in a attempt to keep him from absorbing Android 18 and reaching completion. This fight scene only happened in a filler part of the anime, while in the manga, he was about to fight Semi-Perfect Cell but was knocked away by Vegeta, and when he struck Vegeta with his energy blast to repel him away in surprise, but was blinded by Cell's Solar Flare and was forced to see Cell complete himself inside a barrier when his vision returned. After witnessing Vegeta's defeat at Perfect Cell's hands, he transformed to Super Saiyan 3rd Grade, but lost due to his severe speed decrease. As a result, neither this nor Ultra Super Saiyan grades are seen during the Cell Games, where Trunks entered the Hyperbolic time chamber a second time to this time focus on increasing his strength as a regular Super Saiyan to its highest possible point.

Ultra Super Saiyan

Main article: Ultra Super Saiyan

Ultra Super Saiyan Future Trunks

Another transformation Future Trunks gained while training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Future Trunks utilizes this state while fighting the recently completed Perfect Cell. In this form, Future Trunks muscles swell even larger than in his Ascended Super Saiyan form. In this stage, however, the increase in power comes at a cost of reduced speed and mobility, and because of the massive energy required to maintain this form, it is not sustainable for long periods of time, which ultimately puts him in a life-threatening disadvantage.

Super Saiyan 2

Main article: Super Saiyan 2

Future Trunks was given this form in Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 2 and future Budokai games even though he never gained this form in either the manga or anime. It is likely that he could have obtained this form (via training) sometime after he defeated his timeline's Cell.

Super Saiyan 3

Main article: Super Saiyan 3

Super Saiyan 3 Future Trunks

Future Trunks was able to reach this form in Dragon Ball Heroes, a Japanese arcade game. He neither attained the form in the manga nor the anime. A trailer shows him and Hero fighting against Majin Boo.

Major battles (Anime/Manga)

  • Trunks (SS) vs. Mecha-Frieza and King Cold
  • Trunks (ASS) vs. Semi-Perfect Cell
  • Trunks (USS) vs. Perfect Cell
  • Trunks (ASS), Vegeta (ASSJ), Goku (FPSS), Piccolo, Krillin, Tien and Yamcha vs. Cell Jrs.
  • Trunks (SS) vs. Future Androids 17 and 18
  • Trunks (SS) vs. Future Imperfect Cell

Major battles (Films)

  • Trunks (SS), Vegeta (SS), Goku (SS), Piccolo vs. Androids 13, 14 and 15
  • Trunks (Base/SS) vs. Tien
  • Trunks (ASS) vs. Bojack
  • Trunks (ASS), Vegeta (ASS), Goku (FPSS), Gohan (FPSS) and Piccolo vs. Legendary Super Saiyan Broly

Voice actors

Trivia

  • The composer of the FUNimation dub of Dragon Ball Z, Bruce Faulconer, has stated on his website that Future Trunks is his favorite Dragon Ball character.[2] American voice actor Christopher Sabat has agreed with Faulconer, saying that apart from Vegeta, Trunks is his favorite character from the series. He has liked how his character is "lone survivor of the apocalypse, son of the most angry and the most headstrong characters." He additionally liked Trunks' fight such as the one in which he easily killed Frieza and his father.[3]
  • Despite having been officially stated that Goku was the one who defeated Frieza and King Cold in Cell's and Future Trunks' timeline, Cell implies that Future Trunks was as responsible for Frieza and King Cold's defeat in his/Trunk's timeline as he was in the main timeline while telling Piccolo about his origins as well as the cells that were infused to him.
  • Trunks and his father, Vegeta, are both killed by a Death Beam through the chest by a major supervillain with Freeza family cells (Cell and Freeza, respectively).
  • Trunks's favorite food is convenience store bento.
  • Future Trunks is one of the few primary Z Fighters to have never used the Kamehameha Wave, a trait he shares with his father Vegeta.
  • In the Character Illustrations section of the Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi series, it is stated that Future Trunks obtained his sword from Tapion, although this is contradicted in every other official source which has discussed its origin.
  • Like nearly everyone in his family (apart from Vegeta), Trunks' name is a pun on underwear. His name is a pun on boxers.
  • Trunks is the last person to have his power level stated with the use of a Scouter being only 5 because he supressed his true power to avoid detection and mislead Frieza and King Cold.
  • Future Trunk's base form (with shorter hair) strongly resembles Angelo from Dragon Quest VIII. Akira Toriyama was also the art director for this game, so it is highly possible he based his designs on Trunks.

References