Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks

Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks is an hour-long TV-Special that is part of the Dragon Ball Z series. Originally released in Japan on February 24, 1993, between episodes 175 and 176. FUNimation Entertainment dubbed it into English and it was released for the first time in English on October 25, 2000. The special was re-released in a remastered box set bundled with Dragon Ball Z: Bardock - The Father of Goku in May 2008. Roughly a year later, FUNimation released a remastered single version on September 15, 2009.

The History of Trunks tells the story of Future Trunks and his life during the time when the androids have the world under siege. It is unique among Dragon Ball movies/specials since it is actually based on a brief chapter in the Dragon Ball manga, called "Trunks The History - The Lone Warrior". The special changes several key plot points for drama (such as the fact that in the manga, Trunks was capable of transforming into a Super Saiyan before Future Gohan's death).

The movie premiered on Cartoon Network's Toonami block on September 12, 2003, as part of DBZ Movies. The movie also aired on Toonami on two other occasions: January 23, 2004 and May 15, 2004.

Synopsis
The film opens with Future Goku's tragic death from a radical Heart Virus and the death of the Z Fighters at the hands of Android 17 and Android 18 around six months later on May 12, Age 767. Unfortunately, the Z Fighters are unable to be wished back to life because the Dragon Balls are permanently unusable due to Piccolo's death, which also kills Kami.

The special then moves thirteen years into the future, in Age 780, where we meet a fourteen year old Trunks and twenty-three year old Gohan. Gohan is the only one able to stand against the Androids, ever since he became a Super Saiyan after witnessing the deaths of the other Z Fighters. Gohan trains Trunks in fighting, who comes very close to becoming a Super Saiyan as well. One day, the Androids attack an amusement park, Super World. Gohan and Trunks arrive there for battle, and Android 17 takes on Gohan while Android 18 watches. Gohan transforms into a Super Saiyan and, despite a few lucky hits by the android, quickly takes control of the fight.

However, Android 18 joins the fight and the two begin to overtake Gohan. Trunks, though no match for the Androids, comes to Gohan's aid and fights with Android 18. He manages to fight her for a minute before he is easily defeated, but Gohan saves him from death, and they both hide in the debris of the park. The androids, unable to find them, bomb the park in hopes of drawing them out of hiding. Gohan and Trunks survive the blast but at the cost of Gohan's left arm, which is blown off. Gohan then gives Trunks a Senzu bean, saving him from death yet again. Trunks brings Gohan back to Capsule Corporation where he recovers and resumes training Trunks.

The training is stopped short when the androids attack the nearby city Pepper Town. Trunks pleads to fight, but Gohan knocks him unconscious to stop him from joining the battle. The one-armed Super Saiyan ambushes Android 17, and despite his handicap, puts up a long and suspenseful fight against the androids. He meets his end when the androids gang up on him in the rain and knock him to the ground. They then use their Accel Dance technique, killing the fallen warrior. Trunks is awakened when his mentors energy vanishes. Upon searching the city, Trunks finds Gohan's dead body. The rage from within him is unleashed and Trunks transforms into a Super Saiyan.

The story moves forward three years later, in Age 783. Trunks walks in on Bulma while she is working on the Time Machine, and tells her that he does not need anyone from the past helping him beat the androids since he is a Super Saiyan. She reminds him that Gohan was also a Super Saiyan, which obviously was not enough. A news bulletin on the radio announces that the androids are attacking Bridgetown, a nearby city, and Trunks goes off to fight them despite Bulma's pleas. He finds the androids in the ruined city which they destroyed, and engages in battle with them. However, the young Super Saiyan is completely outclassed and can barely put up a fight. Trunks is badly beaten by the merely-toying androids, and miraculously survives a large blast of energy from Android 18. Trunks awakens in his house with his mother Bulma by his side. After a brief talk, he decides to go in the time machine (once it's finally ready, which is about six months to a year later) to give the Heart Medicine to Goku.

Trunks' timeline is shown again for the final time during the episode "Free the Future". Trunks returns to the future and tells Bulma about everything that had transpired in the past after he had gone back to help Goku and the others with the Androids. Just then it comes over the radio that Androids 17 and 18 are once again attacking, and Trunks rushes off to Parsley City to confront them for the final time. Trunks engages the Androids in battle and neither are able to even hit him once, he then destroys them both but states the future is not safe yet. Sometime later, the Cell of Trunks' timeline appears and attempts to steal his time machine just as he did in another alternate timeline, only this time, Trunks destroys him with a Heat Dome Attack, thus finally bringing peace back to the future and restoring natural order.

Characters
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Toonami Broadcast History

 * September 12, 2003 at 6:00 PM (DBZ Movies)
 * January 23, 2004 at 5:30 PM
 * May 15, 2004 at 7:00 PM