Even before its release, the concept ofDragon Ball: Sparking! Zero’s"What Ifs"were being memed thanks to their potential to be both completely wacky and offer perspectives that many fans have often thought of. With its release,Sparking! Zerohas proved that some"What If"can be very far-out ideas, such as having Gohan Black instead of Goku Black as the antagonist for the Future Trunks arc inDBS.Some, however, end up making more sense than the actual canon presented in the manga and anime.
For context, it should be noted thatsome of the events from the anime and manga are different, especially withDragon Ball Super, andthe canon eventsSparking! Zerofollows is from the anime specifically. This makes sense, since more people have seen the anime than have read the manga and are thus more familiar with those events. Still, just because there is greater familiarity with the anime, it doesn’t mean that these events necessarily make more sense and aren’t improved upon by the"What Ifs"ofSparking! Zero.
This “What If” Has Future Trunks Stay In The Current Timeline
A Fan-Favorite Character Sticks Around
Future Trunks has been a fan favorite ever since he was introduced after the Namek Saga inDragon Ball Z.He was the second Super Saiyan introduced in the series and is known for being no nonsense compared to the other Z Fighterswhen it comes to defeating his enemies. He showed this when he quickly cut Frieza to ribbons, while it took Son Goku an entire saga to defeat the evil space dictator, and even then they didn’t even manage to finish the job. Trunks even managed to kill Frieza’s father, King Cold, while he was at it.
Amazingly, King Cold is playable, despite how little he features in the series, which is even more odd considering that other villains, like King Piccolo and Super 17, aremissing fromSparking! Zero.
With his handy sword skills and connection to Vegeta, it should have been no surprise thatFuture Trunks made his long awaited return to the series inDragon Ball Super’s Goku Black arc, and although he had lost a few pounds, he was still the same character everyone fell in love with. Unfortunately, his continued increase in power didn’t lead to the half-Saiyan having another happy ending, with the arc ending in the destruction of his universe and him traveling to another timeline instead of being the hero of his time.
Sparking! Zerooffers an alternative to this. There is a"What If"orSparking Episodein whichFuture Trunks chooses to stay in the current timeline after Fused Zamasu has been eradicatedfrom existence by a future timeline version of Zeno. In fact, there are a couple of Sparking Episodes where Future Trunks can stay in the current timeline to train instead of leaving like he does in the anime. These are Inherited Pride, where he follows his father, and Embarking Toward Tomorrow, where he chooses to go with Gohan.
Goku Black Arc Set Up Future Trunks Staying
The Original Ending Doesn’t Make Much Sense
Throughout theGoku Black arc, Future Trunks had some great interactions with the current timeline characters that felt like they could be later expanded upon.He trained under his father, Vegeta, a few timesand even learned some of the Saiyan Prince’s signature moves, such as the Galick Gun. He also spent some time with an adult Gohan, seeing how different he was to his teen self, and even got a pep talk from the past version of himself, showing how different Future Trunks could have been if Vegeta was alive in his timeline.
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When the ending rolled around, it was odd that Future Trunks chose to leave the current timeline after his one had been entirely destroyed by Zeno. Instead of staying,he chooses to go with Mai to another timeline in which there is another version of himself, largely out of guilt for being unable to save his home. It’s an odd choice, since the arc could have easily just ended with Future Trunks defeating Fused Zamasu and saving the day with his Spirit Sword attack, and him leaving would have meant he went home.
Future Trunks has a unique, anime-only form called Super Saiyan Rage, which allowed him to close the gap between his SSJ2 form and Goku and Vegeta’s Super Saiyan Blue forms.
WithDragon Ballbeing a series for children in which the good guys usually win in quite a definitive fashion, it felt out of place to have an ending in which the villain technically won. Zamasu wanted to destroy all mortal life, and he technically managed it when Zeno destroyed Future Trunk’s universe, so it felt like the difference was setting up for Future Trunks to be a mainstay in the Z Fighters cast, since he had no home to return to. Ultimately, this was not the case and the Goku Black arc’s ending has been heavily criticized ever since.
Why This “What If” Should’ve Been Canon
Future Trunks Would Have Been Perfect For The Tournament Of Power
Future Trunks staying in the current timeline would have been perfect for several reasons, since the Sparking Episodes have him fight instead of Frieza during the Tournament of Power. Future Trunks would have been a powerhouse among the Z Fighters during this arc, and probablywould have been up there was Goku and Vegeta in terms of power. His no-nonsense attitude and willingness to be a protector would have made him a deadly asset for Universe 7 too.
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There are plenty of characters for him to have interesting interactions with too, especially the Androids.Sparking! Zerounderstood this, andhas a Sparking Episode in which Future Trunks fights alongside Android 17against Jiren in the Tournament of Power, similar to how Frieza and 17 fought together in the anime. He could also continue to develop his bond with his father, train alongside Gohan, and be somewhat of an older brother to his past self going forward, similar to how Gohan is with Goten.
Ultimately, this"What If"shows the wasted potential of the Goku Black arc’s ending and having Future Trunks stick around is probably a decision that should have been canon. If it was made canon, it doesn’t even have to be the same asDragon Ball: Sparking! Zero’s version of events, since Future Trunks replaces Frieza in the game. Instead, he could have replaced Roshi, since the Turtle Hermit’s effort almost ended up getting him killed, and Future Trunks would definitely have fared much better.
