The Androids Saga was one of the most iconic arcs in the DragonBall Series. Growing up, we always thought that the fight scenes, and the villains were some of the amazing stuff this arc had to offer. However, in retrospect, the plot was one of—if not the most, important aspects of this saga.
If you guys don’t know, the DBZ Androids Saga appears to have drawn inspiration from the iconic Terminator film series. When this arc began in 1991, Terminator 2: Judgement Day had also been a box office success in Japan. This is the plot that featured Future Trunks, gave Gohan Super Saiyan 2 while also making him the primary protagonist, and even shelved Goku to put more emphasis on characters like Vegeta and Piccolo. The arc's greatness, however, remains up for debate, most likely among the series' fans. BUT, whether you like it or not, the Androids Saga is by far the most captivating of the DBZ-era storylines.
This article will look at Trunks' attempt at the butterfly effect, or, more accurately, his T-800 stunt to save the Z-fighters and his future. Why, you might ask, well Vegeta might have the longest screen time of all the characters and Gohan (is technically) the protagonist in the Cell Games but Future Trunks story is the most interesting as the saga revolves around his efforts to fix his timeline (which was very dark by the way; what’s up with that).
Now, it doesn’t matter if you believe in time travel or not since we’re talking about Saiyans, Androids, and actual Dragon Balls here that grant wishes—but you have to abandon the cynicism to catch up with the plot. Although DBZ took place in a universe wherein reality or time is really not linear, the butterfly effect is nonetheless a thing when it comes to alternate realities and time traveling. Following Trunks' arrival, the following significant changes take place in the primary story arc: Cell appearing from another reality; Androids 17 and 18 becoming more powerful; Android 16 awakening; Piccolo and Kami combining; and Majin Buu appearing far sooner than he would in Trunks' reality. Now, in the history of all things about time travel, has it ever been done perfectly? In this case, alternate timelines are being created.
Future Trunks is often hailed as being one of the wisest Z-fighters among the core characters. He also does little to disprove the notion that he is actually a genius. Let us tell you why: one, he's extremely assertive; two, he eliminates every enemy very quickly; and three, he prepares to fight his enemies way ahead of time. A smart dude is just as crazy as a strong one. BUT he committed one of the series' worst errors. When he initially appeared in the main timeline, he warned Goku to be vigilant about Androids 19 and 20. This is unquestionably an error. He was referring to Android 17 and 18. This might be a retroactive continuity, but the fact that this alteration was not fixed for the manga's Kanzenban 完全版 ("perfect complete" edition) publication suggests that this statement was intentional after all.
Regardless of this error and the idea that the Androids Saga is primarily a multiverse/time-travel story, it is only one of the many arcs. DB has never previously concentrated on alternate realities or timelines. Even if Trunks originated from a distant future in this one, it's easy to miss the fact that the story we've been following for nearly a half-decade has never been the actual story. Who would have thought that DB could become so tragic and dark? Basically, it is Future Trunks’ time travel that caused worlds to shift and constructed our primary timeline—the one wherein the Saiyan dudes survive. Ultimately, I’m sure we can all agree that the DBZ Androids Saga was one of the most epic plotlines of the series. Trunks was exceptional in this one. As we said, it’s his cause that makes the story very captivating.
This feature article was inspired by one of the most amazing creators in the community, Vintage Rush. Drawing from his favorite character (we made it obvious who, have we? lol), "Trunks-Androids Saga" comes to life and color later this month. We’re so grateful to be a part of this project and make Trunks appear in this reality. Kudos to Vintage Rush for creating yet another amazing boot that was 20 years in the making. Thanks for doing the community a favor with this piece! Check out their socials, we'll link 'em below!
As always, we also thank y’all for the support. In another timeline, we’d choose nothing but to still be a part of this amazing community! Lol, that was too cheesy. But hey, it’s true. Anyways, I guess we’ll see y'all in the next one.