Every Time Future Trunks Fought With His Sword in Dragon Ball (In Chronological Order)

Dragon Ball is known for its high-speed close-quarters combat – and that doesn’t leave any room for the use of weapons. Even Goku had done away with his iconic Power Pole by the time DBZ came around. However, one DBZ hero cut right through the preconceptions to make using weapons cool again: Future Trunks. Future Trunks’ introductory fight against Frieza showed the world that weapons were not only viable in Dragon Ball, but that the only thing cooler than a Super Saiyan was a Super Saiyan with a sword.

Since then, the sword has become a staple of Trunks’ arsenal, especially for Future Trunks. While the present timeline’s Trunks has also been shown wielding a sword from time to time, he grew up being trained by his dad, Vegeta, making the sword less relevant than it was for his future counterpart. Future Trunks’ sword is generally a symbol of his no-holds-barred approach to combat, as well as his difficult upbringing in an unforgiving dystopian world. Trunks only ever has one goal; to save the future, and he’ll cut down anyone who stands in his way.

A Newly Super Saiyan Trunks is Still No Match For the Androids

Age 764 (Approximately Age 784 in Future Trunks’ Timeline)

The DBZ additional story, The History of Trunks, tells the tale of Future Trunks’ upbringing as a boy before he traveled back to the main timeline and met Goku. In it, Trunks is trained by Future Gohan, but things go horribly wrong when Gohan is killed by the Androids defending Trunks. After finding his mentor dead in dirt, Trunks’ pain propels him to turn into a Super Saiyan for the first time. The story then skips a head a few years to the present day, when Trunks is the age fans know him to be at the start of the Android Saga.

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At some point during the timeskip, Trunks took up a sword to help him in his quest to rid the earth of the Androids who killed his beloved teacher. While Trunks does wield it in an attempt to defeat 17 and 18, his efforts are to no avail. He is beaten to a near-death state, only to be rescued by Future Bulma. This entire turn of events teaches Trunks that he still isn’t strong enough to beat the Androids on his own, which is ultimately what gives him the conviction to travel to the past to seek the assistance of Goku.

Trunks Becomes Frieza’s Worst Nightmare

Age 764

Following the fight with Frieza on Namek, Goku didn’t return to Earth for two years. In that time, Frieza was rescued and rebuilt as a Cyborg by his father King Cold, and the two planned revenge. While Frieza and King Cold’s arrival places the Earth in a precarious position, a Mysterious Youth arrives to fight in Goku’s stead. Of course, that Mysterious Youth was none other than Future Trunks. Trunks was only the second character in all of Dragon Ball to become a Super Saiyan after Goku, making him the first to show that it was even possible for another saiyan to achieve the “Legendary” state.

As could be expected of a Super Saiyan warrior, Trunks slays both Mecha Frieza and King Cold with no effort. Part of what makes Future Trunks introductory scene so iconic is just how easily and mercilessly he defeats Frieza. This immediately differentiates him from Goku, who had only defeated Frieza after a long hard battle and after constantly giving the villain second chances. Trunks’ refusal to take any prisoners made him an instant fan-favorite, and his status as Dragon Ball royalty hasn’t faltered in the slightest over the years.

Trunks Tests Goku to See if He Lives Up to His Legend

Age 764

After his swift takedown of Frieza and King Cold, Trunks finally meets the person he traveled to the past to meet: Goku. While Trunks heard many stories about Goku from his mother and Future Gohan, Trunks had to see if their stories were true for himself. Of course, the only real way to test Goku’s power was for Trunks to fight him himself. Powering up to his Super Saiyan form, Trunks strikes Goku with his blade, but Goku blocks all Trunks’ attacks with a single finger.

Even though Goku claims Trunks is holding back, it’s still incredibly impressive that Goku is able to so easily fend off attacks that had literally cut Frieza to pieces only moments prior. It’s clear from this brief interaction that Goku’s training on Yardrat definitely gave him more than just a new technique (Instant Transmission), even if it wouldn’t be until the end of the Cell Saga that anyone would actually ascend to the state of a Super Saiyan 2.

Android 13 Was Technically the First to Break Trunks’ Sword

Age 767

While not canon to the series’ main timeline, Trunks’ first instance of a broken sword comes in the Dragon Ball Z film Super Android 13. Future Trunks utilizes his sword all throughout the film, mostly during his battle with Android 14. At one point, 14 even steals Trunks’ sword for his own usage, presumably as a means of showing how much more powerful the Androids are than Frieza. Nevertheless, Trunks not only manages to get his sword back, but uses it to slice Android 14 in half with a move nearly as epic as his introductory scene in DBZ.

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Super Android 13 technically takes place in the period prior to the arrival of Androids 17 and 18, but also after Goku already knows about Dr Gero. Of course, this makes no sense because Goku fell victim to the heart virus during the fight with Androids 19 and 20. In short, there’s no way Super Android 13 can fit into the timeline of the main series, it makes more sense serving as an alternate timeline of its own.

Trunks Gets Off Easy With Only a Broken Sword Against Android 18

Age 767

The last time Future Trunks ever used his sword in DBZ was just after Androids 17 and 18 were woken up by Dr Gero in the Android Saga. As Vegeta fought a losing battle against Android 18, Trunks was compelled to step in to save his dad. Just as he had done against Frieza, Trunks swung his sword at Android 18 with the full force of his Super Saiyan power, but the sword shattered on 18’s arm. Trunks was then swiftly knocked out by Android 17 in a single blow.

While this was a laughably poor showing on Trunks’ part, he was lucky to only get off with a broken sword – especially considering his father left the fight with a broken arm. After having his sword shattered by Android 18, Trunks wouldn’t be shown using a sword throughout the remainder of the original series. He did use a sword in non-canon film appearances, but it wasn’t until Super that Future Trunks was confirmed to have still fought again using a sword after the Cell Saga.

Trunks Gets a Bit of Help From His Dad Against Bojack’s Henchmen

Age 767

Future Trunks doesn’t technically use his sword in actual battle against Bojack’s henchmen in the Dragon Ball Z movie Bojack Unbound. However, his sword does play an integral part that warrants a mention in any discussion of Future Trunks’ greatest sword moments. In fact, instead of Trunks using his sword, Vegeta is the one who puts it to use against Bojack’s Galaxy Soldiers.

In Bojack Unbound, Future Trunks is captured by Bujin’s Psycho Thread technique, rendering him completely unable to move. Just as things look hopeless, Trunks’ sword is sent flying through the air, cutting Trunks loose from Bujin’s threads. The culprit is none other than Vegeta, who sought out Trunks after getting a bad feeling in his gut that his son was in trouble. It’s a rare heartwarming moment for Vegeta prior to the Buu Saga of DBZ, and Trunks’ sword was what made it all possible.

Kid Trunks Proves His Natural Swordsman Against an Ancient Evil Monstrosity

Age 774

While Future Trunks is the character most known for his sword skills, he’s not the only incarnation of Trunks shown to use a sword in Dragon Ball. In the DBZ film Wrath of the Dragon, Kid Trunks uses Tapion’s enchanted sword, the Brave Sword, to cut off Hirudegarn’s tail. This would technically be Trunks’ first use of a sword in his life, and the earliest usage of a sword by Trunks in terms of his personal age.

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Of course, this can’t be the same version of Trunks who goes on to train with Gohan because the Wrath of the Dragon film takes place after the Android Saga, but it’s a nonetheless interesting detour in the story of Trunks and his use of the sword. It shows that swordsmanship is always a part of Trunks, no matter his incarnation. All other versions of Trunks who fought with a sword after this would be older, making Kid Trunks’ use of the sword in Wrath of the Dragon his first ever sword fight, even though it occurred long after Future Trunks appeared using time travel.

Trunks Becomes The Chosen Hero Who Wields the Z Sword

Age 774 (Approximately Age 793 in Future Trunks’ Timeline)

In Future Trunks’ timeline, the Z Fighters have all been killed by the Androids, leaving only Trunks remaining. However, that doesn’t stop the villains from rising up in the same way as they did in the present timeline. As a result, Future Trunks is left to contend with Babidi and Dabura all on his own. Luckily, wielding his trusty sword, Trunks is able to fight back and defeat both Babidi and Dabura before Majin Buu can be reborn.

In the manga, Trunks actually uses the Z Sword in his fight against Dabura. During the fight, it’s broken by Dabura after it’s turned to stone by his saliva. A similar-but-different turn of events happens in the anime, but after Dabura turns Trunks’ sword to stone, it’s never actually shown being broken. Additionally, it’s never directly confirmed that Trunks uses the Z Sword in the anime, either.

Trunks’ Sword Becomes The Universe’s Last Hope Against Zamasu

Age 779 (Approximately Age 796 in Future Trunks’ Time Period)

Trunks uses his sword multiple times against Goku Black and Zamasu in Deagon Ball Super. Unfortunately, being that Zamasu is a literally immortal God, there’s little Trunks’ regular sword can do against him. In a last ditch attempt, Trunks powers up his sword using his Super Saiyan Rage form, but Fused Zamasu still breaks it in half with ease. At the climax of the battle, Trunks uses a technique in this fight which he’d never used before: the Sword of Hope.

The Sword of Hope is essentially Trunks’ version of Goku’s Genkai Dama. With it, Trunks draws on the energy of everyone around him to create a sword of pure energy not unlike Goku Black’s Energy Blade. Using the Sword of Hope, Future Trunks splits Fused Zamasu in half; an attack that would have killed anyone else. However, because Zamasu was immortal, leaving his physical body caused his consciousness to spread out and become one with the entire Universe – a turn of events which didn’t quite sit right with Zeno.

Dragon Ball GT’s Intro Shows Kid Trunks Never Put the Sword Down

Age 789

While Trunks is never shown using his sword in Dragon Ball GT’s main storyline, that doesn’t mean he left his sword training in the past. If GT’s OP is any indication, Trunks was just as skilled as ever with a sword as he grew into a teenager. In the opening music video of GT, Trunks is shown briefly wielding his sword to slice a Machine Mutant in half.

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This scene bares a striking resemblance to how Future Trunks cut Android 14 in half in the Super Android 13 film, but considering they’re two different incarnations of Trunks, it’s likely just a coincidence. Since GT’s Trunks is the present timeline Trunks from DBZ, fans have speculated that the sword he uses in GT’s OP must actually be the Brave Sword he received from Tapion in Dragon Ball Z: Wrath of the Dragon. It’s definitely the most logical conclusion to draw, especially considering GT often attempted to canonize DBZ film villains.

Dragon Ball

Dragon Ball tells the tale of a young warrior by the name of Son Goku, a young peculiar boy with a tail who embarks on a quest to become stronger and learns of the Dragon Balls, when, once all 7 are gathered, grant any wish of choice.

Created by

Akira Toriyama

First Film

Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies

Latest Film

Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero

First TV Show

Dragon Ball

Upcoming TV Shows

Dragon Ball DAIMA

First Episode Air Date

April 26, 1989

Cast

Sean Schemmel , Laura Bailey , Brian Drummond , Christopher Sabat , Scott McNeil

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