Future Trunks

The first and most identified incarnation of the character that readers and viewers get to see would come to be known production wise as Future Trunks (未来のトランクス, Mirai no Torankusu^?, Trunks of the Future). This incarnation first appeared in the manga chapter 331 Nazo no Shōnen (謎の少年, The Young Boy of Mystery^?) first published in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine on July 15, 1991.^[4] Here he is a mysterious seventeen year old who appears and singlehandedly kills Frieza and his father King Cold. Upon Goku's return from planet Namek in the following chapter, Trunks would confide with Goku and unknowingly to Piccolo (Due to his acute Namekkian hearing) his tragic story.

As told in flashbacks in the anime series, the stand alone manga story Trunks the Story: A Warrior All Alone (トランクスザストーリー －たったひとりの戦士－, Trunks za Sutōrī -Tatta Hitori no Senshi-^?),^[5] the TV special History of Trunks, and the third side story Lonely Future Warrior!! Trunks (孤独の未来戦士!! トランクス, Kodoku no Mirai Senshi!! Torankusu^?),^[6] Trunks had traveled from twenty years in the future where the world was in constant ruin due to the terror of the two artificial humans #17 and #18. By this time Goku had succumbed to an unknown heart virus and rest of the Z warriors, with the exception of Gohan, had fallen at the hands of the artificial humans. Trunks, at the age of thirteen, was living with Future Bulma and secretly training with Future Gohan. After Gohan's inevitable death, Trunks would assume the mantel of Earth's sole protector against the artificial humans for the next three years. But even he would be no match against them. Fortunately, Bulma had been working on a time machine that could help change history. Once he had informed Goku of the events to come, Trunks gives Goku a special vaccine and return to his own time.

Trunks would return to help the present day Z warriors battle the artificial humans, in chapter 346 and episode 131. With appearance of Cell, Trunks would train with Vegeta in the Room of Time and Mind (Hyperbolic Time Chamber in English media). After Vegeta's defeat, Trunks would fight Cell in his newly gained Perfect state. But Trunks' 3rd Super Saiyan grade proved to be ineffective so he willfully concedes. He would participate in the Cell Games and be mortally wounded by Cell immediately following his ascension to "Beyond Perfection". Afterwards, he would return to his own timeline in the future and defeat the artificial humans and Cell within his time in chapters 419-420 and episodes 193.

He would appear one more time in the ninth Dragon Ball Z film Bojack Unbound to participate in the special Tenkaichi Budokai sponsored by Mr. X.S. Cash. Here he would unwillingly fight Bojack's henchman Gokua.