Trunks (Dragon Ball)

Trunks (トランクス) is a fictional character from the Dragon Ball franchise by Akira Toriyama. Trunks is the half-Saiyan son of Vegeta, the prince of the dying race of fictional aliens called the Saiyans, and Bulma, the heir of a massive company called Capsule Corporation. In keeping with the family's tradition of using underwear puns for names, Trunks' name is derived from the term for men's swim shorts.

Appearance
Trunks has a slender muscular physique with his most dominant genes coming from his maternal side, thus resulting in his having blue eyes and lavender-colored hair which is mostly shown in the undercut style. During his early teens, this style was parted on his right side and his late teens it was parted in the middle. As he is half human, his hair tends to grow. Because of this, he wore his hair in an over-the-shoulders style during Cell Games arc. The color caused some confusion among the other characters that met him; as Vegeta pointed out in chapter 139 and episode 121, a Saiyan's hair color is generally black.

His facial features are nearly identical to his father's as pointed out by Bulma when awaiting Goku's return in the aforementioned chapter and episode. Trunks can transform into a Super Saiyan which causes his hair to spike on end and takes on a golden color and his eyes a Turquoise or green color.

Trunks is also known for his unique fashion sense. When the character was first introduced he wore a cropped jacket that was steel blue in the manga and han purple in the anime with a Capsule Corporation patch on his upper left sleeve that was red in the manga and white in the anime along with a black tank top and baggy gray pants. During the Cell games arc he wore a pair of Saiyan battle fatigues identical to his father which was made by Bulma. As a child during the Majin Buu saga he wore a green gi with matching orange belt and wrist bands. In the GT series he wore a tan blazer, a blue kerchief over a black long-sleeve shirt which matched his blue socks, and a pair of cuffed shorts. Ironically, he has worn the same type of shoes with all three outfits, which are a pair of boot-length strapped sneakers that feature dark-colored segments on the toe and heel.

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). This incarnation first appeared in the manga chapter 331 Nazo no Shōnen (謎の少年) first published in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine on July 15, 1991. 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－), 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), 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 returns 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.

Present Trunks
Trunks' second incarnation would make his appearance as an infant in chapter 337 Tsudō Super Senshi-tachi (集う超戦士たち), published on August 26, 1991. In this part of the story, he was only featured as a background character to provide consistency and continuity to the story. When he was eight, Trunks participated in 25th Tenkaichi Budokai and defeated Son Goten in the junior division, meeting his brother Chayanne. Eager to compete in the adult division, he and Goten together posed as the fighter Mighty Mask (one sitting on the other's shoulders) and were pitted against #18 in a battle royal. But unfortunately they were disqualified when #18 blew their cover, revealing that they were really two people.

Upon the arrival of Majin Buu in chapter 460 and episode 231, Trunks was forced to train with Goten in the Room of Time and Mind to become the super warrior Gotenks. Gotenks fought Buu, first in the time dimension, then in the real world until the thirty minute fusion time limit expired. Through Buu's treachery they, along with Piccolo, were absorbed by Buu, thus increasing Buu's power. Once freed, Trunks, along with Goten, Gohan, and Piccolo were killed when Kid Buu tried to destroy the Earth. After being resurrected, Trunks helped to rally the people on Earth to support Goku's Super Genki Dama in his  defeat of Buu. At the end of the series, Trunks, now grown up, participated in the 28th Tenkaichi Budokai against the fighter Otokosuki in Chapters 518-519.

By the GT series, Trunks would accompany Goku and Pan into space to recover the Black Star Dragon Balls. Within episodes 2-15, They would have many strange encounters and meet many unusual characters including the robot named Giru who would act as the gang's Dragon Radar. Upon arriving on Giru's home world the Machine Planet M2 in episode 16, the trio would be hijacked by Dr. Myu's robots and Trunks would be solidified in living metal for study. Ironically, the contents of the plate was not really Trunks, but a cleverly made decoy by both Trunks and Giru. Trunks would use the opportunity to uncover Dr. Myu's plan, which was to awaken Baby, and sabotage the process. Unfortunately Trunks' plan failed as Baby had managed to escape to Earth, When they returned home Baby had managed to possess Vegeta becoming "Baby Vegeta" and brainwash everyone else into becoming his followers. Shortly after arriving, Trunks would also fall victim to Baby's mind control and battle Goku. He along with everyone else would be freed on new planet Plant. By episode 41 Trunks had managed to become the CEO of Capsule Corporation. But he would not take the job seriously. During the Super 17 saga, he along with Goten would travel the globe fighting the villains that escaped from Hell. After meeting with Chayanne for the last time, Chayanne sacraficed his body to give Trunks his SS2 power. Later he would help battle Omega Shenron and help power-up Goku's Super Saiyan 4 form.

Abilities
Trunks possesses several abilities including superhuman strength, speed, reflexes, and energy waves. Which can be utilized by the use of chi. His main means of conveyance is a technique called buku-jutsu (舞空術) which gives him the ability of flight. However, Trunks does not rely on this technique as his only conveyance as he can also be seen piloting various crafts manufactured by his family's company including the time machine which allowed him to visit Goku in the past.

Both incarnations can at least transform into basic Super Saiyan although their achievement of this form differs between incarnation. Future Trunks achieved this in his early teens but even this varies in media. In the TV special he would ascend after observing the body of the recently deceased Future Gohan. Whereas, In the manga, he is shown to be a Super Saiyan for some time. Present Trunks would be shown to have the ability at the age of eight. In the Cell saga, Trunks would gain the ability ascend to 2nd and 3rd Super Saiyan grades during his training with Vegeta in the Room of Time and Mind. Unfortunately, these forms would decrease his speed greatly and so he would abandon them after his first initial fight with Cell.

As a child, Present Trunks could fuse (or merge) with Goten to become the powerful being named Gotenks; this is through the Metamorese technique called the Fusion Dance, which was taught to them by Goku. In this temporal form they could achieve Super Saiyan 3 with ease, a feat that was very difficult for Goku to achieve and maintain.

Trunks is also known for his use of his longsword which he keeps mounted across his back. Many fans often mistake this sword for the legendary Z-Sword due their similar appearance. As a child, Present Trunks was supposedly given the sword as a gift by the warrior Tapion after the monster Hirudegarn was defeated in the film Wrath of the Dragon. However it is unknown how Future Trunks come to possess it as the story has never been chronicled by Toriyama or Toei Animation. In GT the sword was only featured in the opening introduction to the series, but was not used in any episodes. Ironically, in an early concept lithograph for GT by Toriyama, Trunks is pictured brandishing a pistol instead. Present Trunks can also be seen wielding the sword in the opening introduction to the video game Dragon Ball GT: Final Bout.

Voice actors
In the original Japanese Trunks is currently voiced by Takeshi Kusao in all media. In the English language dub by Funimation, Eric Vale voices both teen and adult while Laura Bailey voices him as a child. Currently they voice the character in most video games with the exception of the game Dragon Ball GT: Final Bout where he was voiced by Skip Stellrecht. In Ocean Productions' dub Trunks was voiced by Alistair Abell for the teen and adult and Patricia Drake voices him as a child.

Trunks in other media
Trunks has appeared in most Dragon Ball related video games. He has also appeared in other related game such as Jump Super Stars, its sequel Jump Ultimate Stars, and Battle Stadium D.O.N. The game Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai - Another Road centers around Future Trunks' battle with Majin Buu in his timeline. In 1992, Trunks would act as escort through time in the interactive Videkko game ''Dragon Ball Z: Get Together! Goku World''. Trunks will also be featured in the upcoming MMORPG Dragon Ball Online. He will be referred as Time Patrol Trunks (タイム・パトロール・トランクス).

In the Dragon Ball/One Piece crossover manga Cross Epoch, Trunks is a member of Captain Vegeta's air pirate crew. Trunks also makes an appearance in the 2004 Fuji TV interactive feature Kyūtai Panic Adventure Returns!, where he and six other Dragon Ball characters delivers the Dragon Balls to restore the aqua city of Odaiba.

In music, the song "Chīsa na Senshi~Goten to Trunks no Theme~" by Shin Oya focuses on both Trunks and Goten.

Reception
In an IGN article for the GT series, Trunks' character design in the series has been criticized as being "goofy".

Composer for the Funimation dub of the Dragon Ball Z, Bruce Faulconer, has stated on his website that Trunks was his favorite Dragon Ball character. American voice actor Christopher Sabat has agreed with Faulconer, saying that apart from Vegeta, Trunks is his favorite character from the series. He has liked how his character is "lone survivor of the apocalypse, son of the most angry and the most headstrong characters." He additionally liked Trunks' fight such as the one in which he easily killed Frieza.

In an interview, actor Masi Oka compared Trunks to his Heroes character Hiro Nakamura, as both are time travelers that carry swords.