Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks

Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks (1993) is a Toei Animation TV special set in Akira Toriyama's universe, and you can watch it online on iFILM. The tagline says it plainly: this is the story of the future that never was, a timeline where the androids won.

Goku dies of a heart virus, and soon after, Androids 17 and 18 cut down Vegeta, Krillin and the rest of the Z Fighters one by one. Thirteen years pass. Only a grown, battle-worn Gohan still stands against them, missing an arm and running out of options. He takes young Trunks, Bulma's son, as his student and pins the planet's last hope on the boy. It runs just 48 minutes, yet little else in the franchise hits this bleak.

The special lays out where Future Trunks came from before he ever travels back to rewrite history. The mood is heavier than usual for DBZ, trading tournament thrills for grief and loss. It's one for longtime fans who want the backstory and the saddest chapter of the saga. Stream The History of Trunks (1993) online on iFILM.