Dragon Ball: Why Are Trunks and Goten Overlooked All the Time? We've Already Been Told
Dragon Ball Z’s young warriors, Trunks and Goten, had a massive role during the Buu Saga, but their presence then dwindled significantly throughout Dragon Ball Super. While the duo were theyoungest Super Saiyans and brimming with potential, their characters were quickly pushed to the sidelines in the following series. This left some fans wondering why Trunks and Goten weren’t given a chance to reprise their role as some of the most powerful Z-Fighters.
Some attribute their absence to creative oversight, while others assume it’s due to the expanding cast. However, Akira Toriyama has already provided a logical in-world explanation for Trunks and Goten’s lack of screen time. Yet, while rational, it doesn’t entirely fill the void left behind by Trunks and Goten after their impressive fusion and contribution to the battle in Dragon Ball Z.
The In-World Explanation Behind Why Trunks and Goten Get Limited Screen Time
Akira Toriyama Provides a Logical Explanation Regarding the Young Saiyans’ Absence
The limited screen time Trunks and Goten had in Dragon Ball Super has an in-world justification that Akira Toriyama explained during discussions about Resurrection ‘F’. Toriyama commented, “It’s because everyone didn’t want to risk losing the next generation of warriors.” This statement suggests that Goku, Vegeta, and their friends consciously chose to shield the young Saiyan warriors from dangerous battles. While Trunks and Goten’s potential is undeniable, the fact remains that they are the future defenders of Earth and still have a lot to learn.
Toriyama’s explanation is a fitting narrative choice, especially given the higher stakes in Dragon Ball Super and the introduction of gods and universal threats like Moro. In protecting Trunks and Goten, theZ-Fighters ensure that Earth will always be defended by the future generation and allow fan favorites to remain in the spotlight much longer. Yet, despite the reasonable explanation, Trunks and Goten acting as bystanders in the current storyline diminishes the role they played during the Buu Saga.
Trunks and Goten’s Absence Leaves a Void After Their Role in Dragon Ball Z
Trunks and Goten Remain Largely Unexplored in Dragon Ball Super
After fusing into Gotenks and becoming the youngest and second Saiyan to achieve Super Saiyan 3, their reduced role in Dragon Ball Super left a noticeable void in the series. The pair brought energy to the series that was fun and mischievous and, at times, arrogant and prideful. Their involvement in Dragon Ball Z wasn’t only comic relief but an essential part of the Z-Fighter’s strategy against Majin Buu that becomes completely sidelined in Super.
Their absence is especially upsetting because it halted the generational progression that Dragon Ball Z was slowly building. While it’s already been discussed why Goku remains the protagonist despite attempting to shift the series to Gohan, it still diminishes the development of Goten and Trunks and leaves their characters unexplored.
The lack of focus on Trunks and Goten may serve a logical purpose in Dragon Ball Super, but in doing so, it gives up part of its predecessor’s identity that focuses on the next generation of warriors and the growth of its characters.
Source: https://www.kanzenshuu.com/translations/volume-f-akira-toriyama-script-comments/
- 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
- Latest TV Show
- Super Dragon Ball Heroes
- First Episode Air Date
- April 26, 1989
From the creative mind of Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball is a mega multimedia franchise that spans back to the 1980s. Dragon Ball expanded quickly, starting as a serialized manga for Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan. It made its way overseas via manga and an anime adaptation that is enjoyed worldwide. Dragon Ball was the initial starting animated series that followed the adventures of the young Son Goku as he sought after the Dragon Balls. These mystical orbs would grant the wish of any who gathered them together. Then, the series would branch off into the immensely popular Dragon Ball Z, which followed Goku as an adult and featured high-intensity battles and Goku's never-ending search to be the strongest. The series has also enjoyed several popular video game adaptations and continues to release several new animated series and theatrical films up to the recent popular Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.
- Latest Episode
- 2019-10-05
- Cast
- Sean Schemmel, Laura Bailey, Brian Drummond, Christopher Sabat, Scott McNeil
- Current Series
- Dragon Ball Super
- Video Game(s)
- Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, Dragon Ball FighterZ, Dragon Ball: The Breakers, Super Dragon Ball Heroes: World Mission, Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z, Dragon Ball Xenoverse, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot
