The Confusing Dragon Ball Z Timeline Explained

[@KykyDJenkins]

So correct me if im wrong but: OG Trunks goes back in time to warn them of the androids and finds a way to beat them(causing the unknown timeline); comes home and then Cell kills him causing a third timeline. But because of Cell's jump through time to 4 years he caused an alternate Future Trunks to come back to the time that he was already hiding in?

[@rideflyer]

Exactly 🔥🔥🔥

[@liamish1117]

​@@rideflyerbtw Theres also a movie timeline

[@ChronoBolt]

​@liamish1117 I don't think every dbz movie fits into a single narrative timeline. I know that MasakoX did an entire video (series?) trying to figure out where in the show's timeline the movies would fit. Not to mention that one of the movies, History of Trunks, is explicitly Canon to the show, cuz it describes the original timeline from before Future Trunks originally traveled back in time

[@liamish1117]

@@ChronoBolt no, because the movies replace different sagas, and as explained in why dbz movies cant happen its most Likly doing a diff timeline

[@perryanderson4971]

He was hiding in a larval state because he had to revert to that form in order to fit in trunks Time Machine. So he gave himself another year. I think that answers what you asked.

[@stranger5011]

If you think about It Future Trunks timeline is the main one, since there wasn't any alteration, things just went naturally

[@rifarira9160]

Main as in the one we watcher followed, if anything F. Trunks timeline is the Original Timeline we follow up to F.Trunks apperance.

[@rolp9818]

Then U 11 kai's started seeing time rings appear n was like wtf is this 😆

[@Sjb99-f1s]

It was altered because trunks came back and wrecked cell instead of getting jumped by him. That’s where’s the timeline changed

[@armargo]

The timeline where cell stole the Time Machine in. All the z fighters are dead and there are no dragon balls

[@Overrated7901]

@@Sjb99-f1sNot necessarily as it doesn’t directly affect how the timelines history is changed and is seen as trunks just getting stronger. His death was predicted but not totally predetermined

[@valenciamoses161]

does that mean goku black came from the unseen timeline then went to future trunks timeline

[@Arhangsamso]

It seems so since Goku was death in the future time line so i think so

[@franciscopitucas1683]

Yall. This is dbz not dbs

[@rifarira9160]

@@franciscopitucas1683 its carry over to dbs since dbs is sequel to dbz where it take place months after buu and years before end of Z.

[@kael1176]

Goku black is zamasu from the future main timeline of post universe 6 saga. He then went to the trunks timeline. Resulting trunks and him went back to the past BEFORE goku black he appears. Changing the fate of goku, chichi and goten from getting killed. Creating a new timeline we follow in dbs where goku black arc happened.

[@_MrTrue]

​@Rifa Rira I'm pretty sure it's stated directly somewhere that dbs starts 4 years after buu saga

[@bradyharpe6051]

Me never actually watching dragon Ball I only thought there were two timelines so this video made me understand why everyone hates time travel in dragon Ball

[@emeraldspark101]

"Multiverse theory's a bitch."

[@Patryk_V2]

but i get no bitches

[@BladeLightsteel]

Okay, I feel like you’re referencing something, and I don’t get it, and that’s not fair.

[@MetalSonicEmpire]

@@BladeLightsteel Team four star

[@BladeLightsteel]

@@MetalSonicEmpire yeah i know, i was making a reference to the final episode

[@OmarO_721]

For those confused about the Future Trunks timeline. When Cell traveled to the past, not only did he create the Main Timeline, but he indirectly created Future Trunks timeline. Put it simply, both Cell’s and Future Trunks timelines have the exact same events, where Androids kill everyone, and Trunks goes back in time. You could say the events we saw in the History Of Trunks also occurred in Cell’s timeline. But events differ right at Trunks’ second return from the past. Because the events of the Cell Saga never occurred in the Unseen Timeline, Trunks was not strong enough to fight Cell, since of course Cell wasn’t present in the Unseen Timeline, and he had no knowledge of Cell’s existence. But because of Cell’s presence in the main timeline, Trunks now had knowledge of Cell’s existence and was strong enough to easily destroy him. Therefore deviating the events from Cell’s Timeline.

[@TheCoolerBrother]

So the trunks we see that kills frieza and cold is created by cell going to the past? How did cell create 2 timelines? Is it because In order for our timeline to progress we HAD to have a future trunks show up? You would think that the past cell travels to just wouldn’t have a future trunks show up right? Or am I missing something. Please help me understand

[@bkay9935]

@@TheCoolerBrother that is correct.The trunks WE the audience see killing frieza is the one from the timeline cell created.Tho imo there’s sth this video gets wrong.When cell travelled back in time,he created a new timeline,but not the one where gohan beats cell.In this timeline things played out like this:goku died by the virus,everyone was killed,and THEN trunks went back to warn everyone (simultaneously bringing along the cell who travelled back and buried himself,since that is the timeline trunks is coming from).THIS is the arc we the audience see.Then everything proceeds with gohan killing the time travelling cell.Then trunks goes back in his future(the one buried cell created) and defeats the androids.However,there’s a plot hole.We see this same trunks later on kill the cell from dr.gero’s lab.But we also have the cell who travelled back and created this whole timeline(the one who buried himself in the ground).Fans have tried to explain it by saying that he tried to attack the androids during the 17 years they terrorized the earth and was killed.

[@giornogiovanna1433]

​@@bkay9935 I think it goes on like this. The timeline where the OG Cell came from (#2) was created when the OG Trunks went back in time to warn the gang about the Androids. (#1) Trunks then went back to his OG Timeline and somehow found a way to kill the Androids but was never aware of Cell's existence and he was killed creating another timeline (#3) Cell then travels back in time where he met everyone and everything leads to the Cell Games. (#4 Main Timeline) After the Cell Games, Trunks then travels back to the Future (History of Trunks Timeline) to kill the Androids and Cell. (#5) So basically, Trunks never travel through time. He was actually travelling through different realities/dimensions and accidentally created more by doing so. He affected the flow of time and created multiple realities where he was killed or he successfully defended Earth.

[@kenpachicg]

Original timeline: Goku and Z fighters dies from androids Current timeline: Z fighters encountered Future Trunks and Goku received antidote for virus Unseen Timeline: Cell kills Future Trunks, steals time machine.

[@MrMui]

but he said theres 4

[@dvader2004]

​@MrMui yeah, the guy who made a video is a dumbass and put 2 timeliness togeather

[@JoseLopez-bo8tk]

​@MrMui been a long while since I seen the original story but the way video words it the first and second one are the same. Cell will only go back in time cause trunks kills the android of his time preventing him from absorbing them. And if we don't count super there 3 One where the z fighter don't die One where trunks killed the android but dies to cell One where trunks kill the android and cell

[@Crackuser69]

The 4th be where he goes back in time again, gohan kills cell. Trunks returns to future kills androids. Trunks lready knows about cell at this point. Then kills cell. Right?

[@ezequielavalos5144]

@@Crackuser69 no there’s only 3. The guy in the video doesn’t realize 1&2 are basically the same

[@AmphotericcMike]

People who are confused about Goku black, basically black comes from the main timeline we've always been seeing, what happened was because Beerus destroyed Zamasu in the main timeline it altered the main timeline and also made a new timeline where Zamasu died, Black only stayed in existence because of the time ring

[@trisxart2393]

Dang so the original z fighters we grew up with died and continues on in a different timeline. That's kinda scary and weird at the same time, really makes you think.

[@jay14n]

No e never see that timeliness play out ourselves. We are always in the 3rd

[@iBeerus-]

so basically the goku we watched beat freeza on namek died and we've been watching a different timeline ever since

[@jay14n]

@ibeerus257 no you've been on 1 timeliness period the goku who died you never saw

[@LycanFerret]

Pretty much time travel creates a branch in the timeline. Trunks going back into the past created all the other timelines. Why do you think the Z Fighters die AFTER Trunks shows up? There's no timeline difference until he messed with time. It gets a little discombobulated if you think too hard on which one began first, because technically they were all first. They were all the same up until Trunks showed up and killed Frieza. This created another timeline. When he came back a second time, this made another timline. And when Cell came back, he made another timeline. That is 3 divergences, totalling 4 timelines. Cell coming back actually made our main timeline if you want to think about it that way.

[@Serralas]

​@@jay14n No. He's right. The OG timeline everyone is dead, including Future Trunks himself.

[@miguelgcgamer9878]

Every time travel or multiverse story falls apart when you really want to find out the detail of how it all works

[@kendrajade6688]

This one basically works. What problems do you have?

[@Josuh]

This one is not complicated

[@Overrated7901]

Not complicated to the rest. Just creating a paratrooper timeline when you travel.

[@zacharythebeau163]

Not really. There are ones that explain you're not actually time travel but going to different parallel dimensions that are nearly identical to yours, but you change sometime that changes their time events, but they still happen the original what in the dimension you're from. And when you go forward after a change you're just going to a parallel dimension that basically had the same outcome similar to the one you caused changes in.

[@kirillheroes98]

This one actually works just fine. You can build points A and B from very start to finish

[@Arsonixx_]

It’s said that the DBZ movies happen in the same alternate timeline, so there’s that too

[@WhyJustWhi]

The timeline where cell kills trucks that be the same timeline where they’ve defeat the android and trunks of those back because they said that he killed him to steal the time machine, so could that be cells original timeline? No idea what I just said .

[@heckinggi6034]

Why can't you get their names right?

[@WhyJustWhi]

@@heckinggi6034 I couldn’t type I had to use the voice thing

[@itscalebgreen]

Thank you, there are only a total 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑 timelines in the Dragon Ball Z franchise‼️😤💪🏽

[@girthquake2390]

Damn, half of those timelines involves Trunks being killed.

[@itscalebgreen]

Finally an accurate video. There are only 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑 timelines total in Dragon Ball as a franchise‼️

[@ogstarboy]

very entertaining keep it up dude

[@JewelFornillas]

20yrs ago when i was a kid and watches this until now it still confuses me lmao

[@lukeb5905]

Toriyama and anyone else involved in the story in super don't remember shit

[@elyisusking3603]

what are you talking about, at the start of DB Super, there's five timelines in total, Toriyama did indeed remembered all the other timelines

[@HustlersDen1]

I still remember when first time i saw those episodes where trunks warned them of those monsters that can kill z fighters, they showed pink sort of monsters in it, it was so epic and scary tbh back than watching dbz especially these episodes the wait to see who these monsters where and than they come and beat up ssj vegeta totally epic

[@rndomm0nkey847]

wish toriyama just used the "altering the future changes the future" rule even if it ment trunks would have faded and everybody remembers it differently without trunks.

[@gustavo3322]

Well in DBS Gowasu tells Zamasu that 4 timerings appeared, showing that 4 timelines were created. So your short video is correct. Good video.

[@revantobias8567]

Plague of Gripes would like to have a word about timelines...

[@crazylarryjr]

There is now a 5th or more timelines, Trunks came back again during the Goku Black arc at least twice and Goku and vegita went forward and backwards a couple times, as well as the Universe 7 and 10 Kai's also made runs as well

[@elyisusking3603]

there's actually 7: 1° - Universe 12 Time Traveler: a timeline in which a time traveler from Universe 12 changed the past and created a new future (it's unknown if this timeline is the one which past has been altered by the time traveler or the other timelines are the product of the past changed by the Universe 12 time traveler) 2° - Cell timeline: Goku dies, the Z-Fighters are killed by the Androids, Trunks travels to the past, the Androids are killed by Trunks via the deactivation switch, Trunks is killed by Cell, Cell travels to the past 3° - Unseen timeline: Freeza and King Cold are killed by Trunks, Goku survives the virus, the androids wake up, no cell... 4° - Goku Black Timeline: Freeza and King Cold are killed by Trunks, Goku survives the virus, Cell Saga, Majin Buu Saga, Beerus Saga, RoF Saga, U6 Tournament Saga, Zamasu kills Gowasu, travels one year, steals Goku's body, kill Goku, travels to the Future 5° - Trunks Future Timeline: Goku dies, the Z-Fighters are killed by the Androids, Trunks travels to the past, the Androids are killed by Trunks, Cell is killed by Trunks, Majin Buu awakening is avoided, Supreme Kai/Beerus dies, Goku Black appears, the whole timeline is destroyed 6° - Main timeline: Freeza and King Cold are killed by Trunks, Goku survives the virus, Cell Saga, Majin Buu Saga, Beerus Saga, RoF Saga, U6 Tournament Saga, Trunks arrives to the past once again, Zamasu is killed by Beerus, Tournament of Power saga, Moro Saga, Granolah Saga, DB SUper Hero saga 7° - Double Trunks: Goku dies, the Z-Fighters are killed by the Androids, Trunks travels to the past, the Androids are killed by Trunks, Cell is killed by Trunks, Majin Buu awakening is avoided, Supreme Kai is saved by another trunks, Goku Black is destroyed by Beerus, Zamasu is sealed

[@destroyerdeath5605]

So it goes like this OG: a future timeline were trunks defeated the androids in both his and the past timeline but is killed by cell Unseen: a past timeline were OG trunks goes back to and the androids are destroyed with the help of the Z fighters but cell isn’t discovered because his future self never came here (this would mean that cell is still alive in this timeline) Main: a past timeline where OG cell arrived 4 years before the androids and causes massive discrepancies compared to OG timeline and is where our future trunks gos to Future: a future timeline much like the OG but trunks goes back to a timeline where cell has already went back in time and with his knowledge trunks destroys cell in this timeline

[@josephkingman523]

That makes me wonder, what is going on in the timeline where they beat the androids and trunks goes back to the future and dies

[@MplusL]

Probably destroyed by Buu or something.

[@rayray9301]

@@MplusLbuu ? Yeah no buu needs power to come out his thing

[@MplusL]

@rayray9301 Yeah, and if there are too few people on Earth, nothing is stopping Babidi from just going to any other planets and getting the power there.

[@Lurkfish-nm4yc]

​@@MplusLit would take a lot of time, but even if buu killed everyone, still a better timeline than the goku black one.

[@MplusL]

@@Lurkfish-nm4yc Yeah, probably.

[@Callme_MG5]

I had to watch this like seven times to actually fully comprehend this

[@AlmightyKing143]

Let me help the people out in the comments. Timeline #1: Trunks’ OG timeline where he gets killed by Cell. Timeline #2: Future Trunks’s timeline. Gives Goku the heart medicine, goes back in time again to help with the androids, comes back and defeats the androids and Cell. Timeline #3: Goku receives the heart medicine from Trunks and the events of the android and cell saga continue. Timeline #4: Unseen where Trunks from Cell’s timeline ends up finding a way to defeat the androids but he’s killed before being able to go back again and telling Goku and the others.

[@whitworth5s248]

To be clear on the unseen timeline. This is the timeline where Trunks and the Z-fighters defeat the androids and ONLY the androids, because Cell was still growing in Dr Gero's lab and there was no future cell to muck things up. What we can tell from this timeline is that the androids were likely weaker than their counterparts we know of in the canon storyline as stated by Trunks. They likely matched the strength of a super saiyan, or slightly overpowered one, and with three super saiyans available, the numbers advantage went the other way. We likely wouldn't have seen any advanced forms of SSJ in this universe, and we still would have a Kami in this universe. How they would have handled the Majin Buu threat is not known, but it's likely that with Goku alive the entire time, Vegeta wouldn't have allowed himself to slip back briefly into evil ways.

[@keifer7]

Good vid

[@rideflyer]

Glad you liked it🙏

[@DoubleDrastik]

From what i understand its this. We have the og timeline.where goku died androids killed z fighters and trunks went back. To a timeline we havent seen creating unseen timelime. That trunks defeated the androids with the z fighters. And cell in his infant stage not knowing who cell was because he blew up the lab. Goes back to his time line and this part people forget to mention. Kills the android in his timeline. He then wants to relay the good news back to the unseen timeline but gets killed. By the cell from his timeline . Be cause this trunks didnt know him and wasnt strong enough. Og cell then travels back before the point trunks traveled in all the previous timelines to wait underground and get strong enough to take out the z fighters before the androids. Take em out so he can get strong enough take the androids.( because his timeline didnt had any because trunks beat them the same way he beat the ones jn unseen). Cell from og then created 2 timelines the one we as viewers are in and the one. Time traveling trunks we know comes from. Aka history of trunks . We know for a fact they killed cell in the main time line because krillin and trunks did it and had knowledge of cell because of piccolo and the other time machine. Leading to how we get to. Having a grown cell during the android saga of our main timeline. The trunks we see there is from the hot timeline thats basicly the same to og timeline except for trunks dying. Because cell didnt have influence there other then creating it. And the only time traveler their being trunks. So basicly our main timeline got2 time travelers cell from og where there are no trunks and androids. And hot trunks where there still are androids and cell. After the cell games Hot trunks goes back to hot timeline and defeats hot timeline cel and androids. And later comes backin super after the death of shin and and zamazu(black) stealing the time ring and cominn to his timeline to breach havoc. While after discovering trunks also time traveled to bring goku en vegeta he got the idea to recruit himself and Conquer all timelines and universes.

[@silvering873]

Actually according to my calculations there is 5 now because after berus kills zamazu he creates another

[@RandomPerson-vd3ju]

And if u count gt theses 6

[@rileyinscoe3558]

That's not Z tho

[@ultradeathboy]

​@@RandomPerson-vd3ju that also means that all the z movies are their own timelines as well. Future trunks what the fu-

[@satal6089]

@@RandomPerson-vd3jugt is not a timeline It doesn’t exist

[@RandomPerson-vd3ju]

@@satal6089 don't the creators say it's another timeline?

[@cellandbuuaremyfavoritedbz1542]

Fun Fact : The Cell That Fought SSJ 2 Gohan Was actually future cell

[@thediaz07]

Sorry bud that's not a fun fact bc that's just a common fact....whoever DOESN'T know this isn't a DBZ fan anyways.

[@JeevanSingh-lo3nr]

Picloo warns trunks about cell killing him

[@jshot9397]

It’s amazing how Trunks managed to save millions of lives by going back in time to warn the Z fighters

[@capitaozeldris]

And also doomed many lives because thanks to him Cell got to the main timeline

[@NoblesNobule]

​@@capitaozeldriswerent those people revived alongside trunks?

[@D.AverageJoe]

Original timeline: Z fighters are killed by the andoids, history of trunks happens, Trunks goes to the past to save everyone and help destroy the androids( This creates the unseen timeline). He then goes back to the future and kills the original andoids and then gets killed by cell.(This creates the current timeline) Unseen Timeline: Trunks comes and helps kill the Androids then leaves and the Z fighters live happily ever after. There is no cell in this timeline. Current timeline: Cell comes back and all that stuff happened. (This creates the Future Trunks timeline since Trunks is now aware of Cell and will be looking out for his in the future) Future Trunks Timeline: After Gohan defeats Cell Trunks returns to the future. Trunks kills the androids and waits for the day Cell comes then he kills him. Trunks survives.

[@D.AverageJoe]

@omarqigoxw2029 I didn't say anything about kid Goku. What are you referring to?

[@ISO4CE]

So the trunks that kills frieza and king cold is different from the trunks that we see throughout the android/cell saga?

[@D.AverageJoe]

@@ISO4CE no he's not different. Since cell had already created the current timeline when he arrived 1 year before Frieza

[@Spiritedmax]

Man I’m still confused 😓

[@antoniomontana2034]

1st(original): Cell kills OG Trunks and goes to the 3rd(main) 2nd(unseen): timeline where OG Trunks and the gang beat the androids. OG leaves this 2nd timeline & goes back to the 1st timeline where he gets killed by cell 3rd(main): This is the one we follow all because of Cell’s decision to go back 4 years into the past. 4th: Future Trunks’ timeline

[@SavantPete]

I wish we got to see more of the original timeline and the unseen timeline

[@Sir_Parker06]

Dbz handled this very well. Organized and not confusing.

[@YourBoyWang]

What about the Super Android 13 movie? That follows future Trunks giving Goku the antidote. Cell is even in the end of the movie so is 17 & 18.

[@MrSharkBait561]

I need my PURPLE haired hero back

[@clv2015]

He definitely added a couple timelines just for the video😂😂

[@Who___]

This be hurting ma brain.

[@PlagueOfGripes]

There's actually at least 13 by Super. It's an absolute mess.

[@fredthemanish]

So main timeline is totally doomed. That's sad af. Everyone is dead and future trunks comes from a different universe lol. Which means there is technically an infinite number of universes.

[@genghisdingus]

So basically there's the: None came back from the past timeline (aka Trunks' timeline) Only Trunks came back time (unseen timeline) Trunks and cell went back in time (timeline of the main series)

[@freezingfire1800]

You're partially right. The timeline on which future trunks and cell go back in time are two separate timelines. Cell killed trunks one timeline. So that would make 4 timelines. However there is more. When Beerus erased zamasu, it created another timeline because gods killing gods create alternate timelines in dragon ball. In the dragon ball super manga, it was stated that someone from universe 12 created the first time mahine which eould push it to 6 timelines. However there is a 7th timeline which is the timeline zamasu went in to take goku's body and kill his family

[@adrienchavez421]

I always thought the fourth timeline was the original I thought that's why trunks went back in time in the first place

[@elyisusking3603]

Cell timeline is the original one, the Forth timeline was altered when Trunks killed Cell

[@IIIISai]

too much mental gymnastics rip

[@Theoneandonlygoatofdocuhebags]

If only Zeno was a concept at this time lmao.

[@michaelmclean5803]

Chi chi at @32:47 😂😂😂

[@randonroth1579]

Timeline 1 : everyone eats it to the androids and later cell probably fully wins. Timeline 2 : timeline 1 trunks goes back in time to warn them and the right androids show up and still win. Then after trunks comes back he beats the androids and dies to cell. Timeline 3 : timeline 2 cell travels back to the same time as when trunks went back, this causes the wrong androids to show up and then cell probably fully wins. Timeline 4 : after timeline 2 trunks (also after timeline 2 cell travels back making him a separate trunks) returns to his new future he travels back again and helps with the timeline we follow Timeline 5 : timeline 4 trunks goes back to his time and kills his cell

[@Overrated7901]

What T1 is when every Z fighter dies and the Android probably and Cell steals dead trunks Time Machine

[@Overrated7901]

Also Timeline 3 is History of Trunks time like you got that wrong

[@randonroth1579]

@@Overrated7901 there's no reason to why the androids would be dead in the first timeline since trunks wouldn't have the chance to get strong enough to beat them. So Cell would have no reason to steal the time machine. And I never watched the trunks special so I have no idea where it lies, this is just how the timelines would work out if it followed actual multiverse time travel theory and toryama time travel

[@3edget539]

Confusion screaming

[@Spectrum0122]

So basically, everyone lost, so trunks had to time travel twice. Light work

[@albertgutierrez7036]

Basically when we see trunks going back in time to see how the z fighters were doing that was the timeline that Cell created that’s why there were new androids he never knew about. Confusing as hell if you don’t look into it.

[@elliothough7238]

Thats more confusing than Rick and Morty

[@ShivamNuniwal]

all this shit hurts my brain

[@daviddavito1158]

Trunks did warn the “original” Z fighters, technically the unseen timeline is the original timeline

[@landobrown2959]

Bro what did bro just say

[@rideflyer]

Timeline

[@jojomojo5169]

​@@rideflyer timeline one and 3 are the same. Though...

[@rideflyer]

1 Original timeline 2 unseen 3 main timeline 4 future trunks timeline

[@jonathonlilbourne9264]

I always wondered if cell absorbed trunks in his timeline

[@Ranqers]

It starts and ends with the two trunks Trunks 1 (killed by cell) Trunks 2 (kills cell) Trunks 1 (killed by cell) Successfully travelled to past and killed android that we don’t see (timeline 2 unseen) Cell kills Trunks 1 and takes Time Machine to main timeline (timeline 1) Timeline 3 = main(anime arc) Timeline 4 = Trunks 2 who travels to main timeline. Hope this helps.

[@Cat_man565]

GT also has its one timeline

[@extremelegendsupreme4596]

So basically from the beginning of the series all the way to the namek saga we were watching the show from the perspective of the original timeline, then we see the main timeline once the cell saga starts.

[@braedenleftwich3015]

I didn’t sign up for this when I started watching Dragonball I just wanted to see super karate and people with glowing hair

[@mrtrollnator123]

Its a lot more complicated than that bud

[@bendu8282]

Time Travel Works In Dragon Ball based off Second Dimensional Time Travel, the minute you time travel in dragon ball your interference causes the creation of an alternate timeline. It’s the idea that every time someone travels across the timeline they create duplicate timelines where things can go differently called alternate timelines which stray from the original timeline. It’s similar to The Multiverse’s Butterfly Effect Theory, except in that theory it states every decision you make as a person either creates a Parallel Universe where you made a different choice, the opposite choice usually or it already exists. The Difference is that despite being used interchangeably, Parallel Universes aren’t created inherently by time travel whereas Alternate Timelines are created by Time Travel. Let’s go over similarities and differences between Alternate Timelines & Parallel Universes. I usually call Alternate Timelines low level Multiverses because they usually exist by someone altering time or the events in the timeline which creates them. Sounds similar to The Butterfly Effect in The Multiverse. However By The rules of The Butterfly Effect, Parallel Universes are made by someone making choices in the given moment which creates new realities where the person made the opposite decision. That’s usually how Parallel Universes come into effect. I think the difference being when messing with time, alternate timelines are made but with Parallel Universes , making any decision in every day life creates a Parallel Universe or multiple Parallel Universes where differences happen. The Similarities just being making a decision in every day life creates a Parallel Universe and messing with a Timeline creates Alternate Timelines but Parallel Universes are described to have differences regardless of your choices based on the many worlds interpretation which means they exist regardless of whatever happens to the timeline. Alternate Timelines on The Other hand require Time Travel to occur. The type of time travel in Dragon Ball is Second Dimensional Time Travel which creates Alternate Timelines. Alternate Timelines are Low Level Multiverses. There similar to Parallel Universes in a Multiverse but aren’t exactly the same. Parallel Universes are described to either (be created by any decision you make causing a Parallel Universe to exist where you make a different choice.) or (described to already exist since you making a decision in one universe, naturally there’s another where you made another decision. Sometimes that can be considered to be the opposite decision. Parallel Universes are also described to have natural differences that exist regardless of making any decisions.) Alternate Timelines on the other hands exist by time traveling specifically. A Parallel Universe can theoretically exist regardless of time traveling, but alternate timelines require the action of traveling forward or backwards in time to exist. For Example: Luke Skywalker In The Empire Strikes Back having a vision of his friends in danger and possibly dying if he doesn’t save them fits more into Parallel Universe territory because despite him having what can be considered a future vision through the force he’s only seeing a possibility based on his choices. When he confronts Yoda & Ben Kenobi about deciding to go save his friends instead of continuing his training, under some parallel universe rules , his actions cause the existence of a universe where he didn’t decide to try & save them in order to honor what his friends fight for and train long enough to be ready to face the Sith instead of risking that chance on rescuing them from potential death. That’s an example of a Parallel Universe dilemma. However The Flash going back in time to prevent his mother’s murder on the other hand is more of Alternate Timeline Territory because time travel is involved. That’s more of an Alternate Timeline Dilemma. Alternate Timeline: New Timelines Alternate to the original Timeline when you alter Time (Past , Present or Future) Alternate Dimension: Realms or Reality Usually smaller than Whole Universes and separate from average space in their own bubbles of existence. Parallel Universes: Realities that are created or exist based on your everyday choices & decisions. Any choice you make in life means a reality exist where you did something else, or Realities created based on whatever exists one way in a Universe, will exist another way in a parallel universe. These are the traditional definitions of these terms but people use them interchangeably now and some more modern definitions see The Multiverse and Time Travel as the exact same thing rather then sibling concepts like they were understood originally which further causes this confusion. On top of that modern entries in franchises like DC, Marvel & Star Trek use the two interchangeably so people who are first introduced to concepts like Parallel Universes & Alternate Timelines see them as the same. Sometimes they’ll use them Traditionally like The DC CW Arrowverse with The Flash Show which very well explains the differences between the two. Either way, Future Trunk’s timeline and other timelines that exist are still tied to Universe-7, because there all timelines that exist within the same Universe, just branched off from the prime timeline. Future Trunks Timeline was originally the prime timeline and the one we follow in The Android & Cell Saga was considered an alternate timeline but Dragon Ball Super probably retconned this later because The Gods see Trunks’s Timeline as an alternate future, either way it’s established time travel was crime by The Gods in Dragon Ball which is why Bulma’s Time Machine got destroyed, and since Zeno can have doubles created of him by alternate timelines, that means The Gods & Angels can’t control time travel like they can control The 12 Universes which is probably why it’s outlawed by them. This Implies Alternate Timelines of These 12 Parallel Universes can probably exist regardless of how The Gods & Angels run their limited Multiverse, which to me is fascinating.

[@jfproductions4141]

Saved me 1 hour from watching Quamans lands video Lmaoo

[@TRUECEOofGaming]

Future Trunks' Timeline is the Timeline of Origin I'm pretty sure

[@deiselnoe1]

Technically the original timeline perfect cell came from should be the cannon timeline and everything we've been watching is the alternate timeline

[@samanyu5100]

He said timeline 20 time if u were wondering for some reason😊

[@alfredovasquez774]

I need a blackboard and chalk to explaine all this

[@ZeroDividedByZero]

In all those other timelines, the universe gets erased by Zeno because there’s no Tournament of Power 💀

[@Executioner1231]

two to four more in super, at least, if the blue hair is a new time line, or thats a breifs growing up thing, seing as it happened to current trunks too

[@ozythewise7411]

Unironically there are a minimum of 12 timelines in Z. 23 in super

[@wrecclessescobar6252]

So is gt a timeline aswell?

[@AlX-Ander]

There are only three. The "unseen" timeline is the one Cell came from.

[@rockmegaman]

There’s actually like 14, but didn’t hear that from me

[@Schwartzbruder1]

Its really more like 6(7)timelines. The 7th being "timeline zero" one were a timetravel event never happened.

[@ludwikfijakowski4958]

Someone saw Qamans explanation

[@bignice9050]

Well I'm glad they didn't go for the whole "if you change something in the past and go back to the future the future will be changed" gimmick. If they did then a metric fuck ton of their problems would be fixed using time.

[@omizzleloflizzle9513]

Theres the timeline trunks was originally from he goes back defeats the androids and finds a way back to his timeline shutting down the androids in his time only to get killed by cell who goes back in time before trunks first left making the main universe and the universe our trunks visits. Our trunks comes from his the same timeline as 1 but because his end is different than 1's hes effectively a different trunks. This is plausible the time machine is linked to the timelines it first travels to and its origin timeline but also linked to the person operating it. Therefore... Trunks 1: killed by cell when he returns Trunks 2: never has to go to the past because Trunks 1 completed his mission. Trunks 3: is a copy of trunks one that doesnt get killed by cell and due to cell's time travel ends up in a different universe(main story) Trunks 4: Kid trunks (currently) Trunks was supposed to go back and stop the androids but cell wasnt which is why when trunks 3 went back he said time changed but he thought it was his influence when it was really cells.

[@firekookoo2835]

There should be one more as trunks and kirin time traveled back in time destroying cell back in the lab creating another timeline without cell

[@LoskiiFrmDaJump]

Technically Trunks timeline is the original one when U think about it where He dies

[@miltondathird]

First timeline or main timeline is the timeline future trunks originates from and everyone is killed except Gohan The second timeline is the timeline we watch the events unfold, the timeline where trunks kills Frieza. The third timeline is a future timeline of trunks original timeline except he's able to destroy the androids on his own and he's getting ready to come back to the past Don't know how he got 4.

[@DanielMWJ]

The unseen timeline also has Trunks kill Frieza. But there's no future Cell. So after they beat the androids, he goes home and gets merked by Cell because he's too weak.

[@calvinwalker6251]

Yeah you can break it down like this too Timeline A: cell (A) kills future trunks (A -or just trunks)and goes to timeline C Timeline B: Future trunks (A) and Z fighters(B) defeat the androids 17-20 (B) future trunks (A) goes back to timeline A and is killed by Cell (A) Timeline C: future trunks (D) and Cell (A) both go to this time for their own reasons and Cell (A&C) are killed Timeline:D Trunks (D) goes to timeline C, returns back destroys all androids (D) to prevent timeline A (basically) Btw I’m this all multiverse stuff so nothing in a different timeline influences anybodies original timeline unless they go back to it and then do something about it

[@Soulintent95]

I thought in the timeline where cell won, every one who fights was killed by 17 and 18?

[@Plamkton]

The original timeline is also the darkest timeline because there are no Z fighters. Earth has no protection.

[@tokyotaro2912]

There should be 3 timelines, not 4. 1.) The one where Cell kills Trunks to steal the time machine and hide for a few years. 2.) The Future Timeline where Trunks defeats Cell, #17, and #18 for Gohan's Death. 3.) The Main timeline we watched in the show where Gohan Defeats Perfect Cell.

[@maritimesteak8540]

Now there's like 69

[@_vakas]

THERE IS NO UNSEEN TIMELINE. The Unseen Timeline is a fan theory that attempts to explain how Trunks defeated the Androids in the Cell Timeline. There is NO official information suggesting a 4th timeline in the Z era UNTIL Dragonball Super introduces 3 more timelines to the franchise, including the True Timeline, which is shown in the time ring box in the anime as the Silver Ring. Super lore aside: why would Trunks create an 'Unseen Timeline', give Goku the heart medicine, find the blueprints to the remote, defeat the Androids in this 'Unseen Timeline', go BACK to the Cell Timeline, defeat the Androids THERE, and when ALL is said and done, he doesnt try to time travel until 3 years later. On TOP of that, before Cell killed him, Trunks set the date on his time machine to _four years_ before the Androids wake up. Why would he go back a year prior to his initial travel to let everyone know he was able to defeat the Androids? This would create ANOTHER timeline. Therefore, there simply can't be an Unseen Timeline. People need to reevaluate how they're viewing the continuity before spreading debunked fan theories.

[@Lupo32]

And then Dragonball super happened And then we get goku black and zamasu.

[@samuelosborn294]

We know how that trunks beat the Androids. After trunks came back and found out there was a device that could shut down the Androids he went back to his time and Bulma created the device and he shut them down but because he never got stronger Cell was able to kill him easily.

[@tnr2217]

The one thing I can't figure out is why the time machine was set to that year? Because according to cell the controls were already set.

[@DanielMWJ]

Seems easy: Trunks hadn't yet dialed in the exact date he was going to travel to. It just happened to have been left at that date for whatever reason after being turned on. Happens in real life computer dates.

[@aleem8450]

Complicated.

[@Hull_2002]

5 if you want to count GT Timeline

[@iaanhenrr5883]

There technically 1 more if you count the dead universe that zeno wiped out since that timeliness kinda sorts doesn't exist since Zeno straight up left and he was that very last thing on that timeline

[@FreakyHimmel]

I saw a video explaining there's 25 which was pretty compelling, cent remember who did it tho

[@Shaqueefalot]

Plagueofgripes probably, but his video on it got taken down

[@salometushima5803]

I have a headache

[@TheCoolerBrother]

Ok but WHERE did timeline 4 come from??? No one ever explains it… trunks gets killed by cell after returning to TL1 from unseen timeline(aka TL2) and then cell takes the Time Machine to 4 years before the androids arrive (TL3) which is our timeline we observe…. We never should have had a future trunks in our timeline considering the only one to exist gets killed by cell.. but in our reality we have a future trunks that shows up to kill frieza and cold… but where the actual fuck did he and his future timeline come from,,, it’s like a whole new future came out of nowhere

[@azuki273]

What uhhh so cell wait no cell no ahhhhh

[@Gohan12343]

Hey can u help me i havent seen the timeline in which gohan died and which movie or episode is that

[@kewllink3586]

Apparently this "unseen timeline" was retconned by Daizenshuu IV and isn't canon anymore.

[@DanielMWJ]

But Cell timeline Trunks had traveled to a past without a future Cell. Therefore it logically *must* exist.

[@drippy_2.0]

bro forgot the other timeline where mai and trunks where taken to

[@gqwesapakati5829]

Which timeline are we watching

[@LapisAndroid17ParkRanger]

Main timeline is nr.3

[@gqwesapakati5829]

@@LapisAndroid17ParkRanger thanks