"The nightmare is over, Cell! Die!" |
"Free the Future" (もう一つの結末！！未来はオレが守る Mō Hitotsu no Ketsumatsu!! Mirai wa Ore ga Mamoru, lit. "End it All Again!! I Will Protect the Future") is the twenty-ninth episode of the Cell Games Saga and the one hundred ninety-fourth overall episode in the uncut Dragon Ball Z series. This episode first aired in Japan on July 21, 1993. Its original American airdate was December 29, 2000.
Summary[]
Future Trunks coming back from the Past
The episode starts out with Future Android 17 and Future Android 18 destroying a city and killing humans, and having a wonderful time doing it, too. Future Trunks arrives in his timeline and the first thing he does is reunite with his mother. He tells her about his adventures with Goku, Cell and the Cell Games and Goku’s sacrifice. Bulma is deeply moved by Son Goku’s ultimate death, and finally murmurs that it was “too bad”; accepting the inevitability of the situation. She is further stunned when Future Trunks told the part of when Vegeta went berserk when he was killed by Cell. Suddenly, on the radio turned to an emergency broadcast, telling them that the Androids were causing havoc in Parsley City. Future Trunks gets up and flies off to intercept them in their tracks.
Future Trunks as he confronts the Androids
In Parsley City, Future Android 18 is on a blasting frenzy, destroying everything in her sight. Future Android 18 was mad at Future Android 17 for killing the guy she thought was cute. She complains that he destroys everything she likes. Suddenly, Future Android 17 gets shot in the face by a old man with a gun who was the father of the kid who Future 18 said was cute, and just as Future 17 was going to shoot the old man with his pistol, Future Trunks arrives in his Super Saiyan form. Future Android 17 and Future Android 18 were smirking at Future Trunks, remembering that Future Trunks tried to destroy the Androids before, but he could not. Future Android 18 decides to kill Future Trunks since she was in "a bad mood." Both Androids, however, were oblivious to the fact that Future Trunks has far surpassed them in strength, speed, and power due to Future Trunks' intense two-year training within two days via Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Future Android 18 shoots a Power Blitz at Future Trunks, but he dodges it and uses hyper speed to get behind her. She turns around only to be punched in the face and into a building. Future 18 gets up and charges at Future Trunks, but he appears behind her using his speed. She tries to strike him, but he blocks every attack and throws her away. Future Android 18 shoots another Power Blitz, but the powered up young Super Saiyan dodges it with ease.
Future 18 fires her Power Blitz at Future Trunks
She falls to the ground, and Future Trunks gives a speech about how they feel powerless, and that the feeling of complete helplessness was how the people of the planet feel every day. The two Androids decide to tag team him and both charges, but Future Trunks dodges them, and knocks Future Android 17 down. Future 18 shoots a huge energy blast at Future Trunks, but he dismissively deflects it and fires a massive point-blank energy wave at Future 18, yelling "This is for Gohan!" Future Android 18 is obliterated. As Future Android 17 splutters in impotent disbelief, Future Trunks savagely kills Future Android 17 with ease. After the smoke clears, Future Trunks comforts the old man, and then remembers that the future is not safe yet, as there is still someone out there waiting to strike: Future Cell.
Future Trunks destroys Future Android 18
Three years later, Future Trunks is preparing to go back to the past to tell his friends the good news, but before he can depart, he senses Future Cell lurking in a corner and orders Bulma to go back inside. Bulma initially thinks that Future Trunks has a girlfriend approaching, but Future Trunks' stern silence causes her to realize that his motivations for sending her back inside are far more serious. Future Trunks then calls out for Cell to show himself as the villain shocked at hearing this especially after Trunks exposes Future Cell's plan to kill him and steal his Time Machine. Future Cell is shocked to know that Future Trunks knows who he is but realizes Future Trunks must have already gone into the past and found out about him as Future Trunks confirms this. Trunks also tells Future Cell that he has already killed the Androids; Although Future Cell initially assumes that Trunks was bluffing due to knowing his data compared to Android 17 and 18, Future Trunks reiterates his claim that he did indeed already kill them. Future Cell, realizing that Trunks was not bluffing at all, is angry as he realizes that he is now unable to achieve his Perfect form, but soon shrugs this off as he realizes he can time travel before he engages Future Trunks in combat to go to the past via Future Trunks' Time Machine. Future Trunks says it's fine as long as he can beat him, and sends Future Cell flying out the city with a Aero Blast.
Future Trunks changed the future
Future Cell lands at a clear wasteland area and Future Trunks follows. Future Cell announces that he is going to absorb Future Trunks, but Future Trunks shushes him and goes Super Saiyan. Future Cell also powers up and charges at Future Trunks with a punch, but Future Trunks blocks it and punches him, sending him flying. Future Trunks appears in front of Future Cell while he is still in the air to scare him, and Future Cell tries to punch him, but Future Trunks uses super speed to appear behind him and kicks him up, then appears above him. Future Cell hurls an energy wave at him while still flying at him, but Future Trunks knocks it off to the side and knocks Future Cell down to the ground, where he lands on his feet. Future Cell becomes outraged and confused as to why Future Trunks is not only a lot stronger and faster than Future Dr. Gero's data indicated, but how he is so much stronger than Future Cell himself, just like with Future Android 18 and Future Android 17.
Future Trunks' Heat Dome Attack
Future Cell turns around and gets punched in the jaw by Future Trunks, who moves faster than Cell's senses can keep up with, kicks him up, uses super speed again and knocks Future Cell to the ground, this time making a crater. Future Trunks lands as Future Cell pulls himself together, saying how this is Future Cell's fault by killing all those people. The frustrated Future Cell swipes his tail at Future Trunks. However, Future Trunks catches it and starts spinning Future Cell around, finally throwing him up into the air. Future Cell flails around, before stabilizing himself. Unable to match Future Trunks, Future Cell becomes enraged and, saying he will destroy the Earth and finish Future Trunks off, he cuffs his hands together and starts charging up a Kamehameha. Future Cell stops when he realizes Future Trunks is powering up a huge energy blast. Future Trunks declares that the nightmare is over and quickly launches the Heat Dome Attack, which obliterates Future Cell, thus putting a permanent end to the Androids' reign of terror in his timeline. Future Trunks powers down and thanks everyone for helping him through this.
Meanwhile, in present time, King Kai is building a new house on a tree on the Snake Way while Goku, Gregory, and Bubbles are playing tag. King Kai finally finishes the house, and Goku checks it out, breaking it to pieces as soon as he touches it. Goku believes it's a sign and wants to go to Grand Kai's Planet. He finally convinces King Kai and he, King Kai, Gregory, and Bubbles start walking on the Snake Way.
Major Events[]
- Future Trunks destroys Future Android 17, Future Android 18, and the Cell of his timeline, ending their reign of terror and finally bringing peace to the future.
Battles[]
- Future Trunks (Super Saiyan) vs. Future Android 18 and Future Android 17
- Future Trunks (Base/Super Saiyan) vs. Future Cell (Imperfect)
Appearances[]
Characters[]
- Goku
- King Kai
- Bubbles
- Gregory
- Future Trunks
- Future Bulma
- Future Android 17
- Future Android 18
- Future Cell
Locations[]
Objects[]
Transformations[]
Bruce Faulconer tracks[]
- "Trunks Appears" - When Future Trunks fires a blast between Future Android 17 and a man.
- "Hyperbolic Time Chamber (soundtrack 1)" - When Future Trunks gets his revenge against Future Android 17 and Future Android 18.
- "Sage Music" - When Future Trunks helps an old man.
- "Imperfect Cell Theme" - When Future Trunks, back in his timeline, battles Future Cell.
- "Cell Is Dead?" - When Future Trunks faces against Future Cell during their battle.
- "Cell and Piccolo Fight" - When Future Trunks grabs Future Cell's tail and spins him around.
- "Trunks Powerup" - When Future Trunks finishes off Future Cell.
Differences from the manga[]
- In the manga, the old man is killed by Future Android 17 before Future Trunks arrives, with his death either involving being shot by 17 (original manga) or otherwise punched hard enough to kill him (VIZ English version). In the anime, Future Trunks arrives and saves the old man from the androids.
- In the manga, Future Trunks defeats Android 18 almost instantly. In the anime, the fight scene was extended, with Future Trunks attacking her more before destroying her.
- In the anime, when Future Trunks tells his mother to get back, she wonders if he's embarrassed from having a girlfriend. In the manga, she doesn't say this and immediately complies.
- In the manga, after Future Trunks defeats Cell, he returns to his mother, who rushes to give him a hug. In the anime, this does not happen, but instead, the scene changes back to the present timeline with Goku playing a game with Bubbles and Gregory, destroying the house King Kai built and then suggesting going on a road trip with them.
Trivia[]
The Time Machine behind Future Trunks says "Capsule Coop"
- This episode is the final showdown from the TV special, Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks.
- This is Future Trunks' final appearance in the Dragon Ball Z anime. He would later appear in Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Unbound and in the ending credits of Dragon Ball Z: Wrath of the Dragon.
- His timeline continued in Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai - Another Road, where he encounters Majin Buu and reunites with Gohan from his timeline and the Dragon Team from the present.
- There is a scene where the Time Machine behind Future Trunks says "Capsule Coop" on it instead of "Capsule Corp."
- The old man who was in the car shot Android 17 eight times with a six-cylinder revolver.
- The Viz edition of the manga shows Android 17 punching the man in the face rather than shooting him with his own pistol.
Super Saiyan Future Trunks' black eyebrows
- Before Future Trunks destroys Future Cell with the Heat Dome Attack, his eyebrows are black in one scene frame, despite the fact that he was in his Super Saiyan transformation. This is especially odd considering that Trunks doesn't even have black hair and eyebrows. This might have been an animation error by Toei Animation.
- When about to fire at civilians, Future Android 18 says, "Time for bonus points.". Her timeline counterpart says the same thing in the episode before when revealing herself to the Z Fighters. Although, this line is changed to, "Hello!", in the same dub.
- When Future Android 17 watches Future Android 18 who is mad at him for killing the person she had spared, the long white sleeve of 17's outfit is missing.
- Like her present counterpart who had her leggings erroneously switch to white in previous episodes, Future Android 18's black shirt becomes white during she and 17 had attacked the entire town in beginning of the scene.
Gallery[]
 Future Bulma  Future Trunks telling his mother that Vegeta defended him in battle  Future 17's evil laugh  Future 18's evil laugh  An old man  Future 17 walking from some wreckage  Future 17 about to kill an old man stuck in his car  Future 17 holding a glock pistol to an old man's face  Future Trunks flies  Future Trunks faces the Androids  Future Trunks confronts the Androids  Future Trunks faces Future 18  Future Trunks dodges Future 18's attack  Future 18 attacks Future Trunks  Future 18 fires a desperate Power Blitz at Future Trunks  Future Trunks dodges Future 18's Power Blitz  Future Trunks about to finish Future 18  The blast destroys Future 18  Change the Future  Future Trunks kicks Future 17  Future Trunks about to kill Future 17  Future 17 before being hit by Future Trunks' attack  The resulting explosion when Future Trunks blows up Future 17  The city being slowly rebuilt after the destruction of the androids  Future Bulma and Future Trunks  Future Trunks confronts Cell in his timeline  Future Bulma looking out at Future Cell  Trunks' Aero Blaster  Future Trunks faces Future Cell  Future Trunks confronts Future Cell  Future Trunks deflects a ki blast  Future Trunks throws Future Cell  Future Trunks using his Heat Dome Attack  Future Cell is destroyed by Future Trunks using his Heat Dome Attack  Goku dodges Gregory and Bubbles  Goku  Goku talking to King Kai |
[]
| ← Perfect Cell Saga |   |
Other World Saga→ | |||||||
| Manga | |||||||||
| Dragon Ball Chapters | 388 • 389 • 390 • 391 • 392 • 393 • 394 • 395 • 396 • Trunks: The Story • 397 • 398 • 399 • 400 • 401 • 402 • 403 • 404 • 405 • 406 • 407 • 408 • 409 • 410 • 411 • 412 • 413 • 414 • 415 • 416 • 417 • 418 • 419 • 420 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dragon Ball Z Chapters | 194 • 195 • 196 • 197 • 198 • 199 • 200 • 201 • 202 • Trunks: The Story • 203 • 204 • 205 • 206 • 207 • 208 • 209 • 210 • 211 • 212 • 213 • 214 • 215 • 216 • 217 • 218 • 219 • 220 • 221 • 222 • 223 • 224 • 225 • 226 | ||||||||
| Dragon Ball Volumes | 33 • 34 • 35 | ||||||||
| Dragon Ball Z Volumes | 17 • 18 • 19 | ||||||||
| Anime | |||||||||
| Episodes | 166 • 167 • 168 • 169 • 170 • 171 • 172 • 173 • 174 • 175 • 176 • 177 • 178 • 179 • 180 • 181 • 182 • 183 • 184 • 185 • 186 • 187 • 188 • 189 • 190 • 191 • 192 • 193 • 194 | ||||||||
| Kai Episodes | 83 • 84 • 85 • 86 • 87 • 88 • 89 • 90 • 91 • 92 • 93 • 94 • 95 • 96 • 97 • 98 | ||||||||