"Ghosts from Tomorrow" (絶望の未来!! 地獄を生き抜いた男トランクス Zetsubō no Mirai!! Jigoku o Ikinuita Otoko Torankusu, lit. "A Future of Despair!! Trunks, the Man Who Lived Through Hell") is the twelfth episode of the Perfect Cell Saga and the one hundred sixty fourth overall episode in the uncut Dragon Ball Z series. This episode first aired in Japan on November 11, 1992. Its original American airdate was November 7, 2000.
Summary
Future Trunks powering up
As Future Trunks is powering up for his battle with Cell, Cell watches on anticipating an excellent fight. On The Lookout and Kame House, the others react to Future Trunks incredible power.
Android 16 watches on as the huge battle is about to begin. Future Trunks flashes back as he talks about the destruction the androids had caused in his world. He talks of how Android 17 and Android 18 killed Piccolo, Tien Yamcha, Krillin, Yajirobe and his father Vegeta with no regard.
Cell and Future Trunks struggle
Future people try to gun down the duo but they get blasted into dust. Future Gohan and Future Trunks arrive and Super Saiyan Future Gohan tries to fight the Androids. As they fight on Future Gohan and Future Trunks cannot beat the Androids' surpassing power. Then Perfect Cell tells his tale of his creation and how he cannot wait for history to repeat itself. Then, the battle begins between Future Trunks and Perfect Cell as the two probe to be an even match for each other, eventually Future Trunks gains the upper hand by knocking Cell down. Cell tells Future Trunks that he has been surpassed in terms of brute strength though states there is no way that he will lose and Future Trunks will soon find out why.
Major Events
- Future Trunks remembers the Androids killing his friends and family.
- Cell remembers his creation and what his purpose is.
Battles
- Future Vegeta (Super Saiyan) vs. Future Android 17 (Flashback)
- Future Piccolo vs. Future Android 18 (Flashback)
- Future Krillin vs. Future Android 17 (Flashback)
- Future Tien vs. Future Android 18 (Flashback)
- Future Yamcha vs. Future Android 17 (Flashback)
- Future Yajirobe vs. Future Android 18 (Flashback)
- Future Trunks and Future Gohan (Super Saiyan) vs. Future Android 17 and Future 18 (Flashback)
- Future Trunks (Super Saiyan Third Grade) vs. Cell (Perfect)
Appearances
Characters
Locations
Objects
- Battle Armor
- Future Trunks' sword (Flashback)
- Dr. Gero's Supercomputer (Flashback)
Transformations
Differences from the manga
- Master Roshi and the others at Kame House holding on as the area around them appears to be caught up by an Earthquake but is actually due to Future Trunks powering up is exclusive to the anime.
- Future Trunks' flashback with the Androids killing innocent people, his family and friends is exclusive to the anime.
- Cell's flashback to how he was created and his purpose is exclusive to the anime.
- In the anime, Future Trunks and Cell have a back and forth evenly fought battle. In the manga, Future Trunks never once hit Cell and was mocked for being too slow.
Trivia
- Interestingly, Future Gohan and Future Trunks' battle with the Androids is very different in this episode than it is in the TV special Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks. Also the death of Future Gohan and every other Z Fighter is shown differently.
- In the TV special, Future Gohan had no left arm when he received his scar but in the flashback he has the scar but his left arm is completely intact.
- In this episode Vegeta is the first to die (or simply the first whose death is shown) whereas in the History of Trunks it is Piccolo who dies first.
- Trunks was shown with a sword during the flashback when he confronted the Androids as a young teenager, but in the TV special he did not use a sword when he fought the Androids as a young teenager with Gohan.
- Cell holds back his speed against a powered-up Trunks, allowing him to land hits, before telling him that his power is greater than his, but he still cannot win. This differs with the manga, where Cell does not hold back and immediately tells Trunks that he'll lose, despite his power increase.
- Future Yajirobe is shown to be killed even though he is actually still alive in the "Future" Trunks Saga. This is made even more confusing by the fact that he's killed in a city, but in the "Future" Trunks Saga, Yajirobe claims he was attacked at Korin Tower.
Gallery
 Future Trunks in his Ultra Super Saiyan form  Future Trunks powering up  Future Trunks as an Ultra Super Saiyan  Future 17 fires a Photon Flash at a building  The effect of Future 17's attack  Civilians shooting the Androids  The civilians' guns have no effect  Future Android 18 firing an attack  Future 17 charges up ki spheres on the tip his fingers  Future Android 18 charges a Finger Beam  Future 18's Finger Beam vaporizes attacking humans  Future Vegeta fighting Future Android 17  Future Android 17 fires his Accel Shot at Future Vegeta  Future Vegeta hit by the Accel Shot  Future Vegeta seconds before his death  Future 17 charges a Photon Flash to kill Future Vegeta  Future Vegeta's death  Future 18 finds Piccolo  Future Piccolo dodges Future 18  Future 18 delivers a swift kick to Future Piccolo's chest  Future 18 delivers a heavy blow to Future Piccolo's chest  Future 17 charges a Photon Flash to kill Future Krillin  The death of Future Krillin  The death of Future Tien  The death of Future Yamcha  The death of Future Yajirobe  Trunks and Gohan hiding from the Androids  Future Trunks and Future Gohan  Future Gohan and 18 fighting  Larval-form Cell begins expanding  Cell breaking out of his tank  Cell using an Explosive Wave against civilians  Cell absorbing a civilian  Cell in his timeline  Future Trunks shows off the Ultra Super Saiyan power  Trunks' power begins to swell  Trunks and Cell face off  Future Trunks fires his Power Burst at Perfect Cell  Future Trunks blasting Cell  Future Trunks punching Cell  Cell and Future Trunks locked  Future Trunks struggles with Cell  Cell headbutting Future Trunks  Trunks punches Cell in the face  Future Trunks charges an attack  Future Trunks fires the Super Buster Cannon at Perfect Cell  Perfect Cell blasted away by Future Trunks's Super Buster Cannon  Future Trunks after firing his Super Buster Cannon  Cell and Future Trunks |
| ← Imperfect Cell Saga |   |
Cell Games Saga→ | |||||||
| Manga | |||||||||
| Dragon Ball Chapters | 374 • 375 • 376 • 377 • 378 • 379 • 380 • 381 • 382 • 383 • 384 • 385 • 386 • 387 • 388 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dragon Ball Z Chapters | 180 • 181 • 182 • 183 • 184 • 185 • 186 • 187 • 188 • 189 • 190 • 191 • 192 • 193 • 194 | ||||||||
| Dragon Ball Volumes | 32 • 33 | ||||||||
| Dragon Ball Z Volumes | 16 • 17 | ||||||||
| Anime | |||||||||
| Episodes | 153 • 154 • 155 • 156 • 157 • 158 • 159 • 160 • 161 • 162 • 163 • 164 • 165 | ||||||||
| Kai Episodes | 76 • 77 • 78 • 79 • 80 • 81 • 82 | ||||||||