"The Last Defense" (全宇宙に衝撃！！セル、完全体へ驚異の進化 Zen'uchū ni Shōgeki!! Seru, Kanzentai e Kyōi no Shinka, lit. "A Shock to the Entire Universe!! Cell, A Spectacular Evolution Toward His Perfect Form") is the seventh episode of the Perfect Cell Saga and the one hundred fifty-ninth overall episode in the uncut Dragon Ball Z series. This episode first aired in Japan on September 30, 1992. Its original American airdate was October 31, 2000.
Summary[]
Future Trunks powers up
The episode starts with Semi-Perfect Cell noticing Android 18. Then Future Trunks notices what Semi-Perfect Cell is seeing and is extremely miffed by this. Then Android 18 and Krillin talk and he tells her to leave quick. Quickly after, Android 16, Android 18 and Krillin see Semi-Perfect Cell looking at them, which causes mayhem. Then Semi-Perfect Cell charges to where Android 18 is, but Future Trunks steps in and punches Semi-Perfect Cell into the ground.
Semi-Perfect Cell closes in on 18
Future Trunks tells them to leave and that Semi-Perfect Cell is tunneling underground. Android 18 leaves Android 16 behind, and Krillin follows. Cell blows out of the ground and Future Trunks begins to fly over. Then Vegeta blows his son into a cliff to stop him. Semi-Perfect Cell stands there, smirking. He then remarks “Vegeta is the brave one; incredibly stupid, but brave, none the less”. Then Future Trunks tries to get at Cell and is blown back by his father.
Meanwhile, up at the Lookout, Piccolo is worrying about the fight, talking to himself. Bulma overhears and demands an explanation and little Trunks starts crying. Piccolo does not answer, but hopes Goku and Gohan are training hard. Back at the battlefield, Semi-Perfect Cell thanks Vegeta for getting rid of Future Trunks. Everyone tries their luck against Semi-Perfect Cell but fails. Meanwhile, Future Trunks is really mad at Vegeta and says that he will not live through Semi-Perfect Cell's wrath again while Vegeta doubts Trunks will attack. Summoning a powerful Ki Blast, Trunks blasts a surprised Vegeta away. At the battlefield, Semi-Perfect Cell towers over Android 18; she attacks twice with an energy blast but it only pushes him back several feet. He laughs as he opens up his tail to absorb her. As she is about to be absorbed, Future Trunks comes in and punches Semi-Perfect Cell away as he tells Android 18 to run, then flies back to the fight.
Vegeta surprised Trunks attacked him
In the sea, Vegeta is floating and is surprised his son would actually attack him to defeat an enemy. He shows some semblance of pride in him but is angry to see he was wounded and powers up to fly back to battle.
In the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, Goku is carrying Gohan to his bed on his shoulders. Gohan says that Goku did not want him there because he thought he slowed him down, but Goku assures him that he would never “think something like that about his big super cool son”.
Semi-Perfect Cell uses the Solar Flare
Future Trunks is punching Semi-Perfect Cell. As Vegeta arrives, Semi-Perfect Cell escapes Trunks and launches a Solar Flare, blinding everyone.
Future Trunks fires Ki Blasts
Krillin tries protecting the Androids blindly, but Semi-Perfect Cell flicks him away, Android 18 punches him while angrily denouncing the bio-android as a monster, but his tail funnel opens around her and he begins absorbing her. As the guys get their vision back, Krillin tries to save Android 18, but she was completely absorbed. Vegeta is talking about having a worthy adversary. Future Trunks tries to stop Semi-Perfect Cell from transforming, but his little light balls do not do anything to him. Semi-Perfect Cell makes the Earth shake during his transformation and it shows everyone being scared.
Then on New Namek, Dende runs to the honorable elder Moori, and the elder says that Cell now has the power to destroy not only Earth, but maybe even the universe.
Major Events[]
- Vegeta gains pride in his son for attacking him.
- Cell absorbs Android 18 and finally transforms into Perfect Cell.
Battles[]
- Future Trunks (Super Saiyan Second Grade) vs. Cell (Semi-Perfect)
- Future Trunks (Super Saiyan Second Grade) vs. Vegeta (Super Saiyan Second Grade)
- Cell (Semi-Perfect) vs. Krillin, Android 16 and Android 18
- Future Trunks (Super Saiyan Second Grade) vs. Cell (Semi-Perfect)
- Cell (Semi-Perfect) vs. Android 18
- Cell (Semi-Perfect) vs. Krillin
Appearances[]
Characters[]
Locations[]
Objects[]
Techniques[]
- Solar Flare
- Super Buster Cannon (Debut)
- Super Dash Kick (Debut)
Transformations[]
Bruce Faulconer tracks[]
- "Piccolo and 17 Talk" - When 2nd Grade Super Saiyan Future Trunks blocks Semi-Perfect Cell.
- "Hyperbolic Time Chamber (soundtrack 1)" - When Future Trunks tries to tell Super Vegeta that Cell cannot absorb Android 18 after emerging from the rubble.
- "Vegeta Knows His Son" - When Future Trunks tells Android 18 that Cell knows where she is.
- "16 Rips Off Cell's Tail" When Semi-Perfect Cell attempts to absorb Android 18 before 2nd Grade Super Saiyan Future Trunks punches him away.
- "Trunks Powerup" - When Trunks pummels Cell.
- "Cell Theme (with Choir)" - When Cell prepares to absorb Android 18.
- "Vegeta Knows His Son" - When Cell absorbs Android 18.
- "Cell Transforms" - When Cell is changing into his Perfect form.
Differences from the manga[]
- Unlike the anime, in the manga Trunks does not actually fight Semi-Perfect Cell - although he does try and attack him, Vegeta stops him from thwarting Cell's plans to attain perfection.
- Additionally, Krillin, Android 16 nor Android 18 attack Cell in the manga either.
- Bulma screaming at Piccolo for him to tell her what is going on with Vegeta is exclusive to the anime.
- When Future Trunks attacks Vegeta, his blasts sends him away where he lands into the nearby sea. In the manga, even though he was still blasted, he didn't move anywhere.
- Goku taking a sleeping Gohan back to bed after a hard session of training is exclusive to the anime.
- In the anime, after Future Trunks attacks Vegeta, he goes after Cell, pummeling him around until he's able to come up with a plan to use the Solar Flare to blind Future Trunks. In the manga however, after Future Trunks attacks Vegeta, as he is about to reach him, Cell performs the Solar Flare with no beating in-between.
- Krillin attempts to attack Cell as he is absorbing in Android 18 in the anime unlike the manga.
- The humans at Kame House and The Lookout and the Namekians on Namek reacting to Cell's energy as he begins to achieve his perfect form is exclusive to the anime.
Trivia[]
- In this episode Cell uses the Solar Flare for the second and last time in Dragon Ball Z. The next time Cell uses the Solar Flare is in Dragon Ball GT.
- When Krillin is charging towards Cell to begin his assault to try to stop him from absorbing Android 18, the tip of Cell's tail can be seen for a split second, despite the fact that he is currently absorbing Android 18.
- This was Peter Kelamis' final episode as Goku in the Ocean Group dub. He left the series to pursue a career in stand-up comedy and was replaced by Kirby Morrow for the remainder of the dub. This also marks the only time Scott McNeil voiced Moori, who replaces Don Brown in the role from the Namek Saga. His next appearance would have Lee Tockar take over for his remaining outings.
- Trunks chooses to tell Android 18 to run rather than destroying her, which he could easily do, implying that he no longer sees her as evil.
- As Trunks interrupts Cell's charging of the androids, the latter appears to have bio-gems in the middle of his outer back.
- Dende is voiced here by Laura Bailey in the Funimation English dub; her first performance in anime and as the character (though Ceyli Delgadillo would return to the role in "A New Guardian" as Funimation brought her back in at the last minute to record over Bailey's material in the Cell Games Saga. Bailey's original recordings were used for the remastered dub to keep consistency with the Namek and Frieza Sagas).
- Conversely, for the Westwood/Ocean Group dub, Dende was voiced for the last time here by Andrew Francis who was briefly replaced by Peter Kelamis in a flashback showing his death by Frieza in "Bow to The Prince". Dillon Moen would become Dende's new voice starting from "Dende's Dragon".
- In the remastered dub, Mark Britten is retained as Moori despite listing Christopher Sabat in the credits.
Gallery[]
 Krillin, Android 18, Android 16  Krillin and Android 18 are attacked  Krillin and Android 18 on the ground  Future Trunks punches Cell in the face  Future Trunks' blasts hit Semi-Perfect Cell  Vegeta buys Cell more time by attacking Trunks  Vegeta fires Super Energy Wave Volley at Future Trunks  Vegeta's Super Energy Wave Volley  Cell faces Android 16 and Krillin  Android 16 catches his arm after using the Rocket Punch  Android 18 attacks Semi-Perfect Cell  Android 18's punch misses Cell  Future Trunks powers up  Future Trunks decides use his Super Buster Cannon  Future Trunks prepares the Super Buster Cannon  Future Trunks about to shoot the Super Buster Cannon  Future Trunks fires the Super Buster Cannon at Vegeta  Future Trunks firing the Super Buster Cannon  Cell approaches Android 18  Android 18 fires energy blasts at Cell  Android 18 prepares an energy attack  Android 18 charges her energy attack  18 blasts Cell at point blank  18 shocked that her blast did no damage to Cell  Android 18  Android 18 against a wall  Cell faces Android 18  Cell transforms  Cell absorbing Android 18 to achieve his Perfect Form |
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