Why did future Cell arrive a year before Mecha Freeza's arrival?

[TheUltimateVegito]

The Androids were proven to be stronger than the Z-Fighters so Cell wouldn't have to worry about them getting destroyed.

The exoskeleton Gohan and Trunks find is still wet; it's recently been emerged from by the time they get to the second time machine. Cell had just finished his development. I suppose it could have been voluntary, but it seems odd.

The androids also would have been killed by Piccolo or Vegeta within the week in the main timeline. Cell also knew that Trunks had found a way to beat them during his previous time travel. He doesn't have room to play fast and loose with when he emerges.

Cell intentionally setting the time machine for a date four years before the androids' arrival to match his four-year maturation makes so much more sense than anything else that I can't believe it isn't something Toriyama thought of at the time.

I wouldn't say it's odd, like you said it could be voluntary.

Piccolo and Vegeta would always be weaker than the androids as far as Cell can tell, remember they were killed by the Androids in Cell's timeline. Cell also didn't know whether or not Trunks was in the main timeline.

[LuckyCat]

I think the point is that, having lost the androids once already, Cell wouldn't want to take any chances. It makes more sense for Cell to try and be strong ASAP. What does hiding in his shell do for him? He can mask his ki perfectly even if he's consumed thousands of people.

[ahill1]

Yeah, Cell just setting the time machine to four years before the androids' activation would more or less solve this mess, but we have Cell himself stating he didn't set it, that he just pressed the buttom without thinking of anything. It would also make sense if we had Trunks opting to go back in time before the androids' activation so he could create yet another world without them (or bacause he enjoyed killing them ), but we also have Piccolo ruining such line of thought, in which he stated Trunks just wished to go back in time and advise them everything went ok, pretty much what the Trunks we know of did, with the exception of him being already aware of Cell's ambush.

Fun thought: if Cell didn't appear and killed Trunks, we'd have two Trunks (3 if counting the baby) in the main timeline.