Alternate timeline question

[KaaN10]

Hi, I'm new to this forum.

I have a question regarding the timelines in DBZ.

Let me start off with my understanding of the 4 timelines.

Timeline 1 - Original timeline / Cell timeline
Timeline 2 - Unseen timeline
Timeline 3 - Future Trunks timeline
Timeline 4 - Main story timeline

- Trunks from timeline 1 uses the time machine to go to timeline 2, he finds a way to defeat the Androids and returns to timeline 1.

- Cell from timeline 1 kills Trunks from timeline 1. He uses the time machine and goes to timeline 4, which is the timeline where the series takes place.

So basically Timeline 2 is created because of Trunks, and timeline 4 is created because of Cell.

My question is how was timeline 3 created?

[KaaN10]

Did some more reading on this timeline stuff and I still can't understand how the 3rd timeline/Future Trunks timeline was created

It just doesn't make sense... dbz timelines are messing with my head.

[DBZGTKOSDH]

Officially, they are:

Timeline 1 (main story)
Timeline 2 (Future Trunks)
Timeline 3 (Cell)
Timeline 4 (unseen)

The first Timeline was T3 (Timeline 3). Trunks from T3 went to T4 & killed Freeza, warned Goku, etc. Cell never went there, they most likely fought & easily Cell 20 years later (since he shouldn't be able to find the destroyed Artificial Humans). Trunks returned to T3, and while Trunks was ready to go back to T4, Cell killed him. Then, Cell went back in time, one year before Freeza's arrival to Earth. Thus, T2 was created. One year later, the events from T4 happened again, with Trunks killing Freeza, etc. However, Cell was in T2, which made it different from T4. Cell Games happened, T2 Trunks got stronger than T3 Trunks, and then, T2 Trunks went back to his time. This created T2. T2 Trunks was different from T3 Trunks, because he was strong enough to destroy #17, #18, and Cell.

I hope you understood all this mess.

[KaaN10]

So when Cell went from the original timeline to the main story timeline, he created the main story timeline AND Future Trunks timeline?

Why would it create 2 different timelines for just 1 time travel? Shouldn't it have just created the main story timeline?

[DBZGTKOSDH]

Because the events from T4 (the last Timeline until that point) were repeated, but it was altered due to Cell's presence, changing T4 into T1. Future Trunks was also affected by Cell, so later, Trunks affected his own Timeline as well, changing T3 into T2.

[KaaN10]

I still don't get it. Thanks for the help though.

I'm just going to stop thinking about this time travel stuff... it's giving me a headache.

[Legendary Saiya-Jin]

There was originally one timeline until Trunks used Bulma's time machine to travel to kill Freeza and talk to Gokuu, so then two timelines were created; one where the original future and mirai Trunks and the new past time line with Gokuu having the heart disease cure and knowledge of the androids.

Eventually, Mirai no Trunks returns back to the past and finds they were fighting Androids 20 and 19, not 17 and 18 as he warned and then everything went as we knew until they discovery of Cell, because he wouldn't exist at this time. Sometime after, Trunks returns to his future timeline and gets killed by the Cell in his time line after he somehow killed the Androids 17 and 18 in his time line, then Cell takes Trunks' time machine and goes to the past at the exact same time Mirai no Trunks was already visiting the past, therefore, creating yet another, past time line where there was Future Cell and another Future Trunks, Get it?

And that last timeline where Cell came when Mirai Trunks was already in the past is the time line we, the viewers, see unfold.

[AnimeMaakuo]

Hi, I'm new to this forum.

I have a question regarding the timelines in DBZ.

Let me start off with my understanding of the 4 timelines.

Timeline 1 - Original timeline / Cell timeline
Timeline 2 - Unseen timeline
Timeline 3 - Future Trunks timeline
Timeline 4 - Main story timeline

- Trunks from timeline 1 uses the time machine to go to timeline 2, he finds a way to defeat the Androids and returns to timeline 1.

- Cell from timeline 1 kills Trunks from timeline 1. He uses the time machine and goes to timeline 4, which is the timeline where the series takes place.

So basically Timeline 2 is created because of Trunks, and timeline 4 is created because of Cell.

My question is how was timeline 3 created?

This is how it works: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGuHzVkLlno

Timeline 1: Androids appear and Goku is dead from the virus, androids take over the world. Cell incubates, and in the future, Trunks travels back in time to where this timeline starts but creates...

Timeline 2: Where Trunks has cured Goku of his heart virus and says he is going to go into the future and come back... but this timeline we never see the rest of... instead Trunks jumps back to...

Timeline 3: Trunks has returned after 3 years, they defeat the androids, and he returns back to his timeline creating...

Timeline 4: Trunks returns to his timeline where he stops the androids. Later in this timeline, Cell kills Trunks and steals his time machine creating...

Timeline 5: This timeline is nearly identical to Timeline 1. Bulma, Trunks, and Gohan manage to survive the onslaught. Trunks grows up and travels back in time to the year 764 creating...

Timeline 6: He defeats Mecha Freeza, and warns Goku and the others of the impending android threat. Trunks goes back to his timeline creating...

Timeline 7: Seeing that nothing happens, Trunks waits 8 months and goes back in time creating...

Timeline 8: This is where they fight the new androids, and later Cell. Trunks eventually returns to the future creating...

Timeline 9: In this timeline, Trunks is strong enough to defeat the Androids, and eventually Cell when he shows up to take his time machine.

Timeline 10: Trunks then goes back in time to the year 763 to tell Goku and the others that he defeated the androids.

[Bussani]

I still don't get it. Thanks for the help though.

What they're saying is that what you call timeline 3 (the Future Trunks timeline) could actually be the last timeline created, if you go chronologically. They're suggesting that it was created by Trunks himself when he returns to the future and kills Cell. This isn't actually stated in the story or any guide, but it's a decent theory.

[Tundra]

In chapter 357 Trunks also mention that he could go back in time and prevent Gero from activating 16, 17 and 18 in Goku's timeline, but it wouldn't cause them to disappear in their timeline but instead create another timeline were they didn't exist.

[AnimeMaakuo]

In chapter 357 Trunks also mention that he could go back in time and prevent Gero from activating 16, 17 and 18 in Goku's timeline, but it wouldn't cause them to disappear in their timeline but instead create another timeline were they didn't exist.

Precisely! Every time Trunks jumps in time he creates another timeline.

[Bussani]

That's one way of thinking about it. You could also say that a new timeline is only created when you change the past, e.g. the timeline doesn't need to split when Trunks returns to his time with the blueprints.

[Saiga]

That's one way of thinking about it. You could also say that a new timeline is only created when you change the past, e.g. the timeline doesn't need to split when Trunks returns to his time with the blueprints.

That's how I choose to look at it, at least. I guess there's no real way of knowing which way is true.

[Terra-jin]

I also prefer timelines to be created only when they change the future, because it yields a more elegant picture of just four timelines. I will say however, that it takes a lot more convoluted rules and assumptions about time travel to make it all fit, than desirecampbell's school of thought. So the choice comes down to this: simple theory, lots of timelines - or complex theory, few timelines. Both schools of thought have their mehs and yays.

One thing I find less than elegant in dc's theory is this: one timeline has a "lazy Cell" in it - to make it fit, there needs to be a timeline in which Cell arrives from the future, but then does nothing. Sure it's possible, but that never sounded right to me.