Future Trunks and Future Mai not staying in the present time line never made sense

[super michael]

In DBS Bulma offered Future Trunks and Future Mai to stay in her house, but Future Trunks and Future Mai refused claiming they wanted to go home. In my opinion that was really bad writing, for one simple reason because a new alternate time line would get created. It was stated that having too many alternate time line isn't good. The other bad thing is their reason was just poor.

Nearly everyone that Future Mai and Future Trunks knows are dead in the newly created time line, at least by staying in the present time line all their friends and family are alive. In the new time line there are two Future Trunks and two Future Mai.

[Grimlock]

In the new time line there are two Future Trunks and two Future Mai.

Do you have any idea how dumb and stupid that sounds? They would never make something like that, right? Right...? Oh...

[super michael]

In the new time line there are two Future Trunks and two Future Mai.

Do you have any idea how dumb and stupid that sounds? They would never make something like that, right? Right...? Oh...

Whis literally says that there would already be a Future Trunks and Future Mai in the new time line, so by them going to the new time line that makes it double.

It would have been better for Future Mai and Future Trunks to stay in the present, so no new alternate time line gets created.

[SupremeKai25]

The time-space continuum was already fucked up anyway... courtesy of Trunks and Cell, who travelled between time-space like 20 times, creating 4 (or even more?) alternate timelines. Beerus also created a new timeline when he erased Present Zamasu, he created the timeline where Present Zamasu was never stopped and became Goku Black.

Creating an additional timeline really makes no difference at this point, it's still a terrible sin against the Gods, but it's not like anyone cares anyway, plus it's not like the time-space continuum hasn't been ruined beyond repair already.

One of the main reasons why Zamasu devised Project Zero Mortals was precisely because the ningens shattered the space-time continuum by constantly travelling through time, but the story didn't bother to expand this plot point anyway after the arc ended.

Also, if we want to get technical, then the number of alternate timelines remained identical. It's shown that, after Zeno erased the Future timeline, the Time Ring associated with it disappeared. Meaning that the entire timeline was gone from the time-space continuum, literally:



So anyway even if they created a new timeline and Time Ring, the number would have stayed the same due to the utter erasure of the Future timeline. Again, still an obvious crime and sin, but at this point it's not like anyone cares.

[Grimlock]

Whis literally says that there would already be a Future Trunks and Future Mai in the new time line, so by them going to the new time line that makes it double.

See that? It's the joke passing by... Let's wave:

It would have been better for Future Mai and Future Trunks to stay in the present, so no new alternate time line gets created.

Except it isn't Trunks going to the future that creates a timeline. A new timeline had already been created when Beerus erased Zamasu, that's when the split happens.

But I agree, anything would be better than Trunks going to live with himself. What we got is possibly the worst ending in the history of the endings. It's just lamentable.

[ABED]

Why is anyone bothered by two Trunks in the same timeline?

[Matches Malone]

I understand not wanting them to remain as part of the main cast due to how large it is already, but they missed a golden chance at having them join the time patrol, especially with Beerus already mentioning how serious a crime it was for Trunks to go back in time.

[Hellspawn28]

It would make sense to go to Cell's timeline instead with Trunks already being dead in that timeline.

[PurestEvil]

Future Trunks sticking around with the present cast would have been so cool. Unfortunately, the status quo can't be disrupted that much

[Jord]

I understand not wanting them to remain as part of the main cast due to how large it is already, but they missed a golden chance at having them join the time patrol, especially with Beerus already mentioning how serious a crime it was for Trunks to go back in time.

That would have been awesome.

[Grimlock]

they missed a golden chance at having them join the time patrol, especially with Beerus already mentioning how serious a crime it was for Trunks to go back in time.

Beerus mentions it. It is talked about in the Jaco, the Galactic Patrolman manga. Jaco himself states so briefly in Movie 15 (and conveniently enough, Jaco is nowhere to be seen during the entirety of Future Trunks saga. A saga that is all about time travel).

I believe at some point they actually did have the intention to make Trunks a Time Patroller, considering he wears a green pullover which seems to be the same one he wears underneath the black coat. But imagine if they actually would show him becoming a Time Patroller/paying for his sins even after countless of "time travel is prohibited, but we'll ignore all the times you did it because we have to play safe".

It would make sense to go to Cell's timeline instead with Trunks already being dead in that timeline.

Damn, that is dark and very emotional too. In that timeline, Bulma is supposed to be alive (probably all alone too). She would be able to see her son again after eleven years!

Also hilarious:

• Bulma: Hey Trunks! What happened to you!? When you died your hair was purple, why is it blue now!?
• Trunks: Hi mom! A lot happened, people in charge can't really decide the color of our hair, can they? *laughs*

[DragonBallFoodie]

Out-universe, it sounds like the writers felt Trunks and Mai should have a happy ending living in a timeline where their comrades were all alive and untouched by Zamasu's purge.

However, DB Heroes brought Trunks and Mai back, so that ending was stripped of potential finality.

I would consider it debatable if Mai and Trunks could be happy in that timeline or in the present timeline with their Z-Fighter friends. I guess I'm fine with either, though personally speaking I think they could have stayed in the present with no problems (in fact it might be beneficial too, the past/future Trunks and Mais interacted well enough together).