‘Dragon Ball Super’ Universe Survival Arc: Goten And Trunks’ Absence Explained
Dragon Ball Super‘s Universe Survival Arc is about to begin in a few weeks, and fans of the veteran anime franchise are more excited than ever. As the anime heads into what is building up as the most intense Dragon Ball saga to date, numerous fans of the series have noted that some of Universe 6’s fighters were selected in a rather illogical manner. For one, longtime Dragon Ball fans have taken issue with the fact that Goten and Trunks, arguably two of the series’ latently strongest fighters, have been left out of the tournament. Considering the anime’s previous arcs, however, it seems like there is a very good reason why the two young Saiyans have been left out of the anime’s most important arc to date.
It is undeniable that Goten and Trunks are more powerful than a number of the fighters selected for the Universe 7 team. Despite them being kids (or teens, at the most), Goten and Trunks are easily more powerful than Master Roshi, Krillin, Androids 17 and 18, Tien Shinhan, and possibly even Piccolo. However, their presence in the Universe Survival Tournament might actually be detrimental for the plot of Dragon Ball Super as a whole. If any, having the two Saiyan kids fight in a deadly tournament where the stakes are raised sky high might actually compromise the future of the franchise.
Back when Dragon Ball Z: Revival of F aired, longtime fans of the franchise took issue with Goten and Trunks’ absence from the fight. After all, the two kids have previously fought against Buu in Dragon Ball Z, and their fused form, Gotenks, is quite literally one of the strongest characters in the DB universe. Despite this, however, Akira Toriyama, the series creator, stated that it was eventually decided that the two kids should not take part in the fight, according to Kanzenshuu.
“It’s because everyone didn’t want to risk losing the next generation of warriors,” Toriyama stated.
With this in mind, it seems like the same thing might happen in Dragon Ball Super‘s Universe Survival Arc once more. After all, if there’s anything certain about the upcoming arc, it seems like a small mistake in the upcoming tournament would have massive consequences. This has been revealed in the anime’s official teaser for the upcoming saga.
“All the Gods of Destruction and Kaioshins assemble, and an inter-universe martial arts competition is announced. Each universe has 10 representatives. Losing universes are immediately annihilated. The ultimate martial arts tournament begins, with the survival of their own universes on the line. The curtain rises on the new chapter, Universe Survival arc!! Airing on Fuji TV, 9 a.m. on Sundays, beginning February 5th, 2017.”
Though the specifics for Dragon Ball Super‘s upcoming tournament have not been released, it seems like the price of losing a fight would be the annihilation of the fighters’ respective universes. Thus, while dominatingly powerful at times, Goten and Trunks might simply be too young to take on the responsibility of having the universe’s survival on their shoulders. After all, the two fighters have proven themselves to be pretty immature on the battlefield, and their inexperience might very well prove to be a fatal flaw in the upcoming tournament.
One thing that the members of the Universe 7 team has is years of experience. Master Roshi is one of the most skilled fighters in the anime, and Krillin, Tien Shinhan, and the two Androids have an immense amount of fighting experience between them. Roshi, Krillin, and Tien have been fighting since the first Dragon Ball anime back in the 1980s, and the Androids have been wreaking havoc in the future for a long time before being reformed in DBZ. Thus, despite lacking raw power, the fighters in the Universe 7 team have more skill, maturity, and experience than Goten and Trunks combined.
Dragon Ball Super‘s Universe Survival Arc is rumored to be the final arc of the ongoing anime. With the fate of the Dragon Ball multiverse in the balance, there is a good chance that the next few months would contain the best storytelling and the most intense battles that the DB franchise has ever featured. Despite the absence of the two young Saiyans in the anime’s most important battle yet, the Universe Survival Arc is building up to be one of the best sagas that the DB franchise will ever explore.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHK-IgTfkBI
[Featured Image by Toei Animation]
