Although Future Trunks has appeared in only two major story arcs of Dragon Ball, each of his returns has introduced impressive new power levels and transformations.
Dragon Ball has maintained its worldwide popularity for decades thanks to its extensive cast of iconic anime characters. Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, and Gohan have all achieved remarkable feats. However, Future Trunks has often surpassed even the main characters in popularity.
Here is a ranking of Future Trunks’ seven most powerful forms.
7. Super Saiyan Third Grade
Gohan’s explosive Super Saiyan 2 awakening marked the pinnacle of the Cell Saga, but several experimental transformations emerged before the main Super Saiyan forms were fully established. The Hyperbolic Time Chamber allowed the Z Fighters to compress a year of training into a single day, opening the door to tremendous power increases.
As Future Trunks gradually mastered these transformations, he pushed beyond his normal limits and achieved Super Saiyan Second Grade and Third Grade. These forms dramatically increased his strength by expanding his muscle mass. However, his oversized physique severely reduced his movement speed. No matter how devastating his attacks became, the power was practically useless if Future Trunks could neither hit his opponent nor dodge incoming attacks.
Despite understanding this form’s weaknesses, he desperately used it against Perfect Cell when he felt he had no other options. Fans were surprised when Future Trunks used the same transformation again in Dragon Ball Super during a casual sparring match with Vegeta. As expected, it once again failed to impress.
6. Super Saiyan
Fans had barely recovered from the shock of Goku first achieving Super Saiyan when Future Trunks suddenly appeared and transformed into the same form. This was a pivotal moment, demonstrating that Super Saiyan was not an ability exclusive to Goku but a transformation that any Saiyan meeting the necessary conditions could achieve.
Future Trunks used this power to support the Z Fighters and ensure that their timeline would not suffer the same tragic fate as his own world. As a Super Saiyan, he played an effective role in the battle against Cell and also contributed to major battles in the movies against Android 14, Broly, and Kogu.
5. Super Saiyan Second Grade
The explosion of Super Saiyan power during the Cell Saga encouraged the heroes to experiment with the transformation’s limits. Goku, Vegeta, Future Trunks, and Gohan pushed themselves to exhaustion inside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber to explore new possibilities. Their training produced an enhanced intermediate form that delivered greater muscle mass alongside increased speed and strength.
Known as Super Saiyan Second Grade, this form was used by Future Trunks in an attempt to stop Semi-Perfect Cell from absorbing Android 18 and achieving his perfect form. However, he relied on it for only a short time before Cell’s evolution forced him to advance to Super Saiyan Third Grade.
While Third Grade is generally considered a failure because its bulky muscles reduce speed, Super Saiyan Second Grade still provides a significant increase in power over the standard Super Saiyan form.
4. Super Saiyan 2
Future Trunks’ return in Dragon Ball Super revealed fascinating details about his life after the Cell Saga. He had trained under Future Shin and Future Kibito to prevent the awakening of Future Majin Buu.
When Future Dabura overpowered Future Kibito, the god’s death triggered Future Trunks’ awakening of Super Saiyan 2. He immediately used his newfound power to defeat Future Dabura, saving his timeline from Buu’s terrifying reign.
Vegeta acknowledged that Future Trunks’ Super Saiyan 2 power was comparable to Goku’s Super Saiyan 3. At times, Future Trunks was even confident enough to fight Super Saiyan Rosé Goku Black while remaining in his Super Saiyan 2 form, despite Goku Black possessing power comparable to Super Saiyan Blue.
3. Super Saiyan Rage
Future Trunks’ return in Dragon Ball Super sparked considerable controversy, particularly because the conclusion of his storyline erased the happy ending he had previously achieved. At several points, this version of Future Trunks seemed to have regressed rather than progressed.
For that reason, seeing him become the one to finish off Fused Zamasu was particularly satisfying for viewers, even though Future Zeno ultimately had to step in to eliminate the threat completely. After Vegito Blue’s Final Kamehameha failed to defeat Fused Zamasu, Future Trunks was overwhelmed by frustration and grief over his inability to protect his world.
Those intense emotions coalesced into an extraordinary burst of power known as Super Saiyan Rage, allowing him to gain the upper hand against Fused Zamasu. In this form, Future Trunks’ pupils disappear completely, giving him a fierce, almost berserk appearance. Combined with energy gathered in a manner similar to the Spirit Bomb and channeled into his Sword of Hope, the transformation allowed him to cut Fused Zamasu in half, accomplishing what no one else had managed to do.
Notably, this transformation does not appear in the manga and is exclusive to the anime adaptation.
2. Super Saiyan 3
Future Trunks’ progression through the Super Saiyan transformations appeared to stall after he reached the standard power levels. His limited role in the anime and manga left him with few opportunities to explore further advancements.
Although it is not part of the main timeline, seeing Future Trunks finally achieve Super Saiyan 3 in Dragon Ball Heroes was exciting. The transformation’s sharp, distinctive design can look somewhat awkward on many characters, but it surprisingly suits Future Trunks exceptionally well.
Although he does not get many opportunities to showcase new techniques or dramatic power upgrades in this form, Super Saiyan 3 Future Trunks is clearly stronger than his previous standard transformations.
1. Super Saiyan God Xeno Trunks
Xeno Trunks is a distinct version of Future Trunks from a parallel timeline. He has played an important supporting role in spin-off titles such as Dragon Ball Xenoverse and Super Dragon Ball Heroes. Although he shares many developmental milestones with the original Future Trunks, Xeno Trunks has reached even greater heights by attaining Super Saiyan God power.
During the intense Dark King Mechikabura arc of Super Dragon Ball Heroes, Xeno Trunks performed the Super Saiyan God ritual with energy supplied by the Xeno versions of Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Goten, and Pan. This upgrade transformed him into one of the most powerful heroes in Super Dragon Ball Heroes.
He used this divine power to battle Mechikabura, Black Janemba, and Majin Ozotto. During his encounter with Ozotto, Trunks’ Super Saiyan God strength was shown to be on par with Super Saiyan Blue Goku and Vegeta, as well as Super Saiyan 4 Xeno Goku and Xeno Vegeta.
Sources: gamek