There has always been a question regarding what type of person Dragon Ball Super's present-day Trunks would grow to become. Unlike with Future Trunks, the androids wouldn't be turning his life into a post-apocalyptic nightmare, so there was little need for him to become a savior. Now that the Super Hero Saga has made him look more like his future self, the change is much more obvious.
In a way, Trunks is much different from Future Trunks. At first, it seemed like a simple matter of age and maturity, but now that he's a little older, it's clearly just the kind of person he grew up to be. This might come as a disappointment to Future Trunks Fans, but it's not all bad. If this new iteration of Trunks is taken as his own character, there's still plenty to like about him.
Why Is Present Trunks So Different From Future Trunks?
Future Trunks is a product of his time. He grew up in an age where the Z Fighters were all dead, the Dragon Balls were gone, the Androids were reducing humanity to a handful, and he was powerless to do anything about it. This abysmal situation forced him to grow up early. He needed to become strong so that he could take up the fight and save the future. Thus, he became as close to a battle-hardened warrior as a boy his age could be.
The present Trunks didn’t have to deal with nearly as much of this. He may have witnessed mankind being reduced to a handful, but the Z Fighters were there with the Dragon Balls to bring everyone back, including him. He was able to grow up in an age of relative peace and happiness.Present Trunks grew into a much different person thanks to the peaceful times he grew up in. Without the fate of the world piled onto him, he could focus on kid things like going to the park or playing with his friend Goten. He was carefree and even a little bratty at times.
Living in peaceful times also led present Trunks to be much more of a cocky showoff. Future Trunks always understood how high the stakes were in his fights and sought to end them as quickly as possible. Kid Trunks was more interested in finishing a fight with style like some kind of superhero; he even got Goten in on his theatrics. Any sense of stakes is lost on this version of Trunks.
The contrast between the two Trunks’ upbringings became all the more apparent when the present Trunks grew up in Dragon Ball Super. Despite looking almost exactly like his future self, he still acted like the carefree boy he was before. The only difference is that he’s now more interested in chasing girls like Mai. In this sense, the valiant and steadfast hero of the future was never born.
Is the Difference a Good Thing or a Bad Thing?
However, Trunks not turning out quite as noble or cool as his future self is still good in its own way. It's important to remember that the whole point of Future Trunks' original trip to the past was to create a peaceful future where nobody would have to live through the terror of the androids; this would include kids like himself growing up to lead normal, happy lives. Because of this, present Trunks got to have the childhood his future self never could.
There's also some comedy to be found in this new Trunks. Most Dragon Ball fans might expect him to make certain choices and take certain actions based on what his future self might do. Seeing him act cocky or carefree is a stark contrast to what Future Trunks might do, and that makes him both unpredictable and amusing.
Present Trunks being so different from Future Trunks personality-wise makes him a surprisingly fun twist on a familiar character. Now that he's a teenager, it's clear that the change in his personality is the result of his environment rather than his age; there are no two ways about it anymore That said, looking at these two as similar but different people means that they can each be appreciated for their strengths and their shortcomings.