time travel dragon ball

How Do Time Machines Work? Asking an Expert about Time Travel in Dragon Ball

Ask the Experts

Around the beginning of Dragon Ball's Cell arc, a mysterious young man appears before our heroes. That young man turned out to be none other than Trunks, who had journeyed back to the present from the future! I'm sure many of you out there were enthralled by this revelation, begging to know more about him and the secrets behind the future's time machines! Seeing Trunks travel between past, present, and future at will left us all in awe of Bulma's incredible technology, but also wondering if travelling through time could really be so simple. So how does time travel work for us in the real world—if at all? I sat down with cosmologist Professor Toshifumi Futamase of Kyoto Sangyo University and asked him just that. We took a deep dive into the mechanics of time machines and time travel as well as the conditions required to make them possible, all in service of understanding the original series that much more! The complexity of time travel left me scratching my head, and I was struck by a new-found appreciation for the genius Bulma demonstrated by overcoming all the obstacles and creating a fully functional time machine! But let's get to all that in chronological order—for the time being, at least. Please join us on our journey through time!

Being interviewed: Professor Toshifumi Futamase Professor of Astrophysics & Meteorology at Kyoto Sangyo University's Faculty of Science. Specialist in General Relativity & Cosmology. Engaged in theoretical and observational research (using a gravity lens) of dark matter and dark matter energy. Read Jump Comics throughout Dragon Ball's serialization.

Interviewer: Nukki Technical illustrator. Makes technical illustrations and illustrations for instruction manuals. Also a proficient writer of articles that utilize her own illustration skills for websites such as Daily Portal Z.

*Interview was conducted remotely.

Table of Contents

・ How Does a Time Machine Work? ・ Negative Mass - The Ticket to Going Beyond the Speed of Light and Back in Time ・ Parallel Worlds and Time Paradoxes ・ Does Goku's Instant Transmission Function like a Time Machine? ・ Time Machines, Coming Soon...?!

How Does a Time Machine Work?

—— In Dragon Ball, Bulma made a time machine by herself in the future. Is creating a time machine in the real world theoretically possible? Prof. Futamase: We don't know yet. However, in physics we are yet to prove that creating a time machine is not possible. For now, let's just assume that creating a time machine is possible, shall we? —— So time machines are still in the R&D stage! Prof. Futamase: At this time, we've confirmed that speeding up and slowing down the flow of time is possible. We can't manipulate it to a great extent yet, but we're able to speed it up and slow it down by a tiny fraction, which involves both the speed of light and gravity. —— If you watch movies about time travel, they often say that the closer to the speed of light you get, the slower time moves... but this is the first I've heard of gravity being involved. Prof. Futamase: We'll be here all day if I go into the fine details, so I'll try to keep it brief. In General Relativity, the stronger a gravitational field is, the more warped space-time becomes around it, and the slower time moves in that area. For example, gravity on the Sun is stronger than it is on Earth, so it's believed that 1 second on the Sun is actually longer than 1 second on Earth. ——Oh, so the stronger gravity is, the slower time moves! Prof. Futamase: In the same way, gravity around a black hole is much greater than it is on Earth, so 1 second spent in the vicinity of a black hole is equivalent to 10~20 years on Earth. So in that way, the flow of time isn't constant—it varies based on your location or the planet you're on. ——I feel like our conversation is veering closer to time machines. You already said that we don't yet know if creating a time machine is possible or not, but is it feasible for humans to travel to and from the past and future? Prof. Futamase: Travelling to the future is theoretically not that difficult. Remember what we just said about the effects of spending time in a place with stronger gravity. Ignoring the impracticalities for now, imagine that you travelled from Earth to a black hole. You then spend just 10 seconds near said black hole and return home. Now, when you return to Earth, far more than 10 seconds have passed, and from your perspective, you've travelled forward in time.

The problem is travelling backwards in time—that's the one we haven't figured out yet. However, there's nothing to prove we can't. It's theorized that if you take an extremely small object, say, a fundamental particle, it may be possible to send it back in time. ——So it's possible with a tiny object like a fundamental particle. Which I guess means that sending humans back is... Prof. Futamase: It's definitely a long way off. It's thought that research will progress in stages from here with items like ping-pong balls and baseballs. So with where we are now, we can only say that we don't yet know if it's possible with humans. There are research papers that delve into the creation of time machines with the central theme being "How can we travel to the past?" ——So, we can hope that civilization on Earth continues to develop technologically to the point we can send someone to a black hole for a minute or two, then that person can come back and ask the people of Earth a couple hundred years in the future how to travel back in time. Is that sort of method at all viable? Prof. Futamase: Yes, it is. But there may already be planets that are home to civilizations far more advanced than our own somewhere in the Milky Way. So it's also conceivable that we find one such planet and ask its inhabitants about travelling back in time. ——It's just hit me all over again how incredible Bulma is for having managed to create a time machine all by herself...!

Negative Mass - The Ticket to Going Beyond the Speed of Light and Back in Time

——The time machine in Dragon Ball is a kind of egg-shaped craft with stilt-like legs attached, but what sort of shape do you imagine a time machine that humans could use would be?

Prof. Futamase: It could either be a craft that's capable of surpassing the speed of light, or a physical space that bends space-time and creates a 'shortcut' through it. ——A craft that's faster than light... But hang on, I thought light was the fastest thing in the universe? Prof. Futamase: In physics today, yes, it's believed that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light. Light moves as quickly as it does because it has zero mass. If you accelerate an object with a non-zero mass, its mass increases exponentially as you get closer to the speed of light, essentially prohibiting it from ever reaching the speed of light. However, if the mass is zero, then you can circumvent that issue and reach the speed of light. ——So does that mean that in order to surpass the speed of light, at the very least you need reduce your own mass below zero? Prof. Futamase: With our current understanding, that's not believed to be possible, but that may change since it hasn't yet been proved impossible. —— I see. The "physical space" option sounds a bit like the Room of Spirit & Time.

Prof. Futamase: In the real world, it's theorized that we could create a sort of tunnel to the past. There are currently people researching what type of energy would be necessary for that to be possible. ——On a related note, what type of fuel do you think would be required to power a time machine? Prof. Futamase: Our understanding today is built on the assumption that you would have positive mass. However, research has already shown that matter with negative mass also exists. So you could cancel out your positive mass with this "negative matter" to reduce your overall mass to zero, then potentially even pass through solid walls moving at the speed of light. ——So the fuel would have "negative mass". That's a little hard to wrap your head around... Prof. Futamase: It's actually not that far-fetched a concept—there are already numerous discussions being had about its existence. It's thought that around 70% of the universe is made up of negative matter, which permeates it in its entirety and is the driving force behind the universe expanding at a speed greater than the speed of light, which is something that astronomers and physicists acknowledge as fact. If we learn how to manipulate negative matter, it'll surely have a huge impact on all our lives and may be exactly what we need to unlock the ability to travel to and from the past and future. ——But how do we get to that point? Prof. Futamase: That's exactly what we're trying to get to the bottom of now. It's like how in the past, we weren't able to extract oil from the ground, but as our civilization advanced, we became able to do so, and were also able to burn that oil and harness its energy. So I don't think it's unrealistic to think we'll be able to take the same leaps with negative matter. —— Woah! Now you've got me excited for the future!

Parallel Worlds and Time Paradoxes

Now that we've all hopefully got at least a vague understanding of how time machines could work, I decided to ask about parallel worlds and time paradoxes. Time paradoxes occur when some kind of contradiction or loop is created due to your travels to and from the past and future, and in order to enable time travel, we'd have to find a way to resolve them. Even within Dragon Ball, Trunks altered his universe's history slightly by going back to the past to discover the Androids' weakness. It's this process that gives rise to multiple futures, i.e., parallel worlds.

——Could you tell me a bit about the latest parallel-world research? Prof. Futamase: The concept of parallel worlds originates from the study of quantum mechanics. It says that at this moment, there are infinite universes that exist, and each one of them contains one 'you'. So if there were, say, 10 universes, then you'd simultaneously exist in all of them. Simply by cognizing, "I'm here", the universe around you manifests. This is what's known as the many-worlds interpretation.

——So you're saying that there are multiple universes and that the universe in which you assert, "I'm here!", becomes fixed as 'your universe'...?! Prof. Futamase: We're living in a reality built on the multitude of universes that are constantly being spawned with every decision we make. Assuming you travelled to the past, you wouldn't be in the past of this universe, which is the result of the accumulation of decisions made by its inhabitants, but a completely different one—in other words, a parallel universe. That reasoning allows us to resolve the paradoxes that accompany time machines. ——So in Dragon Ball, the future where the Androids run rampant and the one where they're defeated are actually completely separate universes? Prof. Futamase: That's right. If you successfully travelled to the past then attempted to return back to the point in time you started from, the universe you arrive to would not be your original one, but a parallel world where you had travelled to the past. You'd essentially be in a new universe with a different history.

——So just to clarify, even if you never step foot in a time machine, the decisions you make from moment-to-moment spawn new universes...?! Prof. Futamase: Precisely.

Does Goku's Instant Transmission Function like a Time Machine?

——Listening to everything you've spoken about so far, I thought of something else I'd like to ask you about. After his battle with Frieza, Goku travels to Planet Yardrat, where he learns how to use Instant Transmission. I have a feeling that Instant Transmission works in a similar way to a time machine, but what do you think? Prof. Futamase: It's exactly the same. If you interpret Instant Transmission as movement faster than the speed of light, then Planet Yardrat must've found a way to overcome the gravitational restraints. ——So Yardrat's civilization must be far more advanced than Earth's! Prof. Futamase: There's a strong chance that they're successfully using negative matter. That's exactly the sort of planet that scientists like myself are hoping we'll be able to make contact with. It's currently estimated that of the approximately 200,000,000,000 planets in the Milky Way, around half of them have water and an atmosphere similar to Earth's. —— There are that many...! Prof. Futamase: However, it takes around three billion years for intelligent life to evolve. On Earth, for example, it took close to four billion years for human life to emerge. So if a given planet is younger than that, then we can't get our hopes up. It's also worth noting that even the lowest estimates predict that there are one billion Earth-like planets in each galaxy. It seems inevitable that civilizations make advancements, and so it wouldn't be strange in the slightest for highly advanced ones to exist. ——It sure would be nice of beings from those advanced civilizations or from the future to pay us a visit. Prof. Futamase: Even assuming there were one hundred million of such civilizations... if those one hundred million were spread across the galaxy, then the distance between each of them would be roughly 100~1000 light years. I suppose we can only conclude that a civilization capable of using Instant Transmission over that sort of distance hasn't yet emerged. ——So it's possible that they're making their way towards Earth at this very moment! Prof. Futamase: Don't forget there's no guarantee that they're organic lifeforms like us. Instead, they could potentially exist as data-based lifeforms. ——So perhaps signals from aliens or beings from the future are all around us, it's just that we don't have the technology to detect them... It's hard not to get swept up in all the possibilities!

Time Machines, Coming Soon...?!

I asked Professor Futamase about time machines, parallel worlds, and time paradoxes, and our conversation just kept expanding from there. Research into time machines is still ongoing, but so long as they're not proved impossible, there's still hope that one day we'll succeed in building one! With research being conducted as we speak and the ever-present chance that we'll make contact with more advanced civilizations, who knows what surprises the future—and the past—hold!

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All of Dragon Ball’s Timelines Explained

Dragon Ball doesn't follow a typical timeline, so this guide will explain all the series' timelines.

Published: 01 Nov 2022 7:59 AM +00:00 Updated: 01 Nov 2022 4:46 PM +00:00

Before delving into each timeline, it is important to note that there are different timelines in Dragon Ball. The series does not follow the linear timeline that most anime have, so it might get really confusing for new fans. But worry not as we've come up with the ultimate Dragon Ball timelines guide for fans!

Table of Contents

Why does dragon ball have different timelines, so, how did the timelines in dragon ball start, what are all the timelines in dragon ball.

RELATED: Will Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero Be On Crunchyroll? Here's the Expected Release Date

Dragon Ball does not follow a typical timeline wherein there is only the past, the present, and the future. The fantasy anime uses the concepts of alternate timelines and time travel which add complexity to the overall series.

In fact, there are some timeline rules that need to be followed and remembered for each timeline to make sense:

• New timelines are only made once there are changes done in the past that triggered a paradox
• Time Rings will only work if it goes to the future and then to the present. They do not trigger alternate timelines even if there are changes made in the future.
• The silver Time Ring only refers to the reference timeline or the main timeline while the green ones are considered alternative timelines
• Timelines can be erased, but when this happens, the Time Ring also disappears
• Each timeline flows at the same rate. No timeline is slower or faster.

The word 'paradox' is mentioned in the rules, but what is it, and what does it have to do with the whole concept of time traveling and alternate timelines in Dragon Ball ?

In the manga, a paradox was explained using an example made by a teacher.

In the example, it said that Trunks went back in time to give his mom some rice cakes. She accidentally choked on the rice cakes and thus failed to give birth to Trunks.

But how is that possible if Trunks was able to travel back in time?

A paradox is when a new timeline is created, so in this sense, there is a timeline wherein Trunks is alive and another wherein he is not.

READ MORE: Is the Dragon Ball Super Anime Returning in 2022?

In the manga, it was explained that a mortal from Universe 12 was the first time traveler in history. The time machine he or she used was confiscated, which led to time travel getting banned.

It was not explained what this mortal did but it was said that Timeline 1 was divided into Timelines 1 and 5.

In Dragon Ball Z, it was shown that Trunks went back to the past, which is 20 years ago. He gave Goku heart medicine, which led to saving his life.

The paradox then was that Goku was alive in the past and there is a Trunks in the future. This means that Timeline 1 was once again divided into Timelines 1 and 3.

In Timeline 3, Goku is dead, which means that Timeline 1 is no longer the original timeline.

Trunks made another trip, but this time, he went three years after Timeline 1.

Based on the rules mentioned above, any change in the future does not create a paradox, so no new timeline has been made as a result of this trip.

What caused a paradox was when Imperfect Cell took the time machine and traveled three years later to go back to Timeline 1, which is the year before Trunks came.

Since Cell went back to the past, he created a new timeline, which is now considered Timeline 4.

This trip divided Timeline 1 into Timelines 1 and 4, and three additional timelines have been added since then.

ALSO READ: What's Next After Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero ? Here's Everything We Know About the Future of Dragon Ball

All in all, there are a total of 7 timelines in Dragon Ball . Here is a summary for each timeline:

• Timeline 1: This timeline follows the story of Dragon Ball . It is the usual “present” time in the series. Trunks and Krillin destroyed Dr. Gero's lab, while Cell is in the incubator during this timeline.
• Timeline 2: The future Trunks resides in this timeline. He warns the Z-fighters about the androids and Cell. He goes back to this timeline to kill androids and Imperfect Cell.
• Timeline 3: While this is somewhat related to Timeline 2, what makes this timeline different is that Trunks is not aware of Cell. Imperfect Cell ends up killing Trunks and using the time machine to go back in time.
• Timeline 4: Future Trunks was able to kill the androids and warn the Z-fighters but they are not knowledgeable about Cell’s existence. However, Timeline 4 is considered vague by most fans because it is a timeline where Trunks is not around, considering that he was killed in Timeline 3.
• Timeline 5: This is considered the first alternate timeline wherein the first time traveler went back in time and time travel has been banned.
• Timeline 6: In this timeline, Zamasu learned about Goku and the Super Dragon Balls. He planned to switch with Goku’s body so he decided to kill Goku and Gowasu to be Black. He then took the Time Ring and went to Timeline 2.
• Timeline 7: Trunks and Mai created a new timeline after they traveled to Timeline 1. In this timeline, Black does not exist.

Take note that the timelines listed here are based on what was available in the manga and the anime.

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READ NEXT : Can You Watch Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero Without Watching the Series? Here's a Beginner’s Guide

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Dragon Ball: Every Canon Character Who Has Time Travelled

There are now more canon time travelers than ever before in Dragon Ball, and it’s all thanks to Super.

It’s never easy introducing time travel into a story, especially one that’s nine story arcs in by its introduction. The Cell arc is a massive game changer for Dragon Ball . Despite being the penultimate arc in the original series, the Cell arc’s tone has resonated with international fans to the point where it’s had a clear influence on the series. Beyond that, the Cell arc feels like the last fully cohesive story before the Buu arc goes off the rails (for better or worse.)

RELATED:  Here’s Every Time Skip In Dragon Ball (In Chronological Order)

Which isn’t to say the Cell arc doesn’t have its problems, though. Trunks’ introduction is one of Dragon Ball ’s best moments, but he set a precedent for time travel that the franchise would abuse. This is mainly problematic in the video games– notably the chaos that is Xenoverse ’s lore– but Dragon Ball Super reintroduced Future Trunks into the fold and brought time travel with him. There are now more canon time travelers than ever before in Dragon Ball , and it’s all thanks to Super .

7 Future Trunks

The very first character in Dragon Ball to time travel (that the audience is introduced to,) Trunks comes from a horrific future. After Goku suddenly passes away from a Heart Virus, two Artificial Human attack. Every member of the Dragon Team is killed one after another save for Gohan, who grows up to become a Super Saiyan and trains Trunks.

Future Bulma dedicates her life in this future to the study of time travel, eventually building a suitable machine and rationing enough fuel to send Trunks on a round-trip to the past. Trunks’ mission is to warn Goku of the Androids, give him his Heart Medicine, and find some hope to bring back to his dying timeline.

It’s revealed midway through the Cell arc that Trunks was actually beat to the punch when it comes to time travel. Kind of. In an unseen timeline (arguably the true original,) another Trunks went back in time. This Trunks comes back to his future and is killed by Cell, who discovers that the Androids have already been killed.

RELATED:  Dragon Ball Z: 10 Ways Vegeta Changed Between The Saiyan & Majin Buu Arcs

Cell steals Trunks’ time machine and somehow travels to the main timeline without reconfiguring Trunks’ coordinates. While the manga suggests Cell killed a different Trunks, logic suggests the Trunks he killed must have been the one from the start of the arc– with this Trunks from another timeline altogether. Time travel’s a mess.

The Kaioshin of Universe 10, Gowasu is introduced in Dragon Ball Super as part of the Goku Black arc. Unlike the Kaioshin of Universe 7, Gowasu understands the full scope of his job, taking it critically seriously (not that Shin doesn’t.) His introduction is intimately tied to the introduction of the Time Rings, divine jewelry used solely by the Kaioshin.

A Time Ring allows a Kaioshin to travel through time, with a new Time Ring created alongside new timelines. Gowasu stresses the importance and respect the time travel necessitates to his apprentice, Zamasu, but this ends up being a terrible mistake.

4 Zamasu & Goku Black

Universe 10’s Kaioshin in training, Zamasu shows an incredible amount of promise. Unfortunately, he’s a bit of a zealot when it comes to the divine right of gods. In Zamasu’s eyes, mortals are barbaric beings destined to destroy the universe. A Dragon Ball villain, Zamasu naturally takes his ideologies to the extreme. Zamasu’s real trigger, however, is watching Goku tap into God Ki on GodTube.

By interrogating Zuno and collecting the Super Dragon Balls, Zamasu learns everything about Goku before wishing for them to swap bodies. Now Goku Black, Zamasu uses the Time Ring to travel to Trunks’ timeline as a means to punish him for his divine transgressions. Goku Black time travelling becomes complex enough where he even recruits a Zamasu from another timeline to help him in his (their?) crusade.

3 Future Mai

Ignoring how icky Future Mai’s relationship with Future Trunks is, the two are clearly devoted to one another. Mai seemingly dies at the start of the arc, forcing Trunks to leave her behind as he travels to the main timeline, but the Dragon Team’s visit to Trunks’ future reveals that Future Mai is in fact alive– in both mediums, too!

RELATED:  Dragon Ball: Every Arc In The Original Series Ranked By Their Ending

Future Mai doesn’t play too crucial a role in stopping Goku Black and Zamasu, but she does at least contribute while giving Trunks something to fight for. Mai ends up traveling to the main timeline alongside Trunks after Goku calls in Zeno to take care of Merged Zamasu.

2 Son Goku & Vegeta

With Goku Black and Zamasu wreaking havoc in Trunks’ timeline, Goku and Vegeta have no choice but to take their fight to the future. No one other than Trunks and Cell got to time travel in the original Dragon Ball , so it makes sense to send Goku and Vegeta through time in the Goku Black arc– if only to give the final battle a fairly unique setting.

The arc’s finale takes place in Trunks’ ruined future. In the anime, there are a few survivors whereas the manga seems to imply that everyone but Future Trunks and Mai themselves have already been killed. Whether or not that makes Zeno erasing Trunks’ multiverse better or worse is debatable.

1 Future Zeno

Push comes to shove during the final fight against Merged Zamasu when absolutely nobody can finish him off. Goku even uses Beerus’ Hakai in the manga to no avail. He’s forced to call in Future Zeno on the beeper present Zeno gave him, hoping on hope that he’d help. Unfortunately, Zeno immediately erases the multiverse in disgust.

Before the Goku Black arc is over and done with, though, Goku returns to Trunks’ now non-existent future to grab Future Zeno and bring him to the main timeline. There, Future Zeno instantly becomes good friends with his past self.

NEXT:  Dragon Ball: 5 Arcs That Are Better In The Anime (& 5 Better In The Manga)

Time Travel

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Trunks travelling to the past.

The act of time travelling is the phenomenon that allows an individual to travel through time . It is a rare act that allows one to travel to either the past, or the future, typically with intention to alter one or the other. According to Whis, the flow of time is meant to proceed linearly. Even simple acts of going back in time can have drastic effects on the future; to the point that a planet which was not meant to be erased from the Universe could wind up destroyed. [1] Only Gods themselves are allowed pass through time, and even in their case, it is not to be taken lightly.

When a human using the Time Machine that Bulma created passes through time, it causes a shift in the timeline, branching the former past on the road to a new future, rather than directly affecting the future the traveler came from. [2] In the manga, this is a change to the point that the former past and former future can no longer be considered as just such, and are instead separate dimensions. This poses limitations on traveling to and from the future, and the bond between the two dimensions gradually weakens. [3] Another way to create a branched timeline is to destroy an individual in the past, while their direct counterpart in the future wears a Time Ring . This enables the one in the future to survive, creating a split timeline once more.

If one uses the Time Ring , they are capable of a more controlled form of time travel. With this method, they can only travel to the future, and cannot travel to the past except to fix distortions caused by existing time travel, or to return to their own time. [4] Time Rings are only able to be used by Kaiōshin, or those wearing a Potara of a Kaiōshin color.

It has been noted repeatedly that it is forbidden for humans to alter time. Both Gowasu and Whis have mentioned on occasion that mortals interfering with time is a grave offence. Within the scope of human law, time travel and control is also forbidden, as the Galactic Patrol places it within the confines of galactic law that time may not be manipulated in any form. [5] [6]

• According to Akira Toriyama, the non-serial movies preceding Movie 18 take place in alternate timelines from the manga, implying that other timelines exist naturally alongside the main timeline, without Trunks' time travel having interfered.
• The idea to make Time Travel taboo may have come from Dragon Ball Online , where Chronoa first mentioned this to Trunks. Fittingly, Chronoa can control time in a way that her time machines do not split the timeline.
• Time Travel and manipulation as a crime is parodied in  Dragon Ball Fusions . If the player adjusts the time on their  Nintendo 3DS , Jaco will warn them against committing the crime, and time based events no longer occur for two days.

References [ ]

• ↑ Dragon Ball Super episode 49
• ↑ Dragon Ball chapter 357, pp. 2-4
• ↑ Dragon Ball Super chapter 21
• ↑ Dragon Ball Super episode 51
• ↑ Dragon Ball Z: Revival of 'F'
• ↑ Jaco the Galactic Patrolman chapter 1, page 22
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“The idea was to have anime-original stories”: Dragon Ball GT Wanted to Move Past Akira Toriyama’s Goku and Vegeta, Focus on New Gen Characters

E ver since Akira Toriyama first created the  Dragon Ball  series, two characters have always been the center of attention, Goku and Vegeta. The latter went from being a one-time villain to one of the most important characters of the franchise. Since the beginning, it has been their story, one that fans have wholeheartedly followed.

They became two of the most well-known characters and still stand on top as compared to any other Shonen protagonist. After having followed two characters with such dedication, it would be rather peculiar if they perhaps one day just got replaced.  Dragon Ball GT  almost did exactly that. The anime having minimal involvement from Toriyama’s side could have taken it in a completely different direction.

Dragon Ball GT Almost Went Back in Time

Kozo Morishita, the producer of  Dragon Ball GT  revealed what the original ideas of the anime had been for the series’ Dragon Box release in 2005 (via Comic Book ). The plans deviated almost in the opposite direction possible. Akira Toriyama’s story ended with a decade-long time skip. The idea that came into my mind was to go back in time instead.

“The last chapter of the original manga is set ten years after the battle with Majin Boo, so initially the idea was to have anime-original stories depicting the events of those ten years, and various such stories were planned out.”

The idea was to not focus on Goku at all. Instead, the premise of the original anime would have focused on the last ten years that fans couldn’t witness. That would showcase the lost time and all that happened.

“He really loves those parts”: Akira Toriyama’s Former Dragon Ball Illustrator was Surprised After His Main Topic of Concern was Never the Story

It wasn’t just to focus on one character but many. Different perspectives would showcase different characters and all that they did throughout the decade.

Dragon Ball GT was All Ready to Go

Dragon Ball GT ‘s idea was to hand over the mantle to a different generation of heroes, concluding Goku’s story once and for all. The plot was ready and so was everything else. Characters such as Pan and Trunks were meant to be the center of attention, unlike the approach it ultimately took with Goku and Vegeta.

“Content-wise it was thought that the plot would revolve around the exploits of characters such as Pan or Trunks; in other words, the next generation of children.”

The idea wasn’t to make Goku a child and have a new journey, but rather a way to establish other characters as possible protagonists in the future. The series is unfortunately not as appreciated because of the little hand Akira Toriyama had in the making of it.

“Actually I was thinking about having it be white”: Akira Toriyama’s Original Plan for One Super Saiyan Form Would’ve Destroyed Goku’s Ultra Instinct Moment

The premise made Goku a younger version of himself, encompassed by his granddaughter Pan and Trunks traveling around space to get back what he lost.

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Directory: Techniques → Supportive Techniques

Time-Skip ( 時とばし , Toki-Tobashi ) is a technique used by Hit . It is also a technique that very few people can learn and master.

• 2 Variations
• 3 Video Game Appearances
• 5 References

Overview [ ]

Time-Skip is a technique where the user skips time for a tenth of a second, and in that limited time, they are able to move freely. The technique does not stop time however (though some have mistaken it for doing so), [5] and the user's foe will still be able to move, although an unaware opponent will always be caught off guard. However, if the opponent is aware of the technique, they can work to counter it, as the technique is flawed in that user will not know their opponent's movements either. For normal beings a tenth of a second is basically nothing, but if the user of this power has incredible speed, the user will have a greater advantage over his or her opponent. When Hit uses this technique, to outside observers, he disappears the moment he uses it and reappears somewhere else, as he is skipping over that moment.

Hit uses Time-Skip to overwhelm Vegeta

It is explained in the manga that this technique is fully effective on opponents whose power level is near to or lesser than that of the user, otherwise, the amount of time skipped decreases the stronger the foe is. In the manga, while Super Saiyan Goku is stronger than Hit, he is not strong enough to make a noticeable altercation to the Time-Skip length, but by using Super Saiyan God he is able to shorten the duration of the Time-Skip more and more as he powers up, and he becomes immune to the Time-Skip entirely by using Super Saiyan Blue 's full power, because in that form he was too strong for Hit. It is also revealed in the manga that Whis knows how to counter Time-Skip, but did not tell Goku as he wants him to find his own solution as a valuable part of his training, to the frustration of Beerus . Additionally, in the manga if Hit uses his full power he is likely only able to use his Time-Skip one more time during battle due to the stamina drain of his full power.

Goku overcomes the Time-Skip using Super Saiyan Blue

In the anime, Hit improved during the battle, and is able to surpass the tenth of a second limit and upgrade the technique to one-fifth of a second, then eventually half a second while fighting Goku. Goku managed to become immune to its effects using Super Saiyan Blue Kaio-ken . This, however, pushes Hit to further evolve his time manipulation ability to be able to actually freeze his opponent in time while mid-Time-Skip. In the manga Hit notes that if necessary he can increase his Time-Skip beyond a tenth of a second in order to travel further into the future, making it harder for Goku to anticipate his movement.

In the English dub of the anime, when discussing  Delayed Onset Ki Disorder with Goku, King Kai noted that with the X10 Super Saiyan Blue Kaio-ken Goku was able to force his way into the future in order to nullify Hit's own Time-Skip. [6]

In both the manga and anime, the Galactic King shows awareness of the technique and identifies Hit as a user of the technique. This suggests that the Galactic King and/or the Galactic Patrol has encountered the technique at some point before the Tournament of Destroyers . In the manga during the "Future" Trunks Saga , Jaco elaborates that while techniques like Time-Skip allow one to manipulate time, they are not considered a violation of Galactic laws regarding time travel as like the Time Freeze ability of Tokunoshin Omori 's failed Time Machine demonstrated in Jaco the Galactic Patrolman (when Jaco told Omori he wouldn't arrest him as said Time Machine was a failed prototype that could only temporarily stop time) a Time-Skip user cannot use the technique to travel into the past which can lead to the creation of Alternate Timelines which is the main reason why Future Bulma's Time Machine is considered so dangerous. This reveals that at least within the manga's continuity, Hit's use of Time-Skip during the Tournament of Power was not a crime, explaining why the Galactic King and Jaco had no issue with Hit's usage of the technique, as it isn't illegal in Universe 7.

During Hit and Goku's second fight, Vados explains that Hit can store the time he's skipped to create a separate space where he can't be touched. Hit uses this ability against Goku, but Goku manages to destroy the space with his ki and a God Kamehameha .

During the Tournament of Power , Hit uses the Time-Skip to knock Narirama out of the arena and save Caulifla from being knocked out. During the tournament, it is explained that the moment before Hit uses Time-Skip, his entire body tenses up. While engaging Dyspo of Universe 11 , Hit's Time-Skip is completely countered by Dyspo's immense speed, and with his superior hearing that he uses to listen for Hit's muscles vibrating, while his body tenses up to use the technique. However, thanks to his Pure Progress, Hit managed to replicate his body movements used in a normal Time-Skip to produce feints and trick Dyspo, in order to gain an edge on the latter and cover the weakness caused by his vibrations and tension.

Hearts anticipates Hit's Time-Skip

Hit once again uses his Time-Skip against Jiren , but to his and Champa's shock, Jiren is able to expertly predict, and strike Hit where Jiren knows he will be after the time-skip, possibly thanks to his advanced movement analysis. As the battle continues, Hit has adapted to Jiren's technique enough to land a single blow on Jiren, thus trapping him in his Time Prison .

In the anime version of the Universal Conflict Saga , Hit uses Time-Skip against Oren , however the Neo Machine Mutant dodges it using his Data Input .

In the manga version of the Universal Conflict Saga, Hit uses Time-Skip against Hearts , however Hearts anticipates where Hit will attack from and easily avoids the blow.

During the events of the Supreme Kai of Time Saga , Hit syncs Jiren up with his his Time-Skip, allowing Jiren to easily land a decisive blow on Legendary Super Saiyan Broly with Power Rush , defeating the Saiyan berserker.

Variations [ ]

• Icy Glare - Hit looks at his opponent then he quickly uses Time-Skip to assault the opponent and then returns to his original spot. From his opponent's perspective, Hit does not appear to be moving at all.
• Time-Skip/Jump Spike - Hit charges towards the opponent and directly punches them.
• Time-Skip/Tremor Pulse - Hit teleports behind the opponent and kicks them.
• Time-Skip/Flash Skewer - Hit stands in place and punches the opponent directly in the face.
• Time-Skip/Back Breaker - Hit turns around and counters his opponent's attack to land a heavy finish on them.
• Time-Skip/Molotov - Hit's Ultimate Skill where he uses his Time-Skip ability, Hit quickly assaults his opponent with a full-on barrage of punches. If the blows performed during the skipped time hit the opponent, the resulting force applies to the opponent all at once and knocks them away after the Time-Skip ends.
• Time Freeze - In the anime, by improving the Time-Skip ability enough, the user can go beyond just skipping time and can freeze time on an opponent if Hit gets close enough to inflict it upon them during the Time-Skip.
• Tides of Time - A personal subspace using the skipped time stored upon using Time-Skip. Used in the anime.
• Time Prison - Hit's last resort attack where he can freeze anyone or anything in time. Used in the anime.
• Time-Skip/Pulse Beating - Used by Hit in Dragon Ball Heroes .

Video Game Appearances [ ]

• Dragon Ball Z: Dokkan Battle
• Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2
• Dragon Ball Fusions
• Dragon Ball Legends
• Super Dragon Ball Heroes: World Mission
• Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero

In Dokkan Battle , it is Hit's Super Attack .

In Xenoverse 2 , it appears as part of Hit's techniques and, as part of the Super Pack 1 DLC, he can teach them to the Future Warrior . As part of the 1.15.00 Update DLC, Chronoa has special dialogue when facing Hit in battle, during which Chronoa reveals his time skipping is a crime and that she won't stand for it. Hit however tells her that if she gets in his way then she'll face the consequences.

In Dragon Ball Fusions , it is named Time Skip and appears as a Special Move that can be learned by certain characters such as Towa (Lv. 90), Towale , Towane , Ariano (Lv. 100), Kabla (Lv. 99), Litee (Lv. 98), Lullus (Lv. 98), Parm (Lv. 99), Ratopa (Lv. 100), and Toomel (Lv. 99). It can be learned by Female Offworlder Tekka at Level 96. Interestingly Hit doesn't use the Time Skip Special Move which acts as a supportive technique that allows an ally to act immediately and instead Hit uses two variations a supportive counterattack called Time Slip: Sever and a melee rush called Time Slip: Smash .

In Dragon Ball Legends , it is named Time Skip and appears as the Special Quirk Skill Arts for Hit (DBL15-08S) though it adds Flash Fist Crush as a counter that is performed if Hit is attacked with a Tap Attack, Tackle, Tap Shot , Strike Arts, or Ki Blast Arts while in the Time Skip's fighting stance.

• Oddly enough, Chronoa considers Hit's use of Time-Skip a crime if she faces him in battle, despite the fact that there is little danger of his Time-Skip creating alternate timelines or altering history. However, given her understanding of temporal matters, it is possible there is an unknown danger associated with the use of Time-Skip or that it is possible to utilize knowledge of the technique to develop the ability further to travel backwards in time. Alternatively, she dislikes Hit's use of the technique for personal gain due to his occupation as an assassin, which would explain why she had no issue with Patroller Academy Instructor Hit or the Future Warrior's use of the technique as they are utilizing it in support of the Time Patrol.

References [ ]

• ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 Dragon Ball Fusions , 2016
• ↑ Dragon Ball Legends , 2018
• ↑ 3.0 3.1 Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 , 2016
• ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 Super Dragon Ball Heroes: World Mission , 2019
• ↑ Dragon Ball Super episode 104, " A Transcendent Light-Speed Battle Erupts! Goku and Hit's United Front! "
• ↑ Dragon Ball Super episode 43, " Goku's Energy Is Out of Control?! The Struggle to Look After Pan "
• 3 Ultra Ego