Episode 164 of Dragon Ball Z, first broadcast in Japan on November 11, 1992 and titled Ghosts from Tomorrow in Funimation's dub, is almost entirely a memory. As his power climbs past Vegeta's and even Cell's, Trunks thinks back to the future ravaged by Androids 17 and 18 that he escaped from, and Cell answers by telling the story of his own birth. The episode uses just three pages of the manga chapter: everything else is an anime addition.
Summary
Trunks keeps raising his energy until his muscles swell to enormous size. The shockwave is felt all the way at Kame House, where Master Roshi and the others cling to whatever they can, and up on Kami's Lookout. Cell watches the transformation with satisfaction: at last, a show worth his time.
Before attacking, Trunks explains why he cannot lose. In his time, Android 17 and Android 18 killed Earth's fighters one by one: Vegeta, Piccolo, Tien, Yamcha, Krillin and Yajirobe. Cities burn, the army fires in vain, and the androids amuse themselves hunting whoever is left. Humanity's last hope is a grown-up Gohan, who becomes young Trunks's teacher and faces the androids alongside him without being able to stop them. In a memory within a memory, it is Gohan who tells the boy how Goku died, struck down by the heart virus.
Amused, Cell responds with his own version: born in Dr. Gero's underground lab from the cells of the greatest fighters, he developed slowly before emerging, found the time machine and crossed the years to absorb the two androids. Now he can hardly wait for history to repeat itself.
Then the fighting starts, and for the first time the duel is truly even. Trunks even knocks his opponent down, but Cell gets back up calmly. He admits the young man's strength has surpassed his own, yet he is certain he will not lose. Soon, he promises, Trunks will understand why.
Our take
For many fans this is one of the key episodes of the saga, even though it is largely the anime's own invention. Toei had only three pages of manga to work with and chose to fill the rest with something Toriyama had only hinted at: Trunks's future. Burning cities, falling heroes, an adult Gohan with a scar across his face. It is strong material, and it works because it gives real weight to what Trunks has at stake.
It should be read as a story told in the heat of battle by two enemies, though. A few months later, the TV special The History of Trunks (1993) would tell that future differently, and the two versions disagree on several points. This is also the first episode of Z without Goku or Gohan in the present day: they appear only in flashbacks.
Cell's counter-story, also original, is less striking but useful. After many episodes as an absorbing monster, the villain gets to talk about himself, with a smugness that previews the tone of the Cell Games.
Trivia
- It adapts the first three pages of chapter 387. Written by Hiroshi Toda and directed by Kazuhito Kikuchi, with animation direction by Minoru Maeda, it drew an 18.2% share.
- Compared with the special: here Krillin dies at the hands of Android 17 alone, teenage Trunks already carries his sword, Gohan has his scar but still both arms, and Vegeta is the first to fall. Yajirobe appears to die, but Dragon Ball Super later reveals he survived.
- Goku had not missed an episode since the Garlic Jr. arc (which ended with episode 120), while Gohan had appeared in every regular episode since episode 55.
- Funimation's dub first aired on Cartoon Network on November 7, 2000. That broadcast cut the deaths of Tien, Yamcha and Yajirobe, which show them blasted through the torso.
Characters
- Trunks and Cell
- Android 16, watching the fight
- Master Roshi and the others at Kame House; Piccolo and Tien on Kami's Lookout
- In flashbacks: adult Gohan, Androids 17 and 18, Vegeta, Piccolo, Tien, Yamcha, Krillin, Yajirobe and Goku