Future Trunks’ power level rose to new heights in Dragon Ball Super. The adult version of Vegeta and Bulma’s son has thus far defined two of Dragon Ball’s biggest arcs. Years after setting in motion the battle with Perfect Cell and the androids, Trunks recruited Goku and Vegeta for the fight with Goku Black and Zamasu in Dragon Ball Super.
Despite living in a different time period, Future Trunks has certainly received his fair share of the action in the anime. The character made a huge first impression when he effortlessly disposed of Frieza, who was then considered Dragon Ball Z’s most powerful villain. Since then, his team-ups with the Z-Warriors have seen him take part in dramatic showdowns with Cell, Goku Black, Zamasu, and Fused Zamasu. Not unlike Goku and Vegeta, Trunks has benefited greatly from the grueling battles he’s experienced over the years.
How his fights in the anime have played out shed light on how powerful he is and where he fits on Dragon Ball’s power scale. In his first appearance, he was second only to Goku, but those days have long since passed. When he returned to his own time, he was behind Goku, Vegeta, and Gohan. His return in Dragon Ball Super confirmed that though he did grow stronger in his absence, he wasn’t able to keep in pace with the top two Z-Warriors. His shock at seeing Goku’s Super Saiyan 3 form and inability to contend with it showed that he had yet to progress to Goku’s level in the Buu Saga. That changed tremendously during his Dragon Ball Super arc, which ultimately put him just below the power levels of Goku and Vegeta’s Super Saiyan Blue forms.
Though Trunks was worlds away from the two for most of the story, gaining the Super Saiyan Rage transformation narrowed the gap significantly. How close he came was proven by his ability to destroy Fused Zamasu’s body, which was a feat that even Vegito couldn’t accomplish. As a result, Trunks became the third strongest hero. However, it’s unclear if he still holds this title. After his departure, both Gohan and Android 17 succeeded in challenging Super Saiyan Blue Goku. In light of those developments, each of these characters could be a match for Super Saiyan Rage Trunks.
While it’s hard to say definitively if Trunks could beat Gohan or 17, the situation with all the other Z-Warriors in the Dragon Ball anime is much less ambiguous. Piccolo, Majin Buu, and all of the show’s human heroes fall short of Future Trunks’ power level in Dragon Ball Super. With his strength, he’d easily be one of Goku’s strongest allies if the anime ever finds a way to bring him back into the picture. As long as he can still access the Super Saiyan Rage state, there are few characters in Dragon Ball’s world capable of posing a threat to him.
