Goku Black Conflict

Lore & Background

The conflict is unique for its exploration of the 'Future' timeline as a distinct reality that can be altered but not easily saved. The villain's transformation into Super Saiyan Rosé represents a visual and thematic shift, blending the golden hue of Saiyan power with the divine purple of the gods. This arc also introduces the concept of Zeno, the Omni-King, whose absolute authority ultimately dictates the fate of entire universes, highlighting the fragility of existence in the face of supreme cosmic power.

In Their Own Story

The air in the ruined city tasted of ash and old blood. Future Trunks tightened his grip on the sword, his knuckles white against the hilt. Before him stood the figure that haunted every nightmare: a man who wore Goku's face but moved with the cold, calculated grace of a deity. 'Your time is up,' the impostor whispered, his voice a chilling echo of the hero Trunks once knew. The sky above turned a violent shade of crimson as energy began to swirl around Black's hands, not gold and blue, but a terrifying, glowing rose.

Reader's Guide

The arc begins when Future Trunks encounters Goku Black in the desolate remains of his timeline, where all humanity has been wiped out by a virus. Black reveals he is Zamasu from another universe who used the Time Ring to inhabit Goku's body after killing him. Trunks teams up with present-day Goku and Vegeta to stop the threat, but they are initially overwhelmed by Black's divine power and his new Super Saiyan Rosé form. The villain systematically erases timelines, forcing the heroes to fight a losing battle as allies fall one by one. The conflict escalates when Zamasu attempts to fuse with himself using the Potara earrings, creating a being of unimaginable power known as Fused Zamasu. This entity nearly destroys the timeline before Goku and Vegeta are forced to use the Super Saiyan Blue Kaio-ken technique in a desperate final stand. Ultimately, the arc shifts the series' trajectory by introducing the Omni-King, who erases all timelines affected by Black's actions. This event resets the future but leaves a permanent scar on the characters, emphasizing that even gods can be flawed and that time travel has catastrophic consequences.

Did You Know?

• Zamasu is spelled 'Zamas' in Viz Media's English localization of the Dragon Ball Super manga.
• Goku Black first appeared in the forty-seventh episode of the Dragon Ball Super anime, which aired on June 12, 2016.
• The Super Saiyan Rosé form was explained in the anime as Goku Black's version of Super Saiyan, equal to Goku's Super Saiyan Blue form in power level.
• In the manga, Goku Black's hair turns bright pink due to Zamasu's status as a deity.
• James Marsters, who played King Piccolo in Dragonball Evolution, did not confirm he was the English voice actor for Zamasu until a Fan Expo Canada event in October 2021.