How strong are Goten and Trunks in the new Dragon Ball Super arc?

The new Dragonball Super chapter debuted a never before told story which occurs slightly before the Super Hero Movie. And it appears Goten and Trunks are the main stars this time around, which begs the question, just how strong are they?

Dragon Ball Super chapter 88 begins the Superhero arc, which happens a little before the Superhero Movie. The stars of the manga have shifted from Goku and Vegeta to their children: Trunks and Goten, also known as Saiyaman X-1 and Saiyaman X-2.

This makes for a nice change of pace, grounding the manga back to day-to-day Earth activities. But so many Dragon Ball fans are obsessed with power scaling, which then begs the question how strong are the two teens in this new Dragon Ball Super arc?

For those who want to avoid spoilers on the manga, definitely check out the scans on the official Shueisha website.

This discussion will cover many spoiler-heavy topics, focusing primarily on chapter 88 but also references the original Dragon Ball manga, which technically includes Dragon Ball Z.

Goten and Trunks power level in Dragon Ball Super chapter 88

First of all, most Dragon Ball fans know that power scaling has gone out the window to a large degree. People can still discuss who is strong and why they’re strong, which is exactly what will go down here, but all of it can essentially just go out the window at Akira Toriyama’s whim.

Goten and Trunks are likely similar in power levels to each other, as they always have been. As of now, it’s difficult to say which of the two is stronger. But from a die-hard Dragon Ball fan looking in, they appear to be on the same level as Teen Gohan was during the very beginning of the Buu arc when he was essentially nerfed and just playing around in his Saiyaman costume.

Many Dragon Ball fans may be triggered by that, because Gohan had access to Super Saiyan 2 while Goten and Trunks do not. But what Dragon Ball Super has taught us is that those transformations really don’t hold the same prevalence as they used to. And I’m saying the two are Gohan’s level when he doesn’t transform to Super Saiyan 2.

At any point, if they get super angry, I’m sure they could easily gain access to Super Saiyan 2. All it takes is Akira Toriyama’s whim, and a stronger tingly sensation in the back.

Also, we’ve seen Vegeta and Cabba go head-to-head in their base forms in the anime and the manga. Of course, Vegeta ended up completely overwhelming Cabba later by going into a form beyond which his adversary could use. But according to spectators, the two were evenly matched prior. Yeah, anyone could argue Vegeta was holding back, but at that point there’d really be no end to this.

Therefore, I’d make the argument Goten and Trunks are both around teen Gohan’s power level, if not a little stronger. Teen Gohan never trained between the Cell and Buu arc, but Goten and Trunks definitely spar every so often. The two have a rivalry, a little reminiscent of Goku and Vegeta, therefore, it’s unlikely they were as content sitting on their butt as Gohan is.

Funimation and Toei Animation

Goten and Trunks are likely both around teen Gohan’s power level, without Super Saiyan 2

Why their power levels ultimately don’t matter

We just took a solid essay to discuss their power levels, and how strong they are, but ultimately, it doesn’t matter. This new arc appears to bring attention down to Earth, and more day-to-day experiences. It’s essentially a more grounded story, without the fantastical, over-the-top transformations.

Instead, it highlights sides of Trunks and Goten that we’ve never had a chance to see before.

Trunks attempts to win Mai’s love, and desires to live a life outside of the Capsule Corporation. He struggles with a sense of identity, which Future Trunks never had the luxury to do. This version of Trunks has no care for technology, which is a defining trait in the Briefs family, and instead wants to pursue his own passions, whatever that may be.

As for Goten, he was once seen as a simple goofy child who was essentially Goku’s child clone. But this new arc shows his intellect. His on-the-edge thinking is rather similar to Gohan’s, but arguably even more refined. Goten’s quick wit saves Trunks from revealing his identity, a mistake Gohan essentially done goofed the first opportunity he had.

Despite Goten’s developed intellect, an aspect completely void in his father, Goten still has the iconic Goku happy charm. He now feels more like a real character who cares for his friends, rather than a simple copy-paste of the main character.