New screenshots of Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero, the next game in the beloved Budokai Tenkaichi series, confirms more characters coming to the hotly-anticipated 3D fighting game. Among its ranks of super-powered heroes is Dragon Ball Z’s oft-forgotten Saiyan warrior, Future Gohan.
NEW SPARKING ZERO CHARACTERS! Beerus, Whis, Gohan, Videl, Future Gohan, and Trunks (Sword) https://t.co/nq0u2ns8un
— SLO (@SLOplays) April 16, 2024 V-Jump magazine’s Sparking Zero screenshots, later shared on X/Twitter with fan translations, confirmed Future Gohan among five other playable characters bolstering the upcoming arena fighting game’s ever-increasing roster. As of the time of publication, Sparking Zero now has 42 playable characters. Here’s the list of the other heroes coming to Sparking! Zero:
- Beerus
- Whis
- Gohan (Adult)
- Videl
- Trunks (Sword)
Although Future Gohan is among the likes of other popular Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super characters like Trunks and Beerus, his presence supersedes that of Sparking Zero’s admittedly expected playable characters as far as DBZ fans are concerned. Part of why Future Gohan in Sparking Zero is blowing fans’ collective minds is thanks to the limited-yet-impactful amount of screen time he got in the series canon.
Future Gohan first appeared in the Dragon Ball Z special, The History of Trunks. In it, he and Trunks serve as humanity’s last line of defense after Android 17 and Android 18 massacred the rest of DBZ’s cast of heroes. Design-wise, Future Gohan distinguishes himself from other iterations of the character because he fights with only his right arm. Famously, Future Gohan lost his left arm protecting Trunks during their desperate battle against the cyborg duo.
Although Future Gohan has made appearances in other Dragon Ball games like Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, his character model had both of his giant arms still attached to his body. This in turn led to the creation of a humble PC mod whose sole purpose was to “chop off Future Gohan’s useless broken arm.” Going off V-Jump’s screenshots, Future Gohan’s character model will do battle with one arm, much to the adulation of diehard fans.
Limited screentime aside, Future Gohan’s death is most remembered among fans as the emotional push that led to Future Trunks turning Super Saiyan for the first time.
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero launches on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. Although it does not have a release date, be sure to check out our feature breaking down seven details you might have missed from its Goku vs Vegeta Rivals trailer.
Isaiah Colbert is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow them on Twitter @ShinEyeZehUhh
