Trunks' Time Machine Coordinates

[Emmeth]

What was the reason behind Trunks' coordinates being set to 4 year before the events of the Androids/Cell? 1 year before Freeza and Cold came to Earth even.

 

[Papasmurf]

Retardation.

 

[Emmeth]

Retardation.

Thanks for this pointless answer.

 

[Papasmurf]

It is just an idiotic plot hole though. Cell says he just pushed the button to start the time machine and didn't adjust the coordinates, yet he arrived 4 years earlier than the date Gero would send any of the androids out.

 

[Captain Cadaver]

Basically what Kenshi said. There's no in-series way to justify it beyond Trunks interacting with the past changing events significantly, which is little more than Toriyama's excuse for the plot holes and retcons in this arc, as well as showing he doesn't really understand how the Butterfly Effect works.

 

[withheldforprivacy]

I think Trunks hadn't adjusted the coordinates yet when Cell killed him and Cell going to that time was a result of the bio android pressing buttons at random.