Įach jump back in time creates a new timeline. Once the time bubble pops in that scenario, the time traveler completely fades from existence. The exception to this is when the time traveler creates a timeline where they no longer exist. Once the time bubble pops, the timelines merge and the time traveler's counterpart from the alternate timeline merges as well, with the new timeline reflecting the time traveler's counterpart's actions in the past, but continuing from the actions of the time traveler in the present and future. The ripple travels backward through time as well as forward, allowing the time traveler to see their own future, before the time ripple catches up to them and the bubble protecting them pops. Traveling behind these changes slows the deterioration of the time bubble, whereas traveling past these changes accelerates it.
Any major changes that would effect the life of the time traveler are slowed, as the time traveler is temporarily protected by a time bubble. This creates a ripple effect in the time stream. These sources combined have provided a detailed explanation for how time travel works in the Back to the Future universe:Įvery time someone travels back in time, a new timeline is created that branches off from the last timeline. This is the extended timeline of the events of the Back to the Future universe, including the animated series, the comics, Back to the Future: The Game, Back to the Future: The Card Game and Doc Brown Saves the World.