Trigun Stampede is a reboot of the classic 1990s Space Western anime series Trigun.
Like the original, the series features Vash the Stampede, a pacifist gunslinger. It’s not a sequel, but a complete retelling of the story.
The series deals with heavy philosophical and moral issues. Along with the political philosophy, Trigun Stampede also tells a compelling story as Vash deals with his complicated past. The setting is filled with a mixture of science-fiction and Western themes.
Table of Contents
- Plot
- Setting
- Tirgun Stampede Characters and Voice Actors
- Trailer
Trigun Stampede Plot
Trigun Stampede takes place in the distant future, when mankind has left Earth in search of other planets.
At the very beginning of the anime series, colony spaceships known as Project SEEDS crash land on the planet Noman’s Land.
Some 150 years later, humanity is still stranded on the planet. Noman’s Land is a desolate, sparsely-populated wasteland. It’s only habitable with the help of “Plants,” mysterious beings which humans use to produce energy, food, and water.
After the crash, Vash gains the nickname “the Humanoid Typhoon,” along with a large bounty.
In the first episode, reporters Meryl Stryfe and Roberto De Niro find Vash, in order to write a story about him. This small group is later joined by Nicholas D. Wolfwood, an undertaker who is revealed to be more than he seems.
As the story progresses, it becomes obvious that Vash is not directly responsible for a lot of what he gets blamed for, including stealing and destroying Plants. Instead, his twin brother Nai, a.k.a. “Millions Knives,” is behind a lot of what happens.
Through flashbacks, we learn about Vash’s childhood. Vash and Knives are not human, but independent Plants. They were both raised by the kindly Rem Saverem onboard one of the colony ships. We learn that Knives hates human beings for exploiting Plants, which results in him trying to sabotage the mission.
The story builds up to a final clash between the brothers. Knives’ plan for replacing humanity with Plants needs Vash to switch sides for it to succeed.
Trigun Stampede Setting
The primary setting for Trigun Stampede is the planet Noman’s Land. As the name implies, the planet is a barely habitable and barren wasteland.
For 150 years, the surviving Project SEEDS humans have managed to survive well enough to create various towns and other settlements.
Life on the planet is difficult, desperate, and tough. This contributes to the overall tone of Trigun Stampede, with characters who tend to be pessimistic at best, and desperadoes at worst. It also makes Vash’s idealistic, naive optimism stand out.
The planet has a desert frontier look to it, which adds to the series’ literal “Space Western” motif.
In addition to the humans, the planet also has a native population of Worms. These creatures survived there before the arrival of human beings — and they still want it.
Trigun Stampede Characters/Voice Actors
Vash the Stampede — voiced by Yoshitsugu Matsuoka
Vash the Stampede is a pacifist gunslinger with superhuman abilities. In fact, he is not human, but a humanoid Plant.
As a child, he survived the Project SEEDS crash, which makes him more than 150 years old. However, his appearance is youthful, as is his general attitude.
His outlook on life is idealistic, with a strong aversion to conflict or fighting. Although Vash tries to avoid trouble, it seems to find him — which is one reason for his “Humanoid Typhoon” nickname.
Although he can still act pretty silly, he is frequently less goofy, more melancholy, and more serious in Trigun Stampede than he is in the previous anime.
Young Vash is voiced by Tomoyo Kurosawa.
- Yoshitsugu Matsuoka has voiced Kirito in Sword Art Online, Soma in Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma, and Inosuke in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, among others.
- Tomoyo Kurosawa was Kumiko in Sound! Euphonium, among other roles.
Meryl Stryfe — voiced by Sakura Ando
Reporter Meryl Stryfe is Roberto De Niro’s young journalism partner. As the youngest member of Vash’s group, she’s somewhat naive and inexperienced. She’s also stubborn.
Unlike previous versions of Meryl, Trigun Stampede’s Meryl is largely unarmed (which doesn’t stop her from getting into dangerous situations).
Meryl finds Vash to be a fascinating subject, and quickly sees him as more than a story.
- Sakura Ando was Mami Jindaiji in Happiness Charge Precure!, among other roles. Trigun Stampede is her first major anime voice acting role. (Note: There is more than one Sakura Ando with acting credits.)
Roberto De Niro — voiced by Kenji Matsuda
Reporter Roberto De Niro is Meryl Stryfe’s senior. He’s older, more experienced, and more cynical than her. (Although technically younger than Vash, he acts this way toward him, too.) As a senior reporter, he’s seen a lot, which makes him gruff, but also knowledgable and perceptive. He’s a heavy drinker.
- Kenji Matsuda has had a variety of both live-action and animated roles, including various parts in the Kamen Rider franchise, Bowman in Yu-Gi-Oh! Vrains, and Raizo Gabi in Shuriken Sentai Ninninger.
Nicholas D. Wolfwood — voiced by Yoshimasa Hosoya
Nicholas D. Wolfwood is a shady guy who initially claims to be an undertaker. His true identity is a spoiler, but needless to say, he’s not who he says he is. Meryl nearly runs him over in his first appearance, after which he joins the group for a while.
Unlike the original version, he doesn’t claim to be a priest. However, his giant cross still conceals a large, powerful weapon (a.k.a. the Punisher).
Wolfwood is cynical and often surly. He’s not as laid back as he was in the previous Trigun series, preferring to argue with Vash.
- Yoshimasa Hosoya voiced Fumikage in My Hero Academia, Reiner in Attack on Titan, and Genjiro in Golden Kamuy, among other roles.
Nai/ Millions Knives — voiced by Junya Ikeda
Millions Knives is Vash’s evil twin brother, and the main antagonist in the series. In Trigun Stampede, he acts more intelligent than his brother. As a child, he’s quiet, calm, and logical on the outside.
Early on in the series, he learns to despise humanity for its treatment of the Plants. This hatred twists him with a burning desire to get his revenge.
Noticeably, Knives doesn’t hate his brother, even though Vash sides with the humans. But he wants Vash to see things from his point of view.
Young Nai is voiced by Yumiri Hanamori.
- Junya Ikeda has voiced Jo Kido in Digimon Adventure, among others.
- Yumiri Hanamori is Nadeshiko in Laid-Back Camp, Shizu in That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, and Ryoko in Don’t Hurt Me, My Healer!, among others.
Trigun Stampede Trailer
Trigun Stampede promo video from Toho Animation (in Japanese):
Trigun Stampede Release Dates
The Trigun franchise started with a manga by Yasuhiro Nightow. The original Trigun manga ran in Monthly Shonen Captain from 1995 to 1997.
This was followed by Trigun Maximum. The seinen magazine Young King OURs ran the manga series from 1997 to 2007.
Trigun was adapted to an anime series in 1998. The series had 26 episodes. It was followed by a film, Trigun: Badlands Rumble, in 2010.
The Trigun Stampede anime series started in January 2023. The first season had 12 episodes. In March 2023, the creators announced that the Trigun Stampede story will continue with a “Final Phase” at a future date.
Where to Watch Trigun Stampede
Crunchyroll has Trigun Stampede in a lot of areas, but not in Japan. If you’re in the United States, Trigun Stampede is also available at Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu.
If you’re having trouble watching Trigun Stampede in your country, you may need a VPN.
