Trigun Stampede (2023): A Refreshing Revival
*Slight spoiler warning*
As the Spring 2023 anime season comes to a close, there is one show left on the minds of many—a reboot of a well-beloved late-1990s manga, Trigun, known as Trigun Stampede. Trigun was an action-packed story created and illustrated by Yasuhiro Nightow, released in Apr. 1995, and concluded in Jan. 1997, focusing on the escapades of a pacifist outlaw.
Since its creation twenty-eight years ago, Trigun has made several appearances under different animation studios and directors: Trigun (1998) is a 26-episode television series animated by Madhouse and directed by Satoshi Nishimura, written by Yōsuke Kuroda and produced by Shigeru Kitayama. Trigun: Badlands Rumble (2010) is a feature-length movie directed by Satoshi Nishimura and produced by Madhouse. Finally, the most recent Trigun Stampede (2023) is an ongoing 12-episode series animated by the animation studio Orange and directed by Kenji Mutō. These three iterations tell a unique story, but the one that shines brightest is the most recent version of the manga, Trigun Stampede (2023).
The story of Trigun Stampede (2023) focuses on the beloved character Vash the Stampede and his escapades through the science-fiction-inspired world he occupies. This is a journey through a world reminiscent of Star Wars’ Tatooine or the video game series Borderlands—a harsh desert ravaged of all resources, acting as the medium for warning the audience of our society’s current path.
The world Vash the Stampede finds himself in is called “Noman’s Land,” a barren planet containing all sorts of terrifying creatures lurking below the sand. On this planet, human refugees initially fleeing Earth due to a mysterious malfunction are left stranded to pick up the pieces. These refugees survived for decades off of the utilization of plant life, harnessing the energy from a single plant to power an entire settlement. Generations later, they struggle in the ever-worsening conditions of their surroundings.
This world’s emphasis is on plants, specifically the utilization of plants for human gain without remorse to the plant life squandered in the process. The story thus tells a larger ecological message about the drawbacks of overindulging in natural resources and humankind’s hubris. What is unique about this premise is its execution. Through the guise of being a stereotypical action-centric anime, this story can explain the depraved nature of the citizens of “Noman’s Land” and the results of humanity’s downfall passively through action sequences.
Outside of Trigun’s fascinating world, the characters contained within this story, though initially seen as stereotypical archetypes of anime characters, are some of the strongest leads I’ve seen. This mainly applies to Vash the Stampede in addition to a secondary character, Nicholas D. Wolfwood. These are two characters with similar backstories; they are both genetically modified organisms meant to carry out one function, but have in turn disregarded their “programming” to live the lives they want for themselves. This results in two sympathetic and engaging leads that will hold the attention of all who see them on screen.
The world and characters of this story are like nothing ever seen within the Trigun series, and that is due to the extensive treatment they receive. The first two iterations of Trigun focus on completing the narrative, going from point A to B as fast as possible and leaving out anything that aids this goal.
This recent version does the opposite, taking its time with the story in order. The first twelve episodes of Stampede act as a prelude to all events following the main series, shining light on many aspects fans initially wanted to see. This is due to the involvement of Yasuhiro Nightow, the creator of the series. Together, Yasuhiro Nightow, studio Orange, and director Kenji Mutō aimed to finish and finalize the series with this television show, allowing the mangaka to correct or fix anything he saw fit. This provides life to the series that has been absent in all other variants, allowing the story and characters to feel as intended, and allowing Nightow to create his version of each character.
You can find Trigun Stampede (2023) streaming on Crunchyroll, Hulu, or Amazon Prime. Everything in this show works to a tee and feels like the ultimate edition of the manga released almost three decades ago. This show is engaging through and through, and I promise you—it will be well worth your time by the season’s end!