List of characters in Trigun
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Histories of characters in the manga and anime series Trigun. Nearly all of the characters have English names, written in katakana in the Japanese editions.
[edit] Vash the Stampede
Adult Vash Voiced by: Masaya Onosaka (Japanese), Johnny Yong Bosch (English)
Young Vash Voiced by: Kouki Miyata (Japanese), Bryce Papenbrook (English)
Vash the Stampede (ヴァッシュ・ザ・スタンピード Vasshu za Sutanpīdo) is the main character of Trigun, also known as The Humanoid Typhoon and Valentinez Alkalinella Xifax Sicidabohertz Gombigobilla Blue Stradivari Talentrent Pierre Andri Charton-Haymoss Ivanovici Baldeus George Doitzel Kaiser the Third, a unique alias he presents to Wolfwood when they first meet. He is the first person to be declared "an act of God" or "a human disaster." He is initially discovered by Meryl and Milly while being chased by some bandits who want to collect the $$60 billion bounty on his head. He escapes and Milly and Meryl eventually learn that this is the person they are assigned to track. Vash the Stampede also has a sad past that involves his brother destroying a whole SEEDs ship with the crew, along with Rem Saverem.
[edit] Nicholas D. Wolfwood
Voiced by: Shō Hayami (Japanese), Jeff Nimoy (English)
Nicholas D. Wolfwood (ニコラス・D・ウルフウッド Nikorasu Dī Urufūddo) is considerably different between the manga and anime versions. In the anime, he is a preacher and an excellent gunman, who in the original Japanese version speaks Kansai dialect. Nicholas and Vash meet in the desert when Vash's bus runs across Nicholas' motorcycle. He proves to be a valuable ally, but sometimes Vash and Wolfwood's philosophies conflict. In the end, he comes over to Vash's way of thinking, even though he was associated with Knives the whole time. Nicholas' purpose is to raise money for children at an orphanage he runs. Wolfwood's weapon is a cross that is kept covered for the most part, but it does pack a mighty punch. One arm of the cross hides six handguns, the other stores the ammunition for the built in machine gun revealed in the long stem side, and the short stem houses a fairly powerful rocket launcher. It is extremely heavy, and it seems that only he, Vash, and Milly are capable of lifting it easily. When asked why it's so heavy he replies,"That's because it's so full of mercy!". He brings himself to Vash's way of thinking at the end of the series, which ultimately leads to his downfall.
[edit] Meryl Stryfe
Voiced by: Hiromi Tsuru (Japanese), Dorothy Elias-Fahn (English)
Meryl Stryfe (メリル・ストライフ Meriru Sutoraifu) and her junior coworker Milly were sent by the Bernardelli Insurance Society to evaluate claims regarding Vash the Stampede. Despite her serious attitude and short temper, she is a good person.
Although she doesn't often fight alongside Vash, she hides many derringer-style "throwaway" pistols under her coat. She once referred to herself as "Derringer Meryl".
Initially, she finds Vash to be a nuisance and dismisses the idea that he is the legendary Humanoid Typhoon. As time passes, she realizes that Vash isn't the villain that he is made out to be nor the buffoon that he presents himself to be. Gradually, she comes to respect Vash and love him deeply.
It is also hinted near the end of the anime that she may possibly be the reincarnation of Rem Saverem. This, however, is not present in the manga, and may have been an independent decision by the producers of the anime. Another source of this belief is through the construction of her name, where as Meryl = Mer-yl = Rem
It is hinted that Meryl has problems involving her family. Early in Trigun Maximum, she celebrates her 23rd birthday, which means she was 21 at the beginning of Trigun.
Meryl is very short, more so in the manga than in the anime.
[edit] Milly Thompson
Voiced by: Satsuki Yukino (Japanese), Lia Sargent (English)
Milly Thompson (ミリィ・トンプソン Mirī Tonpuson) is a fellow Bernardelli agent and friend and assistant to Meryl. Despite physically towering over Meryl, Milly looks up to her and always refers to her as "senpai," or "Ma'am" in the English Version, as a term of respect for a senior.
Although physically very strong, she appears rather simple and ditzy, but has an extremely kind heart and also reveals a strength of character and genuine optimism. However, Milly can be just as hotheaded as Meryl if someone is disrespectful towards their family (or wasting food, especially pudding). She can seem somewhat dim, but she has some amazing skills (chess playing, for one) which hint at a deeply buried intelligence. She does have a tendency to go a bit overboard when drinking.
She seemed to pick up on the fact that Vash is the notorious Stampede before Meryl, but she is apparently still somewhat surprised upon realizing that she was correct. Milly comes from a very large family, and writes letters to them constantly (known as "The Milly Monthly").
Somehow Milly manages to hide a very heavy concussion gun (referred to as a "stun-gun") under her coat. The shots, which pop out into the shape of an X-shaped claw, are so powerful they can even knock over trucks. At one point Milly refers to herself as "Stun-gun Milly".
[edit] Kuroneko-sama (cat)
Voiced by: Satsuki Yukino (Japanese), Bill Timoney (English)
Kuroneko-sama (黒猫様 lit. 'black cat Lord/Lady') is, as her name suggests, a black cat. (Yasuhiro Nightow has said that the cat is female, and he would know: Kuroneko-sama was one of the first characters he created for the manga.) Her formal name is Kuroneko Kukan, or Black Cat Space.
She appears in every episode at least once, usually as a "Where's Waldo?" running joke of popping her oval-shaped, green-eyed head on screen at some opportune moment, uttering a simple "nyaa." Some of her appearances are much more comical in nature. In the first episode of the anime, "The $$60 Billion Man", the audience can see her leering at Meryl and Millie as they enter the bar, and in the episode "Fifth Moon," when Vash is clearing out the city of Augusta, he fires into the air and, to his surprise, the cat lands on his head with a "nyaa" and jumps off. Another running gag involves everyone thinking Vash turns into her. Wolfwood once told him, "Though I know you have many secrets,...I never knew you were a cat......?", uttering an angry "What-the!?" as it was revealed Vash had run off,leaving Wolfwood to pay a restaurant bill. Many viewers missed her appearance in episode 17, contributing to rumors that she is a reincarnation of Rem. In that episode, the cat is frozen in the arms of one of the cryogenically-preserved population. This does, however, lead to questions as to Kuroneko-sama's apparent longevity.
Kuroneko-sama may have some connection with Vash, but that, like her appearances, is a mystery. Many speculate that she is a reincarnation of Rem, who watches over Vash on his journey. After Vash kills Legato late in the series, Kuroneko scratches him (the only violent interaction Kuroneko takes against Vash in the series), seen by speculators as Rem's way of rebuking his decision.
Her appearances in the manga are not nearly as frequent as in the anime, and Nightow has stated that she is just something easy and calming to draw in between action scenes. His most common response to queries as to her nature or significance at anime convention panels is "Kuroneko-sama is a small black cat," stated fully in English. She could also be considered as a regular black cat that brings Vash bad luck wherever he goes.
Kuroneko-sama makes a cameo appearance in Wild ARMs 2nd Ignition. There is also a very similar black cat in the anime FLCL.
[edit] Rem Saverem
Voiced by: Aya Hisakawa (Japanese), Bridget Hoffman (English)
Rem Saverem (レム・セイブレム Remu Seiburemu) was one of the original crew members who intended to populate the planet Gunsmoke for the perpetuation of the human race. She was both a mentor and a mother figure to Vash and Knives when they were children.
On Earth, Rem had a lover named Alex, who had died due to reasons left unrevealed. Vash reminds Rem of Alex, and she cuts Vash's hair in a manner that Alex wore it when he was alive.
Her teachings of love and peace, especially that no one has the right to take a life, have a profound influence on Vash. She taught him that each life is important and can not be given a value lesser or greater than any other life. She dies along with the crew and most of the human ships when Knives sabotages their course, causing all but a few human ships to burn up in the planet's atmosphere.
Rem was a mother figure to Vash. In episode 17, "Rem Saverem," Rem tells Vash about her lost lover on earth, "Alex," and how he had to leave her, Vash says "Are you sad, Rem? Don't worry, you still have me. I will never leave you. I promise because I really love you, Rem." This love is probably an important source of courage for his actions. He pays homage to her by wearing a red coat based on the red Geranium, her favorite flower. She considered the color red a symbol for determination.
As adults, Knives blames her for his brother's softness; Vash blames Knives for the death of Rem. Often Rem is the guiding force for Vash whenever he must face difficult situations; he often speaks to her indirectly both in dreams and during waking daydream-like sequences.
As a child Vash comments for a preview: 'Rem told me that someone she loved died on Earth. She told me she boarded the ship so she could start over. What does it feel like to have someone you love die? I tried thinking of what it would be like if Rem died. When I did, hot water came out of my eyes, and it wouldn’t stop for a long time. Rem, I’ll always be there for you. I won’t leave you alone".
One episode hints that Meryl Stryfe may be a reincarnation of Rem Saverem, given their similar appearance.
The word "rem" in Latin has a plethora of meanings: the most common are "thing", "truth" and "power" (though the word is in its accusative case - the nominative case of it would be "res").
Also, her last name contains her first, and could be read as: "Rem, Save Rem!" Vash's inability to do so leaves him a painful emotional scar.
[edit] Millions Knives
Adult Millions Knives Voiced by: Tooru Furusawa (Japanese), Bo Williams (English)
Young Millions Knives Voiced by: Masamichi Ota (Japanese), Joshua Seth (English)
Millions Knives (ミリオンズ・ナイブズ Mirionzu Naibuzu) is Vash's sinister twin brother and is the real hidden threat on the desert planet. It was Knives, not Vash, who had been responsible for "The Great Fall." He believes that humanity is a plague that must be exterminated because they survive by consuming the plants and all the planet's natural resources. He is doing all this because he is trying to get his brother on his side, as Vash is the only person who can stop him.
[edit] Legato Bluesummers
Voiced by: Toshihiko Seki (Japanese), Richard Cansino (English)
Legato Bluesummers (レガート・ブルーサマーズ Regāto Burūsamāzu) loves death, and devotes his life to making Vash the Stampede experience eternal pain and suffering. He also wears a long white coat, making him synonymous with white, the Japanese color of death. His name, Legato, is an Italian word which means "tied together" a reference to his wire based attacks. Also, in Latin, "Legato" means "ambassador" or "messenger". Legato is also a musical tempo term for smooth and connected notes, much like his manner of speech.
In the anime, he is a modified human and the leader of the Gung-Ho Guns. He was recruited by Knives after the July incident to make Vash's life a living hell, though the nightmare doesn't really begin until about midway through the series. From that point on, this man continues to weave a living nightmare for Vash, not only on his own but also through the gang of eleven superpowered killers who are under his command: the Gung-Ho Guns. His strong resonance with Vash actually stems from the fact that Vash's left arm is grafted onto him. Legato's psychic abilities are most likely from the arm graft. He can force his victims to do anything he wishes through telepathic control. He sees Knives as a god and, like Knives, sees humans, even himself, as trash to be exterminated. Despite this, he remains calm and polite in his dealings with other humans, if not defending himself from attacks (for instance, from the Roderick thieves).
Legato forces Vash to kill him by using his powers to threaten Milly and Meryl. Legato thus becomes the first person that Vash ever consciously and willfully killed, fulfilling his promise to "make Vash the Stampede suffer eternal pain".
In the manga, he is a servant of Knives separate from the Gung-Ho Guns, and due to his "technique", he is able to exercise considerable authority over them, even taking command while Knives recovered from the July incident. He gives Vash a coin case and each of the 12 Gung-Ho Guns a coin, and tells Vash that if he collects all twelve coins "something interesting will happen." His body is crushed and his neck twisted one hundred eighty degrees by Knives for trying to kill Vash, and also earns some of Knives anger for using the Gung-Ho Guns for his own purposes (the coin game). Legato is consequently restricted to a coffin-like container which is carried by a mysterious, gigantic, lipstick-wearing ogre. When this ogre is killed by Elindira the Crimsonnail, Legato gains a new coffin with metal appendages that allows limited movement.
Where the anime version of Legato controlled humans through telepathy, manga-Legato's "technique" entails the usage of thousands of special metal threads leading from his medulla oblongata and out a skull-shaped dispenser attached to his left arm in a spooled state. When released the threads transmit electricity to control his victim's muscles. The threads themselves are only a few molecules thick and are long enough to ensnare and enslave an entire town.
In the manga Legato came into Knives' service at age 16. He was a sex slave at the time. Legato created his technique during this time and practiced it in secret, using it to keep others from hurting him. He planned to use his technique to kill everyone in the town but was discovered before he could try. Legato was inadvertently 'rescued' by Knives, who decided to wipe out the town just as he was about to be raped and then executed. His survival appears to be a fluke; when Knives noticed him, he remarked that he didn't intend to leave anyone alive. Legato walks over to Knives - who promptly tried to kill the young man with his Angel Arm. The blade streaked toward Legato's throat, but Legato succeeded in manipulating Knives himself, stopping the blade just short of beheading him. Legato then fell on his knees, begging Knives: "..... At your side...Please, I only wish that you would permit me to remain at your side." As a testament to this new devotion to Knives, the figure that released him from his horrific life as a slave, Legato relaxed his control, in essence allowing Knives to decapitate him as a gesture of subservience. Impressed, Knives flexed the blade away. When Knives asks for Legato's name, he revealed that he had none. Knives gave him his new name as a gesture of his subservience to him.
Legato regained the ability to walk and move freely outside his coffin by using his own thread technique to force himself to move when he sensed Knives was about to be killed by Zazie the Beast. Legato also demonstrated in a recent battle with Vash that he could not only walk but display acts of tremendous strength and speed by using his technique to force his body beyond its natural limits.
Wanting a fairer fight with Vash, and seeking to prove himself to Knives, he revealed to Vash that the coin case he gave him can actually become a device which can block his wires' electrical flow when filled with all twelve coins. With his powers blocked, he fights Vash with a gigantic wrecking ball-like weapon and a handgun. In the end, he is defeated by Vash's power, which manifests as an automatic defense system, or "wings," that slices up anything within a certain radius of his body, independently of his will. Lacerated, and having lost both his weapons and a lot of blood, Legato accepts defeat, and commands Vash to shoot him, ending his life. When Vash refuses to do so, Legato reproves Vash by telling him he is insulting the life in which Legato has led by refusing to pull the trigger and threatens to kill all of his friends and the townfolk nearby by using his thread technique. Legato tells Vash his conviction is simply childish in the end, he chides him for not knowing that he could only be a saint in his dreams and finally pushs him to shoot, ending his life.
In the anime, he is often seen eating in restaurants, very slowly, calmly and creepily. He isn't fazed by anything while he dines, even when his fork is shot out of his hand.
[edit] The Doctor/William Conrad/Count Revnant Vasquez
William Conrad, alias The Doctor, appears only in the manga, but is mentioned in an early episode of the anime.
The Doctor first appears during the Fifth Moon incident. It is he who comes up with the plan of synching Knives' remains to the plant in order to resurrect him.
Later, it turns out that this Doctor is really William Conrad, a crewmate of Rem who argued with her against the terrible experiments performed on Tessla. When Knives releases the crew, Conrad lags behind and actually meets Vash and Knives on the Ship. After a quick talk with Rem, he returns to cold storage, promising to keep his silence.
After the crash landing on Gunsmoke, he takes on the assumed name of Revnant Vasquez and uses his vast knowledge of Plant mechanics (he was an engineer on the Ship) to amass a fortune in July City. However, Knives tracks him down and forces him to serve him as a scientific adviser. Conrad, fascinated by Knives, and suffering lingering guilt over Tessla's gruesome fate, reluctantly agrees. Knives fakes Conrad's death and arranges circumstances to implicate Vash. The murder charge appears on the Wanted poster that opens the manga.
Conrad helps Knives to gain greater control over his abilities, and examines Vash after his capture in July. There, he discovers that Vash's powers far exceed Knives' own. Frightened by such tremendous potential, he tries to warn Knives of the danger, but Knives still goads Vash into firing the shot that levels July.
Both he and Legato escape death, and the two of them manage to pick Knives' broken body from the rubble. After Knives' resurrection, Conrad continues to serve Knives as an adviser and a scientist. However, he remains a reluctant ally and, plagued by guilt over betraying humanity, reserves one crucial piece of information.
Eventually, he and Knives witness the horrible death of a Plant at the hands of human beings determined to get "one last run" out of it. Knives goes berserk, slaughtering the engineers in his fury, before the loss of power hits him, doubling him over and turning part of his hair black.
The Doctor, looking on, calmly informs him that this is a sign that his power is running out, and that continued use of it will continue to turn his hair black, before it causes his body to break down, just the way the Plant died in front of them. Knives furiously realizes that the Doctor has been counting on his power loss all along, something only he knew, and had learned from the death of Tessla.
Conrad tries to talk Knives into putting aside his hatred and living like a normal person, promising to stay by his side and help him if he does. However, when Knives learns that Vash's hair is also darkening, he kills Conrad in a fit of rage, finally releasing the poor man from his service.
William Conrad much resembles Patrick Stewart, who plays Captain Jean-Luc Picard. How he managed to live nearly a hundred years is unstated, though his capsule may have survived the Big Fall and been unfrozen later.
[edit] The Gung-Ho Guns
The Gung-Ho Guns (ガンホーガンズ Ganhōganzu) are a group of assassins assembled by Knives to cause great pain to Vash the Stampede. Each one is human, (Excluding Grey the Nine-Lives, in the anime, who is actually an android,) but has sacrificed their humanity in order to gain power, often leaving them mutilated. The exact makeup of the Gung-ho guns differs between the manga and the anime, as not all the characters had been revealed in the manga when the anime was being made.
Each Gung-Ho Gun has an assigned number, but not all numbers are revealed. They also carry half a coin (excluding Elendira). Vash received a case with twelve halved coins from Legato, who told him that if he collected them all something would happen. In the manga three spots in the Gung-Ho Guns are always reserved for members of the priest/assassin cult "the Eye of Michael". (In the anime they are sometimes referred to as demons.)
[edit] Notes and references
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This article does not cite any references or sources. (May 2007) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
[edit] External links
- Page on Trigun characters by sumire, including quotes from a Nightow interview in Puff magazine.
- Sumire' Nightow Interview
| Trigun |
|---|
| Media |
| Manga • Anime • Trigun: The Planet Gunsmoke |
| Characters |
| Vash the Stampede • Millions Knives • Nicholas D. Wolfwood • Gung-Ho Guns |
