Sometimes nerd dreams do come true. And our most recent dream to come to life is the upcoming adaptation of Yasuhiro Nightow‘s Trigun series. Crunchyroll recently announced that the futuristic space western is getting a new anime adaptation. The first adaptation was released by Madhouse in 1998 and took western audiences by storm. Vash the Stampede’s comedic humor, the serious tone of the events, and his devastating backstory place help round out this story. With the new series around the corner, we couldn’t help but reminisce and re-watch the original and talk about what we love about it.

DISCLAIMER: This list is packed with more spoilers than donuts consumed by Vash on any given day. If you haven’t had the pleasure of enjoying this series, we highly suggest checking it out first and then coming back.

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Vash’s Views On Love and Peace

Vash screaming about how the world is made of love and peace.

Vash in Trigun.

We couldn’t kick off a list of our favorite things about Trigun without talking about the series’ main character – Vash the Stampede. Poor Vash just can’t catch a break in the series as bounty hunters worldwide are tracking him down all for a chance at his $$60 billion double-dollar bounty. However, Vash is just a big goofball who spouts how the world is made of love and peace. But his reputation isn’t without warrant. When pressed to act, Vash is one hell of a gunman willing to lay down his life to protect everyone—even playing the role of a bad guy just to empty a town to protect them all.

Meryl’s Plight

Meryl handing a box a donuts to a man who she thinks is Vash while Milly hides behind her.

Meryl and Milly in Trigun.

Meryl is one-half of the Bernadelli Insurance Society girls who follow Vash around to protect the world from his onslaught of terror. She is quick to write off that Vash is really the feared gunman until they are faced with the honest truth that the weirdo in red is, in fact, the legendary outlaw. Her banter with Vash will have you laughing so hard you will cry. You think that Vash has it bad. Just wait until you have to watch Meryl try to make sure he doesn’t blow up an entire town trying to save it. And while Trigun isn’t a romance anime, the growing connection between the two will have you rooting for them until the very end.

Milly’s Optimism

Milly eating a dessert with a big smile on her face.

Milly in Trigun.

The second half of the Bernadelli Insurance Society and the best big sister ever is Milly Thompson. She may come across as the brawn to Meryl’s brains, but this girl can be smart when she wants to. But that isn’t what makes her one of our favorite characters. Milly is passionate, kindhearted and always optimistic. One critical moment is actually during the first episode I ever watched (because before streaming, you had to catch them when they aired, and if you were late to a series, you watched it out of order) where Milly sneaks a girl out of the caravan. She is willing to sacrifice herself to ensure this poor girl isn’t sold into slavery. She even stands up to Vash when she believes he is working alongside the bad guys.

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Vash’s Tragic Tale

Vash crying.

Vash in Trigun.

We won’t drop any major spoilers here because this is a backstory best learned throughout the series. But know this – it is tragically fantastic. The mystery behind Vash’s past is something that weighs heavy on the character as he struggles to even remember the events that led to him being the most dangerous outlaw. It also plays heavily into the overall world as well. The more we learn about how Vash’s past, the more we learn about the world they are living on too. It might seem like you have this whole story figured out, but the further along the series goes, the better and more twisted it gets.

A Colorful Cast of Villians

Dad Nebraska sitting in his son's giant shirt pocket.

The Nebraska Family in Trigun.

We won’t spoil the big bad of Trigun, but I can’t think of a list of my favorite things about the series without talking about the bad guys Vash and the others face along the way. The Gung-Ho Guns is a group of elite assains brought together with the sole purpose of killing Vash. And try as they might; they just can’t seem to get the job done. But they aren’t just a group of bad guys. Each has their own complex stories that play into who they are as adults and how they chose to face off against Vash. Outside of the gang, Vash also faces off against some pretty epic bad guys like the Nebraska family.

The Vash and Wolfwood Bromance

Wolfwood smoking and carrying Vash on his shoulder.

Wolfwood and Vash in Trigun.

I love when two people with very different opinions on things become friends. And the way Vash and Wolfwood choose to handle their situations couldn’t be further on the spectrum. Vash follows a life of peace (and love) and tries to handle all his situations without his gun, while Wolfwood is pretty trigger-happy. But one thing they both have in common is that they will do anything to protect people who need it. Like joining in on a dueling competition to win the money to keep a mother’s restaurant open. Watching those two in the final duel is one of the best moments in the anime.

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