In recent weeks, fans worldwide have been stampeding over to TOHO Animation’s official YouTube channel to catch the latest trailer for Studio Orange’s upcoming reboot of Trigun – and in doing so, have met a slew of new and returning Wasteland faces.
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On October 14th, TOHO Animation and Studio Orange premiered the second official trailer for Trigun: Stampede, therein revealing complete series makeovers for fan favorites Meryl Stryfe and Nicholas D. Wolfwood
The first of Vash’s allies to make their reboot debut in the new trailer, Meryl (CV: Sakura Andou – Legom and Flamingo in Beastars) has undergone a career change in the 14 years since Madhouse first aired their original.
Originally an agent for the Bernadelli Insurance Society who would travel the world in an attempt to stop The Humanoid Typhoon from racking up evermore claims for the company to pay out, Meryl is now a reporter for the similarly named Bernadelli News Agency who is on hunting Vash in order to snag the biggest scoop of her career.
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Next up was new franchise addition Roberto De Niro (CV: Kenji Matsuda – Zebra in Toriko) – not to be confused with the A-list actor Robert De Niro – a drunk, chain-smoking Bernadelli News Agency reporter who travels alongside Meryl as her partner and mentor.
In a major disappointment to longtime fans of the series, it seems that De Niro will be replacing the role originally occupied in both the manga and the first Trigun anime by fan-favorite airhead Milly Thompson.
Though unfortunate, whether or not her absence in this trailer is an indication of her complete lack of an appearance in Trigun Stampede remains to be seen.
The trailer then transitions to finally introduce fan-favorite priest and Vash’s best friend, Nicholas D. Wolfwood (CV: Yoshimasa Hosoya – Shoutarou Hidari in Fuuto Tantei), who is seen walking in the desert with the sand blowing around him, his signature ‘cross gun’, The Punisher, strapped onto his back.
Noticeably, upon seeing a close-up of the priest’s face, it can be seen that Wolfwood’s signature cigarette has been replaced with a lollipop.
The most glaring and offensive change of the Trigun reboot thus far – so much so that some fans have considered it equivalent to the 4KIDS’ notorious censorship of One Piece‘s Sanji – it’s currently unclear as to why this change to one of his most iconic and manga-attributes was made.
RELATED: Trigun Stampede Receives First Trailer, Reveals New Look For Vash The Stampede
As the sun proceeds to cut through the trailer’s shadows, a signature cut of purple-hair can be seen, heralding the unexpected reveal of the right hand man to Trigun’s main antagonist Knives Million, Legato Bluesummers.
In the trailer’s final reveal, a fully-revived Knives Million awakens from his healing capsule as what appear to be feathers flow around him.
Turning to face his estranged twin, Knives then asks a shocked Vash, “Whish side are you on?”
Alongside this trailer, Toho Animation also released a new teaser visual featuring Vash riding a Thomas bird while Wolfwood, Meryl, and Roberto hold on for dear life, the words “Ready, Steady, Roll!!” emblazoned above them.
Trigun Stampede is currently on track to release in January 2023 on Crunchyroll.