As the Human Typhoon draws ever closer to making landfall, the creative team behind Trigun Stampede has not only released a new trailer, but that the project’s divergence from Shirow Nightow’s original manga was inspired by the the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
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This insight into Trigun Stampede‘s direction was provided by Studio Orange producer Kiyotaka Waki and TOHO animation producer Katsuhiro Takei on November 18th during a series-centric panel hosted by the recent Anime NYC fan convention.
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Noting that Vash the Stampede was one of his favorite heroes, Takei – despite claiming that retconning Nightow’s original manga didn’t quite sit right with him – told attendees that Trigun Stampede was inspired by the way “Marvel reworks and reinterpret the storylines of comics for the MCU.”
“Since the majority of anime adaptations aren’t like that wondered if that kind of experimentation was possible in Japan,” he asserted.
Further, Waki revealed his original pitch for the series. Featuring a piece of concept art inspired by the final scene from Trigun Maximum manga, the pitch posited, “The original manga was on-going with the previous anime series. This is the new Trigun, told in a way that’s only possible because the manga has completed.”
“What makes this Trigun different is that the manga is finished, that was the condition Orange made to work on it,” said the producer. “The original production team didn’t have a chance to see the end of the story, but this adaptation is being made with all of it in mind.”
Explaining that Trigun is the story of two brothers with different perspectives on the concept of ‘justice’, Takei then moved to debut the series’ latest trailer.
Focused on the series’ villains, the trailer picks up from the series’ last preview and sees Vash’s (CV: Yoshitsugu Matsuoka – Äs Nödt in Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War) twin brother Million Knives (CV: Junya Ikeda – Joe Kido in the Digimon Adventure franchise) arising from his healing pod.
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From there, the trailer turns to introduce the various members of Knives’ Gung-Ho-Guns gang.
First up is the groups leader and Knives’ dedicated right-hand man, Legato Bluesummers (CV: Kouki Uchiyama – Ruth in The Ancient Magus’ Bride).
Thanks to his sporting of a mysterious and modified arm – presumably Vash’s – it seems this version of the villain is taking inspiration from the original anime rather than the manga.
Next up is Zazie the Beast (CV: TARAKO – Monokuma in Danganronpa 3: The End of Kibougamine Gakuen – Mirai-hen), an unidentified being who acts in mysterious ways with unknown motivations.
Zazie may look young, but he claims that they’ve been observing humans for a long time.
Following Zazie is the brains of the Gung-Ho-Guns, Count Revenant Vasquez – also known as Crewman William Conrad (CV: Ryusei Nakao – Mayuri Kurotsuchi in Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War).
As part of Knives’ plans, Conrad performs horrifying experiments on human subjects in order to breed a new breed of people who can live without depending on substances harvested from the supernatural creatures known as Plants.
Equipped with a spike-coated, sphere-like vehicle, E.G. Mine (N/A) serves as the gang’s wildcard, ready to fly off the handle into a violent rage at moment’s notice.
Notably, instead of using his threads to manipulate his gear, Mine will be using a series of levers to operate various traps and weaponized spheres.
Though brief, we are then treated to our first glimpse of the Gung-Ho-Guns’ ultimate cyborg powerhouse, Gray the Ninelives, who gives a brief tease of his monstrous strength.
Rising after twenty years of hellish training in order to prepare for killing Vash, Money the Gale debuts firing a hailstorm of bullets from his signature chain guns that are so powerful, they can even shoot through buildings and bank vaults.
An unfamiliar face to anime-only fans, the final member of the gang to be revealed is Livio the Double Fang.
Armed with two cross-shaped sub-machine guns appropriately named the Double Fangs, Livio is an assassin from Knives’ devout cult the Eye of Michael who always prioritize the mission over people and only appears in the Trigun Maximum manga.
The Gung-Ho Guns will set their sights on Vash when Trigun: Stampede begins airing in January 2023.
NEXT: Latest ‘Trigun: Stampede’ Trailer Debuts New And Familiar Faces, Features A Noticeable Lack Of Milly