History Manga / Trigun

* PaletteSwap: Although he's never appeared in the anime or manga, a variant of Vash with silver hair, pale skin, a black coat, and red eyes has had several official figures released.

* CharacterExaggeration: In the manga, Vash was only a skirt-chaser in the pilot chapter and ''very'' early in the series proper; while he might do just about anything to be silly, he wouldn't harass ladies for kicks. In the anime, Vash becomes a CasanovaWannabe.

* CastFullOfPrettyBoys: In the manga, at least – the only seriously recurring women are Meryl and Milly (who are absent for at least half the story and fairly useless most of the time). Also Elendira and Zazie 2.0 if you count them as female. The anime balances things out more by having Meryl as a viewpoint character for part or all of several episodes, along with single-story girls like Marianne and Jessica[[labelnote:*]] (she actually sticks around longer in the manga, yet has less of an impact on the plot)[[/labelnote]]. All the actually significant characters are still male though.

* AuthorAppeal: All the elaborate cowboy-like outfits and uniforms with all sorts of useless straps and buttons, huge collars, etcc, and the CoolGuns are simply because the creator likes them.

** Nightow has stated he is quite the fan of Creator/LeijiMatsumoto, and it shows with Elendira resembling [[Manga/GalaxyExpress999 Maetel]], complete with briefcase.

A new anime retelling produced by [[Creator/RoughDraftStudios Orange]] entitled ''Trigun Stampede'' premiered on January 7, 2023, nearly 25 years after the original anime's premiere.

* KillAllHumans: Knives and Legato.
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:Wolfwood, [[ItWasHisSled if you didn't know that already]].]]
* KirkSummation: one of Vash's MartialPacifist techniques, consistent with his belief that any criminal can reform.

* CoveredWithScars: Vash, as the girls (and readers/viewers) discover when they walk in on him after a shower. [[note]] The audience already knew about the prosthetic arm thanks to the fight with Monev, but Meryl & Milly were a block away and couldn't see it.]] The scars are his price for trying to save everybody all the time. Of course, what some of those metal bits are doing on him is a mystery. [[RuleOfCool What, does he have some pressing medical need to tack his skin to his spleen?]] Might be subverted due to him being a Plant, but apparently it would use up his energy and turn his hair dark if he bothered to heal wounds like that automatically.[[/note]]

* RecurringExtra: Kuroneko-sama

A new anime retelling produced by [[Creator/RoughDraftStudios Orange]] entitled ''Trigun Stampede'' premiered on January 7, 2023, 25 years after the original anime's premiere.

25 years after the release of the TV series, a new anime project entitled ''Trigun Stampede'' is set to be released in 2023 and would be produced by [[Creator/RoughDraftStudios Orange]].

* AnAesop: Take your pick: [[{{Aesoptinum}} Violence only creates more violence. Non-violence is the key to solving conflicts (maybe)]]. Love thine enemy. HeWhoFightsMonsters. [[GreenAesop "Nuclear" power is bad]]. [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre Regardless of what you've done in the past]], "the ticket to the future is always blank." Respect differences. ...In other words, [[CatchPhrase LOVE AND PEACE!]] Or maybe ViolenceReallyIsTheAnswer.

''Trigun'' began in 1995 as a manga by artist Yasuhiro Nightow, published monthly in the magazine ''Shonen Captain.'' The series ran for 20 chapters (three tankobon volumes) before abruptly going into a hiatus due to the magazine's cancellation in 1997. After this, Nightow became involved in the production of a 26-episode anime adaptation by Creator/{{Madhouse}}, which covered what the manga had gotten to at that point, and then added its own finale to wrap things up. In 1998, the manga found a new home at the Main/{{Seinen}} magazine ''Young King [=OURs=]'' under the new title ''Trigun Maximum,'' running an additional 97 chapters (14 volumes) and reaching its own conclusion in 2008. The manga is licensed by DarkHorseComics, but is currently out of print.

''Trigun'' began in 1995 as a manga by artist Yasuhiro Nightow, published monthly in the magazine ''Shonen Captain.'' The series ran for 20 chapters (three tankobon volumes) before abruptly going into a hiatus due to the magazine's cancellation in 1997. After this, Nightow became involved in the production of a 26-episode anime adaptation by Creator/{{Madhouse}}, which covered what the manga had gotten to at that point, and then added its own finale to wrap things up. In 1998, the manga found a new home at the Main/{{Seinen}} magazine ''Young King [=OURs=]'' under the new title ''Trigun Maximum,'' running an additional 97 chapters (14 volumes) and reaching its own conclusion in 2008.

* FunnyBackgroundEvent: In TheMovie there is a garbage can [[ShesGotLegs with shapely legs and fishnet stockings]] as a background character.

%%* ArmorPiercingSlap: Vash gets one in episode 19. %%ZCE

* TheAce: Vash ''just barely'' avoids fitting this trope ''thanks to'' the fact that he's actually [[StepfordSmiler a completely traumatized individual]] with a borderline SplitPersonality and to the ideological ramifications of his "no killing" policy. (What if he had killed Monev before he went on a rampage? What if he had killed Knives after his StartOfDarkness?)
* ActionGirl: Dominique the Cyclops, but the same can be said for Meryl and Milly. Honestly, pretty much every prominent girl in this series except Jessica counts.
* AdaptedOut / AdaptationalLateAppearance: Milly is nowhere to be seen in the promotional poster and first three trailers for ''Trigun Stampede''. Either she's going to appear later in the series and just revealing her would be a spoiler, or she's been written out entirely.
* ADayInTheLimelight: In anime Episode 14 (chapters 10-12 of the manga), the action centers around Meryl and Milly – lampshaded by Vash once he realizes how little screentime he got.

* AintTooProudToBeg: Vash in an attempt to save Lina. He's also not too proud to strip naked and bark like a dog.

* AnAesop:
** Take your pick: [[{{Aesoptinum}} Violence only creates more violence. Non-violence is the key to solving conflicts (maybe)]]. Love thine enemy. HeWhoFightsMonsters. [[GreenAesop "Nuclear" power is bad]]. [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre Regardless of what you've done in the past]], "the ticket to the future is always blank." Respect differences. ...In other words, [[CatchPhrase LOVE AND PEACE!]] Or maybe ViolenceReallyIsTheAnswer.
** [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking And most importantly, alcohol makes you puke.]]
--->'''Frank Marlon''': ...You drink too much.
--->'''Vash''': I'M SORRY! *heave*

* AllLoveIsUnrequited: The anime has [[spoiler:Meryl's growing love for Vash]], but both versions can have this with Rem.

* AnimationBump: For ''[[TheMovie Badlands Rumble]]''.
** Also, the final episode of the TV series has some beautiful animation.

* AntiHero: Wolfwood, and later [[spoiler:Livio.]]

* AreWeThereYet: At the beginning of Episode 15, Vash asks this because he's forced to literally carry the Insurance Girls to the next town.
* TheArk: The ships that brought people to the planet in the first place.
* ArmorPiercingSlap: Vash gets one in episode 19.

* AssholeVictim: Steve in Episode 17 (the flashback). Pretty much any random townspeople who harass Vash only to fall victim to a major villain later.

* AuthorAppeal: All the elaborate cowboy-like outfits and uniforms with all sorts of useless straps and buttons, huge collars, etc. Also present in Nightow's other work, ''Anime/{{Gungrave}}''. [[http://www.animefringe.com/magazine/02.10/feature/4/1.jpg See for yourself]]. Also, [[CoolGuns guns]].
* AwesomeButImpractical: Meryl carries dozens of derringer pistols under her traveling cape. Since they only carry two shots at the most, she has to throw them away after firing them off and grab fresh ones. After one shootout, Milly has to gather them all up.

* BackToBackBadasses: Vash and Wolfwood.
* BadassAdorable:
** Young Knives. Vash occasionally even grown. The girls periodically.
** It's hard to take Legato seriously when every time we see him, he's eating. Hotdogs, [[SweetTooth cakes, ice cream...]]

** Vash's coat is basically an elaborate red duster, which was inspired by the dusters worn by gunslingers in Westerns. Vash has probably one of the most extreme examples of this trope. In the show's opening and at other times, Vash's coat is shown billowing in the wind looking considerably longer than usual. But then, the RuleOfCool applies here, I guess.[[note]] Also keep in mind that, in Japan, red is the traditional color of the hero. It's explained that Red Geraniums (Rem's favorite) mean "determination".[[/note]]
** Legato's coat counts as well, thanks to the rack of spikes on one shoulder and the human skull on the other.
* BadassTransplant: Anime Only - [[spoiler:Legato's]] MindControl ability is because he has [[spoiler:Vash's arm grafted onto him]]. In the manga, he just sorta has psychic powers because psychic powers.
* BarBrawl: In ''Badlands Rumble'', this scene is a SugarWiki/{{Funny Moment|s}}. People start fighting and are about to start firing their guns...only to realize that ''Vash has taken out all the bullets from their guns''.

* BashBrothers: Vash and Wolfwood . Includes a good spoonful of BackToBackBadasses.
* BeardOfSorrow: In the anime, Vash grows one after he HeroicBSOD's after the incident with Legato during which time Meryl and Milly are taking care of him.
* BerserkButton: Many characters have at least one.
** Knives snaps even harder than usual if Vash contradicts him.
** Murdering innocents is a good way to get Vash to lose it. So is insulting Rem.
** Knives getting hurt is one for Legato.

* OlderThanTheyLook: Vash looks like that he's around 27[[spoiler:, but he is actually [[Really700YearsOld over 100]].]]

* OverlyLongName: Vash's long-winded introduction to Wolfwood:
-->'''Vash:''' I am Valentinez Alkalinella Xifax Sicidabohertz Gumbigobilla Blue Stradivari Talentrent Pierre André Charton-Haymoss Ivanovicci Baldeus George Doitzel Kaiser. Don't hesitate to call.[[note]] Your translation may vary, because wow.[[/note]]

* RapeAsBackstory: [[spoiler:Legato]] in the manga.
* RatedMForManly: Moreso in the hands of Creator/{{Boichi}}.

* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler:Nicholas D. Wolfwood]].
** RedemptionEqualsLife: [[spoiler:With Livio instead, who goes on and lives as a drifter, and probably helping orphans like his old comrade]].

* ThoseTwoGuys: Those two girls, Meryl and Milly, fit the description to a large extent.
* ThouShaltNotKill: Vash believes in not killing, ever. The ramifications of this are explored as Vash [[spoiler:is shown to have been torn to shreds under his jacket from numerous wounds he acquired while winning fights without hurting people.]]
** He got the idea from Rem, who preached this as gospel.
* TimeSkip: After the Fifth Moon Incident (which also marked the point where the manga changed from ''Trigun'' [shonen] to ''Trigun Maximum'' [seinen]), two years pass before Wolfwood manages to track Vash down. The anime version, however, doesn't give a timespan; it's certainly shorter than in the manga, but still several months.

* TrainingFromHell: Vash; Wolfwood; Livio; Monev; Rai Dei hints at this too. Strangely enough, Knives's apparent lack of regular training doesn't reduce his deadliness and muscle mass, because being an {{Ubermensch}} apparently gives you a near-unlimited supply of [[RuleOfCool cool]].
* TransformationTrauma: Vash does not take his involuntary unleashing of his Angel-arm well.
** Meryl happened to be right next to him one time it happened and was psychologically scarred by it. When, later on, Vash sprouts a feather to stop a bullet, she collapses to the ground screaming and backs away when Vash reaches out to her.

* TrueCompanions: Vash, Meryl, Milly, and Wolfwood in the anime (they're not together for very long in the manga).
* TryToFitThatOnABusinessCard: The name that Vash gives to Wolfwood upon their first meeting in the anime. It's quoted elsewhere on this page.
** Wolfwood's WordOfGod middle name is "Dokonokuminomonjawaresumakinishiteshizumetarokakora", which translates as a dig at his constant smoking.

* UngratefulBastard: To appease a bunch of bandits whose leader was posing as him, Vash stripped naked and barked like a dog. Later Wolfwood called the towns people out for mocking him, reminding them of the fact that they wouldn’t be alive if it wasn’t for Vash.
** In the anime, Brad calls out his fellow Ship-dwellers for getting mad at Vash for the Ship crashing when they did absolutely nothing to help him stop it from happening (Brad at least tried).

* UnstoppableRage: Frequent. Vash's is the most impressive, Knives's the most destructive.

** [[spoiler:Knives]].
** Also Wolfwood, Livio, and Legato, for a given value of 'sweet'; they were respectively already bitter, already carrying an EnemyWithin, and already vengeance-driven at the earliest points in their lives we see them, but by comparison they come across as heart-twistingly innocent.
** Vash, by contrast, has forcibly changed as little as possible over the years leaving him ridiculously childish at times. Of course, it's not all genuine.

** The manga has a few chapters with Legato, Knives, Livio etc. as focal characters or even narrators.

* VillainousBreakdown: Happens to quite a few villains, some of whom commit suicide or start W/{{Angst}}ing if they fail.

** Played for [[GallowsHumor gruesome fun]] with Legato's junk food addiction. Never has eating ice cream looked creepier.
** Also creepy in the case of Knives, seen [[SealedEvilInACan hanging around naked in a tube]] and drinking AGlassOfChianti in an oasis in the anime, and playing the organ in bondage gear in his base and [[{{Wangst}} hanging around with a depressed/psychotic expression]] in the manga. Knives might be the laziest, most idle BigBad around, which is bound to make us think he'd be less messed-up if he had a hobby or something.

* ViolenceReallyIsTheAnswer: Wolfwood and Knives both argue with Vash that sometimes you need to get violent, each in very different ways: Wolfwood has verbal discussions about their respective philosophies, whilst Knives tries to brutally force Vash to accept Knives' viewpoint by sending fanatic killers after Vash with the instruction to kill Vash and anyone around him or die trying. Whether or not the series actually ''agrees'' with this philosophy is more ambiguous.
* WeaponOfMassDestruction: This world has two… and they're sentient.
* WeaponTitle: The series is named after Vash's three guns; his silver revolver, his left ArmCannon, and his organic WaveMotionGun.

* WellIntentionedExtremist: Knives; Wolfwood to a certain extent. Wolfwood tends to be heavy on the Well Intentioned and lighter on the extreme, whereas Knives is the other way around.

** The biggest one is probably Episode 12, "Diablo". Up to this point, the majority of the series was basically 'The Wacky Adventures of Vash & Friends'. This episode introduces Legato, and things only get darker from there.[[note]] With the notable exception of Episode 14, "Little Arcadia", which in the original manga takes place ''before'' Legato appears.[[/note]]
** Then there's Episode 24, where [[spoiler:Vash ''kills Legato'' to save Meryl and Milly]].
* WhamLine: Accomplished in anime Episode 6, "Lost July", with a single word!
-->'''Vash:''' ''[-(to [[spoiler:Elizabeth]])-]'' "What's going on? Am I being punished?"\\
'''[[spoiler:Elizabeth]]:''' "I want you dead."\\
'''Vash:''' "Are you after that stupid reward?"\\
'''[[spoiler:Elizabeth]]:''' "[[LittleNo No.]]"
* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: The SEEDS crew just didn't seem to have thought through the possible side effects of constant experimentation on a toddler, and poor Tessla died as a result.
* WhatMeasureIsAMook: Averted. Vash is at ''least'' as concerned with not killing mooks as not killing named characters -- notable in the scene on the Sandsteamer when he misjudged a shot and starts bandaging a random bandit so he won't bleed out. Wolfwood in turn is slightly ''more'' willing to kill named characters on the whole, because mostly the named characters are the ones dangerous enough to be worth the trouble.
* WholeEpisodeFlashback: Episode 17 of the anime, "Rem Saverem".
* WhoNamesTheirKidDude: AerithAndBob accounts for most of these, but… Rem, who names their foster-son ''Knives''? Crazy ninjas, that's who! Pirates! Not pacifist astronauts conspiring to prevent the kid from being dissected by their coworkers! [[MeaningfulName It's like you were asking for it.]] [[note]] It should be noted that watching ''Film/ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld'' for the first time immediately after an episode of ''Trigun'' automatically renders Knives Chau about eight times more hilarious a being.[[/note]]

* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: Legato, Knives; possibly Livio.
* WordSaladTitle: Either justified or debatable for the manga's subtitle: Deep Space Planet Future Gun Action!!!
* WriterOnBoard: Yasuhiro Nightow is a Catholic convert retaining some Buddhist influences by his own admission, and boy does it show.

* {{Yandere}}: Manga Wolfwood can be seen as CuteAndPsycho -- you start suspecting something's wrong, when [[NightmareFuel he turns Grey the Ninelives into minced meat]], with a SlasherSmile. Also, Knives might be a {{Yandere}} for Vash, because nothing is too creepy or dysfunctional for him. Depending on interpretation, Vash might also be CuteAndPsycho.
* YellowBrickRoad: Getting to [[BigBad Knives]].
* YouCantGoHomeAgain: Even bad guys express regret about this, along with nostalgia to more "innocent times".
** Vash and Knives, since their home burned up in Gunsmoke's atmosphere (courtesy of Knives).
** Also Wolfwood, as he finds out when he revisits the orphanage he grew up in.
** Livio angsts about this.
* YouDontLookLikeYou: The version of Vash in ''Trigun Stampede'' has blond hair, yellow sunglasses, and red outerwear, but those are pretty much the only things his design has in common with all other depictions of Vash. Meryl keeps her general hairstyle and color scheme but has a completely different outfit, and Livio has a ponytail and is much scrawnier.
* YoungerAndHipper: The version of Vash, Wolfwood, and Meryl shown in ''Trigun Stampede'' look younger and appear to adhere more to contemporary 2020s fashion trends. Vash now an undercut and his coat has been made into a hoodie. Meryl and Wolfwood's clothes look like everyday outfit you'd see someone wear in real life as opposed to what you'd see in a SpaceWestern. Wolfwood also no longer has crow's feet or sideburns and doesn't smoke anymore. All of the confirmed seiyuu have also been replaced with much younger seiyuu known for more recently popular anime.
* YoungerThanTheyLook: Vash and Knives in both versions of the flashback -- they were a year old when the Fall happened.
** [[spoiler:Wolfwood]] in the manga, although it's somewhat vague exactly how old he is. He's somewhere in his late teens when introduced, and dies before he's reached his mid twenties.

* YouDontLookLikeYou: The version of Vash shown in the trailer for ''Trigun Stampede'' has blond hair, yellow sunglasses, and red outerwear, but those are pretty much the only things his design has in common with all other depictions of Vash.

* NoSmoking: Wolfwood is shown with a lollipop instead of a cigarette in ''Trigun Stampede''.

* AdaptedOut / AdaptationalLateAppearance: Milly is nowhere to be seen in the promotional poster first three trailers for ''Trigun Stampede''. Either she's going to appear later in the series and just revealing her would be a spoiler, or she's been written out entirely.

* AdaptedOut / AdaptationalLateAppearance: Milly is nowhere to be seen in the promotional poster or second trailer for ''Trigun Stampede''. Either she's going to appear later in the series and just revealing her would be a spoiler, or she's been written out entirely.

** The planet's names themselves. While it's generally referred to as "Gunsmoke" in promotional materials (never named in the anime), a name given in the manga is "No Man's Land". For a pure desert planet that's essentially [[RecycledInSpace the Wild West in Space]], they fit.

* AdaptedOut/AdaptationalLateAppearance: Milly is nowhere to be seen in the promotional poster or second trailer for ''Trigun Stampede''. Either she's going to appear later in the series and just revealing her would be a spoiler, or she's been written out entirely.

* YoungerAndHipper: The version of Vash, Wolfwood, and Meryl shown in ''Trigun Stampede'' look younger and appear to adhere more to contemporary 2020s fashion trends. Vash now an undercut and his coat has been made into a hoodie. Meryl and Wolfwood's clothes look like everyday outfit you'd see someone wear in real life as opposed to what you'd see in a SpaceWestern. All of the confirmed seiyuu have also been replaced with much younger seiyuu known for more recently popular anime.

* YoungerAndHipper: The version of Vash shown in ''Trigun Stampede'' looks younger and appears to adhere more to contemporary 2020s fashion trends, he now has an undercut and his coat has been made into a hoodie. All of the confirmed seiyuu have also been replaced with much younger seiyuu known for more recently popular anime.

** Especially notable is the one [[spoiler:Vash and Knives had when they were a year old]]. Their reactions were actually relatively similar, but because [[spoiler:Vash didn't pass out from the starvation]], he was able to work things through and come to terms with it; while [[spoiler:Knives, who went into an angst-coma, pretended to have forgotten]] and then… [[KillEmAll killed everyone]]. At least he felt kinda bad about how many plants were included in 'everyone' later.