History Recap / TrigunStampedeE05ChildOfBlessing

* KidnappedForExperimentation: As Rollo goes to the church, the Eye of Michael appears and quickly sedates him. Rollo is then put through hell via Conrad's experimentations for the next few years. Transforming the young boy into Monev the Gale.

* MadnessMantra: Monev only growls and yells out "Vash the Stampede" once he catches sight of Vash. Vash and the viewers find out that Monev was once a boy named Rollo that Vash failed to save, after he promised he'd be there for the boy.

* PleaseWakeUp: Vash begs this of Monev after Wolfwood shoots him, anguished over his failure to protect the boy he once knew.
* SayMyName: Once his experimentation begins, Rollo starts screaming in pain and crying for Vash. Hoping the man who'd promise to save him if God couldn't, would appear and help. Unfortunately, Vash never makes it, leaving Rollo bitter and resentful as Monev the Gale. Vash's name is the only thing Monev is able to say in present day.
* StrappedToAnOperatingTable: The fate of the sacrifices is to be subjected to forced drug regimens and cyborg alteration that gives them great strength and regenerative powers, but in Rollo's case render him barely cognisant with rage.
* SuperSerum: The drugs that turn Rollo into Monev and allow him to heal after Wolfwood peppers him with gunfire. Not coincidentally, this episode has Wolfwood use his healing vials for the first time on screen, handily explaining how he was fine minutes after getting sideswiped by a truck.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: The DJ host for this episode preaches about two angels reuniting and creating a bridge of light that will lead everyone to "the land of God". This is both a strong hint that cult is Knives's doing, and a rough summary of this season's finale.

* DistinguishingMark: Rollo has a large birthmark over his left eye. He still has this mark as Monev, hammering home that this once innocent child has been turned into a monster.

* Foreshadowing: The DJ host for this episode preaches about two angels reuniting and creating a bridge of light when they do. This ends up summarizing what happens in the season finale 1 episode of ''Stampede''.

* GhostStory: Roberto recounts a ghost story to Meryl about a huge monster who destroyed a town, then jokingly asks if that "chilling" story cooled her down from the heat. Turns out that Monev may have inspired those tales.

* FutileHandReach: When Monev get shot through the head, Vash yells Rollo's name and reaches out for him, but even if he had made the catch it's obvious there was nothing he could do.

* DramaticIrony: Despite Vash's best efforts to save Rollo, his death as the "sacrifice" ends up bringing back the wind the now dead town so desperately needed those years ago. Rolo tried to flee his role as the sacrifice, yet still became one in the end.

* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: Once Monev dies, the wind begins to blow after what looks like a long period without it, causing the power to run again. It could be coincidence, or it could be that Rollo was indeed the right sacrifice to bring blessings to the town.

* ApocalypseCult: The Eye of Michael tells its followers to "praise death" because those who die go to heaven, and takes children from its followers as {{Human Sacrifice}}s to God, who brings blessings in exchange for devouring the children. In truth, Doctor William Conrad uses the sacrifices as subjects in his experiments, and the god they worship is Knives.

* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: After Monev dies, the wind begins to blow after what looks like a long period without it, causing the power to run again. It could be coincidence, or it could be that Rollo was indeed the right sacrifice to bring blessings to the town.

* ApocalypseCult: The Eye of Michael tells its followers to "praise death" because those who die go to heaven, and takes children from its followers as {{Human Sacrifice}}s to God, who brings blessings in exchange for devouring the children. In truth, Doctor William Conrad uses the sacrifices as subjects in his experiments.
* BornUnlucky: Rollo was born on a windless day, a sign of bad luck in a village that depends on windmills for power. He is terminally ill and then chosen as a subject for torturous experiments before he can even die of his disease.

* MadeOfIron: Monev should reasonably have broken Vash's spine after slamming him into the wall while strangling him, but Vash suffers no worse than a few cuts and bruises -- further proof of his inhuman nature.

* NeckLift: Monev picks Vash up by the throat and viciously slams his shoulders into a wall hard enough that the metal bends. It's astonishing that Vash is even conscious enough to speak afterward.

On the way to July and now accompanied by Wolfwood, Roberto, Mery and Vash enter an area where the sand is a curious shade of red. They stumble across a village that once ran without a Plant, but has been deserted for some time. Investigating, they run afoul of the berserker mutant known as Monev the Gale, who's made the place his home and seems strangely fixated on Vash, constantly screaming his name. Vash, for his part, clearly knows more about the situation than he's initially willing to disclose.

* NeckLift: Monev picks Vash up by the throat and viciously slams his shoulders into a wall hard enough that the wall cracks. It's astonishing that Vash is even conscious enough to speak afterward.

* EmptyPromise: Years ago, Vash came to the village and helped find Rollo after he ran away from home in fear of being sacrificed. Vash promised that if Rollo needed him, he'd be there to help -- but wasn't there to stop Rollo being mutated into Monev the Gale. Wolfwood brutally calls Vash out for this, telling him the wrong is his for breaking the promise.

* MercyKill: As Vash is trying to talk Monev/Rollo down, Wolfwood shoots the mutant through the head just when it seems Vash might be getting through. His explanation is that even if Rollo had remembered himself, it would have been torture to let him live in that state. Vash, grief-stricken and enraged, can't come up with any rebuttal beyond, "It's not for you to decide."

* ConvenientPhotograph: Roberto and Meryl find a photo of Vash beaming and holding an infant Rollo, which wouldn't be odd if it weren't twenty years old and Vash's appearance [[OlderThanTheyLook wasn't identical to how he looks now]].

On the way to July and now accompanied by Wolfwood, Roberto, Mery and Vash enter an area where the sand is a curious shade of red. They stumble across a village that once ran without a Plant, but has clearly been deserted for some time. Investigating, they run afoul of the berserker mutant known as Monev the Gale, who's made the place his home and seems strangely fixated on Vash, constantly screaming his name. Vash, for his part, clearly knows more about the situation than he's initially willing to disclose.

On the way to July and now accompanied by Wolfwood, Roberto, Mery and Vash enter an area where the sand is a curious shade of red. They stumble across a village that once ran without a Plant, but has clearly been deserted for some time. Investigating, they run afoul of the berserker mutant known as Monev the Gale, who's made the place his home and seems strangely fixated on Vash, constantly screaming his name. Vash, for his part, knows more about the situation than he's initially willing to disclose.

On the way to July and now accompanied by Wolfwood, Roberto, Mery and Vash enter an area where the sand is a curious shade of red. They stumble across a village that once ran without a Plant, but has clearly been deserted for some time. Investigating, they run afoul of the mutated creature known as Monev the Gale, who's made the place his home and seems strangely fixated on Vash. Vash, for his part, knows more about the situation than he's initially willing to disclose.

* MadeOfIron: Monev should reasonably have shattered Vash's spine after slamming him into the wall while strangling him, but Vash suffers no worse than a few cuts and bruises -- further proof of his inhuman nature.

* NeckLift: Monev picks Vash up by the throat and viciously slams his shoulders into a wall hard enough that it cracks. It's astonishing that Vash is even conscious enough to speak afterward.

* SuperSerum: The drugs that turn Rollo into Monev and allow him to heal after Wolfwood peppers him with gunfire. Not coincidentally, this episode has Wolfwood use his healing vials for the first time on screen, handily explaining how he survived getting sideswiped by a truck and was fine minutes later.

* BornUnlucky: Rollo was born on a windless day, a sign of bad luck in a village that depends on windmills for power. He is terminally ill and then chosen as a sacrifice before he can even die of his disease.

* StrappedToAnOperatingTable: The fate of the sacrifices is to be subjected to forced drug regimens and cyborg alteration that give them great strength and regenerative powers, but in Rollo's case render him barely cognisant with rage.

* StrappedToAnOperationTable: The fate of the sacrifices is to be subjected to forced drug regimens and cyborg alteration that give them great strength and regenerative powers, but in Rollo's case render him barely cognisant with rage.

A sickly young boy kneels to pray with his mother for the wind to blow, as a radio broadcast asks its listeners to praise and honor the "angel of salvation" sent by God.

On the way to July and now accompanied by Wolfwood, Roberto, Mery and Vash enter an area where the sand is a curious shade of red. They stumble across a village that once ran without a Plant, but has clearly been deserted for some time. Investigating, they run afoul of the monster that's made the place his home and seems strangely fixated on Vash.

* ApocalypseCult: The Eye of Michael tells its followers to "praise death", because those who die go to heaven, and takes children from its followers as {{Human Sacrifice}}s to God, who brings blessings in exchange for devouring the children. In truth, Doctor William Conrad uses the sacrifices as subjects in his experiments.
* BornUnlucky: Rollo was born on a windless day, a sign of bad luck in a village that depends on windmills for power. He is terminally ill and then chosen as a sacrifice before he can even die of his disease.

On the way to July and now accompanied by Wolfwood, Roberto, Mery and Vash enter an area where the sand is a curious shade of red. They stumble across a town that once ran without a Plant, but has clearly been deserted for some time. Investigating, they run afoul of the monster that's made the town his home and seems strangely fixated on Vash.

* BornUnlucky: Rollo was born on a windless day, a sign of bad luck in a town that depends on windmills for power. He is terminally ill and then chosen as a sacrifice before he can even die of his disease.

On the way to July and now accompanied by Wolfwood, Roberto, Mery and Vash enter an area where the sand is a curious shade of red. They stumble across a town that once ran without a Plant, but has clearly been deserted for some time. Investigating, they run afoul of the monster that's made the town his home.

!Tropes that appear in this episode: