History Fridge / TrigunStampede

* A hint towards how much better of July is compared to Jeneora Rock, is the fact that the other MP's are readily placing bets on Vash and their captain - spending their money freely. Whereas Jeneora Rock's inhabitants are barely getting by and have no means of buying a new Plant. We later find out July is the water capital of the planet, meaning they can control and buy all that they want.

* The bombs being shaped like viruses make sense, since viruses latch onto their hosts to destroy them. Knives may have thought this was a fitting weapon to eradicate the "parasites" with.

* The reason Knives brings down his hood in front of Rosa? So she can see how similar he looks to Vash, which will lead to her to become distrustful towards his brother, and blame him for the tragedy that befell her town. Who's to say after stealing Plants from other settlements, this isn't exactly what Knives did to get the people to turn on Vash.

* E.G.'s explosive drones having cube-shapes on them doesn't ''just'' make them look like bacteriophages. They visually echo the cube that Vash creates (which was also volatile and likely to explode). E.G.'s go from blue to red, but Vash's is purple -- in the end, he does not choose a side, fighting to save humans and Plants both.

* Wolfwood seems to be barely smoking the cigarettes he has before tossing them onto the ground. Extra materials reveals that a lot of the cigarettes are made from worms. This is likely Wolfwood's way of being spiteful towards Zazie aside from eating the worms.

* Legato seems to have a vendetta against Wolfwood, who has a strong familial bond with Livio. If Legato [[CrazyJealousGuy is anything like his past incarnations]], he might be projecting his distaste for Knives being so focused and obsessed on getting Vash back onto Wolfwood and Livio's "love" for one another.

* While Vash fosters a community and friendships at Ship Three, Knives likely did the complete opposite. Isolating himself in his piano room, and only speaking with Conrad when necessary. Kinves refuses to make any meaningful connections to the humans who are currently killing his kind with no apparent remorse. Thus, the workers wouldn't understand how dangerous Knives truly is, and likely just saw him as a normal kid that Conrad took care of.

* Wolfwood nearly falls off his Tomas steed multiple times on their race towards July city. Even though he grew up with baby Tomas chicks, Wolfwood obviously didn't have the chance to spend more time rearing and maybe even riding one when he was younger. Hence why he practically has no idea how to keep himself steady, whereas Vash has had nearly 150 years of experience.

* When Vash is first dropped into the water below, he reacts as if he's drowning, attempting to claw his way back to the surface and getting air. Then Knives joins him and tells him to calm down, all without any sign of choking or discomfort. Vash was panicking and acting like a human would in that situation, when it's been shown again and again [[spoiler: Independents don't need nutrition or apparently air to survive.]] It further encapsulates the twins diverging personalities, Vash is embracing humanity while Knives is embracing his side as an [[spoiler: Independent Plant.]]

* At first, Rollo calls out to his mother with his original voice, but [[spoiler: Monev was likely modifying his voice with his mask in an attempt to not frighten her. He likely hoped his mother would still love him and wanted to return home. When she showed fear, that pushed him over the edge and caused Monev to destroy the town.]]

* Vash grows up around humans and has a relatively normal life with them. Knives likely traveled alone until he hit his teen years and coerced Conrad to work under him. Possibly even seeing some of the worst humanity has to offer in that time. Physically looking like a young child and being on his own... a lot of people would try to take advantage of that in the worst of ways. Unfortunately for them, Knives has the power to gruesomely kill them in retaliation. That's why despite Vash's pleas for Knives to see the good in humanity and how they need humans to survive, Knives has seen far worse than Vash did at the Home ship.

* While showing the twins the geranium flower, Nai turns to Rem and asks if it's just ornamental, like the one in the Plant room. Rem's face pauses into a WaitWhat expression before she masks it praising Nai for his observational skill. When Knives shows Vash the next memory from that incident, there is a geranium flower being held in a vase, but it's in the room [[spoiler: where Tesla's body is being kept implicitly as a memorial for her]]. Nai is already showing signs of distrust towards humans and Rem's true intentions towards him and Vash.

** Also as the twins scream, they're not covering their eyes, but their ears. [[spoiler: Since Tesla is an Independent Plant, and still alive, she's likely giving off sounds only Vash and Nai can hear, and those sounds are possibly her own screams.]]

* Vash grows up around humans and has a relatively normal life with them. Knives likely traveled alone until he hit his teen years and coerced Conrad to work under him. Possibly even seeing some of the worst humanity has to offer in that time. Physically looking like a young child and being on his own... a lot of people would try to take advantage of that in the worst of ways. Unfortunately for them, Knives has the power to gruesomely kill them in retaliation.

[[folder: Episode 9: Home]]

* Without being told where to go, Vash and Knives can easily locate the Plants location if they happen to be in their vicinity. [[spoiler: Even as children, Vash and Knives could hear the other Plants "speak" to them since they are Independent Plants.]]

* While Vash fosters a community and friendships at Ship Three, Knives likely did the complete opposite of his twin. Isolating himself in his piano room, and only speaking with Conrad when necessary. Refusing to have any connections to the humans who are currently killing his kind with no apparent remorse. Thus, the workers wouldn't understand how dangerous Knives truly is, and likely just saw him as a normal kid that Conrad took care of.
** Vash also grows up around humans, whereas Knives likely traveled alone until he hit his teen years and coerced Conrad to work under him.

* Roberto points out Vash was not afraid of the [=MPs=], which he wasn't -- he didn't fight back even as they beat him, and when the cluster bomb was launched he sighed in annoyance, which is... a strange way to react to inbound missiles. Roberto then adds that Vash ''was'' actually scared out of his mind (if you scroll back to check, he's right: Vash's expression is fearful and he's sweating as he stares at it) about seeing the red Plant and asks why. Vash then brings up Knives. Given the last time the two met in episode 9, [[spoiler: Knives had killed dozens of humans for forcing their sisters into a Last Run, and sliced off Vash's arm that activated his Gate.]] It's no wonder red Plants would trigger bad memories for Vash.
** Vash notes that things will "get worse" if nothing is done to help the dying Plant. Now, he could mean that the townsfolk will start to die out, something he is absolutely against. However, Knives is out collecting Plants, which would lead him to target Jeneora Rock for not only their dying Plant, but also their healthy one.

* Speaking of eating Worms, Meryl never does, mostly because she thinks they're yucky. Wolfwood, ever the big brother, tries to convince/force her to because it's funny. Even in the future on a distant planet, brothers try to get their sisters to eat bugs -- but Zazie seems also to have taken notice...

* The Bad Lad Gang's gear gets an updated look in this iteration, with axolotl's as their motif. Some axolotl's are capable of glowing in the dark, and such a flashy fit is perfect for someone like the Bad Lad Gang's boss - Brilliant Dynamites Neon. They're also a form take the Aztec god Xolotl, who's the god of fire, monsters... and twins.

** Probably not - they're likely scavenged corpses of Plants that died because of humans. On the other hand, what does it say about Knives that the process he subjects Vash to looks so much like the abuse Plants endure at human hands, a resemblance he seems blissfully ignorant of?

* Roberto points out Vash was not afraid of the [=MPs=], which he wasn't -- he didn't fight back even as they beat him, and when the cluster bomb was launched he sighed in annoyance, which is... a strange way to react to inbound missiles. Roberto then adds that Vash ''was'' actually scared out of his mind (if you scroll back to check, he's right: Vash's expression is fearful and he's sweating as he stares at it) about seeing the red Plant and asks why. Vash then brings up Knives and given the last time the two met in episode 9, [[spoiler: Knives had killed dozens of humans for forcing their sisters into a Last Run, and sliced off Vash's arm that activated his Gate.]] It's no wonder red Plants would trigger bad memories for Vash.

* Vash freaks out when he hears a piano song being played that the others don't recognize. In a flashback, it shows him and Knives as children playing that song together in a duet. So Vash would recognize the song he and his brother made together. In episode 12 [[spoiler: a young Vash claims the song he's humming that sounds like their song calms him down when he's nervous. Knives was likely playing it in hopes of getting a warm welcome from Vash, but unbeknownst to Knives, the song now only instils fear in his younger brother.]]

** Another reason is that because Vash lost that arm due to his love for humanity, Knives retaliates to the other humans he meets by taking their arms in a sort of revenge for Vash.

* Vash freaks out when he hears a piano song being played that the others don't recognize. In a flashback, it shows him and Knives as children playing that song together in a duet. So Vash would recognize the song he and his brother made together. In episode 12 [[spoiler: a young Vash claims the song he's humming that sounds like their song calms him down when he's nervous. Knives was likely playing it in hopes of getting a warm welcome from Vash, but unbeknownst to Knives, the song now only instill fear in his younger brother.]]

* It says something about Knives that he may have chosen No Man's Land to crash because it was a bit like his favourite cowboy movies -- and then when he got it, he found out he didn't like it at all. [[spoiler:The "paradise" he longs for bears a deeply suspicious resemblance to the SEEDs ships before the Fall. Knives wanted to grow up, but once he did, all he wanted was to go back to being an innocent child again.]]
* Rem promises the twins she'll protect them. [[spoiler:When Vash is running through the field of geraniums to wake up, the Rem-spirit sweeps over him and he's wearing his coat. Vash's coat is geranium-red - and ''bulletproof''. Even all these years layer, so long after her death, she's keeping her promise. Rem still lives in the eyes of Vash, and in his loved ones.]]

* It seems odd that a gunslinger as skilled as Vash wouldn't have any ammunition on him, until you remember he was recently robbed and tied up, and he didn't get much time to sit still between being rescued and the duel. Anything he had was probably either expended or taken off him.
* Roberto points out how Vash was actually scared out of his mind after seeing the red Plant and asks why. Vash then brings up Knives and given the last time the two met in episode 9, [[spoiler: Knives had killed dozens of humans for forcing their sisters into a Last Run, and sliced off Vash's arm that activated his Gate.]] It's no wonder red Plants would trigger bad memories for Vash.

* Vash loves to eat for fun, punishing himself by going without food. [[spoiler:Plants, even Independent Plants like Vash and Knives, don't seem to need food or water at all]]. While eating serves a practical purpose for him beyond sustenance [[spoiler:by concealing his nature]], there's something else: [[spoiler: his unique ability is forming a black hole that consumes everything around it rather than producing things as a Plant normally does. Vash likes to eat because "eating" is what makes him special]].

* The Bad Lad Gang's gear gets an updated look in this iteration, with axolotl's as their motif. Some axolotl's are capable of glowing in the dark, and such a flashy fit is perfect for someone like the Bad Lad Gang's boss - Brilliant Dynamites Neon.

* Elendira can create and throw metal nails. [[spoiler:But of course. She's partly grown from Knives's cells, and Knives creates metal blades. Her Gate being "weak" might be why she's limited only to nails.]]

** This symbolism also extends to Knives, who is predominantly associated with blue [[spoiler:and believes himself to be the champion of his brethren, the Plants. When he's burning up in Vash's Angel Arm, his extremities turn red, symbolizing his inability to overcome humanity and Vash's unity.]] Alternatively, [[spoiler:Knives is more human at his core than he'll ever admit even at the moment of his death.]]

* Vash freaks out when he hears a piano song being played that the others don't recognize. In a flashback, it shows him and Knives as children playing that song together in a duet. So Vash would recognize the song he and his brother made together. In episode 12 [[spoiler: a young Vash claims the song he's humming that sounds like their song calms him down when he's nervous. Knives was likely playing it in hopes of getting a warm welcome from Vash, but unbeknownst to Knives, the song now only instils fear in his younger brother.]]

* A close inspection of Wolfwood's cigarette lighter shows the Eye of Michael insignia engraved on it. Vash has likely seen that symbol before and knows its connection to Knives. Vash knew Wolfwood's true intentions from the start, but decided against interrogating him or prodding him for more information.

* When Rollo meets Vash, he already seems to know him, but the kid doesn't know Vash beyond the rumors about the Humanoid Typhoon. Vash plays it off by telling Rollo his mother asked to have her son returned home. The photo Meryl later finds of Vash and baby Rollo [[spoiler: shows Vash hasn't aged a day since the photo was taken]]. Like Rosa, Vash likely was on friendly terms with the townsfolk, especially Rollo's mother.

** This symbolism also extends to Knives, who is predominantly associated with blue [[spoiler:and believes himself to be the champion of his brethren, the Plants. When he's burning up in Vash's Angel Arm, his extremities turn red, symbolizing his inability to overcome humanity and Vash's unity.]]

* Knives did, in fact, manage to "remake" Vash [[spoiler:into a better Independent Plant]]. It just didn't turn out the way he obviously hoped.

* July has so much water it's got a canal running through the city, while Jeneora Rock was struggling for lack of clean water, to the point of trying to capture the man who'd been a hero to them for his bounty. The bounty which awards enough money to buy a new Plant. The bounty that was posted by July city, which has a monopoly on water-producing Plants. [[SarcasmMode But of course Knives only is stealing Plants because he wants to save his brethren from the human parasites]]. Just ask him.

* July has so much water it's got a canal running through the city, while Jeneora Rock was struggling for lack of clean water, to the point of trying to capture the man who'd been a hero for them for his bounty. The bounty which awards enough money to buy a new Plant. The bounty that was posted by July city. [[SarcasmMode But of course Knives only steals Plants to save them from the human parasites]] -- just ask him.

* Elendira accompanying the Eye of Michael to collect Rollo for experiments leads Rollo to ask whether she's a sacrifice like him. She laughs and corrects him: she's an "angel". Although she could be playing off of her appearance looking "angelic", [[spoiler:Elendira was created from Knives's cells to be a creature neither human nor Plant by Conrad. And the Plants - especially Knives - are viewed as "angels".]]

** Rosa is told by Chuck Lee that Vash's bounty of 6 million double dollars is about the price to fix their current dying Plant. [[spoiler: Vash is later revealed to be an Independent Plant.]] It should also be noted that it's likely Conrad and Knives were the ones who set up the bounty, with Vash's wanted poster specifically asking for Vash to be brought in "alive".

* While Knives could be celebrating their literal birthday (July 21st), he could also be celebrating Vash's "rebirth" as a perfect [[spoiler: Independent Plant]], like himself.

** On the other hand (arm?) there are three factions that Vash aligns himself with - the humans of SEEDS (who gave him his arm), the humans scratching out a living on the surface of No Man's Land (one of whom Knives took the pistol from) and the Plants (whose power Vash used to create the cube). The Angel Arm, like his changed coat and glasses, represents Vash's identity as a unifier of all three that he's finally openly declaring.

* Elindira arriving to help the Eye of Michael soldiers collect Rollo for experimentations leads Rollo to ask if she was an experiment like him. She laughs and claims that she was an "angel". Although she could be playing off of her appearance looking "angelic", [[spoiler: Elindiria is likely a clone made from Plant experimentations by Conrad. And the Plants - especially Knives are viewed as "angels".]]

* Wolfwood nearly falls off his Tomas steed multiple times on their race towards July city. Even though he grew up with baby Tomas chicks, Wolfwood obviously didn't have the chance to spend more time rearing and maybe even riding one when he was younger. Hence why he practically has no idea how to keep himself steady - whereas Vash has had nearly 150 years of experience.
* Why all the water in the tank below Knives' piano room? Aside from likely being a good place to store the other Plants, July is the water capital of the planet - so Knives has access to all the water he could want for his schemes.

* When Vash is first dropped into the water below, he reacts as if he's drowning, attempting to claw his way back to the surface and getting air. Then Knives joins him and tells him to calm down, all without any discomfort. Vash was panicking and acting like a human would in that situation, when it's been shown again and again [[spoiler: Independents don't need nutrition or apparently air to survive.]] It further encapsulates the twins diverging personalities, Vash is embracing humanity while Knives is embracing his side as an [[spoiler: Independent Plant.]]
* Nai doesn't believe Vash when he tells him Rem promised to never let [[spoiler: what happened to Tesla]] ever happen again to her boys. Viewers who know this part of the manga's story point out how odd it was that Vash seemed so quick in accepting Rem's words and trusting humans. However, you need to remember - this is Knives showing Vash only his memories. Knives is being an UnreliableNarrator, as he wants Vash to see and agree with only ''his'' version of events, of the pain and suffering humanity continues to inflict upon themselves. In the manga, the readers got to see Vash and Rem console and talk through what happened to [[spoiler: Tesla]] and come to an understanding. However, Nai was not present since he was unconscious, which was likely what happened in ''Stampede'', hence the gap in Nai's story since we don't see Vash's point of view.

--> '''Knives:''' After all this time, I finally have him back!

* Livio moves around like he's a puppet or under some heavy drug usage when he fights Wolfwood and Vash. [[spoiler: Given how much of a wild card Razlo is when he's in charge, the Eye of Michael likely use whatever they have to keep Livio as semi-conscious as possible while still having Razlo locked away.]]

* Luida and Brad hearing the alarms blare, notifying them of the dying Plant. Luida examines it and concludes one of the reasons the Plants are dying was because they weren't compatible with the planet. Nai's attempt at saving his brethren by crashing all of the human ships except the Plants would have been AllForNothing since the planet they happened to land on couldn't sustain them.

* With a hint of sadness to it, Vash seems very close with Rosa - a mother with a young son and another child on the way. It's likely because Rosa's maternal side reminds him so much of Rem, [[spoiler: who he still mourns for 150 years after she sacrificed herself to save the people on the ships.]]

* The reason Knives brings down his hood in front of Rosa? So she can see how similar he looks to Vash, which will lead to her to become distrustful towards his brother, and blame him for the tragedy that befell her town.