The Trigun Stampede season finale aired on Saturday bringing forth what no other anime over the past year has accomplished. Whether it’s the stunning 3D animation courtesy of Studio Orange or the genius of a script that unfolded into a beautifully tragic story, this episode was more than just another season finale. It was utter brilliance in the form of clashing ideologies that lead to uncontrollable destruction and a sorrowful ending. This, ladies and gentlemen, is what anime is all about.
The season finale of Trigun Stampede took to heart the core of what both Knives and Vash stood for respectively. An argument could be made that Knives is right in some ways, Vash is wrong in others, and vice versa. Knives isn’t a villain nor is Vash a hero. In today’s day and age that can confuse a lot more anime fans that love a straightforward story with the standard tropes of modern anime–and that’s all okay. But what Trigun Stampede managed to accomplish in this finale goes above the boundaries of creativity, character development, and storytelling.
This finale finally showed us the full truth of how Rem was the catalyst for Vash’s core beliefs this entire time. It didn’t hit nearly as hard until the bitter end but, piece by piece, Vash coming to terms with who he really is and what he truly believes in was unleashed like a supernova in the dark vastness of space—beautiful yet destructive. Rem seeing Vash and Knives as two angels that could bridge the gap between plants and humans was a belief that gave Vash’s life meaning. Even at the beginning of the episode, we see Vash taken aback by Knives reenacting a cowboy shooting guns to kill his enemies and save his own friends. That level of pacifism and peace was installed in Vash from the very beginning of his story.
While the saying “two sides of the same coin” can be used in a multitude of ways when talking about Vash and Knives, seeing the two harbor wings on different sides of their bodies during their fight was a sight to behold in the midst of some of the best animation I’ve seen since in years. Knives became an angel for plants, Vash an angel for humans. The color contrast alone between the two was just a nice cherry on top. And Vash in the all-black and purple, dare I say, looked just as good as his iconic red jacket look, if not even better.
Sure, Knives makes some great points and we have can sit here for hours on end having a discussion as to why. And we can take into account Zazie’s conversation with Roberto and Meryl a couple of episodes ago discussing whether plants or humans deserve to live brought up a lot of points that counter Vash’s belief. But what makes Vash right is that he won’t give up no matter how long it takes to become that bridge between humans and plants that Rem dreamt of. The true belief she held dear until her unfortunate end.
However, while Vash may be called a fool for his idealistic and hypocritical views, we’re also ignoring that it’s Rem’s “dream” that forms his resolve for a reason—-because it’s a dream. Dreams don’t become reality unless we make them real. Perhaps that’s the point Vash was trying to get through to Knives. While Knives kept looking at what was in front of him, Vash kept looking beyond.
I think at the core, that’s one gigantic factor that separates Vash and Knives. One wanted to bridge the gap between plants and humans while the other wanted to burn the bridge along with those on the other side entirely. The Trigun Stampede season finale showed us that this is all much more than an anime—it’s a dramatic sci-fi story that goes beyond the stars of what a normal tale-of-two-brothers tragedy presents.
This is a story of nobody being completely right and nobody being completely wrong both lying in the rubble of their own devastation. One side of this story is about a brother willing to destroy in order to create while the other is willing to preserve and ends up destroying without intention. It’s two fates rolling along a path together caught in the same wheel. What matters the most is who was going to be the first one to break free of that wheel.
You see, if Knives wins this battle, the journey ends and humans will perish while plants reign supreme. When we take into account Vash’s side, it gives a little bit of a window to continuously build that bridge between plants and humans no matter how many centuries it may take. While Knives tries to feed off of Vash’s own personal naivety in order to get him to see his ways, Vash uses that same naivety to admit he doesn’t care how long it takes to build that bridge—he just wants to see it built with his own eyes and hands at some point. Dealing with that resolve while simultaneously realizing he has brought so much destruction and death is what gives way to one of the most conflicted main characters in anime history. Plus, his name says it all.
Vash lived for over a century knowing that in order to build that bridge it meant having to kill his own brother in the end. There are no winners or losers in Trigun Stampede. This isn’t a happy ending where the hero has a statue resurrected in their honor for saving the world. There are no cliche love interests. There’s no change of heart for either character. It’s a dark and gritty story all the way to the cold, lonely, bitter end—and it’s a damn masterpiece.
When we talk about animation and the advancements it has made in just the past decade alone, the thought of 3D animation still frightens a majority of the anime community. In their defense, they have plenty of examples as to why they should be. However, in the realm of “2D animation will always be king”, Trigun Stampede showcased nine straight minutes worth of fighting with some of the best animation and camera work the modern industry has ever witnessed. Nine minutes of animation that ends up trumping the majority of most anime we’ve all watched recently.
When we think of anime with the best animation and composition, we tend to think of series such as Demon Slayer, Fate Stay/Night, and Violet Evergarden. Yet, the handful of viewers that took that chance to experience Trigun Stampede will continuously throw its name in the ring and for good reason. Rather than just babbling on about how great it was during the finale, it’s more important to know the significance of everything.
It was a battle of one brother losing power while the other gained it at the cost of everything. I wouldn’t so much say the tables turned because in the end none of what happened worked in either of their favor. However, there are certain moments in this fight that were captured in the best way possible about that shift. For starters, it all begins when Vash saved Meryl from Knives. He didn’t kill Knives to save her nor did he let any harm come to Meryl. At this moment, Vash took that big leap to really start his journey of bridging the gap between humans and plants.
While I’m sure some of you have seen the low-angle wide shot of the two continuing their fight inside the facility that almost looks like something out of a video game (but even better), the most incredible parts of their fight come after that. Take for example the rotating shot of the two fighting each other below. Not only are the angles themselves incredible, but Knives’, well, knives actually transition to Meryl stepping out of the facility in a much fuller shot in the episode too.
Perhaps what might be my favorite sequence of the entire fight, Vash reloading his gun in mid-air falling from atop the skyscraper had me almost leaping off of the couch in awe. It’s unfortunate I don’t know the specific key animator for this particular scene but whoever did it deserves the biggest round of applause because I cannot stop watching it. It’s almost as if it was in this moment where Vash truly showed how powerful and capable of a fighter he truly is when he wants to be serious. We got a taste of that in episode 1 but now the fans can fully grasp how much of a bad-ass Vash truly is.
This fight was like watching a major motion picture. Everything about it felt cinematic in a way that left me speechless. Vash flying through the city. The two of them outside of Earth’s atmosphere. The moment they fall back down to Earth and Knives is practically burned alive while Vash is crying out for him to stop so he can live. All of it struck me harder than the impact Vash felt as he hit the ground. Knives was constantly portrayed throughout the series as the one with the powers while Vash didn’t have any. But in the end, it showed that Vash had more power than Knives could even comprehend, even in his last moments.
The story of Trigun Stampede in these 12 episodes was anything but another anime to watch during the Winter 2023 season. It felt like it was an experience from beginning to end with not knowing how things might end up despite knowing the original source material. The season finale felt fresh. It was something new. It gave nods to the original series and recalled certain moments from episode 3 but now with Vash all alone (pictured below).
While it’s fair for some to say that Trigun Stampede acted as a prequel to the original series, we have to appreciate it for its own worth. The series finale didn’t feel like the end of a story but it also didn’t feel like the beginning of a new one. It floats in the space between them just as Vash does between plants and humans. It’s not an open ending nor is it a closed one. It leaves you with the though of “what’s next?” while also saying “what’s done is done now,” but neither in a bad sense.
The season finale of Trigun Stampede doesn’t deserve a rating like I’ve given to all of the previous episodes because it’s beyond any of that. I said before that the series gradually got better with each episode when I didn’t think it was possible. Holding off on that notional for the season finale made me realize that how this is one way to craft a perfect story without a concrete end.
It wasn’t sealed with a kiss. It wasn’t sealed with the main protagonist accomplishing what he set out to do. It ended on a note that only a series like Trigun Stampede could pull off. Everything, from the story to the characters involved in it, was meant to lead to this finale in the way that it did. It’s a unique finale for a vast number of reasons that could be talked about for years on end. But what’s special is that only the people that watched it got a taste of a different ending and a new beginning all at the same time.
If you enjoyed the wild ride that was Trigun Stampede, then make sure to vote for it in our Winter 2023 Anime of the Season poll! The series will officially be receiving a continuation at a later date.
Images via Crunchyroll
©2023 Yasuhiro Nightow, SHONEN GAHOSHA / TRIGUN STAMPEDE Project