Trigun Stampede Captures The Spirit of The Original Series

Trigun Stampede features the long-awaited return of the Humanoid Typhoon, Vash The Stampede. With the original series by Studio Madhouse marked as an anime classic by countless fans since it debuted in 1998, viewers have been left wondering if we would ever see the desert planet and its inhabitants return to the small screen. Luckily, Trigun’s return is nigh, and with Comicbook.com having seen the first episode of this new series from Studio Orange, we’re happy to report that the new show is well worth your time. 

In this review, we’ll be avoiding any spoiler-related material to the events that take place in the premiere episode, so fear not if you are looking to dive into Trigun Stampede completely fresh. 

One of the trademarks of the original Trigun series wasn’t just the gun-slinging action that Vash brought to the table when he was avoiding bounty hunters and/or fighting against the forces of his nefarious brother Knives, but his jovial personality that saw him hilariously dodging bullets with a goofy smile on his face. That spirit of the sixty billion double-dollar man is present throughout the first episode of Trigun Stampede, with Vash seemingly not missing a beat from the original series despite his last appearance arriving in theaters well over a decade ago via Trigun: Badlands Rumble.

A New Stampede For A New Generation

The first episode of this new series does a great job of balancing the high stakes with the comedy that has always been inherent in Vash’s character while introducing plenty of fresh elements that weren’t seen in the original. Of course, aside from the new character designs for the likes of Vash, Meryl, and Knives, a big question that many anime fans might have is how the animation works with the new CG style that ORANGE employed, departing from a 2-D style that Madhouse had first used for the original television series. 

Luckily, this is some of ORANGE’s best work to date and the animation is amazingly fluid to capture not just Vash’s quick movements, but some of the smaller, pivotal moments that take place throughout. There’s a lot of emotion to be found in this first entry of Trigun Stampede while also hinting at what is to come for the series. 

Whether you’re a new fan who is jumping into Vash’s story for the first time, or an old fan looking to revisit the Humanoid Typhoon, Trigun Stampede has a strong start to placate both tribes.