Vash the Stampede with his Angel Arm




Vash the Stampede (ヴァッシュ・ザ・スタンピード) Vasshu za Sutanpīdo) is the main protagonist of the anime and manga series of Trigun. Vash is also known as The Humanoid Typhoon due to the destruction and chaos that often surrounds him. Wielding a huge nickel revolver, he travels from town to town to learn more and protect what his adoptive mother, Rem, treasured most: love and peace. He is initially discovered by Meryl Stryfe and Milly Thompson, two Bernardelli Insurance Society representatives investigating claims made due to damages caused by the mysterious Humanoid Typhoon.

In the anime, the pair find Vash while he is being chased by bandits who want to collect the bounty on "The $$60,000,000,000 (sixty billion double dollar) Man". He escapes while Milly and Meryl eventually learn that Vash is actually the person they are assigned to track.

In the manga, they discover Vash facing off against Father Nebraska and Son Gofsef after he was avoiding a conflict with the somewhat innocent townsfolk who aimed to use the sixty billion double dollar bounty on his head to correct the financial problems vexing their town.

Appearance
Physical
Vash is represented as a tall blond man, about 180 centimetres tall, with blue-green eyes. Vash's hair looks like needles, which sometimes betrays him, or gives his friends a chance to come up with nicknames for him (example: Needlehead). As a result, his entire body is a kaleidoscope of large scars, pieces of lost flesh replaced with metal plates, metal seams. In the anime, Vash loses his left arm in a conflict with Knives in July City . This arm was later replaced with a cybernetic prosthesis with a built-in weapon.

Trivia

In the manga, Wolfwood calls Vash tongari, which translates to "spikey head". In the anime, Wolfwood frequently calls Vash "needle noggin."

A billboard advertising a Trigun movie with Vash's face is pictured in the manga Sun-Ken Rock. Boichi, the author of Sun-Ken Rock, also explains how he made Vash's coat.

Vash made a cameo appearance in Wild Arms 2nd Ignition

The catalysts inside the guns owned by Vash and Knives are black and white. This may refer to the Yin and Yang (or possibly good and evil).

Vash's unique yellow lens zigzag-armed sunglasses are frequently destroyed in the anime, only to reappear with no explanation in the following episode.

Vash's sunglasses are briefly worn by Wolfwood in place of his own during the movie.

Strangely, during the anime, there are scenes where Vash is depicted wearing normal clothing as opposed to his trademark red coat, during which the scars and damage that would be visible on his right hand are completely absent.

Despite appearing with them in every episode of the anime, Vash has only referred to Meryl by name once, and he has never referred to Milly by name.

In the manga, Vash's hair begins to discolor black as a sign of exhausting his powers as a plant. This does not occur in the anime.

Vash is 131 years old in the anime, however, because his race is that of a plant and not a human it is possible that his life span may be different.

Donuts are Vash's favorite food.

Because there is no official date, fans celebrate Vash's birthday as July 21st as it marks the day of July's destruction.

Vash was the only cast member of the series to retain his voice actor from the Pioneer/Geneon dub, Johnny Yong Bosch, for the Funimation-dubbed release of Trigun: Badlands Rumble.


Clothing

Vash’s typical ensemble includes a long, crimson trenchcoat with a high collar, assorted straps, and black buttons. It has slits on both sides from the waist down, which allow for ease in running, jumping, and climbing. His right sleeve is simply part of the trenchcoat, but his left sleeve is secured by a series of black straps and buckles.

Underneath his coat, he wears form fitting dark pants and knee-high combat boots with retractable knives in the toes and circular metal plates at the knees. His top is black and sleeveless, and is also tight to his body. Occasionally he will wear a pair of light amber-colored glasses, although they are not prescription or used specifically for use in bright sun.


Personality
Vash displays throughout both the manga and the anime two very distinct personalities. Initially, Vash usually exaggerates foolish characteristics to make people feel un-threatened and to hide his identity, as well as using these outrageous actions and chronic kindness as a way to mask his own pain (as noticed by Millie). He exhibits an almost obsessive love of doughnuts, engages in lecherous behavior, plays games with the local children and aids and befriends the adults, as well as making the occasional bizarre joke or quip (for example, upon meeting Wolfwood, he introduced himself as "Valentinez Alkalinella Xifax Sicidabohertz Gumbigobilla Blue Stradivari Talentrent Pierre Andres Charton-Haymoss Ivanovicci Baldeus George Doitzel Kaiser III"). He frequently voices the catchphrase, "This world is made of love and peace," which is usually complemented by his flashing of the "V" or Peace sign, much to the confusion of friends and acquaintances and the chagrin of his enemies.

Vash's other side is an utterly tormented and lonely being and is rarely shown when he is in the company of others. Due to his long life and legendary (and infamous) reputation, Vash has lost both a great many friends and his only family. In several instances (as implied by Luida) people he trusted have either betrayed him or been killed for simply knowing him. For the 20 years (between the loss of July and the revocation of his bounty) he was a hunted man and frequently had to hide his identity and fend off waves of persistent bounty hunters. Thus, he is often prone to brooding and depression whilst alone or engaging in deep introspective thought.

A point of conflict in the series is the inner differences between Vash and Knives, his twin brother, and their regard for humanity. Despite his long-suffering and ill-treatment by human beings, Vash chooses to remain hopeful and loving toward humanity; whereas Knives has fallen into a deep-seated hatred of the entire race despite never personally suffering at their hands. Their personalities also have other key differences: Vash cannot stand the despair of being alone, whereas Knives revels in his loneliness and has no desire for any company other than Vash.

Because Vash refuses to kill any of his opponents, he often suffers at the hands of a number of very unscrupulous enemies. As a result, his body is a patchwork of large scars, chunks of missing flesh supported by metal mesh, and stitch marks. Despite his hesitance to show his body (especially to ladies, whom he believes would be repulsed), Vash never uses his power to remove them or repair his body, choosing to keep the scars as a reminder of the price he pays for his unlimited mercy.


Abilities
Superhuman physiology: Vash belongs to the race of generators - living sources of energy. He has high physical characteristics - he is able to dodge all bullets, shot from two dozen machine guns almost point-blank, much stronger than an ordinary person and able to withstand a large number of wounds. Its regeneration does not allow to restore lost limbs, but Vash regenerates fatal wounds for a person, the body automatically ejects bullets from wounds, bleeding and pain shock is incomparably lower than in humans, to disable it, many serious wounds are needed.

Generator Power: Vash is able to transform his body to some extent, increasing his combat capabilities. But the main strength of the generator is the ability to reproduce a large amount of energy and efficiently use it for various purposes.

Angel Power: Vash is able to transform his body to some extent, increasing his combat capabilities. But the main strength of the generator is the ability to reproduce a large amount of energy and efficiently use it for various purposes.

Defensive Wings: allow you to block powerful blows (level of destruction of the building) and bullets directed at Vash. The self-defense mechanism does not depend on Vash's consciousness and, with the activated "angel power", works independently. During his final battle with Legato in the manga, Vash uses his Plant abilities to create a fully automatic defensive blade. Anyone that enters with the range of these blades will almost instantly cut them without Vash's direction. These blades were able to cut through the massive Guernica with ease were able to cut Legato dozens of times before he could react.
Blades: the wings take the form of narrow and long ribbon-blades with monomolecular sharpening, capable of easily cutting steel and stone into even pieces. At a distance, Vash himself controls the blades, when the enemy attacks close (for example, in the back of Vash), a counterattack of the automatic defense system is triggered, regardless of the desire of Vash himself. The radius of destruction is up to hundreds of meters at least, the speed of attacks is supersonic.

Flight (levitation): Does not occur due to the wings, probably due to the manipulation of gravity.

Sensory - After teleporting Knives,Vash was able to pinpoint his location. Reacted in advance to an attack from orbit.

Teleportation: Vash is able to accurately teleport over vast distances. It probably takes a lot of energy from him as it hasn't been used in combat.

Barrier: After spending some time concentrating energy, Vash is able to cover a fairly large area with a protective barrier. The barrier is capable of withstanding at least a missile hit.

Creation of black hole bullets: Using his energy, Vash materializes bullets into empty shells, which after a shot turn into mini-collapsars with a diameter of about a meter, sucking everything into themselves for several seconds. They can be used offensively, tearing the enemy apart, or defensively, absorbing attacks directed at Vash. Allows Vash to use his power without going into "angel" mode.

Angel Arm:

In the series, within Vash's trademark revolver lies the catalyst needed to activate his "Angel Arm". The Angel Arm is Vash's ultimate weapon. Upon activation, his right arm transforms into a weapon powerful enough to destroy entire cities with a single blast. Vash fears the Angel Arm's potential for destruction and knows little about how to use it. In the manga, the Angel Arm is a natural feature of a plant's body and can be manipulated into various shapes to create a number of effects beyond destruction. His power using the Angel Arm is limited: like a battery, it contains only a certain amount of energy, and when that energy is gone he will die. Vash's Angel Arm typically takes the shape of a large cannon weapon, which uses a tremendous amount of power. As a meter of spent energy a plant's hair color gradually darkens as their internal power is spent until reaching a final color of black when fully depleted. To illustrate the power of the Angel Arm, Vash's hair began to darken after the second time he fires it, using enough energy to blast a hole in the moon. Throughout the manga, Vash learns to gain better control of his power to form smaller cannons and defensive feathers, he even shows mastery to an extent of infusing its singularity-inducing capabilities into bullets for proper use without firing it, although his hair continues to grow darker until it becomes almost completely black. By the climax of the series, he has only a small lock of blond hair left.


Weapons


Vash habitually carries a custom made .45 caliber silver or nickel-plated revolver double-action with a top break reloading mechanism that fires .45 Long Colt ammunition. Despite its appearance, it is shown having 7 shots in the fight against Goseph and Father Nebraska. The engraving on the side of the gun describes it is a ".45 Long Colt AGL Arms Factory" with wings around the "AGL" as in angel. Vash's revolver has the barrel aligned with the 6 o'clock chamber, not the 12 o'clock chamber as is the typical configuration of standard revolvers. Very few weapons follow this form factor, the Mateba Autorevolver, and the Chiappa Rhino being the two most common. In the series, this handgun was created as part of a pair by Knives, of which Vash was given the silver model, and Knives kept the black model. Vash eventually carries both weapons for a time, before losing the black gun to Knives in another fight. Both guns were designed to be used left-handed, though Vash shoots right-handed.

In the manga, Vash uses his unique gun more out of mere novelty and habit. Visually the handgun in the manga is also different from that in the anime, though it still features the unique placement of the barrel in the 6 o'clock position. In Trigun Maximum, the revolver used in the anime appears for Vash for use as a two-panel replacement for his standard gun while it is being repaired.



History

Manga

Birth
Vash is not human, but a human-like plant, inter-dimensional beings that are tapped as a source of power and energy.

As a Plant, his body does not physically age past his mid-twenties, though he is 131 by the time the series begins. As "independent" plants, he and his twin brother Knives are capable of consciously using their immense energy to perform incredible destructive feats.

Vash and his twin brother Knives Millions were discovered aboard a SEEDs ship by Rem Saverem, seemingly born from one of the Plants powering the ship. Rem raises them over the course of one year, where they quickly grow from infants to young children.

While experimenting with the ship's databases, Knives disrupts the navigation system, triggering an alarm and waking the dormant passengers aboard. Rem quickly corrects the system and sends the passengers back to sleep, but one awakened crew member, Dr. William Conrad, discovers Vash and Knives. He agrees to keep their existence a secret after talking with Rem.

Knives and Vash later accidentally stumble across a restricted area aboard the ship, and there discover that they were not the first independent Plants to be born. Another plant, Tesla, had been studied by the crew aboard the ship, and subjected to continuous scans and vivisections that eventually led to her slow and painful death.

Knives falls into a shock-induced coma. Horrified, Vash locks himself away and declares his hatred of humanity. Afraid and feeling alone as one of only two independent plants amidst millions of humans, Vash attempts suicide. Rem intervenes, and Vash accidentally wounds her in the process. At first calmed by the sudden catharsis of hurting a human, Vash then becomes horrified by what he has done and saves her. Rem shares her own troubled past and convinces Vash to have faith in the limitless potential for the future, and Vash gains a newfound respect for life.

Anime
The Great Fall
Vash's past differs greatly in the anime. He and Knives do not discover Tesla and Vash doesn't try to commit suicide and doesn't accidentally stab Rem.

Vash and Knives were found by the crew as human-like infants a year before the Project SEEDS fleet arrived at Gunsmoke. The crew initially wanted to kill them; however, Rem threw herself between the twins and the weapons, begging for their life. In just one year, they aged nearly ten years in appearance and had much higher intellectual capabilities than normal. Steve (a very abrasive, jock-like, crew member) disliked the idea of the living Plants on the control ship and didn't conceal it (ironically, he's the exact look-alike of Vash's friend Brad. Possibly being Brad's ancestor or relative). He insisted on the twins being monsters and often hit or kicked them when the other crew members weren't around.



One day in the recreation room, Rem cut Vash's hair and styles into his current spiky hairstyle. She says how Vash reminds her of her old boyfriend, Alex. She tells Vash "Thanks to him, I was able to face my mistakes without judgment. I learned to make them right again.". When Vash asks where he is, Rem tells him he's now in heaven. Vash then goes on to say that he will protect Rem and tells her he loves her. Knives, lost in his own thoughts of what his purpose for being there was, and possibly jealous of the close bond between Rem and Vash, eventually left to cut his own hair. When finished he runs his hand through it but gets angry and shouts "It's all wrong!", possibly because he couldn't copy Vash's hair himself. When Vash finds him shortly afterward and asks what happened, Knives smiles it off, saying "If we stay the same, there's no individuality."



This is the first time that a change in Knives' demeanor can be perceived. Later, the crew discusses the twins' hairstyles, with Vash getting called a "momma's boy." Steve gets angry and calls the two of them monsters again then drapes himself over Mary when she tells him he's had too much to drink. Knives rebukes him, saying "You are a disgrace. Is that any way for a grown man like you to behave in the presence of innocent children?" Steve laughs manically out of the room. When the others comment on his crazy behavior, Knives whispers, "It's because he's afraid". Later on, Knives is seen entering Rolan's room, and then Mary's room (both rooms occupied by their owners) . It is later implied Knives convinced Mary and Rolan (who has feelings for Mary) that they should both make up a story in order to get Steve out of the way.

Again at the recreation room, the twins and Rem find a butterfly stuck in a spiderweb. Vash attempts to save it when Knives grabs the spider, killing it. Knives justifies the action by saying it was the easiest way to stop the spider and save the butterfly. Vash, however, becomes distressed because he wanted to save both. Knives counters that you can't save both because the spider would die of starvation unless it ate the butterfly. Rem breaks in, saying that you can't make that choice lightly because they're both living creatures. Knives continues to argue that his way of thinking is right. Vash knocks him to the ground and yells at him stating he wanted to save both, completely stunning Knives. After a moment they both sit up. Knives leaves, saying that the two of them don't make any sense; Vash shouts back that it is him that doesn't make any sense.

Sometime later, the crew is gathered in a watching room, were in another room Steve is in a straight-jacket awaiting sentencing. Joey states that according to interplanetary law, Steve will be relieved of duty and frozen until they land where he will stand trial. Steve continually shouts that he didn't do anything, while Rolan jadedly says that he saw him enter Mary's room. Rem argues that it's not too late to hear Steve's side of the story to which Mary quietly says that he ***** her. Joey says that to function as a group they need laws to keep them safe. Despite Steve and Rem's protests, Steve is frozen. Knives is then seen grinning madly.

Afterward, Vash asks Rem "why can't people can't get along?" Rem replies "it's because humans all have different ways of thinking, but even if a mistake is made, as long as a person realizes their mistake, it's possible to make it right again. And if you keep your vision clear, you will see the future. This is what one must realize." These words leave a marked impression on Vash.

Meanwhile, Rolan proposes to Mary, even handing her a ring. She says he must be teasing and he reveals that he adjusted the freezer temperature that Steve is in, effectively killing him. Mary is horrified at this, but Rolan smiles, saying "I guess that now makes us partners." Rem and the twins hear gunshots shortly after and notify Joey, then race to the room to find Rolan standing over Mary, who shot her multiple times. Rolan tells Rem that he had no choice, that Mary had betrayed him after all he had done for her. He then points the gun at Knives, saying that it must be his fault that Mary had to die. Rem stands in front of the line of fire and tries to talk Rolan down, saying that no one has the right to take the life of another. Joey tries to get in contact with them, eventually getting a video feed from the room to work. Rem continues to slowly walk toward Rolan while he steps back, clearly disheveled and scared. Rem is about to take the gun from Rolan when Joey opens a hatch behind Rolan, sending him and Mary's body into space while safety bars close keeping Rem from being sucked out too.

Rem is incredibly upset. Joey tries to explain that he thought Rolan was going to shoot her, and that he was doing what he thought was best. Rem is convinced that Rolan wasn't going to shoot her, and laments their fallen comrades with Vash by her side while Knives heads off to the bridge where Joey is. Knives tells Joey that he agrees with his decision; that it was the right choice, but Joey has doubts, saying that maybe Rem was right. Angered by his change of heart, Knives says that he's just like all the other humans and shoots Joey, confirming to himself that his is the right choice. He leaves the gun in Joey's hand and alters the ship's course program.


Vash watches as Rem stays behind to save SEED's passengers

Rem and Vash hear a message from the computer system that the fleet had changed its course and was about to crash. The three decide to go to the escape pods, but at the last moment, Rem hangs back, saying she has to try help Joey and save the others. She closes the door despite Vash's protests, telling him to take care of Knives. The pod launches and Vash watches as the control ship Rem is on explode in reentry.

As Vash collapses, crying, Knives laughs, surprised by Rem's self-sacrifice. He reveals his plan of changing the courses of the ships containing SEEDS project humans, while keeping the plant ships safe so he and Vash could create a paradise for them alone on the new planet. Only attempting to keep Rem alive because Vash was so attached to her. Just at that moment all of the fleets receives a new directive, automatically starting the reverse thrusters so the ships can enter the atmosphere safely. Rem was able to save Project SEEDS and Knives is surprised. The pod then falls onto the surface of a planet.

When Vash regains consciousness, he sees dozens of ships raining down like meteors. Knives try to help him, but Vash pushes him away; accusing him. Knives demeanor changes as he grins madly, agreeing with what he did, calling it "spectacular". The two brothers then spent the following years wandering through the deserts, observing crash sites and the few survivors. During a discussion about humans leeching off of the Plants to survive, Knives' proclaims that he's out to kill the spiders to save the butterflies as that is what makes logical sense. While Knives is sleeping Vash holds a rock above Knives' head, ready to kill him to save the humans but finds himself unable to do so, not wanting to go against everything Rem told him and throws the rock down, crying.

During their search through the crash sites, they find a group of humans arguing over water. Knives (disgusted by their selfish behavior) activates the ship-board Plant's Angel Arm, but Vash pushes him over and prevents him from firing. Years later, Knives finds the ship he was looking for. He spends 1 year rummaging through the wreckage whilst Vash waits for him to return, saying how he hates being alone. When Knives returns he finally presents two revolvers and wears battle armor. He throws one of the revolvers to Vash, and tells him they are their new "siblings" and would be used to wipe out the "human scourge," before going up to a hill and test-firing, creating a huge blast similar to a nuclear explosion.

Vash (knowing that the two guns were made to aid Knives in his plan of "cleansing" the planet of its human populace) becomes conflicted both emotionally and morally against his brother's goal; remembering the morals Rem taught him. In his conflict, Vash shoots Knives in the leg. After witnessing the pain and shock his brother has just experienced Vash, in panic and dismay, takes both guns and flees into the desert as Knives painfully calls out for him to come back.