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Trigun Maximum #14
Trigun Maximum Volume 14: Mind Games
Fourteen volumes, almost three-thousand pages, an internationally popular anime, and one of the most recognizable characters in the this is the saga of Vash the Stampede. For the past decade, Trigun Maximum has pollinated the manga medium and now permeates the otaku culture worldwide. Now, join Dark Horse Manga as they celebrate the amazing conclusion to this epic tale. Running and gunning Vash keeps his trademark wits and savvy fully loaded with both barrels blazing as his enemies draw nearer and his friends hang dangerously in the balance. As the sun sets on this climactic final fight, will it be happy trails for Vash or will it end in a blaze of bullet-riddled glory?
272 pages, Paperback
First published February 27, 2008
6 people are currently reading
227 people want to read
About the author
Yasuhiro Nightow
178 books139 followers内藤泰弘. Traditional transliteration would be Yasuhiro Naitou. Author uses "Nightow" for better pronunciation by English natives.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
April 29, 2023
Trigun Maximum? More like Trigunning my tears to the Maximum. Bye.
May 3, 2020
Since I don't want to count each individual manga volume as a separate book, I'll just put my full review on this last volume and count it.
Where do I even begin with this story?
The Trigun anime has been my favorite anime of all time for forever and a day but only in recent years have I decided solidly on that fact so while I was scared of having that 'tainted', so to speak, I knew deep down I would have to read the manga eventually.
When I joined a Discord server dedicated to Trigun and I saw how many people had both watched the anime and read the manga and saw how many people agreed with the sentiment that the two are easily separated, I decided to jump head first in. And I agree with that aforementioned sentiment.
The anime and manga are completely different and as such it's easy to love both. That being said, the anime being as important as it is to me, it's impossible to not compare them.
And here is where we get into spoiler territory.
The ending of the anime was always the part that I loved the most about the series. Being a pacifist who can not bring herself to cause harm to anybody - either emotionally or physically - without nearly breaking down, the fact that Vash was able to end the series with only one major causality directly caused by him (in both anime and manga in Legato's death) and the fact that he was torn apart by that action is extremely important to me.
The whole time I was reading the manga I was worried that he was going to kill Knives, especially considering close to the end of the first two volumes where he made it clear that killing Knives was his sole purpose for surviving and moving forward. The fact that the series ended not only with Vash defeating Knives WITHOUT killing him but with Knives saving Vash's life at the very end by bringing him to a doctor after their final battle is very satisfying.
While reading the second part of the manga in the form of Trigun: Maximum (the series had switched magazines part way through so a re-branding was necessary as well as the time skip) I noticed that Vash's smile wasn't real anymore. It didn't feel genuine. And when I discovered that that was a purposeful effort by the artist, I was very impressed. Certain human emotions - like faking smiling - are difficult to get on paper. At least, they are for me.
There is a page in the manga during Legato and Vash's battle where Legato states his realization that "This man, just like me, sees no value for himself in this world." and that absolutely broke my heart.
I've been there, I understand that feeling, even if my reasoning for those kinds of thoughts about myself were caused by MUCH different circumstances, I still can resonate with it.
This feeling that the world would be better off with you not in it is very relatable to me and what made the resonance even stronger is the fact that I can completely understand where Vash is coming from.
I disagree with him because I believe that his philosophy of "We don't know everything about why people do the awful things they do" in my opinion should extend to "We don't know everything about what we have done as an individual has done for others" but I still resonate with him.
You see, resonance is a big part of what will make or break a series for me. I tell everyone, you can have the best plot, you can have the best art, you can have the best background and lore but if I can not resonate with your characters - if I can not attach myself to them - then I will have no interest in your story.
That's part of what makes me stop reading a lot of the time. It's difficult for me to get attached to a character. It's a slow process and as such I'm often dropping new series' or stories like hot pockets.
The fact that the Trigun manga had (admittedly only slightly) different characterizations for characters I already held VERY dear and close to my heart and STILL kept me invested without giving me the feeling of "they've ruined the most important part" is an accomplishment above all others.
A good example of this is the fact that Wolfwood, my second favorite character in the anime, had a death in the anime that I adored (him holding his gun-that-looks-like-an-actual-honest-to-goodness-cross in a church as he prays his last prayer while bleeding out) while ALSO having a death in the manga that I adored (him sitting with Vash as they drink together one last time, the children from the orphanage he used to live in dropping confetti from the sky to thank him for saving them and Vash telling Wolfwood to not say anything stupid) is super ultra mega impressive to me.
Wolfwood's character arc remained entirely intact and the meaning of his death was not lost in translation - so to speak - from manga to anime despite the extreme differences that were involved.
Some might say "Why does that matter? You're reviewing the manga!" it's still important to me and I'll explain why.
The characters are the most important part to me, right? Their personalities and their arcs, to be more specific. We've got that established. So the fact that this characters personality and arc, in my honest opinion, stayed the same shows to me that these characters live far beyond the pages and the screen. Wolfwoods character goes beyond the circumstances of his death, his philosophies go beyond his way of communicating them and all in all everything he stands for in this story goes beyond a simple outline of events.
That's some pretty powerful and heavy stuff.
And that's why I love this manga.
Now to get technical, the paneling is a little hard to follow. I found myself confused about what was going on and had a hard time figuring out who was saying what as about 90% of the time the speech bubbles didn't have tails to tell you where they were coming from, but maybe that's because I don't read enough manga. Then again, I've had other people tell me that it's hard to follow the paneling for them as well so I don't think I'm alone in this complaint.
The backgrounds for the group of bad-guys following Knives' orders felt kinda rushed and Legato's especially felt kind of pointless. Yes it showed that they were still human but I don't know, Legato's background kind of scarred me and there's one page in particular that keeps me from being able to suggest this manga to everybody despite me feeling they'll love the story and that page felt pointlessly dark and brutal and as though it could've been alluded to without graphically showing it but hey to each their own I guess it's not my preferred type of story-telling but it is for some people.
All in all, I adore this manga. I'll need to let it sit to see where it stands on my list of favorite-manga-of-all-time which could take anywhere from a week to a few years but we shall see.
Four stars for the emotional roller-coaster it sent me on as well as the impressive characters and their philosophical conversations about a topic very dear to me, minus one star for those 'technical' gripes I have with it. Specifically the paneling thing.
Love and Peace.
Where do I even begin with this story?
The Trigun anime has been my favorite anime of all time for forever and a day but only in recent years have I decided solidly on that fact so while I was scared of having that 'tainted', so to speak, I knew deep down I would have to read the manga eventually.
When I joined a Discord server dedicated to Trigun and I saw how many people had both watched the anime and read the manga and saw how many people agreed with the sentiment that the two are easily separated, I decided to jump head first in. And I agree with that aforementioned sentiment.
The anime and manga are completely different and as such it's easy to love both. That being said, the anime being as important as it is to me, it's impossible to not compare them.
And here is where we get into spoiler territory.
The ending of the anime was always the part that I loved the most about the series. Being a pacifist who can not bring herself to cause harm to anybody - either emotionally or physically - without nearly breaking down, the fact that Vash was able to end the series with only one major causality directly caused by him (in both anime and manga in Legato's death) and the fact that he was torn apart by that action is extremely important to me.
The whole time I was reading the manga I was worried that he was going to kill Knives, especially considering close to the end of the first two volumes where he made it clear that killing Knives was his sole purpose for surviving and moving forward. The fact that the series ended not only with Vash defeating Knives WITHOUT killing him but with Knives saving Vash's life at the very end by bringing him to a doctor after their final battle is very satisfying.
While reading the second part of the manga in the form of Trigun: Maximum (the series had switched magazines part way through so a re-branding was necessary as well as the time skip) I noticed that Vash's smile wasn't real anymore. It didn't feel genuine. And when I discovered that that was a purposeful effort by the artist, I was very impressed. Certain human emotions - like faking smiling - are difficult to get on paper. At least, they are for me.
There is a page in the manga during Legato and Vash's battle where Legato states his realization that "This man, just like me, sees no value for himself in this world." and that absolutely broke my heart.
I've been there, I understand that feeling, even if my reasoning for those kinds of thoughts about myself were caused by MUCH different circumstances, I still can resonate with it.
This feeling that the world would be better off with you not in it is very relatable to me and what made the resonance even stronger is the fact that I can completely understand where Vash is coming from.
I disagree with him because I believe that his philosophy of "We don't know everything about why people do the awful things they do" in my opinion should extend to "We don't know everything about what we have done as an individual has done for others" but I still resonate with him.
You see, resonance is a big part of what will make or break a series for me. I tell everyone, you can have the best plot, you can have the best art, you can have the best background and lore but if I can not resonate with your characters - if I can not attach myself to them - then I will have no interest in your story.
That's part of what makes me stop reading a lot of the time. It's difficult for me to get attached to a character. It's a slow process and as such I'm often dropping new series' or stories like hot pockets.
The fact that the Trigun manga had (admittedly only slightly) different characterizations for characters I already held VERY dear and close to my heart and STILL kept me invested without giving me the feeling of "they've ruined the most important part" is an accomplishment above all others.
A good example of this is the fact that Wolfwood, my second favorite character in the anime, had a death in the anime that I adored (him holding his gun-that-looks-like-an-actual-honest-to-goodness-cross in a church as he prays his last prayer while bleeding out) while ALSO having a death in the manga that I adored (him sitting with Vash as they drink together one last time, the children from the orphanage he used to live in dropping confetti from the sky to thank him for saving them and Vash telling Wolfwood to not say anything stupid) is super ultra mega impressive to me.
Wolfwood's character arc remained entirely intact and the meaning of his death was not lost in translation - so to speak - from manga to anime despite the extreme differences that were involved.
Some might say "Why does that matter? You're reviewing the manga!" it's still important to me and I'll explain why.
The characters are the most important part to me, right? Their personalities and their arcs, to be more specific. We've got that established. So the fact that this characters personality and arc, in my honest opinion, stayed the same shows to me that these characters live far beyond the pages and the screen. Wolfwoods character goes beyond the circumstances of his death, his philosophies go beyond his way of communicating them and all in all everything he stands for in this story goes beyond a simple outline of events.
That's some pretty powerful and heavy stuff.
And that's why I love this manga.
Now to get technical, the paneling is a little hard to follow. I found myself confused about what was going on and had a hard time figuring out who was saying what as about 90% of the time the speech bubbles didn't have tails to tell you where they were coming from, but maybe that's because I don't read enough manga. Then again, I've had other people tell me that it's hard to follow the paneling for them as well so I don't think I'm alone in this complaint.
The backgrounds for the group of bad-guys following Knives' orders felt kinda rushed and Legato's especially felt kind of pointless. Yes it showed that they were still human but I don't know, Legato's background kind of scarred me and there's one page in particular that keeps me from being able to suggest this manga to everybody despite me feeling they'll love the story and that page felt pointlessly dark and brutal and as though it could've been alluded to without graphically showing it but hey to each their own I guess it's not my preferred type of story-telling but it is for some people.
All in all, I adore this manga. I'll need to let it sit to see where it stands on my list of favorite-manga-of-all-time which could take anywhere from a week to a few years but we shall see.
Four stars for the emotional roller-coaster it sent me on as well as the impressive characters and their philosophical conversations about a topic very dear to me, minus one star for those 'technical' gripes I have with it. Specifically the paneling thing.
Love and Peace.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 11, 2020
Even on a second reading, this manga was plenty confusing and left many questions unanswered, many fights fuzzy in my head. But it at least ends on a pretty high note - back to the comedic and lower-stakes roots of the story, that I rather enjoyed more than what it became at the end.
November 28, 2024
Reviewing the series as a whole, only writing one review instead of 17 (trigun was 3 volumes, maximum has 14, all are the same story)
The flow of the action scenes are hard to follow, but the characters are what make this series a classic. Vash and Wolfwood have so much depth and growth, Meryl and Millie are just fun, and the worldbuilding went from generic desert dystopia to a critique of overconsumption of natural resources as each piece of Vash's background comes to light. Also impressed with the internet for not spoiling the ending and certain character's fates even after how long the series has been done.
The flow of the action scenes are hard to follow, but the characters are what make this series a classic. Vash and Wolfwood have so much depth and growth, Meryl and Millie are just fun, and the worldbuilding went from generic desert dystopia to a critique of overconsumption of natural resources as each piece of Vash's background comes to light. Also impressed with the internet for not spoiling the ending and certain character's fates even after how long the series has been done.
April 30, 2024
I'm sure there are some who would say the ending feels incomplete, or that it leaves too much unanswered, but to me, this felt like the perfect way to end. It's hope for the future, even in the wake of great tragedy and suffering - something that I think is really at the core of Trigun. Love and Peace.
February 21, 2023
A solid 4.5 for the last volume, and 4 for all of Trigun Maximum.
I wish there were more.
I wish there were more.
May 11, 2023
I’m only putting this volume on here but I read the entire series and goddamn. Goddamn. (I will now retreat to a cave and ruminate for 50-60 business days)
Read
August 21, 2024just been changed as a person
July 5, 2025
"My journey ends, the tough and tender days that i loved will remain."
no tengo nada que añadir fui cambiado para siempre y no puedo recuperarme de lo que ha sido esta historia me encuentro angustioso y vacío vash the stampede espero que encuentres algo de paz mi pookie te quiero
no tengo nada que añadir fui cambiado para siempre y no puedo recuperarme de lo que ha sido esta historia me encuentro angustioso y vacío vash the stampede espero que encuentres algo de paz mi pookie te quiero
September 26, 2023
Far from here in a distant time and place. The same song of humanity still sang.
Ya es la segunda vez que lo leo así que me pareció oportuno escribir reseña. He participado en el club de lectura organizado en tumblr desde junio hasta septiembre, leyendo un volumen cada semana.
Trigun va de muchas cosas, muchas de las cuales no entiendo porque simplemente no me llega el cerebro, pero va de muchas otras cosas que me han conseguido emocionar mucho. Va de opuestos y de paralelismos, de extremos, y de las dos caras de una misma moneda. Trata de la grandiosidad de la humanidad, y de la grandiosidad de una única persona - de conexión y comunicación. También va de un tío que te puede matar tocando un saxofón.
Han transcurrido muchos meses leyendo esto con varias pausas así que lo tengo todo un poco hecho una bola y a decir verdad no tengo mucho que reseñar. Es un lento descenso al infierno donde parece que el amor nunca puede ganar, y la lucha de Vash es lo que mueve la historia hacia adelante. Me gusta la psicopatía de los antagonistas y las crisis mentales de los protagonistas - como cada uno está atrapado en su infierno personal, enraizados en sus formas de vivir y sobrevivir - de manera poco sana - directamente a causa de sus pasados, pero siempre acaba habiendo inspiración mutua para seguir.
Creo que me estoy yendo de rosca y estoy escribiendo por escribir. Tengo muchos mas pensamientos que me voy a ahorrar. Como en todos los mangas que leo una vez más mi matiz favorito es ver como se desarrolla el estilo artístico del autor - de paneles poco entendibles a dobles paginas preciosas y composiciones llenas de cantidades desorbitantes de swag. Ha sido una gran experiencia poder haber releído Trigun junto con tantas personas y haber tenido un espacio donde compartir y leer reacciones, análisis y mas cosas y exprimirlo hasta la ultima gota y el titulo de Mind Games creo que es apropiado para describir toda esta historia.
Cierro así una etapa hasta que me vuelva a resurgir el interés de manera natural.
Amor y paz🤞🏻
April 5, 2023
"Far in the future, in a place that has yet to be seen. The song of humanity we all know will be continue to be sung."
I don’t know where to begin this final review of this series. One thing I believe for sure is that all the piece of media I’ve seen, read or enjoyed weren’t has impactful to me as this one.
Vash’s character is beautifully tragic and well-written. It brought tears to my eyes when he woke up after seeing all his loved ones because he’s the key to bring love and peace between everyone. He had still one thing left to do and he will continue to do it.
Something I found really interesting however is how both of the twins made a choice that went against the morals and opinions they both held stubbornly in the past fourteen volume. Vash killed Legato. He took a life to save another. Knives let humans take care of his brother because he knows how crucial his life is for them. This sudden change, this decision they both made at the end of the story also shows how complementary they are. lt’s even more important when we see that the only thing Knives leaves behind is an apple tree. The apple tree wasn’t left by coincidence either.
An apple can symbolize knowledge: this would mean that the ignorant brother who "arrogantly pull the trigger" that Vash was pointing his gun at has finally acknowledge the memories of the plants and the will of humans to not repeat the same mistakes. He knows now and I think it’s my favorite interpretation of this apple tree. Learn to not repeat the same mistakes. That’s why they happen, so we can learn from it.
Lastly, I don’t think the end is either happy or sad. It’s a never ending song that will repeatedly be sung, a new loop was created and will be bound to be broken again. That is until a gunman who lived his entire life by following his purpose of love and peace close it again.
This was a wonderful story and I can’t applause Nightow enough for sewing up such a complex story with such deep and heavy topics but perfectly balanced with bits of humor. Vash’s character was able to moved me so much and this story will definitely hold a very special place in my heart. I’m glad I read it.
I don’t know where to begin this final review of this series. One thing I believe for sure is that all the piece of media I’ve seen, read or enjoyed weren’t has impactful to me as this one.
Vash’s character is beautifully tragic and well-written. It brought tears to my eyes when he woke up after seeing all his loved ones because he’s the key to bring love and peace between everyone. He had still one thing left to do and he will continue to do it.
Something I found really interesting however is how both of the twins made a choice that went against the morals and opinions they both held stubbornly in the past fourteen volume. Vash killed Legato. He took a life to save another. Knives let humans take care of his brother because he knows how crucial his life is for them. This sudden change, this decision they both made at the end of the story also shows how complementary they are. lt’s even more important when we see that the only thing Knives leaves behind is an apple tree. The apple tree wasn’t left by coincidence either.
An apple can symbolize knowledge: this would mean that the ignorant brother who "arrogantly pull the trigger" that Vash was pointing his gun at has finally acknowledge the memories of the plants and the will of humans to not repeat the same mistakes. He knows now and I think it’s my favorite interpretation of this apple tree. Learn to not repeat the same mistakes. That’s why they happen, so we can learn from it.
Lastly, I don’t think the end is either happy or sad. It’s a never ending song that will repeatedly be sung, a new loop was created and will be bound to be broken again. That is until a gunman who lived his entire life by following his purpose of love and peace close it again.
This was a wonderful story and I can’t applause Nightow enough for sewing up such a complex story with such deep and heavy topics but perfectly balanced with bits of humor. Vash’s character was able to moved me so much and this story will definitely hold a very special place in my heart. I’m glad I read it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 7, 2025
trigun is a story about grief. it is also a story about love. it is a story of sacrifice, and faith, and mercy, and failure, and forgiveness, and brothers. most importantly it's about brothers.
this story changed me. i've never been so in love with a work of fiction, never felt so seen and so vindicated and gutted and uplifted by a story. i can't describe how dear vash & wolfwood are to me. i think of them almost like my own friends. their love hit a chord in my soul that had never been struck before.
i think trigun is the most honest, ugly look at the cost of following the Holy. what it means to deny yourself, take up your cross, and love radically & absurdly. what it means to be a human being - all the flaws and faith that it entails. how to cling to hope in the desolation of the godforsaken desert. i've devoted hours to analyzing every piece of this story and it always rewards me, always holds up, always remains good and faithful and true.
it helped me fall in love with humanity. it made me a kinder person, a better sibling, a truer christian; it came to me when i needed it most, when i was just beginning to learn how to say yes to life, how to walk the path set before me in love & peace, how to look into the face of my enemy and see my brother, and love him. and all my life i will be better for reading it.
blessed are the peacemakers. 🤞
this story changed me. i've never been so in love with a work of fiction, never felt so seen and so vindicated and gutted and uplifted by a story. i can't describe how dear vash & wolfwood are to me. i think of them almost like my own friends. their love hit a chord in my soul that had never been struck before.
i think trigun is the most honest, ugly look at the cost of following the Holy. what it means to deny yourself, take up your cross, and love radically & absurdly. what it means to be a human being - all the flaws and faith that it entails. how to cling to hope in the desolation of the godforsaken desert. i've devoted hours to analyzing every piece of this story and it always rewards me, always holds up, always remains good and faithful and true.
it helped me fall in love with humanity. it made me a kinder person, a better sibling, a truer christian; it came to me when i needed it most, when i was just beginning to learn how to say yes to life, how to walk the path set before me in love & peace, how to look into the face of my enemy and see my brother, and love him. and all my life i will be better for reading it.
blessed are the peacemakers. 🤞
May 12, 2023
Sooooo… I finished Trimax today and DAMNNN these 14 volumes were filled with countless emotional rollercoasters ahhh! To the point I had to stop at multiple chapters just to take a break and recover from what had just happened (or dry my eyes because I couldn‘t see clearly from all the tears I’d shed) *yes volume 10 I am especially looking at you I won‘t recover from that for a while hxgcjvkcjcvi* 😶😶😂
Overall a solid manga with lots of characters that grew on me even besides Vash, Wolfwood, Meryl and Milly!! ❤️❤️ I also LOVED how Vash’s hair color changed throughout the story, especially since those changes had immense angst potential xD! 👀 The art style was okay and fitting for this kind of setting/story, BUT sometimes the panels were kinda hard to read/interpret and the pacing was also quite chaotic at times lol.
Considering the fresh approach Trigun Stampede took and what Trigun Maximum actually includes in its entirety, I‘m now VERY curious as to how the story in Tristamp could unfold eventually (if we get another season tho, plsss)! 🙏🔥
Overall a solid manga with lots of characters that grew on me even besides Vash, Wolfwood, Meryl and Milly!! ❤️❤️ I also LOVED how Vash’s hair color changed throughout the story, especially since those changes had immense angst potential xD! 👀 The art style was okay and fitting for this kind of setting/story, BUT sometimes the panels were kinda hard to read/interpret and the pacing was also quite chaotic at times lol.
Considering the fresh approach Trigun Stampede took and what Trigun Maximum actually includes in its entirety, I‘m now VERY curious as to how the story in Tristamp could unfold eventually (if we get another season tho, plsss)! 🙏🔥
November 16, 2014
So. Big Battle. Epic Finish. Bad guy brought to justice. Right? Nope. Vash and Knives fight it out among themselves as humanity struggles to reconnect with the plants by literally plugging them in to life support systems and trying to communicate good will. V and K nearly knock each other out and Knives drags Vash's butt to a remote former monastery to recover. Vash wakes up and Knives is gone leaving Vash to do what? That's right, run from the forces from the Earth, the Gunsmoke military, and every bounty hunter on the planet just like he has always done. This isn't very much of an ending because, after 14+ volumes, we have managed to resolve nothing. Meryl and Millie are now reporters and they help contribute to the overall cheesiness of the ending. Just... if this wasn't the last book in the series, I would have quit here anyway because it just got too ridiculous.
October 27, 2010
Sigh, the Trigun manga is done...it ended on a much more uplifting note than I thought. But sadly, no Wolfwood, so how could it be that uplifting? ;)
Out of all the anime series to be re-made, this one needs to be. It needs to be longer, and, honestly, I understood the anime better than I do the manga, so I need it to fully get everything. The fighting scenes confuse the hell out of me, and there's a lot of them. Still, I found this last volume easier to understand than Vol. 13. And while it really wasn't all that great, the art is just so beautiful, and my love for the series so large, that I can't bare to give the last volume anything less.
Out of all the anime series to be re-made, this one needs to be. It needs to be longer, and, honestly, I understood the anime better than I do the manga, so I need it to fully get everything. The fighting scenes confuse the hell out of me, and there's a lot of them. Still, I found this last volume easier to understand than Vol. 13. And while it really wasn't all that great, the art is just so beautiful, and my love for the series so large, that I can't bare to give the last volume anything less.
June 6, 2014
For a series that I barely understood, I loved it! Much more serious and waaaay more bloody than the anime, this actually provides a bit of a better understanding of all the characters' motivations -particularly Knives (also explains his name which bugged the heck outta me the whole anime). The dialogue is difficult to comprehend most of the time and in the end I was left with only a very basic understanding of the conclusion but all in all -if you don't mind a few headachy moments of WTF -a very enjoyable series.
April 7, 2015
Honestly I loved this series. Sure the story was confusing, a minor characters seriously suffered from same face, and I think I didn't understand a single action sequence clearly. But I loved the story, the characters and the crazy world it's set in.The series made me laugh, want to cry and I was always right on the edge of my seat. Great final volume as well, despite some loose ends, I'm glad it ended this way.
February 27, 2016
Overall, this was not my favorite Manga. I loved the Anime based on the Manga a lot more. The Manga suffered from not being as coherent, for me. The gun action scenes, which there are LOTS, can be confusing. It can be difficult to determine who thought and speech bubbles belong to. The story-line is interesting, though, which kept me reading through the whole series.
This volume is the final in this series, and the final battle between Vash the Stampede and Knives. Without giving away too much, I think the ending worked for the direction the story-line between the two was heading in.
This volume is the final in this series, and the final battle between Vash the Stampede and Knives. Without giving away too much, I think the ending worked for the direction the story-line between the two was heading in.
May 11, 2015
AAAAAAHHH!!!!! I was not expecting this ending! Pretty much every reason I love Vash is present in this volume. He's amazing! I'm sad Trigun is over but very pleased with the ending! I was smiling a lot more than I was expecting.
Even though the series is over, my love for Vash will continue on forever
Even though the series is over, my love for Vash will continue on forever
June 24, 2023
"My journey ends, the tough and tender days that I loved will remain."
I didn't review every single volume just because I was too lazy to write that many reviews, but I want to write a general review for the entire series here. This was such an amazing, touching, heartbreaking and fun story. I was invested from the very first volume, which in part surprised me because I expected to find it more difficult to get into the story. I've already watched both anime adaptations but I haven't read a manga in a long, long time, but that wasn't a barrier at all for me getting into this series.
The cast of characters is super well-written. Vash is such a good, complex character -- a gunslinger, a pacifist, a kind, traumatized person with incredible powers who wants to do good. There's so much to pick apart about him, starting from his beliefs and how they shape him and the story. I love the contrast of this kind, pacifist character in this violent word, this western setting. I love that Vash is good, or that he tries to be good, but he also has a capacity for darkness. His story with Knives is incredibly interesting, the juxtaposition of their beliefs, so directly linked with the way they responded to their childhood trauma. I genuinely could go on about Vash all day because I appreciated him so much.
I loved all the other main characters too. Wolfwood, and how tragic his character is, doomed by the narrative from the beginning. His bond with Vash is such an important part of the story, the way they change each other, the way Vash finds a friend in him, the way they challeng each other. Wolfwood's backstory was really heartbreaking and interesting. His love for the orphanage, the home he could never let go of, and his struggle with what the Eye of Michael made him really touched me. The "welcome home, Nicholas" panel in volume 10 is heartwrenching, as is his entire death scene. One thing I really appreciated about the story is how the author lets you feel the impact of his death. Even after he's gone, he still impacts the story. Vash goes against everything he believes in and kills Legato just so that Wolfwood's sacrifice wouldn't go to waste. Plus, in the very last panels of this volume, we see Livio with the Punisher. I liked that he wasn't forgotten, that he was so important to multiple characters.
Meryl and Milly and their friendship with Vash were another part of the story I really enjoyed -- I liked how they were the first people in a long time that really understood Vash beyond his Humanoid Typhoon title. I love how Vash tries to push them away for thei safety and that they keep going back to help him. It was really sad when we're shown how scared Meryl is of him after she sees his angel form, but I love that she tries to overcome her fear, and that she (and Milly) stick by him in the end. I really, really appreciated that the story ends with them reuniting, that it's kind of a circle to the beginning, when they found him for the first time
In general, the themes of the story really touched me. The idea that you can always do better, that you can change, that your ticket to the future is always blank. That life goes on, even after immense tragedy. That humanity will survive even when put in the direst of situations. It's a story full of things that stay with you even after you close the page, that allows for a lot of thought and analysis. I think the quote I chose for this review encapsulates a lot of the heart of the story, and it stuck with me from the moment I read it. I also loved all the funny moments, this is a very sad story at times, but it's full of humor and fun too.
I will say, sometimes I found the plot too confusing and some panels were really hard to understand. Sometimes I genuinely had to idea what the hell was going on. I had to look up summaries of the chapters multiple times just to understand what was happening.
I could probably go on forever but I should stop, lol. I'm really happy I read this, and I can't wait to get more of this world with Tristamp s2.
I didn't review every single volume just because I was too lazy to write that many reviews, but I want to write a general review for the entire series here. This was such an amazing, touching, heartbreaking and fun story. I was invested from the very first volume, which in part surprised me because I expected to find it more difficult to get into the story. I've already watched both anime adaptations but I haven't read a manga in a long, long time, but that wasn't a barrier at all for me getting into this series.
The cast of characters is super well-written. Vash is such a good, complex character -- a gunslinger, a pacifist, a kind, traumatized person with incredible powers who wants to do good. There's so much to pick apart about him, starting from his beliefs and how they shape him and the story. I love the contrast of this kind, pacifist character in this violent word, this western setting. I love that Vash is good, or that he tries to be good, but he also has a capacity for darkness. His story with Knives is incredibly interesting, the juxtaposition of their beliefs, so directly linked with the way they responded to their childhood trauma. I genuinely could go on about Vash all day because I appreciated him so much.
I loved all the other main characters too. Wolfwood, and how tragic his character is, doomed by the narrative from the beginning. His bond with Vash is such an important part of the story, the way they change each other, the way Vash finds a friend in him, the way they challeng each other. Wolfwood's backstory was really heartbreaking and interesting. His love for the orphanage, the home he could never let go of, and his struggle with what the Eye of Michael made him really touched me. The "welcome home, Nicholas" panel in volume 10 is heartwrenching, as is his entire death scene. One thing I really appreciated about the story is how the author lets you feel the impact of his death. Even after he's gone, he still impacts the story. Vash goes against everything he believes in and kills Legato just so that Wolfwood's sacrifice wouldn't go to waste. Plus, in the very last panels of this volume, we see Livio with the Punisher. I liked that he wasn't forgotten, that he was so important to multiple characters.
Meryl and Milly and their friendship with Vash were another part of the story I really enjoyed -- I liked how they were the first people in a long time that really understood Vash beyond his Humanoid Typhoon title. I love how Vash tries to push them away for thei safety and that they keep going back to help him. It was really sad when we're shown how scared Meryl is of him after she sees his angel form, but I love that she tries to overcome her fear, and that she (and Milly) stick by him in the end. I really, really appreciated that the story ends with them reuniting, that it's kind of a circle to the beginning, when they found him for the first time
In general, the themes of the story really touched me. The idea that you can always do better, that you can change, that your ticket to the future is always blank. That life goes on, even after immense tragedy. That humanity will survive even when put in the direst of situations. It's a story full of things that stay with you even after you close the page, that allows for a lot of thought and analysis. I think the quote I chose for this review encapsulates a lot of the heart of the story, and it stuck with me from the moment I read it. I also loved all the funny moments, this is a very sad story at times, but it's full of humor and fun too.
I will say, sometimes I found the plot too confusing and some panels were really hard to understand. Sometimes I genuinely had to idea what the hell was going on. I had to look up summaries of the chapters multiple times just to understand what was happening.
I could probably go on forever but I should stop, lol. I'm really happy I read this, and I can't wait to get more of this world with Tristamp s2.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 25, 2023
“if you shoot someone with a gun…
…they die.
but if you don’t arm yourself with a gun…
…you can’t defend yourself.
there must be some way you can arm yourself with a gun…
…but not kill anyone.
that’s why…
…i did what i could.
i did everything i could.
that’s how…
…i lived my life.
that’s how…
…i lived my life”
“i couldn’t do it.
you risked your own life to protect so much.
i couldn’t bear…
…to let that go to waste.”
“go ahead let it go.
there’s no reason you have to bear this on your own.
we’re fighting with you.
please…
…never forget that.”
“you’re amazing.
what makes you so strong?
because we decided…
…to fight along with…
…vash the stampede.
and that means, if we don’t achieve anything…
…we’re just holding him back.
what good would that do?”
vash and meryls relationship is so so beautiful… i love them so much
“connect…
…and make it happen.
i believe.
i’ve made it through 150 years.
please.
once more…
…give me the ticket.”
“i promise…
until now…
…i was never one to give such promises.
but today i’ll give it a try.
i will return.
wait for me.”
“that’s right.
we got caught up in something that was far too huge.
we can’t just pretend like it didn’t happen.
we can’t go back to that time.
……
kill me vash.
there’s nowhere else for me to go.”
“far in the future…
…in a place that has yet to be seen.
the song of humanity we all know…
…will continue to be sung.”
…they die.
but if you don’t arm yourself with a gun…
…you can’t defend yourself.
there must be some way you can arm yourself with a gun…
…but not kill anyone.
that’s why…
…i did what i could.
i did everything i could.
that’s how…
…i lived my life.
that’s how…
…i lived my life”
“i couldn’t do it.
you risked your own life to protect so much.
i couldn’t bear…
…to let that go to waste.”
“go ahead let it go.
there’s no reason you have to bear this on your own.
we’re fighting with you.
please…
…never forget that.”
“you’re amazing.
what makes you so strong?
because we decided…
…to fight along with…
…vash the stampede.
and that means, if we don’t achieve anything…
…we’re just holding him back.
what good would that do?”
vash and meryls relationship is so so beautiful… i love them so much
“connect…
…and make it happen.
i believe.
i’ve made it through 150 years.
please.
once more…
…give me the ticket.”
“i promise…
until now…
…i was never one to give such promises.
but today i’ll give it a try.
i will return.
wait for me.”
“that’s right.
we got caught up in something that was far too huge.
we can’t just pretend like it didn’t happen.
we can’t go back to that time.
……
kill me vash.
there’s nowhere else for me to go.”
“far in the future…
…in a place that has yet to be seen.
the song of humanity we all know…
…will continue to be sung.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 1, 2021
Los finales en las series de manga son todos los mismos. Si habéis visto Evangelion habéis visto en realidad cualquier otro final. Y me refiero, tristemente, a todos los finales.
La fuerza de la amistad es el tema recurrente de estas series y siempre, por supuesto, el protagonista tiene que llevar al menos hasta cierto punto un mensaje esperanzador.
En Trigun, Vash representa el optimismo y el pacifismo en un planeta cruel y sin piedad. Esperas que en algún momento, como suele ocurrir, el protagonista pierda la cabeza y se ponga a matar gente, pero no lo hace. No hay flaquezas ni dudas.
Trigun es una tormenta de balas. Todo el mundo está disparando, siempre. Pero insiste en que una bala puede matar a una persona y en que disparar es un acto deleznable. Porque, además, uno no puede defenderse de alguien que empuña un arma si no empuña un arma. En otras palabras: los pacifistas están condenados a morir y, por desgracia, la guerra es una canción que nunca acaba.
Saludos desde aquí a mi buen amigo Javier, sin el que no habría podido ni terminar ni leer esta serie entera. Te quiero mucho.
La fuerza de la amistad es el tema recurrente de estas series y siempre, por supuesto, el protagonista tiene que llevar al menos hasta cierto punto un mensaje esperanzador.
En Trigun, Vash representa el optimismo y el pacifismo en un planeta cruel y sin piedad. Esperas que en algún momento, como suele ocurrir, el protagonista pierda la cabeza y se ponga a matar gente, pero no lo hace. No hay flaquezas ni dudas.
Trigun es una tormenta de balas. Todo el mundo está disparando, siempre. Pero insiste en que una bala puede matar a una persona y en que disparar es un acto deleznable. Porque, además, uno no puede defenderse de alguien que empuña un arma si no empuña un arma. En otras palabras: los pacifistas están condenados a morir y, por desgracia, la guerra es una canción que nunca acaba.
Saludos desde aquí a mi buen amigo Javier, sin el que no habría podido ni terminar ni leer esta serie entera. Te quiero mucho.
September 21, 2023
4.75 *'s out of 5
as someone who grew up watching the anime but never read the manga, this series veered so sharply in concept and became an utterly fascinating almost cosmic horror of a scifi by the end I could never have predicted from the elements of the story I was familiar w/ but I utterly loved it. the best of the seeds the anime presented, aka the idea of "plants" gets so much more expanded while still partially remaining an open ended mystery that did not leave me feeling frustrated but was somehow oddly hopeful. every nugget of the world building nightow gave us was infinitely cooler than I could have imagined. what are plants? how did they really come to exist? what do societies who know of they are sentient look like? I wanted to know it all!
most notably from the anime, besides the obvious plot expansion around knives and world building, is there's infinitely more and longer fight scenes in the manga (there also more characters who we never got to meet and i loved all of them! but thats another point entirely). I will not lie, sometimes this is to a detriment, for me at least. there were moments where the endless very unbelievable fights detracted from the emotional impact. but in the end, it came to highlight maybe the best and most fascinating thing about this series.
this is what I would consider a "brawler" series. so much of the story is encountering different problems or opponents and having to battle it out. and yet the main character is a true pacificist. he never wavers in that, even when he is forced to take a life. the world around him is harsh and brutal and he made himself kind and gentle to combat it. humans on this planet had to fight each other to stay alive and instead of judging them, he took the time to understand each and every person he met's reason for their actions. in fact the person he grows to maybe love and trust the most is a trained killer, but he doesnt demonize him for it. he often doesn't agree w his methods, but not because out of a sense of judgement, but because he recognizes how much Wolfwood hates his methods himself. he doesn't see any other options and so for much of the series, he doesn't change even though he wants to. but the point of this series is vash always sees another option; he forgives. everyone, always, no matter their irredeemable actions, he believes in their ability to change into something better.
this series was beloved by the kinda anime fans who loved cool characters w/ flashy designs and big guns who shot their way through problems and technically, it fit that mold but the beauty of it was that was never the point. it's about a world given no options and living because of their worst choices and the hero believed in the species ability to become better and providing the means. vash is a hero who is a heroic because if given the option, he'd never use a weapon. even when facing off against the worst kind of person, he will try to find a way to save them. they often won't accept that, but he will always try. if the easy way to victory is to fight and kill his own brother, he will choose the hardest path, putting his body and life on the line just to get through to him and make him realize that even after everything, he will always forgive him because he believes that given time, knives can change and do better, and that humanity can as well.
so yes, this series occasionally suffered from gratuitous testosterone fueled fight scenes. I'd have cut out at least 25% of them honestly, but the absolutely fascinating cosmic horror of it all and the beauty of a hero who's strength comes from his willingness to forgive makes it into something deeply poignant. it should be noted that I saw the of the original anime probably 20 yrs ago and the impact from it has never left me. it is not the cool ending anyone else would have written. instead nightow made the risky choice to let his hero be gentle and merciful. somehow because of that, it hit me emotionally 100x more and the manga? hit even harder. we don't know how things will turn out really, but w/ an entire narrative built on learning to believe people can become their best selves, the open ending feels beautiful and hopeful and left me staring at the settinf sun out my window for a good 10 minutes in thought.
as someone who grew up watching the anime but never read the manga, this series veered so sharply in concept and became an utterly fascinating almost cosmic horror of a scifi by the end I could never have predicted from the elements of the story I was familiar w/ but I utterly loved it. the best of the seeds the anime presented, aka the idea of "plants" gets so much more expanded while still partially remaining an open ended mystery that did not leave me feeling frustrated but was somehow oddly hopeful. every nugget of the world building nightow gave us was infinitely cooler than I could have imagined. what are plants? how did they really come to exist? what do societies who know of they are sentient look like? I wanted to know it all!
most notably from the anime, besides the obvious plot expansion around knives and world building, is there's infinitely more and longer fight scenes in the manga (there also more characters who we never got to meet and i loved all of them! but thats another point entirely). I will not lie, sometimes this is to a detriment, for me at least. there were moments where the endless very unbelievable fights detracted from the emotional impact. but in the end, it came to highlight maybe the best and most fascinating thing about this series.
this is what I would consider a "brawler" series. so much of the story is encountering different problems or opponents and having to battle it out. and yet the main character is a true pacificist. he never wavers in that, even when he is forced to take a life. the world around him is harsh and brutal and he made himself kind and gentle to combat it. humans on this planet had to fight each other to stay alive and instead of judging them, he took the time to understand each and every person he met's reason for their actions. in fact the person he grows to maybe love and trust the most is a trained killer, but he doesnt demonize him for it. he often doesn't agree w his methods, but not because out of a sense of judgement, but because he recognizes how much Wolfwood hates his methods himself. he doesn't see any other options and so for much of the series, he doesn't change even though he wants to. but the point of this series is vash always sees another option; he forgives. everyone, always, no matter their irredeemable actions, he believes in their ability to change into something better.
this series was beloved by the kinda anime fans who loved cool characters w/ flashy designs and big guns who shot their way through problems and technically, it fit that mold but the beauty of it was that was never the point. it's about a world given no options and living because of their worst choices and the hero believed in the species ability to become better and providing the means. vash is a hero who is a heroic because if given the option, he'd never use a weapon. even when facing off against the worst kind of person, he will try to find a way to save them. they often won't accept that, but he will always try. if the easy way to victory is to fight and kill his own brother, he will choose the hardest path, putting his body and life on the line just to get through to him and make him realize that even after everything, he will always forgive him because he believes that given time, knives can change and do better, and that humanity can as well.
so yes, this series occasionally suffered from gratuitous testosterone fueled fight scenes. I'd have cut out at least 25% of them honestly, but the absolutely fascinating cosmic horror of it all and the beauty of a hero who's strength comes from his willingness to forgive makes it into something deeply poignant. it should be noted that I saw the of the original anime probably 20 yrs ago and the impact from it has never left me. it is not the cool ending anyone else would have written. instead nightow made the risky choice to let his hero be gentle and merciful. somehow because of that, it hit me emotionally 100x more and the manga? hit even harder. we don't know how things will turn out really, but w/ an entire narrative built on learning to believe people can become their best selves, the open ending feels beautiful and hopeful and left me staring at the settinf sun out my window for a good 10 minutes in thought.
July 17, 2023
Love and Peace. La conclusión de este manga de culto.
Se nota que Nightow tenía este número perfectamente planeado y coreografiado. Aunque sí es cierto que la batalla entre Vash y Knives se hace más bien corta, todo lo que lleva a la misma da la misma sensación que el ascenso en una montaña rusa, donde uno anticipa la adrenalina que va a venir y lo bien que se lo va a pasar. Por ejemplo, llevaba todo el manga preocupada por el destino de las plantas no independientes y de cómo se reintegrarían en el mundo después de Knives y el autor lo ha resuelto de forma respetuosa y aceptable. Me esperaba que el final fuera un guiño a la esencia original de Trigun y ha cumplido con ello sin bajar la calidad en absoluto.
No ha sido un final para estar filosofando durante un tiempo, pero sí ha sido correcto y satiafactorio. Me lo he pasado muy bien leyéndolo.
Se nota que Nightow tenía este número perfectamente planeado y coreografiado. Aunque sí es cierto que la batalla entre Vash y Knives se hace más bien corta, todo lo que lleva a la misma da la misma sensación que el ascenso en una montaña rusa, donde uno anticipa la adrenalina que va a venir y lo bien que se lo va a pasar. Por ejemplo, llevaba todo el manga preocupada por el destino de las plantas no independientes y de cómo se reintegrarían en el mundo después de Knives y el autor lo ha resuelto de forma respetuosa y aceptable. Me esperaba que el final fuera un guiño a la esencia original de Trigun y ha cumplido con ello sin bajar la calidad en absoluto.
No ha sido un final para estar filosofando durante un tiempo, pero sí ha sido correcto y satiafactorio. Me lo he pasado muy bien leyéndolo.
February 28, 2025
Just having a little cry after finishing this one.
Regardless of any negatives to this series, it really is a classic for a reason. I imagine anyone who made it to this volume will be satisfied with the ending.
Regardless of any negatives to this series, it really is a classic for a reason. I imagine anyone who made it to this volume will be satisfied with the ending.
Read
July 7, 2025its hard bc i love the characters sm but i genuinely could not tell what was happening in most of the fights or who was talking in a lot of scenes.
idk what to give this series but i do really enjoy it despite its flaws, i like the manga ending better and a certain death scene is really amazing. however overall i lowkey prefer the anime bc i can understand what's going on better forgive me
idk what to give this series but i do really enjoy it despite its flaws, i like the manga ending better and a certain death scene is really amazing. however overall i lowkey prefer the anime bc i can understand what's going on better forgive me
December 10, 2025
Really loved this series. The plot is often hard to follow and the page readability is not always good. But the character designs and development is absolutely amazing, and so is the humor, the art style, and the thematic consistency. A great manga if you're fine with not knowing whats going on sometimes
February 21, 2023
i would give this 10 stars if i could
March 20, 2023
my brain’s chemistry and structure just got completely rearranged, altered and changed forever, I will never be the same person I was before I read this jesus christ
June 1, 2023
This destroyed, wrecked, broken, smashed and let me on a sobbing mess. What a ride.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews