#bc wolfwood DIED to protect livio

[quippip]

guardian angel

[revenantghost]

hiiii! I finished trimax yesterday and I am devastated, in awe, and also confused as fuck bc some of it is really hard to parse. so I was hoping that you could maybe answer a question about the end of vol 10?

I understand from the scene with livio that vash used his powers after wolfwood died but i'm not sure I understand why?

did he just have a bit of a breakdown? was knives somehow involved? was it something else entirely??

hopefully I'm not bothering you too much with this but I don't know where else to go for answers agdjsla

OH BOY, my deepest condolences. The post-Trimax trauma is REAL. You aren't bothering me at all, I love talking Trigun! :D If you haven't been able to tell :'D

Also you're not alone in trying to understand things :') I love Nightow, and Trimax is easily one of my favorite mangas for so many reasons now... but it's so infamously hard to understand at times lmao. Not the worst I've read by far, but something.

Unsurprisingly, I've seen a few different takes on it. I've seen some people say Vash struck out in rage, but I'm fairly certain Knives tried to attack first. My first thought was that Vash struck back to preserve himself, Wolfwood's body, and that last moment they had together before Vash buries him alone. However, some folks have pointed out it seems like Vash might be protecting all of Hopeland, which makes sense!

First, because Knives was just hopping around obliterating any and all settlements of humanity, and this one would hardly be excluded. Second, *points at the later scene, with Legato* no matter what it costs Vash, he cannot let Wolfwood's sacrifice in vain. He has to preserve what little energy he has to fight Knives (I'm sure after this he grasps what the hair darkening means, but who knows if he knew it before; Knives sure as hell had no clue, and Vash doesn't have a Conrad to clue him in), but he's already lost too much in his life already. This isn't a sacrifice he's willing to make. It's not a sacrifice he can survive making.

TL;DR: Best theory I've seen is that Knives tried to destroy Hopeland, Vash said, "No the fuck you do not," and despite Knives having a legion of plants attached to him, he still couldn't overpower his brother. Get dunked on, loser.

[deatmat]

I think one of the most interesting things about Wolfwood and Vash’s relationship is that they always have each other’s backs. And I’m not just talking about metaphorically - physically they are there protecting the other.

Looking at Trigun, there are several scenes where Wolfwood shoots people coming at Vash from behind and when they fight back-to-back. Beyond their fighting style (which honestly is primarily Wolfwood shooting people and protecting Vash), Wolfwood also helps him out when he’s at his lowest. He’s the one to pick Vash up off his feet when he’s parading around as Eriks. Then (spoilers for end of Trigun 98) when Vash is fighting Knives, it’s Wolfwoods voice in his head and his gun that ends up helping to finish the battle. And it’s not just Vash getting aid from Wolfwood. In the manga Vash is constantly there to help Wolfwood with all his troubles. He helps him realize who he wants to be. He helps him by allowing him to stick around even though he knows he’s going to betray him bc he knows Wolfwood needs to protect his family. When Wolfwood protects the orphanage, Vash shows up in the end to help save what he loves. In that same scene, they work together so flawlessly that even Livio comments on it saying they look like they’ve fought together a thousand times as they panel shows them literally back-to-back. (Spoilers for volume 10) And Vash is the one beside him as Wolfwood dies, supporting him in his final hour.

Trigun Stampede takes a different approach and actually spells it out. The entirety of episode 4 Wolfwood makes note of the fact that Vash regularly turns his back to him as if trusting a stranger. It is said at least five times and is a key focus of the episode in my opinion. Episode 5 shows Vash leaning against Wolfwood’s back discussing how he knows Rollo, another form of the support (though in stampede it’s just the beginnings of that support since they don’t really have any sort of relationship yet).

I just think both of them aren’t used to having someone help them. Wolfwood has always been the big brother, the one who does work and cares for others instead of being cared for, and Vash never had anyone around to watch over him cuz he was always alone. And like, Meryl and Milly are there for them too which is really important to mention so it’s triple the support than either of them have ever gotten. It would be such a shock to them, and in Trimax/Tri98 you can see how that changes them as people.

Vash was so worried about being alone after Knives left him and now he’s surrounded by people who are there for him and I love that so much.

[collieii]

i rly like the wolfwood vs ninelives fight from volume three, it's one of my fav fights in the whole manga. partially bc i love how wolfwood looks insane and bloody and feral the whole time

but for other reasons too! it's really fun how he's set up against the guy who...yk...almost can't die. which really pushes wolfwood to his limits, since his usual strategy simply won't work. and his resolution is to just go absolutely hogwild and beat the shit out of the other guy till neither of them can move.

it's also kind of interesting that he does still almost get fucked at the end and needs an emergency save from the insurance girls. i think it suggests the idea that despite his tendency to operate alone and brute force his way through his issues, wolfwood still needs help from time to time. even if he doesn't consciously acknowledge it. he didn't ask for the girls to help him, but if they didn't he might have died.

it sort of serves as early lighthearted foreshadowing of his fight with chapel and livio in volume 10, where he tries to take on a tough opponent/s alone and ends up paying the price. at that point, wolfwood recognizes that he needs others to succeed, but he only admits it to himself when it's too late and he's dying.

he's lucky vash took the initiative to follow him against his will, because if he hadn't wolfwood would have failed to protect the orphanage and died.

going back to volume three, i also love how these fight scenes are set up, with vash and wolfwood each facing their own opponent who's designed to pick at their weak spots. wolfwood's conflict challenges him by almost invalidating his kill strategy, which he explains as being necessary to ensure his survival and ability to achieve his goals/protect what he cares about. meanwhile the puppet master is so effective against vash bc of his 'sentimentality'.

think if vash and wolfwoods places were switched in this fight - wolfwood would probably just end up cutting through all the puppets. i don't think he'd enjoy it or do it lightly but in the name of self preservation he'd do what he has to do. and if vash was fighting ninelives, he'd def still have issues, but his whole strategy is based on fighting opponents who he can't kill. he's used to having to figure out ways to incapacitate people without killing them. ofc, someone who you ideologically can't kill vs someone you psychically can't kill aren't totally synonymous, but it's still interesting to think about.

and ofc, there's vash's past with emilio. this fight highlights vash's habit of connecting with others personally (and remembering all of them!)

an early demonstration of an aspect of his character that ends up being hugely important in the finale.

and ofc all this is followed by the hospital scene! which i think sort of highlights the...idk the duality of it all? luida thanks both of them for protecting the ship. both of their methods were necessary, vash's and wolfwood's, as violent as his was. it's discussed explicitly by vash and wolfwood ofc. so we know that this fight also helps point out the multifaceted nature of violence. obviously, sometimes it's awful, but times like these it's necessary. it's not as obvious as the contrast between knives and vash's ideologies, but trimax is constantly challenging vash.

[seoafin]

No I need every trigun thought you have bc wolfwood’s character is tragic like vash. This whole crew is just messed up and I need to see thoughts and feelings!!!

before anyone says anything you asked so i am answering. i talked about how insane it makes me that wolfwood is literally doomed by the narrative. both in the manga and stampede (sorry to those who think he'll make it out alive in stampede. he's dying.) our first look at him in both the manga AND stampede is seeing him carrying his own grave marker (which i could write a whole paper about just in the fact that it's literally a cross and a fucking machine gun!!!!!). it's representative of the lives he's taken and a tangible manifestation of his sins and guilt that is pointed out as extremely heavy by others. i think in the manga the only other person capable of picking the punisher up is vash??? (which makes me even more crazier bc what do you think that represents huh). the thing about wolfwood is that not only is he a character foil to vash, he completes vash in a way that only he can. only wolfwood can take the lives vash cannot in order to save people, which is something vash finally acknowledges during their fight with leonof the puppet master. i think the absolute saddest thing about wolfwood's character is that he is absolutely a caretaker at heart and violence is not at all inherent to his nature. in the orphanage he grew up in he cooked he took care of the younger children he helped the women out!!! thematically the orphanage he grew up in being the place of his last stand makes so much sense. he fights and dies to protect the orphanage and all the children (yes this includes livio). not to quote myself here but:

ww’s death doubles as salvation and tragedy. somewhere along the way of meeting vash and being witness to his unconditional love and forgiveness for humanity he found it easier to hope!!!! to begin to think that he could be saved. and that’s how he dies.

[humanoidtyphoons]

trimax vol 14! last one!

-it’s so so good that the volume cover is vash smiling like the goof he is, and the back cover is the peace sign. i love him soooo. truly the embodiment of love and peace!! character of all time!!!

-ack, wolfwood. he’s so prominent this volume. he’s the reason why vash shoots and kills legato. he’s seen when vash views the dead. he talks to livio as a ghost. and he haunts and he haunts the narrative post vol 10. and jfc. character of all time.

-truly the way vash loves wolfwood that he’s been so fundamentally changed by it. that he wants to protect what wolfwood loves. legato is absolutely going to kill livio if vash does nothing and vash… he has to protect wolfwood’s wishes. what wolfwood has fought for all this time. so vash makes the choice. realizes that he was kind of an asshole, maybe??? calling wolfwood a coward???

-it’s such an interesting parallel to have legato pull vash’s gun to his head and asking him to shoot, and wolfwood doing the same thing first. only, legato isn’t forcing himself to play the devil like wolfwood was. whatever choice vash makes would delight him, bc it would torment vash. maybe not the same way as it happened in tri98, but i love that he forces vash’s hand all the same. that this decision vash makes is a consequence of wolfwood’s death, made textually explicit with the double spread of wolfwood and the punisher, the words he said that day, when he asked vash to shoot.

-milly and meryl going to space!!! love it!!!

-vash shutting down after killing legato… yeah. you do need a breather, buddy.

-ngl i love vash and knives fighting, and failing and vash choosing to save knives, taking the brunt. i love how different their feathers look.

-knives looking like he’s set on fire, his energy consuming him and burning him out looks so cool ngl. what a badass look.

-vash surrounded by feathers is super pretty

-meryl/vash, where vash knows she’s afraid and tells her she’s brave anyway. she is. he promises to return to her, and then doesn’t, cause he’s a liar. cute!!

-i love seeing the plant sisters being saved!!! they don’t deserve to be consumed by knives’ egomania.

-there’s something sweet about knives asking humans he doesn’t know to save his brother, and then using the last of his powers to grow an apple tree. he’s been so isolated and rage filled for a century and a half, but… being around vash, he… tries. that he cares.

-i can’t decide whether i prefer knives living or dying at the end. i find the anime sweet bc i do like that vash decides to be more active and force knives to engage with humanity more, under his eye, so no one dies. but on the other hand… using the last of his power as a good deed… that’s really good too… like it’s bittersweet but it shows that even knives is capable of change. maybe he was irredeemable and had done too much wrong, but. vash loves him, even so. and, in his final hour, he did good.

-i got so used to vash having black hair that it’s almost a shock to see vash blonde in a flashback, ngl.

-there’s something stupid wonderful about the end feeling like it’s the beginning again. milly and meryl might be journalists, now, but vash is trying to run from them and so they’re back again on his tail, like a more benevolent roadrunner and coyote! he’s goofy and silly and i just adore him, and milly & meryl hot on his heels.

also the colour double spread of vash in his red coat and black hair and the endless desert is a delight!!! completely forgot this detail!!!

i feel healed, idk. it’s such a charming story, still. how much i love the characters, and how they struggle with what they believe is right, but they try all the same. it’s going to be okay.

but most of all, remember, love and peace!!!

[collieii]

back on my wolfwood bullshit! i'm using a lot of the same ideas from my other post so i'll try not to repeat myself, but as i said, a major theme of wolfwood's arc is autonomy and freedom, and the idea that having freedom to choose also comes with the responsibility to act and make good choices.

throughout trimax, wolfwood is in a strange position. he's beholden to higher powers - the eye of michael, knives, even vash in a way, while also simultaneously having a lot of freedom to act, particularly in the moment. the things that control him are more like swords of damocles - present, inevitable, but not immediate. he's constantly struggling to figure out what he should do - take knives out, kill vash, and more generally, things like his profession as assassin. he's very torn about the choices he makes (or doesn't make) and the life he lives because he's dissatisfied with his position, and there isn't an easy way out.

there are a lot of parallels between midvalley and wolfwood. midvalley, similar to wolfwood, was forced into a place he really didn't want to be in. he's hyperaware of the danger of his situation, knows he's expendable to knives, and that knives has so much power - how can anyone escape it? so he has to ask himself - how is he going to spend the time that he has? should he risk his life or play it safe? we know what he decides - he's likely to die either way, so he might as well try to get his way, release himself from knives' control.

midvalley pretty easily identifies wolfwood as someone who is allied with vash, who has no true loyalty to knives. he says they have no reason to fight - midvalley and hoppered have officially moved against knives and made their choice. is wolfwood going to resolve himself, follow what he truly believes - in vash, against knives? or will he keep playing the game of someone who doesn't have their mind made up, still working under knives thumb? (midvalley has always called wolfwood chapel, right up until this moment - he's breaking through the pretenses, acknowledging that he knows what wolfwood really is).

(using the overhaul translation here bc it's much clearer!) midvalley basically says that wolfwood does have power, but at that point in the story, he's mostly just going along with what's safe, as opposed to midvalley and hoppered. midvalley is aware that wolfwood might have similar goals to him. as someone who, like wolfwood, fears knives and what he can do, midvalley criticizes wolfwood's passivity or inability to fight for what he wants.

still, we see that when midvalley does act against knives he dies. immediately. both him and hoppered made their choice, and it didn't end well for them. maybe they knew it'd be that way. still, it's a poignant reminder to wolfwood about the power of choice, and the risks that come with it. he has to confront what other people are willing to risk and ask himself if he can do the same.

then we get to volume 8. wolfwood, who spends so much of the story agonizing over his choices, is finally resolved. he goes against knives and frees vash. he chooses not to kill unless absolutely necessary. his autonomy is realized at the price of his life. and that's the equation he has to figure - save myself, and damn everyone i care about? be dissatisfied with myself, my life? or save what he loves, do what he wants, and risk himself? wolfwood is keenly aware of his own morality. he has so much he wants to protect, and he can't do that if he's dead. i think one of the reasons he's able to take a stand against knives is because of his relationship with vash - he knows that there's someone with similar goals and values who will fight to protect humanity after he's gone. he goes out having taken care of chapel and livio, and trusting that vash will handle knives. he can die peacefully knowing he's assured the safety of his family.

by volume 10, wolfwood is showing everyone who he is and what he stands for, for better or worse. he was willing to fight - and willing to die - to do what he believed was right. trimax shows, again, and again, that there's often no easy answer, no easy way to live, no easy choice to make. that's sort of the idea that's communicated with the bird imagery - a life of freedom is a life of struggle. it's not a new idea, ofc. but we see with wolfwood - the right thing and the safe thing are often not the same. what are we willing to do? how far will we go? what will we sacrifice? and what will leave us most satisfied at the end?