Vash from Trigun Stampede is a top contender for best boy in anime in 2023

Vash the Stampede, the quick-witted gunslinger and hero of the classic anime and manga triangleShe is a man of many outfits. Though he’s maintained his core look over the years – a red coat, blonde hair, hoop earrings, a prosthetic arm, and a mole under his eye – the hero has undergone several transformations. Tokuma Shoten first published the manga in 1995 and the series has since received anime adaptations in 1998 and 2010. Now he’s back and cuter than ever in Studio Orange’s reinvention of the classic sci-fi western. triangle stampede. The new Vash brings a decades-old character to life as he returns to us as vibrant as ever, ready to win our hearts as one of 2023’s most memorable anime cuties.

Although portrayed with a slightly more sinister appearance in the past, Vash possesses a disarming personality. triangle Creator Yasuhiro Nightow wanted to portray a different western cowboy, one with a decidedly pacifist ideology. On the show, this pacifism troubles him, as he seems to be dealing with an endless stream of assassins out to get him on his head for the reward. From the start this gives triangle both the old and new series – a slapstick quality as Vash constantly dodges attacks and breaks up fights with rifle butts rather than bullets.

The vash of the franchise’s early days was strikingly punky. In the first triangle

Manga, he enters double-breasted red coat it’s up to his ankles. His shoes are adorned with dozens of straps and buckles, and his spiky hair stands up as if charged with electricity. A later sequel to the manga, Trigun Maximus, would redo his design and add other machine elements to him, like pipes running up and down his legs and a mechanical corset.

Image: Orange/Crunchyroll

Some core traits, such as his red cape, glasses, and prosthetic arm, have stayed with him over the years. They show what is most important to him and form the core of his character. His red cape, for example, isn’t just about style; it points to the centrality of his connection to his late caretaker, Rem, whose favorite flower was a red geranium. His arm remains more or less unchanged, serving as a reminder that he is different from his fellow human beings and somehow alien in his world. All of these traits stand out in the new version of Vash, but this latest iteration of the character has been the black sheep of his designs so far. The vash of triangle stampede is noticeably younger and softer, and seems to soften the sharpness of the original designs.

In rushhe feels more in tune with the TikTok e-boys. He has wild hair and an undercut rather than a sleek look. He has fairly prominent dark eyebrows and wears his hoop earring. His combat boots and overcoat look more straight out of a modern streetwear catalog than a desert dystopia. If you look at his face you can see the distinct appearance of red blush – another example of a trendy look made popular on the internet.

This vash seems to be vying for a younger and new generation of fans. Some moments, like the way he raises his eyebrow with a fearful smile, seem ripe for TikTok fan edits. He looks adorable, like a stray puppy! And while his sparkling aquamarine eyes might not affect his enemies, they sure will look great when slowed down, edited and paired with music for a fan-made music video. Given his work history, it doesn’t seem all that surprising that Orange can deliver our next cute anime star. This is an animation studio that somehow managed to knock out the humanoid animals beasts into emotionally compelling and, for some fans, hot characters.

Regardless, I think it would be fair to say that the new Vash looks more generic. He wears a black turtleneck — pretty much a staple in anime and anime-related franchises with characters like Kakashi Hatake and Cloud Strife. Fans have lamented the change in his overall build and height, saying that his silhouette is no longer conspicuous; We’ve lost his long, lanky frame and spiky hair. He seems more like a member of a boy band and less like a character from a Todd McFarlane comic who Nightow was openly a fan of and whose work appears to have influenced Vash’s design in the past.

Image: Orange/Crunchyroll

Whether you like the design or not, this incarnation of Vash is an absolute charmer. The local bar greets him as a hero. He takes care of his captors and makes sure they are treated well. He even cares about environmental issues — the town he lives in is running out of clean water, and he seems invested in tackling the problem. When faced with conflict, he diffuses tension with a chuckle. He’s both an outlaw and a dreamship.

Studio Orange has brought Vash to life in a way never seen before. The 3D CG animation allows him to express himself and move in ways not seen in previous iterations of the series. We see his body stagger and his limbs flail as he desperately tries to chase a single bullet. His facial expressions – like the intense arch of his eyebrows or desperate tears in his eyes – give us some of the best characterizations ever and Yoshitsugu Matsuoka had experience voicing insane villains like Majima Lycoris recoilShe plays an absolutely desperate and frantic Vash. Nowhere does his character shine more than in a scene where Vash is volunteered for a duel with a soldier.

During the duel, Vash turns a near-disaster by saving the entire city from a bomb with a single bullet. In moments, he goes from stomping and screaming for a bullet to simply dodging shots from his enemy at close range. Moments like this show how silly yet talented Vash is. Anime is full of so many self-serious protagonists who are solely focused on their goal. Vash on the other hand comes across as a guy you would meet in any bar and he just has such talent. It ends up making him a lot more approachable and crushable beyond his cute looks too.

It’s true that Vash’s more casual and modern look might not fit the bleak world of his story. He looks more like a pop star than a notorious gunman on the run. But even in the world of history, he is not from this world. He’s literally a boy who fell off a spaceship on an alien planet. This Vash is a fallen star, and in the first episode he sparkles just like one.