Warning: Spoilers for Trigun Stampede, Episode 5The latest episode of Trigun Stampede sees yet another Gung-Ho Gun make their return, although those not familiar with the original series would be hard-pressed to know it. Things take a tragic turn, however, as more is revealed.
Trigun Stampede introduces a character who, in the original series, is a cyborg member of the Gung-Ho Guns by the name of Monev the Gale. That name is never used in the episode, however; instead, the character is given a new backstory that connects him directly to Vash. Rollo, as he is called in this episode, turns out to have been a child that Vash once knew who became yet another victim of Knives' unethical scientist in Trigun, William Conrad.
Trigun Creates A Tragedy Just for Vash
Upon arriving in the Windmill Village, the massive cyborg man makes an attack, shouting Vash's name. Vash and Wolfwood are on the defensive from that point on, but it seems as if Vash already has an inkling that a tragedy occurred. When Vash shoots down some debris to collapse upon the cyborg while he's cornered, he immediately rushes over to unbury him and check if he's okay. Vash and Wolfwood continue to flee, while the latter continues to take shots at the cyborg man.
The chase is interspersed with flashbacks to a child named Rollo. Rollo has a disease that is slowly killing him and has the misfortune of living in a city where people are willing to sacrifice children in an attempt to make the wind blow. Trigun's Vash had promised to return with medicine to help him, but before that could happen, Rollo was turned over as a sacrifice. The situation isn't quite what the word "sacrifice" would call to mind, however. Rollo is taken by William Conrad and experimented upon, turning him into a beefy, half-man half-machine killer. The suffering he's implied to have undergone is immense, and the boy cries out for help from the table. There's even the suggestion that he was chosen because of his connection to Vash, specifically to hurt him.
Rebooting Trigun's Gung-Ho Guns
E.G. the Mine, the first Gung-Ho Gun to appear, also had his background changed, but it wasn't tragic. Instead, E.G. seemed to be inspired by Knives in an almost religious way, hence his shock when Knives betrays him. This may connect to the religion that was being practiced in the Windmill Village, as it spoke frequently about Angels (which Plants like Vash and Knives are often compared to) and submitting to them, and the sacrifice obviously led to Rollo being turned over to Conrad. It's also implied that Wolfwood's tragic past turned him into "Nicholas the Punisher" as well, although it hasn't been revealed yet. Rather than being a bunch of psychopaths that Knives gathered, it seems that this iteration of the Gung-Ho Guns may all be monsters created by Knives (or his followers like Conrad) with their fanatical devotion taking on a religious bent. Some may be more tragic than originally portrayed, while others are just as crazy and violent as before.
Trigun Stampede is continuing to set itself apart from the original in new and interesting ways, leaving fans with plenty to talk about after each episode.
Trigun Stampede debuts new episodes on Saturdays, via Crunchyroll.