Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m eager to check back in on Vash and the gang, as we race towards the climax of Trigun Stampede. Through the winding adventures of Vash and his companions, Stampede has set up something resembling a theological parable, a question of what we owe to each other, the planet, and the quasi-gods above. Million Knives is our old testament arbitrator, eager to wipe the slate clean, and fundamentally contemptuous of humanity’s struggles for survival. In contrast, Vash may well serve as our redeemer, witnessing the sins of generations and yet perpetually struggling to save our frail, fractious species.
In between these two poles, our last episode reintroduced Zazie as an avatar of the planet itself, a collective organism potentially incompatible with humanity’s rapacious hunger. Mankind’s better instincts will always face an uphill battle; it is far easier to destroy than it is to rebuild, and as this journey has shown, desperation can drive even the best of us to tribalism and hatred. But so long as one soul remains committed to a brighter, kinder future, I imagine Vash will stand alongside them, still loyal to the compassion his precious guardians have taught him. If we can help raise a being as fundamentally decent as Vash, perhaps we might be worth saving after all. Let’s find out!