The rebooted series Trigun Stampede from Studio Orange was a hit in the Winter 2023 anime season, and a second season for the show has already been confirmed. The series blew fans away with its stunning animation and fantastic reinterpretation of classic characters, naturally leading many to eagerly anticipate the reboot's return. Here's everything fans need to know about what's been confirmed for Trigun Stampede season 2.
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The Latest News on Trigun Stampede Season 2
The announcement of season 2 was made on March 26, via Studio Orange's X (Twitter) account, accompanied by a wanted poster for Vash with his bounty increased to 60 Billion double-dollars. Creators from Trigun Stampede attended the SakuraCon 2023 anime convention in April, where they shared some Trigun Stampede concept art, including art for characters and events that did not appear in the first season of the show. Orange has announced plans for panels at other future Western conventions, which may reveal additional info.
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On July 4, 2024, it was revealed at Anime Expo by Crunchyroll and Studio Orange that the second season of Trigun Stampede would officially be known as Trigun Stargaze. Crunchyroll also confirmed at that time that season 2 would debut on the service when it is released, although an official release date has yet to be provided. Also released were new key art visuals of Vash, Knives, and Wolfwood, posed very dynamically. Creator of the original Trigun Maximum manga, Yasuhiro Nightow, also created new art featuring Vash and Wolfwood in their Stampede style to celebrate the announcement.
While little has been revealed, what has been shown so far hints that Trigun Stargaze may well have a darker tone than Stampede did, which is saying something, as the first season didn't really hold much of anything back. Given Vash's situation at the end of the first season, with the destruction of the city of JuLai blamed on him, it's understandable that this series might have a darker start to it. A darker tone might also be more fitting to the original manga, given its classification as seinen as opposed to shonen. Getting the gang back together will likely be a major theme, as the characters have largely gone their own ways in the wake of the first season finale.
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The Story of Trigun Stampede Season 2
Trigun Stampede's first season ended with an event that, in the manga, takes place before the story begins. At the aforementioned SakuraCon panel, creators stated that characters in season 1 were meant to look "incomplete," as if they had yet to grow into who they would eventually be. Since Trigun Stampede's season 1 finale ended with a time skip and the phrase "Chapter 0" appearing on-screen, it seems likely that season 2 of Trigun Stampede intends to stick more closely to the events as they occur in the Trigun Maximum manga.
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Trigun Maximum was largely written after the 1998 Trigun anime aired, so most of this content should be completely new to fans of the original anime. Trigun Maximum features many villains who never appeared in the 1998 anime, some of whom (like Elendira and Livio) have already appeared in Stampede. If season 2 does indeed stay close to the manga, fans can expect to see a lot more of these characters, as they (particularly Livio) tie in very strongly to the arcs of major characters like Wolfwood. Fans can expect to see more members of the Gung-Ho guns, featured heavily in the original anime, as well.
Trigun Maximum is also more serious, and considered a seinen series rather than shonen, indicating it's aimed at an older demographic. The Trigun Maximum manga ran for 10 years, from 1997 to 2007, so there's a lot of content that the 1998 anime didn't even have the chance to adapt. Some of this already informed Stampede's first season, and is likely to make up the bulk of content seen in season 2.
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The Characters of Trigun Stampede Season 2
At least one new character has been confirmed for season 2 of Trigun Stampede: Milly Thompson. Milly appears in the manga and the 1998 Trigun anime as Meryl Stryfe's partner, working for the Bernardelli Insurance Company. Milly's absence from season 1 caused something of a stir among fans, but as it became clear that Stampede was set earlier in Meryl's life, fans began to believe that Milly would be a shoo-in for season 2. Sure enough, Milly's name was mentioned in the post-time skip segment, suggesting she will be a full cast member in season 2, further putting the second season in line with the original anime and manga.
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Alongside Meryl and Milly, fans can, of course, expect to see Vash and Wolfwood again; Vash was seemingly left with amnesia, so regaining his memories may play an important role early in the season. Among the villains, Knives is most certainly still out there, and villainous characters who were introduced but didn't get much screen time, such as Legato Bluesummers, will have a much bigger role to play as the series progresses, particularly if it stays close to the manga. The season also ended with starships arriving from Earth, opening the door for any number of new characters who are very different from the rest of the cast.
Trigun Stampede Season 2 Has No Release Date Yet
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No release date has yet been set for Trigun Stampede's second season, Trigun Stargaze. While Orange revealed that they had already anticipated a second season and had some work done, it's impossible to say how far along it is. Due to the CG animation used in the series, which can take a very long time to render, it's unlikely that fans will see any more new episodes in 2024. If Trigun Stargaze sticks to its Winter release window, a 2025 debut for the second season is possible, but fans should temper expectations until an official announcement is made.
Check back here regularly for updates on Trigun Stampede season 2 (now known as Trigun Stargaze) as they happen.
