Sci-Fi Anime Remake Trigun Stargaze Is Finally Bringing In A Beloved Original Series Character

"Trigun," created by Yasuhiro Nightow, is a Space Western manga. Humans fleeing from Earth crashed on the desert world No Man's Land decades ago, and it's become a frontier much like America's Old West. Our lead, Vash the Stampede, is a gunslinger with a tempting bounty on his head. While Vash has the weapon of a cowboy, he's also a pacifist sworn not to take a life. This dichotomy makes "Trigun" as philosophical as it is action-packed.

Studio Madhouse adapted "Trigun" into a 26-episode anime in 1998. That series is the reason most people know what "Trigun" is. As it combined science fiction and Western storytelling, "Trigun" is often compared to contemporary anime "Cowboy Bebop" and "Outlaw Star" and held in similar esteem. "Trigun" is so beloved that in 2023, Studio Orange rebooted the series as "Trigun Stampede."

Unlike the original, "Stampede" was animated in 3-D and brought in elements from the now-finished manga, which the original anime obviously couldn't adapt. Yet it also omitted an important part of the original series, which left many fans confused and heartbroken.

In "Trigun," Vash is often accompanied by Meryl Stryfe and Milly Thompson, two insurance adjusters trying to bill him for all the damage he accidentally causes. "Stampede" reimagined Meryl as a journalist ... and gave her a new partner, a grizzled old drunk named Roberto De Niro. Roberto wasn't a bad character but replacing Milly felt like fixing something that wasn't broken.

The season finale of "Stampede" hinted that Meryl was getting a new partner, and now the second (and reportedly final) season, "Trigun Stargaze," features Milly. A character poster shows her new design in full; like the original Milly, the "Stargaze" iteration is tall, brunette, and giddy.

©2026 Yasuhiro Nightow

Milly and Meryl are made to contrast each other in personality and physicality. Meryl is short and raven-haired, Milly is tall and light-haired. Meryl carries several small derringers, Milly wields a two-handed "stun gun" (which she shows off in the "Stargaze" trailer).

Meryl is high-strung and takes her job (too) seriously, while Milly is happy-go-lucky and sometimes oblivious. She's not stupid, but she often has her head in the clouds because she's always looking for the sunny side in any situation. Rather than Meryl minding Milly, though, it's usually the mellow Milly reining in Meryl's brashness.

Much like Vash himself, Milly is hilarious and instantly lovable. Lia Sargent's cutesy performance as Milly in the English dub of "Trigun" complemented that characterization. Milly may be twice the size of a typical "moe" anime character, but she's just as adorable as one.

"Trigun Stampede" concluded with Vash and his evil twin brother Millions Knives accidentally destroying the city of July. "Stargaze" will pick up 2.5 years later, when Vash is now living under the assumed name "Eriks." Per the series' synopsis from Crunchyroll, a fleet of colony ships from Earth will arrive at No Man's Land and offer to shepherd the planet's population to a new home before Knives returns, which pulls Vash out of hiding.

It's unclear what story Milly will play in this conclusion beyond standing by Meryl's side. In the original anime, Milly had a tragic romance with Vash's fellow gunslinger, Nicholas D. Wolfwood (paralleled by Meryl developing feelings for Vash), but it's unclear if "Stargaze" will follow that story, too. No matter the case, though, "Trigun" fans everywhere should rejoice that Milly Thompson is back for this final ride.

"Trigun Stargaze" premieres on Crunchyroll in January 2026.