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It's All About The Little Details With Vash The Stampede

Back in 1995, Yasuhiro Nightow created a series called Trigun, a sci-fi western that focused on a mysterious character known as Vash the Stampede. That manga would later be continued in another magazine under the title Trigun Maximum followed by an anime adaptation done by Madhouse that helped the franchise grow a large following, particularly in the west. The growth of the franchise led to the creation of the spinoff movie Badlands Rumble and recently, anime fans were given a reimagined adaptation of this beloved classic from Studio Orange called Trigun: STAMPEDE. In this adaptation, you'll come across many differences in plot details and world building from the original manga as well as the aforementioned anime adaptation. But one major difference that sticks out is the design of our main character and Kotobukiya is here with another high quality figure that does an amazing job of showing off the appeal of Vash's new look.

This figure is a part of Kotobukiya's ARTFX J series and was sculpted by Tatsuya Hattori. It stands at 220mm tall, roughly 1/8 scaled, and is crafted out of PVC and ABS material. The general presentation is immaculate with a dynamic pose of Vash ready for action. Much like his previous incarnation, almost every element of Vash's design is directly inspired by the events he experiences in Trigun: STAMPEDE. But Kotobukiya once again goes above and beyond in highlighting those little details to really show a reverence for the material.



Starting with the base, Vash stands on the sands of the desert planet “No Man's Land”. One key feature that catches your eye is the presence of Jeneora Rock in the back which is the first town we find Vash in at the beginning of STAMPEDE but a subtler detail comes in the form of the sand actually giving the illusion of being pushed out of the way; as if Vash just finished adjusting his feet after turning around to face an enemy. This idea is also carried over into Vash's clothes as his shirt wrinkles and his jacket floats as if they are freezing mid-motion. In fact, you'll even notice that Vash's shirt raises just enough for us to get a glimpse underneath at his unique body scars, a detail that can be appreciated in its subtlety.




Vash's red jacket in STAMPEDE features a lighter design compared to the one he wears in the original series. Major props to Tatsuya for capturing the writing on the tags belonging to Project SEEDS, a phrase that holds a lot of weight to Vash's history. Then we have Vash's gun and his left arm which are two of the more intricate elements of the character's overall design. You can really appreciate the crafting on the gun as it looks like it was actually put together from individual pieces and the plating on Vash's left arm definitely makes it feel like advanced bionic technology. These two machines really hammer home the “sci-fi western” vibe of the show.



Finally there's Vash's head which can be modified with removable glasses. His furrowed brow and determined eyes show that he's ready for action. When you stare at the figure directly, you can even see Vash's eye perfectly lined up with the barrel of the gun. Then there's Vash's hair which is an assortment of well-crafted blond strands that are separated from the short cut sides of his head.

From top to bottom, this is an incredible figure that is sure to delight fans and collectors alike. This figure is set to be released later this year in December so pre-order now while you can!

Pre-order ARTFX J Vash the Stampede TRIGUN STAMPEDE Ver. here!

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© 2023 Yasuhiro Nightow, SHONENGAHOSHA / TRIGUN STAMPEDE Project