I'm gonna start off with one of my favorite characters, Nicholas D. Wolfwood, from the series Trigun.
Aka, the most badass priest who really set the bar of how badass a preist in fiction has to be to reach his awesomeness.
Now I know there's both an anime and a manga and both displayed Wolfwod in different ways, so I'm reviewing Manga Wolfwood, who is pretty much the only one I'm more familar with. Sue me if you think I was gonna do both because I just haven't seen much of the anime.
Alright, begin!
Nicholas D. Wolfwood was introduced rather late in the first Trigun series (aka, when it stops being a comedy and carries more of a serious dark tone...With some comedy in it) as he meets our hero, Vash, who is currently being hunted by a group of gunmen called the Gung-Ho Guns, employed by Vash's rather insane brother, whose name is Knives of all names (It's a long story to be honest). Wolfwood seems to be a rather okay gentleman, since he carries a large ass cross and loves to insult his allies-Wait, that's like the total opposite of gentleman....Okay, he's more like the Han Solo in the group but he's loyal.
Until you find out he's actually a member of the Gung-Ho Guns codenamed Chapel, whose goal is to be friends with Vash and try to screw with Vash's head.
Okay, maybe that wasn't much of a shocker than you assume.
Course, Wolfwood proves himself more than just a lackey as after Vash blows a hole in the moon and disappears (again, this is a weird series), Wolfwood actually tries to kill Knives, only to overwhelm by Knives somewhat amazing powers. Instead of being turned to bloody confetti, Knives orders Wolfwood to continue following Vash as a friend.
Cause badass bros before...Hos?
So after a rather long search (aka we're having a timeskip), Wolfwood finds Vash and convinces him to set back to his goal of stopping Knives. Course, Nicholas must have some ability so the creator gave him a huge ass gun called the Punisher, which turns out to be the cross he's using!
Really, the thing's a machine gun, rocket launcher, and carries a couple of pistols!
...Damn, that's awesome.
At this point, Wolfwood and Vash begin to have conflicts over their beliefs. Vash believes that killing doesn't solve anything while Wolfwood believes assholes who try to kill you deserves to be buried in the ground and while he himself doesn't want to kill someone, he really sees himself having little choice but take the matter in his own hands, no matter what others would think of him in the end and just accept he's a cold blooded murderer. It's rather interesting as at times, both sides were shown that their views, while having valid points, has flaws as well so both are never seen as perfect or who is right. This also eats Wolfwood's soul, as the man himself questions if perhaps Vash is right yet at times couldn't stray far from his views because let's face it, the setting of Trigun as a place to live really sucks and nearly an assload of the population are assholes who hurt others for the sake of doing so. Something that some would say pacifism doesn't work in such a setting.
While that is going on, Wolfwood is by far one of the best gunfighters in the entire Trigun series, as he goes on to have many battles with the Gung-Ho Guns and is shown to be a superior fighter.
First was Gray, The Ninelives. a huge robot piloted by 9 dwarfs and is the powerhouse of the Gung-Ho Guns.
At this point, you wish I was making this up.
Wolfwood proceeds to rip Gray to pieces with his Punisher and....Well, pretty much resort to his fists when he ran out of ammo and man, was it messy. Took a volume too.
Then comes his battle with Midvalley the Hornfreak, a saxophone player/assassin whose own saxophone can produced sonic waves.
Again, you wish I was making this up.
The Midvalley battle is pretty intense, as Wolfwood is hit by a blast and is actually counted as dead....Only except he doesn't and proceeds to scare the Hell out of Midvalley, as Wolwood keeps going after him when he's really in no shape to even fight, as well as protecting a young woman when it's noted he is blind after the first attack. Then the two are involved in a huge standoff with two other fighters that'll make John Woo proud. And it took two volumes.
Holy god damn, that's awesome.
After that fiasco, the Gung-Ho Guns realize that they are low in numbers and decided to hire two members of the cult known as the Eye of Micheal, a group of assassins that assisted Knives for years. Naturally, you assume they would be pushovers..
...Then you have to learn that Wolfwood was a member of the Eye of Micheal and knowing what he did so far, this is gonna bite our heroes in the ass.
Not only that but his codename wasn't even his own, it was actually his master's, who he crippled in order to take his place...
You can see that Wolfwood is screwed...
And Chapel was kind enough to reveal that he also took another student in the form of Wolfwood's childhood friend Livio and made him into the perfect killer.
God damn, doesn't anything go right for Wolfwood?!
So in retalition, they pretty much shot Wolfwood to pieces and leave him for dead. And that's not all, they intend to head to the Orphanage Wolfwood and Livio grew up in and kill everyone Wolfwood has ever known or love...At this point, you better give the man a hug and a big damn one while you're at it.
Wolfwood pretty much says screw it and goes on his own to protect his home and the many friends he has there.
Okay, maybe I should stop to explain his back story....Because even I'm kind of getting lost here.
History time!
Wolfwood was once an orphan who acted like a big brother towards nearly everyone in the orphanage, as the kids respected him. He also had a slight grim view of life, because...Well, he never had parents to begin with and figures that well, everybody in the orphanage has this problem and that the world in general sucks ass.
Damn, why are the troubled ones get to be cute kids before the eventually scarring?
However, the Eye of Micheal saw potential in our kid, and decides to take him in. Before he leaves...Well, he gets one Hell of a goodbye from the kids.
Ugh, this is heartwarming and sad because you just know he's going to change...Like a lot.
Soon after that, Wolfwood now endures the most dangerous training to become a member of the Eye of Micheal under the studies of Chapel himself, who even goes as far as to shoot Wolfwood as to find ways to not screw up while getting shot.
Don't let the text fool ya, he's worse than the old man in Kill Bill!
And that's not all, Chapel even gets Wolfwood to undergo experiments with his body to make him the perfect killer, which eventually made Wolfwood look like an adult while he's technically 17 by the start of Trigun...Meaning that he's like a prison sentence just waiting to happen for any woman who takes interest in him! They also gave him vials of serum that increases his body's already insane healing rate and not to mention the fact they gave him the Punisher (a weapon so damn awesome, only ten were made), in which he is so damn good at using that his real codename is Nicholas the Punisher...I gotta say, Wolfwood really became quite the badass at the expense of his happiness!
Of course, Wolfwood ends up getting rather sick of Chapel's crap and shoots him before taking his place in the Gung-Ho Guns...We all know that bit him in the ass and man, do those teeth really sink in for our jerk of an anti-hero.
Wolfwood now has to save his love ones from both Chapel and Livio in all of his ability should they even walk away in one piece!
aka when the shit got real.
SPOILERS: IF YOU REALLY WANT TO SEE THIS AWESOMENESS WITHOUT ME SAYING IT, GO READ THE MANGA!!!! IT'S INSANELY WORTH IT!!!
I will admit Volume 9 and 10 are indeed the best ones of the entire Trigun series...And that's saying a lot. This is pure Wolfwood and you get to see why he hangs out with Vash "Mothafucking" Stampede. What's even more amazing that out of all the people he shot or beat up, only one dies through the entire scuffle in his hands.
Hell, he even gets Livio on his side and turns him into a good guy! That's like asking Sasuke Uchiha to quit being a douchebag and go home!
If only Wolfwood can convince this ass... (you can see that I loathe his change from friend to enemy status)
However, it all comes to a price as Wolfwood injuries were too much...Yep, he's dying folks.
He's drinking with Vash, sitting on a couch, knowing he died for the friends he considers family. Sure they never knew it was him the entire time and maybe he'll pull through and be in the final volumes. I mean it's a manga where death for protagonist is hard to-Wait, why is confetti falling from the ship the kids and old woman are leaving in?
....Oh dear god, don't tell me....
Don't you dare do this to me, manga! Wolfwood can't die! He's too awesome to die!!
.....God Damn It.
Yep, Wolfwood dies....And he ain't coming back folks, this aint' Dragonball, where death is cheap.
Although he died this way, I felt a bit at ease with the whole thing. He didn't end up a smear on the wall or died a death that would piss me off (like saying Han Solo is still frozen in Carbonite but Lucas said fuck him and never brought him back for Return of the Jedi) but died a more peaceful death, as his journey for him is over. The man suffered a lot and died happy knowing that his friends are safe and grateful despite the blood he spilled on his hands.
but wait, who'll take over for him to help Vash, none other than the reformed Liivio, who saw Wolfwood's death as a wake up call, that Vash needs a friend in need...A Partner...A fellow Comrade in arms.
Hell to the fucking yes!
Livio proves himself in the last few volumes that he can indeed be a worthy replacement and be as much of an asskicker as the rest of the cast. he's like the Benkei of Getter Robo or the Viral of Gurren Lagaan!
But nevertheless, Wolfwood would never be forgotten. He left his mark on the series as a badass and despite being a tragic hero, he at least figured with a guy like our hero Vash, that there is hope in a world that basically chews him out and that he is not alone just when things are grim. He started off rather cynical of Vash's pacifism and goal of stopping Knives, but grew to eventually see that Vash is really all that stands from having humans, who nearly 50% of the manga are displayed as scum, wiped off the face of the planet and can prove that despite all these negative traits, not all humans are bad and they are the friendliest bunch you'll cherish for the rest of your life. Wolfwood was slow to learn of this but became the person he was meant to be, a helpful and kind person who others can look up to. He died at least knowing this.
Lived a badass, died a tortured soul at ease...Like a true badass.
All in all, Nicholas is indeed my most favorite character and he sure left his mark as the badass of this manga. It sucks he died, but it really works. He was kind of realistic of a character in a sci-fi gun shooting manga. He had a messed up life and became a killing machine at a young age that's bound to have sociopath traits but he just barely hangs on to his humanity and being Vash's friend saves him from becoming what he fears he's slowly changing into since his training with Chapel and being in Knives group. like a real person, he learns slowly and not at the drop of a hat and it's nice to see that from Wolfwood. In the manga, he is also the comedy alongside Vash...By mostly being an asshole. Of course like I mentioned above, it's not like he can simply do knock knock jokes, he's a cynical killing machine.
While some of his fights are amazing, Volume 9 and 10 are indeed the best of his feats, as he goes beyond what you see beforehand. In a weird way, the manga just doesn't interest me that much after his death...He really left a huge WTF statement when he died and it just shook me up just trying to read volume 11...Or the rest of the manga soon after.
Still, Livio is still a damn good replacement and his fights in the manga are just as awesome.
So Nicholas D. Wolfwood, the most badass preacher in fiction. You may have been an ass that'll make Han Solo proud, but you were always a loved badass!
Nicholas D. Wolfwood, one of the many saints of Badasses among Badasses, I salute you!!
-Till Next Time!
Sources:
Trigun Maxium scans
Trigun Wallpapers
Sasuke Uchiha fanart
awesome review. very thorough!!
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