Trigun Stargaze

Trigun Stargaze isn’t as strong as Stampede: but it’s also a lot better than people are giving it credit for.

Going into this season, expectations were high.. especially after how strong Stampede was in my honest opinion when I watched it live back then. And I’ll be upfront about it: the director change is noticeable, and in some areas, it does affect the overall experience.

That said, I think a lot of the conversation around Stargaze leans too heavily into what it isn’t, rather than appreciating what it actually does well.

Because there is a lot here that works.

The biggest strength of Stargaze for me was its emotional ... focus, especially as the season progressed. This isn’t a series trying to constantly outdo itself with spectacle. Instead, it leans into character moments, internal conflict, and the relationships between its cast.

And nowhere is that clearer than in the finale.

Vash vs Knives wasn’t just visually impressive, it was emotionally engaging in a way that genuinely held my attention from start to finish. It’s one of those moments where the series slows down just enough to let the weight of everything land, and it pays off not in a flashy epic fight but rather through an emotional connection between the two brothers which I was fine with for the circumstances here.

That same strength shows up in other parts of the season too:

Wolfwood vs Livio brought strong intensity and presence
Milly and Meryl’s dynamic added a refreshing familiar layer to the story
Legato’s “Martyr” rant in Episode 10 stands out as one of the most memorable moments

Even outside of those highlights, the series consistently understands how to make its moments feel meaningful, not just flashy.

That said, I won’t ignore the flaws that this one has however when you compare it to Stampede, which I think is overall better.

The pacing is inconsistent which isn't as bad compared to other anime's I've seen, but it hasn't been as smooth either for this one. There are moments where things move quickly, and while it doesn’t completely break the experience, it contributes to that lingering “something feels off” feeling that some folks might feel when watching this after Stampede.

The direction is also where the gap from Stampede is most noticeable. It’s not poor by any means, but it lacks the same level of focus and cohesion that made Stampede a bit more enjoyable for me. That difference is real, and it does hold the season back at times especially when you watch Stampede and notice some things that were primed to take center stage originally for Stargaze only for either some of those plans to be scrapped or it gets reworked into something.

With all of that being said however, where I think some criticism misses the mark is with the animation.

Because when Stargaze needs to deliver, especially in its action, it absolutely does. The fights are dynamic, fluid, and visually engaging, with a level of quality that still holds up extremely well. The finale alone is proof of that even if you don't see a lot of punches being thrown.

This is where the “underwhelming” label feels a bit too deductive.

Stargaze isn’t as strong or as consistent as Stampede, but it still delivers strong emotional moments, memorable sequences, and solid action throughout. It may not reach the same highs, but it’s far from falling flat.

And for me, that still makes it a worthwhile continuation as someone that enjoys Trigun as a whole from the classic '98 anime to this one that I completed today. Stargaze has it's flaws but I still enjoyed my watch from start to finish despite some nitpicks I have. IF they do plan to do another one (which I think they should) then they need to take what worked for Stampede, some of what worked for Stargaze and build off of that honestly!

Trigun: Stargaze is by no means a bad show, but when compared with its previous season, Stampede, it just doesn't hit the same high points.

The animation is still as impressive as it was in Stampede: being an almost entirely 3D-animated show, it really pushes its models to be as expressive, movements to be as fluid and environments to be as impactful as they all can be. The character designs work very well for the 3D medium and are neither overdesigned, nor too simplified. It's overall very pleasant to watch, although the cinematography is not as well though-out as it was in Stampede. Scenes sometimes linger ... too long and sometimes jump from one setting to the next without proper continuity (especially in fight scenes), but these are exceptions, not the rule, for Stargaze.
The musical score is fantastic and serves its job more than well.

The writing is very hit or miss this time around, and personally the aspect that disappointed me the most after seeing what Stampede had to offer. Some characters are very complex, even with little screen time, and leave a long-lasting impact, while other seemingly important characters are quickly turned into comic relief. The overall plot isn't horrendous or nonsensical, but pieces don't fit together as neatly as they should, characters don't act according to their established motivations and lots of threads don't tie up in satisfying ways.

And then, the ending... In order to keep this review spoiler-free, I'll keep this brief and vague.
None of the characters go through a full character arc. All character arcs are either already completed in Stampede or suddenly stop at a point where they feel incomplete. Characters change, but none of them grow in a meaningful way. The only changes are visual: characters have new outfits to show that they are no longer the same people as before, but aside from that, they still act the exact same. Newly introduced characters suffer from this the most.
If you liked or even loved Stampede, you should still watch Stargaze, but don't expect another masterpiece out of this season. It won't be a complete disappointment, but it also doesn't have the same "wow"-factor as it did before. Still enjoyable, but unsatisfactory as an ending.
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My overall ranking:
Characters: 4/10
Plot: 3/10
Music: 9/10
Visuals: 9/10
Overall: 6/10

No Vash and no substance. Trigun Stargaze is a disastrous story so horrible that it can't even be spoiled: nothing happens! How, after completely fumbling a promising season 1, did it actually get WORSE? This show does only one thing right, just one thing, but first...

"Furthermore, in a conference held the other day, it was decided that Vash The Stampede will be designated as humankind's first, official human disaster." --- Meryl Strife, Trigun 1998.

In the original Trigun, that quote was sad. It was a misunderstanding about the protagonist, a hero, being wrongly labeled as a villain; it wasn't supposed to be TRUE! Well, Trigun Stargaze ... took that literally by making an actual disaster and transforming an iconic main character into a bonafide, weak piece of trash! Now, in 2026, Vash The Stampede is a coward being called "The Stampede" because he always runs away, and that's exactly how the show starts: our hero is depressed about accidentally blowing up his maniacally evil brother and a city last season. He is so depressed, in fact, that he's pressing one note on the piano over and over while everyone suffers, an amnesiac in a stupor hiding from reality! Oh boy, do you smell a heroic redemption?
It never happens. There's no hero in this show. Luke stayed on Tattooine. Amelia Earheart went for a walk. Jesus Christ whittled. The end.

EVERY episode, "Vash" is whiny, useless, and in need of rescue. Every chance Trigun Stargaze gets to present a theme, a message, or a philosophy, it forgets. Every moment a character should do something memorable, inspiring, or foreshadowed, they idle. Vash is now useless, and so is every other character. Thus, with our heroes reduced to complete impotence, the villains default to bland psychopathy, evil for the sake of evil, and because this show is more horror than anything else, the only thing onscreen is more murder, genocide, and Trigun Stampede's favorite: child sacrifice. Pure, edgy slop!

"But Brockemsockem, the villains in Trigun 1998 were also one-note nihilists, hypocrite!"
They were one-note nihilists for a REASON, though; that show had a point! In 1998, villains were conscripted to oppose Vash's optimism and used as fodder to sew doubt in his mind about his principles. Second-fiddle villain Legato, for instance, progressed the 1998 Trigun by wanting Vash to compromise his most basic ideal: life was sacred and he would not kill. In 2026, Legato is merely a psychic nutcase with a bowl cut who enjoys torturing Vash just like all the others. That's not a villain, STARGAZE ISN'T A STORY! Rather, it's a sadist's power fantasy, and that's the difference, that's its ultimate problem.

"But wait, Milly Thompson is back, isn't she!? Didn't you enjoy her peppy portrayal?"
No, nobody could like this portrayal! Shamelessly copying our silly, ditsy, but capable Milly with her huge gun and haughty heart from Trigun 1998 and pasting her next to Trigun Stampede's meandering Meryl is the shallowest fanservice. In the ENTIRE SHOW they might appear for a cumulative 15 MINUTES at the most, together contributing the requisite dose of zilch; instead of being the anchors to Vash's hope and the proof of humanity's heart, the girls hardly even show up! Milly and Meryl are relegated to exposition dumpers---I mean, journalists---who convey the audience from Genocide Scene A to Genocide Scene B.
Genocide Scene A, you see, is where Vash does nothing in the face of horrible violence, while Genocide Scene B is where Vash is kidnapped or rescued from horrible violence. A and B repeat every 20 minutes until the show mercifully ends without development. Trigun 1998 was about heroes bearing their crosses and making peace. Trigun Stargaze is about being crushed by their crosses and being sad about it FOREVER:

It takes SIX episodes, six being HALF OF SEASON 2, for things to get EXACTLY WHERE THEY WERE IN SEASON 1! It takes over half the season for the villain, Knives, to get his dumb, gooey robes back on from being exploded, and for Vash to get his coat and Gen Z haircut back, which begs the question: why not just start this season at episode 6? Literally nothing except Milly and Jessica joining the cast as cameos changes from episode 12 to episode 18. Knives is still exterminating humans, "Vash" is still moping, Wolfwood is still coddling Vash, and the writers still think this is a horror franchise. A second season SHOULD mean a fresh, new direction. It SHOULDN'T mean that we can SKIP HALF YOUR SHOW!

"But Brockemsockem," My madness interjects ever more frequently. "Isn't this an action series? Who cares about the characters, pacing, and themes? If Trigun Stargaze wants action, horror, or sci-fi, we must judge it on its own terms and merits, not yours, and not those of the past."

Very well, if it's an action show, then why do fight scenes take place in complete darkness? Unless the artists are afraid that their misplaced budget might be discovered, why would anyone choreograph, animate, and design multiple battles with zero lighting? Halpert the Gauntlet, Midvalley the Hornfreak, and Grey the Nine Lives are just a few examples of the fights viewers will never see because they're fought in the dark! Otherwise, the audience might notice that season 2 is vastly uglier than season 1. In fact, it's the ugliest thing to bear the Trigun name!

It's supposed to be a western, how you do mess this up!? Wolfwood doesn't look like a priest, he looks like a stoner at Uni. Meryl doesn't look like a journalist, she looks like a marionette. Some people wear suits, some people are cyborgs, some people are cowboys, it's all a mish mash of untextured, 3D assets! Why do Vash and Wolfwood have advanced weaponry while Milly and Meryl have extremely antiquated photography if they know the same people? Why do SOME characters embrace a Wild West aesthetic when they're clearly aware that they're from outer space and will be rescued by Earth shortly? Why is Jessica not only race-swapped, but also dressing like a generic toddler despite being a member of SEEDS, an organization of exclusively doctors in lab coats?

This writing is tone-avoidant. It thinks Wolfwood bumping his head and getting hit by vehicles is funny right after a whole population was just crushed and exsanguinated! There is one scene in particular in episode 2, no joke, where Jessica, the toddler, takes off alone in a spacecraft to retrieve Vash FROM THE GIGANTIC DESERT PLANET because they need help fighting Knives' thugs. By CHANCE, her ship CRASH LANDS RIGHT NEXT TO HIS HOUSE and, of course, she is completely unscathed. More coincidental than that, Vash is being nursed to health by one of Knives' very own thugs, anyway!

"But Brockemsockem, in season 1 they teased someone else (Lina) taking care of Vash?"

Season 1 lied. There is no Lina. The writers thought it wiser to add even more tragedy to an already maudlin tale by having a thug look after Vash. Off-screen at some point, Vash just so happened to accidentally hurt a woman whom his caretaker loved, a lady who conveniently looked exactly like Vash; the thug is nursing him to health to get revenge later! Make sense of that. In an even dumber scene, a hero drinks the super blood of a villain to heal himself. This isn't Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, is it? Does anyone even remember the premise of Trigun anymore, a pacifist ace gunman on a desert planet?

So, one credit where it's due, just one: Trigun Stargaze at least shows villains reforming after meeting Vash. That's something that Trigun 1998 rarely did. However, then they all become noncombatants like "Vash," effectively removing them from the cast, regardless!
Look, in my review of Trigun Stampede, I stated that the show was part of a greater problem: writers simply aren't fun anymore. They miss the point of franchises and remove all drama from storytelling, like starting Romeo and Juliet in the tomb with the dagger already in their hands. Trigun Stargaze, oh for goodness sake, season 2 does all of that and worse! Not only does season 2 begin in a tomb with Romeo, Juliet, and the dagger, it brings the poison along, too, making the lovers take turns at each other for 12 more episodes, dragging out the misery like that's the whole point. Well, it's not supposed to be:

In Trigun 1998, Vash intercepts Knives' attack with his own, canceling them both out.
Knives laments: "I didn't create these weapons to be wasted like that."
Vash retorts: "Using them this way is the only thing that gives them any meaning at all."

That's the point, the moral of the story, and if we as consumers, artists, and whoever else don't start demanding themes in our stories, we will one day end up watching things that have nothing to say, no one to root for, and nobody who cares. Trigun Stargaze is an outer space nightmare about the evilest characters you can imagine preying on the dumbest, most unlikely and unlikable cast that untalented people ever dreamt up. Run far, far away from Trigun Stampede, and never, ever let Trigun Stargaze stare into you. Thanks!
...The goo robes are stupid.