Mask or Menace Application
Apr. 1st, 2019 11:35 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mycrosstobear〈 PLAYER INFO 〉
NAME: Orlando
AGE: 30
JOURNAL:paperback
IM / EMAIL: agreylady[at]gmail[dot]com
PLURK: ElspethVimes
RETURNING: yes - current characters are Brandon Heat and Norman
〈 CHARACTER INFO 〉
CHARACTER NAME: Nicholas D. Wolfwood
CHARACTER AGE: approximately 18 or 19 (appears to be in his late 20s)
SERIES: Trigun Maximum
CHRONOLOGY: after volume 10 chapter 7, "Wolfwood" (so, post death)
CLASS: anti-hero on the path to flat-out hero
HOUSING: random!
BACKGROUND: The wiki's sparse on manga canon, so I'm writing this out.
Around 150 years ago, a fleet of spaceships intended to colonize a suitable planet crash-landed onto a distinctly unsuitable desert planet, which came to be called Gunsmoke. Using what technology they could still cobble together and the energy and creation powers of artificial beings known as Plants, humanity has been able to survive.
The exact details of Wolfwood's early life aren't certain, but from the way he talks about it a few things seem clear: he was orphaned at a very young age and as a result (immediate or eventual) ended up on the streets until a church orphanage on the outskirts of town took him in. At the orphanage, he found a real home and a family (he later refers to the place as "paradise"). Over time, Wolfwood took on a big brother role, doing a lot to help the adults and look after the other (typically younger) kids.
Then, when he was around 11 or 12, Wolfwood was taken in by a man who claimed to be a priest and said Wolfwood would be helping him establish new churches. In fact this man, Chapel, was part of an organization of assassins called the Eye of Michael. Chapel put Wolfwood through brutal training in how to fight and kill, attempting to eradicate anything in the boy but a devotion to the organization's mission (that part didn't work). Wolfwood proved exceptionally talented, and was given one of the organization's most elite weapons (the cross-shaped Punisher) as a result. The timeline is a bit unclear, but it seems that Wolfwood was about 14 when he was put through the medical process which "enhances" members of the Eye of Michael so that they have superhuman capabilities - great strength, sharpened senses, and a healing factor which can be boosted by a specialized drug to allow them to recover almost instantaneously even from fatal wounds. The enhancements came at a price - the process aged Wolfwood considerably, and he continues to age at an accelerated rate. (By the time of his first appearance in the series, he looks to be in his mid to late 20s. He's actually around 16.) Presumably it was after this that he started being sent out on jobs, using the role of travelling priest to head wherever he was required to go.
At some point, Wolfwood learned about the Eye of Michael's contract with Knives, and that something was being planned. Deciding to break the system so that no more kids would end up like him, Wolfwood betrayed and shot Chapel (this turned out to only cripple Chapel, not kill him). Impersonating Chapel, Wolfwood headed to a meeting of the Gung-Ho Guns, a group of people with bizarre capabilities in the direct service of Knives. Along the way, Wolfwood ran into Vash the Stampede, a kind man prone to getting into situations that cause so much destruction that he was declared a "natural disaster" (hence the additional presence of insurance agents Meryl Stryfe and Milly Thompson). Although they spent a limited time together, Wolfwood more or less hit it off with the three, and Vash in particular.
The meeting of the Gung-Ho Guns turned out to be because Knives was finally being fully revived after an earlier fight with his brother, Vash. As Knives was revived, Vash arrived to confront him in a showdown that ultimately resulted in Knives activating Vash's Angel Arm and Vash directing its destructive power into blowing a hole in one of the moons. Wolfwood, who had no idea anyone could be capable of such things (Vash and Knives are both independent Plants, fully sentient and able to use their power how they wish), found this all rather disturbing. Still, he made an attempt on Knives's life afterwards. He failed, and was instead given the task of finding Vash (who had since disappeared) and escorting him to Knives while the other Gung-Ho Guns made Vash's life a living hell. Wolfwood agreed, likely at least in part because although he wasn't certain he could trust Vash after the fifth moon incident, he knew considerably greater power than his would be needed to defeat Knives (who wasn't just at least partly responsible for things like the Eye of Michael's practices, but flat-out genocidal). After two years, Wolfwood finally found Vash living under an assumed name and convinced him he was needed in order to stop Knives (Wolfwood did not share his own connection with Knives).
The two of them began travelling together, joined on occasion by Meryl and Milly. Vash, to Wolfwood's chagrin, regularly got involved in resolving problems in the places they traveled through. They also had to overcome other members of the Guns. In a town whose inhabitants had been killed by Knives, the two were confronted by Rai-Dei. On a largely intact spaceship that's the closest thing Vash has to a home, Vash and Wolfwood found the inhabitants under attack from Leonoff and Gray. While Vash confronted Leonoff, Wolfwood battled Gray. In another town, three of the remaining Guns set up a trap by kidnapping Meryl. Although he's temporarily blinded by Midvalley, Wolfwood fought his way to the main confrontation, where Hopperd was intending to actually kill Vash in revenge. The fight ended with Knives's right-hand man, Legato, killing Midvalley and Hopperd for betraying Knives, and Legato himself being rescued by the mysterious final member of the Guns, Elendira.
Eventually, Vash (who had realized that Wolfwood is his "guide") found his way to confront Knives yet again. Vash failed to beat Knives, but Knives wasn't able to fully overcome Vash himself. Meanwhile, a recovered Chapel, accompanied a former friend of Wolfwood's from the orphanage who was recruited by the Eye of Michael without Wolfwood's knowledge, Livio, revealed himself to Wolfwood as having allied with the Guns again. Vash wound up imprisoned on Knives's airship, the Ark, held in place by Legato's power. Wolfwood saw little option but to go along with the Guns for the time, futilely attempting to carry out some of their orders without any of the others causing further casualities. For seven months, Wolfwood remained on the Ark as Knives went about destroying cities and assimilating other (non-independent) Plants for more power. But when Wolfwood suspected Legato was starting to truly feel the strain of keeping Vash contained, Wolfwood confronted him, breaking Legato's concentration enough that Vash was able to free himself. Carrying a weakened Vash, Wolfwood fought Chapel and Livio in his attempt to escape. This gave Vash enough time to recover to the point he was able to get them off the Ark. The two were picked up by one of Vash's allies, determined to help him finally defeat Knives.
At this point, however, Wolfwood up and left. He suspected that Chapel would target Wolfwood's old orphanage in retaliation for his betrayal. He was right. When he arrived at the orphanage, he found it beset by a bunch of hired goons, Chapel, Livio and a few servants of theirs. Wolfwood easily defeated the goons and confronted Livio and Chapel head-on, as well as (eventually) Livio's brutal alter ego Razlo. Wolfwood held his own against the others for a while, but was nearly overwhelmed when Vash unexpectedly arrived to help. In order to continue the fight, Wolfwood made the choice to use two vials of the Eye of Michael's drug, an overdose which boosted his regeneration massively but would also soon kill him. With Vash backing him up and helping to shield everyone in the orphanage, Wolfwood was able to deal a mostly-lethal blow to Chapel and fight Razlo one-on-one. Wolfwood refused to actually kill Razlo, in fact protecting him from a final shot from Chapel aimed at them both. This resulted in Livio taking back over and refusing to kill Wolfwood himself. In the aftermath of the fight, Vash's allies took the inhabitants of the orphanage to safety. Wolfwood, Vash, and Livio remained behind for the moment. Shortly afterwards, Wolfwood passed away.
PERSONALITY:
The first impression anyone's likely to have of Wolfwood is of a relatively laid-back guy - fairly friendly, willing to help out in little ways if it comes up. He'll happily chat with the barkeep or other passengers on the bus. If someone asks for his services as a priest (say, by performing funerals), he'll make the time. Sometimes he'll forget it until the last minute, but he makes sure to thank people for things like food. He has a definite soft spot for kids - an early defining moment has him giving two begging children two of his last three coins. He tends to give out nicknames - Vash quickly becomes "Spikey" based on his preferred hairstyle, while Meryl and Milly get nicknames based on their heights.
But the laid-back impression doesn't survive any extended contact. It's fine for when he's just passing through, but when he spends more time with people his personality, and more significantly his problems, come through much more clearly. Wolfwood's a mess of contradictions: a priest and a murderer, someone who has never lost his devotion to his found family and someone who believes he has to keep himself separate from others, a man who genuinely wants to leave the world a better place for those who come after him and a man who believes that the only way to accomplish anything in a ruthless world is to sink to its level. Due to his experiences, Wolfwood has come to bury most of his altruistic instincts and pursue noble goals through very dirty methods. But as the series progresses he gradually finds his way back to a more idealistic path.
For much of the series, Wolfwood advocates for taking the course of action that best guarantees survival and the ability to deal with big-picture issues. Don't give up the promise of an unpleasant but safe life for something more uncertain, don't risk your life defending a town from some bandits when you still need to confront your genocidal brother. The harshest manifestation of this thinking is a ruthless willingness to kill. After Vash defeats Rai-Dei in a duel, Rai-Dei reaches for his sword again and appears ready to attack Vash from behind. Going against Vash's clearly expressed wishes, Wolfwood simply shoots Rai-Dei before the man can attack. Especially early on, Wolfwood has regular arguments with Vash about whether about whether they should get involved in local problems and whether it's truly possible to protect people without also killing those threatening them. Wolfwood can be cruel in his pursuit of what he thinks is the greater good. He's willing to turn away from things like a hostage situation caused by feuding families because there's a chance it will compromise the larger mission. He'll even hurt his friends if he thinks it's necessary. Rationalizing that it's necessary to keep Milly out of the fight to rescue Meryl by any means necessary, since Milly would be the only normal human involved, Wolfwood at one point knocks her unconscious.
Wolfwood has become convinced that it's necessary to be ruthless, in order to protect the powerless people who really need help. And in order to make the world one where, well, fewer people will end up like him. Wolfwood's been strongly shaped by his experiences in the Eye of Michael. He was at the very least made to think that those in charge were willing to kill him (likely not just an impression), and that the only way to be safe was to succeed in the tasks set before him. Even then, success could still be met with a shot to the leg if Chapel felt like making a point about the realities of combat. It's a dog-eat-dog world. Wolfwood may not like doing what he does, but he doesn't see any way to guarantee others can live in peace except to entirely get rid of those who threaten that, because those who hurt others don't just stop. People don't change, unless (like him) it's for the worse.
And yet, Wolfwood does increasingly get involved in risky plans and fights for the sake of protecting others, and his capability for compassion seeps through from time to time. When Vash gets arrested because he did, of course, decide to go off and resolve that hostage situation, Wolfwood not only breaks Vash out of jail, but also tells the other man imprisoned with Vash to get out and go home to his family. When Milly still rejoins the fight (and, I feel compelled to note, definitely helps out), Wolfwood takes injuries while using his weapon to shield her rather than himself. And Wolfwood is the one who (after, admittedly, strategically biding his time for the best opportunity) braves whatever Legato and the other remaining Gung-Ho Guns may throw at him to rescue Vash from imprisonment on the Ark. Vash comments, after Wolfwood kills Rai-Dei, that he sees Wolfwood as someone who's forcing himself to play the devil while hating the role. And it's true. Wolfwood is plagued by guilt over what he's done - he has nightmares about it, such as one where he returns to the orphanage and is unable to hug the kids because his hands are covered in blood. He hates who he is as a result of his actions. When he goes back to defend the orphanage from Chapel's retaliation, he tries (ultimately unsuccessfully) to avoid being recognized, because the person he is now isn't someone the kids should see. He doesn't want to be cold-blooded.
A more everyday version of Wolfwood's pragmatism comes out in how he acts as a straight man to Vash's riskier or more dramatic behavior. Vash's athletic feats diverting shots or decisions to jump right into a fight are likely to be followed by Wolfwood's commentary on how poorly thought out that was. Wolfwood also has a strong streak of impatience, which can lead to him being easily irritated and turning argumentative. It's Wolfwood, usually, who starts those ideological arguments, frustrated that Vash doesn't see how the world works. And clearly, Vash is just sitting in the sidecar eating donuts instead of taking on driving duties out of aggravating laziness, not for another reason like being hopeless at driving motorcycles. That's enough for Wolfwood to eventually stop driving and yell at Vash to take his turn already. (As it turns out, Vash is hopeless at driving motorcycles.)
Wolfwood has a cocky side that comes out in fights and tense situations. He trashtalks Gray throughout their battle. He'll confidently assert that if he wanted someone dead, he'd have already killed them. But this seems to be at least partly out of the belief that a the best defense is a good offense - he starts it after the threat is clear. Wolfwood's confident in his abilities, but also distinctly aware that he's closer to a normal human than a lot of the people around him. In the fight with Gray, Wolfwood seems to be hyping himself up in response to Gray's greater size and strength. He only tells Elendira that if he wanted her dead she would be after she questions whether he's an ally or an enemy (fair, since he is in fact intent on betraying Knives and the Guns). Sure, he's quick to assert himself and quick to draw, but it's not really out of aggression.
It's usually out of fear. Wolfwood's afraid of those he cares about getting hurt, afraid that what he's done won't amount to anything, afraid of dying. His nightmares aren't just inspired by guilt - he also has ones about what will happen to everyone if he fails and Knives isn't stopped. It all leads to him approaching the world defensively. He keeps people at arm's length. For all that he'll strike up a friendly chat one-on-one or in small groups, he often hangs back from gatherings and rarely offers up more than the broadest personal details. If he does end up around someone a lot of the time, he finds little ways to put up walls - exclusively calling Vash, Meryl, and Milly by nicknames after they start travelling together seems to be as much a way of distancing himself as it is a friendly affectation. He'll let himself continue from generally questioning someone into making an insensitive remark (sometimes he'll apologize for that, at least), driving people back. He's dangerous to be close to, after all, due to the kind of life he leads (he admits at one point that Vash isn't the only one with a tendency to end up in high-risk situations). And it's dangerous for him to care too much as well, because it might make it harder for him to be as ruthless as he thinks he has to be.
But he still notices people, and invests in them. Wolfwood figures out during their first meeting that Vash's smiling friendliness is often an act, and is glad when he sees it change into genuine happiness. At one point, Wolfwood scoffs at Vash's devotion to remembering everyone on the ship, even after years away. And yet, Wolfwood does the same thing with others from the orphanage, instantly recognizing Livio even after the other's transformation at the hands of the Eye of Michael. Wolfwood's been trained in observation - he's able to quickly analyze situations and notice patterns to be more effective in combat situations. But his interest in people goes beyond that, into genuine concern for their well-being. As brutal as he can be in tense situations, outside of those Wolfwood's quick to ask if someone's alright, and tries to be reassuring about little things.
For all that his primary work comes from the Eye of Michael and, later, Knives himself, Wolfwood seems to feel some genuine calling as a priest. Given how intense his training with the Eye of Michael appears to have been (leaving little time to learn things other than combat), and Chapel's initial promise that Wolfwood would be helping to establish new churches, it's reasonable to assume his interest in the profession dates back to his time in the orphanage. He does perform services in some of the places he travels through, and his faith is real. His relationship with God is a personal one that comes through in mental conversations and how he reacts to important events. On learning about the satellites which have enabled contact with Earth for a possible rescue for everyone on Gunsmoke, Wolfwood offers a prayer, explicitly asking not to be saved himself, but for others to live long enough for this hope to remain alive. He understands that, of course, he's a hopeless sinner. But for all his cynicism, when it comes down to it he still believes that people can be saved, and he connects that to God. Eventually, he even dares to hope for redemption for himself.
The conflict between what Wolfwood wants (to help as many people as he can) and what he thinks is necessary (temporarily working with monstrous people, turning away from smaller problems, killing threats) is one of the main things that drives his development throughout the series. Wolfwood's not entirely wrong when he insists that you can't protect anyone without being willing to kill and that some people won't change for the better (Vash will, after all, eventually find that the only way to keep everyone safe is to kill Legato). But he's definitely not right in how comprehensively he applies that thinking, and over time he stops trying to convince himself that he is. It is something he has to keep convincing himself of. Another part of the reason he starts ideological arguments is that he's trying to prove his position to himself as well as Vash. Those disagreements don't end when they stop talking, either - Wolfwood repeats them in his head, trying to reconfirm what he argued for in the first place. Wolfwood claims that a brutal realist is just the kind of person he is, but it's really a stance he was forced into, and that he's clung to because it's seemed, to him, to be the only possible answer in an unkind world. As a kid in the orphanage, Wolfwood might have been blunt, but his instinct was to reach out to others and look after them. He approached the crying new boy and got him to eat, he rushed to help someone who'd gotten stuck on a high part of the building. After watching Vash constantly put himself out there for others, Wolfwood comes to realize that he never completely stopped being that kid. And that maybe he's happier focusing not just on the big picture, but helping those around him. Maybe some situations can be resolved without killing, and it can be better to at least try that first. There are other answers after all.
Wolfwood's central problem for most of the series, really, is that he's lost a lot of his faith in people, including himself. Overcoming that, and rediscovering the part of him that genuinely connects to others, is the other main driving force of his development. Wolfwood's always been stubborn, convinced he knows what's best. It's a trait that's helped him through some situations - he was, after all, able to hold onto his belief that what the Eye of Michael does is wrong, even if he was affected by the kill-or-be-killed mindset they fostered. But the conviction that he knows best comes with the conviction that he has to be the one to take care of things. And with the knowledge that he's already fallen comes the conviction that he should be the one to keep taking on the dirty work. Combine that with the belief that almost anyone can be driven to hurt others and that people are usually focused on their own survival above anything else, and you get someone extremely reluctant to rely on or trust anyone else. As it turns out, though, there really are people in the world who won't give up on anyone else. Some people will even take a detour from stopping their brother from destroying humanity to come and help a friend defend a poor orphanage almost no one cares about, even though you didn't tell them to and it's honestly a pretty stupid idea (he appreciates it, though). He'd like to be that kind of person - someone others can depend on, who can protect and guide them.
People aren't God, as Wolfwood points out frequently. They can't be perfectly good, they can't help everyone, and often their instincts and choices align more with the devil. But for all these assertions, Wolfwood still values people, and seems to find that the grace of God works through them. He was "saved" when the orphanage took him in. And when Wolfwood, trying to avoid killing Livio as he and Vash escape the Ark, wonders mentally to God whether murderers can ever be anything else he gets an answer - from Vash. Wolfwood can change. He finally chooses to hold onto that, to try hoping that people can become better. He wants to at least attempt to stand alongside Vash's ideals instead of doing the dirty work in the background. And it's his reignited connection to others that helps Wolfwood overcome his fear. He starts the fight with Livio and Chapel still determined to survive at whatever cost, but as the fight continues and the cost to others becomes clearer, he changes his mind. He'd rather stick it out through Razlo's continued assault than risk killing Livio after all. He'd rather die than risk everyone else at the orphanage being harmed.
By this point, Wolfwood's found that not only is there a path that he's happier with, but he's actually capable of changing enough to walk it. He'd believed that the only way to protect the people who needed it was to kill - but he was able to remove the threat of the hired goons attacking the orphanage by disabling them rather than killing them, and eventually not only stopped himself from killing Livio('s alter ego Razlo), but protected him, leading to Livio's change of heart. He'd thought he needed to handle things alone - but found that in Vash he had a friend not only ready, but determined to help. He'd believed that what he'd become meant that he could never go home - but when he had to, he found he was still welcomed.
He's satisfied with the way things turned out.
POWER:
Canon-based:
Eye of Michael: Wolfwood will have all the "enhancements" given to the Eye of Michael's assassins - greater than human strength (enough to just casually carry around objects weighing over 200 pounds), enhanced senses (notably extremely sensitive hearing), and a regeneration ability that will ensure he responds to medical treatments and healing powers more quickly than normal and can sustain an unusual number of injuries (he won't be able to get through multiple fatal wounds without outside help, but if it's just one he should survive long enough to look for help at least). He'll also still have the canon drawback of accelerated aging.
Cross Punisher: The ability to summon and desummon his signature weapon, the Punisher - a giant cross-shaped combined machine gun and rocket launcher. Upon summoning, it will come wrapped to make it easier to carry around, and to make it very, very slightly less conspicuous.
Noncanon:
Plant's Friend: If any kind of plant is sick or dying, whether from a disease or a outside problem like a pest, Wolfwood will be able to heal it.
〈 CHARACTER SAMPLES 〉
COMMUNITY POST (VOICE) SAMPLE:
[A black-haired man, scruffy around the edges, peers at the camera over a pair of sunglasses. Satisfied that it's working, he settles the sunglasses further back on his nose and offers a friendly smile.]
You know, I always wondered what food would be like in a place where people can really grow things. I've never even heard of most of the stuff around here. [He sounds happy about that.] So far I've tried [He tilts his head back slightly] some really fancy burgers, a gyro, and sushi. [He's not sure he likes fish, actually, but it was interesting. Very distinct taste.] Oh, and "Thai" curry. That was different - they said it had "coconut milk" in it?
[He looks back at the camera.] If you've got recommendations for stuff to try or places to go, I'll take 'em.
LOGS POST (PROSE) SAMPLE:
test drive
FINAL NOTES:
Wolfwood would arrive with his pistol.
Trigun Maximum is really just a continuation of Trigun - the title change happened when the series jumped magazines after the original one folded. Wolfwood first appears in the series when it's just Trigun, but I'm using Maximum as the canon title since that's what the series is called at the canon point I'm using and it's a handy way to differentiate the manga continuity from the (notably different) anime.
NAME: Orlando
AGE: 30
JOURNAL:
paperbackIM / EMAIL: agreylady[at]gmail[dot]com
PLURK: ElspethVimes
RETURNING: yes - current characters are Brandon Heat and Norman
〈 CHARACTER INFO 〉
CHARACTER NAME: Nicholas D. Wolfwood
CHARACTER AGE: approximately 18 or 19 (appears to be in his late 20s)
SERIES: Trigun Maximum
CHRONOLOGY: after volume 10 chapter 7, "Wolfwood" (so, post death)
CLASS: anti-hero on the path to flat-out hero
HOUSING: random!
BACKGROUND: The wiki's sparse on manga canon, so I'm writing this out.
Around 150 years ago, a fleet of spaceships intended to colonize a suitable planet crash-landed onto a distinctly unsuitable desert planet, which came to be called Gunsmoke. Using what technology they could still cobble together and the energy and creation powers of artificial beings known as Plants, humanity has been able to survive.
The exact details of Wolfwood's early life aren't certain, but from the way he talks about it a few things seem clear: he was orphaned at a very young age and as a result (immediate or eventual) ended up on the streets until a church orphanage on the outskirts of town took him in. At the orphanage, he found a real home and a family (he later refers to the place as "paradise"). Over time, Wolfwood took on a big brother role, doing a lot to help the adults and look after the other (typically younger) kids.
Then, when he was around 11 or 12, Wolfwood was taken in by a man who claimed to be a priest and said Wolfwood would be helping him establish new churches. In fact this man, Chapel, was part of an organization of assassins called the Eye of Michael. Chapel put Wolfwood through brutal training in how to fight and kill, attempting to eradicate anything in the boy but a devotion to the organization's mission (that part didn't work). Wolfwood proved exceptionally talented, and was given one of the organization's most elite weapons (the cross-shaped Punisher) as a result. The timeline is a bit unclear, but it seems that Wolfwood was about 14 when he was put through the medical process which "enhances" members of the Eye of Michael so that they have superhuman capabilities - great strength, sharpened senses, and a healing factor which can be boosted by a specialized drug to allow them to recover almost instantaneously even from fatal wounds. The enhancements came at a price - the process aged Wolfwood considerably, and he continues to age at an accelerated rate. (By the time of his first appearance in the series, he looks to be in his mid to late 20s. He's actually around 16.) Presumably it was after this that he started being sent out on jobs, using the role of travelling priest to head wherever he was required to go.
At some point, Wolfwood learned about the Eye of Michael's contract with Knives, and that something was being planned. Deciding to break the system so that no more kids would end up like him, Wolfwood betrayed and shot Chapel (this turned out to only cripple Chapel, not kill him). Impersonating Chapel, Wolfwood headed to a meeting of the Gung-Ho Guns, a group of people with bizarre capabilities in the direct service of Knives. Along the way, Wolfwood ran into Vash the Stampede, a kind man prone to getting into situations that cause so much destruction that he was declared a "natural disaster" (hence the additional presence of insurance agents Meryl Stryfe and Milly Thompson). Although they spent a limited time together, Wolfwood more or less hit it off with the three, and Vash in particular.
The meeting of the Gung-Ho Guns turned out to be because Knives was finally being fully revived after an earlier fight with his brother, Vash. As Knives was revived, Vash arrived to confront him in a showdown that ultimately resulted in Knives activating Vash's Angel Arm and Vash directing its destructive power into blowing a hole in one of the moons. Wolfwood, who had no idea anyone could be capable of such things (Vash and Knives are both independent Plants, fully sentient and able to use their power how they wish), found this all rather disturbing. Still, he made an attempt on Knives's life afterwards. He failed, and was instead given the task of finding Vash (who had since disappeared) and escorting him to Knives while the other Gung-Ho Guns made Vash's life a living hell. Wolfwood agreed, likely at least in part because although he wasn't certain he could trust Vash after the fifth moon incident, he knew considerably greater power than his would be needed to defeat Knives (who wasn't just at least partly responsible for things like the Eye of Michael's practices, but flat-out genocidal). After two years, Wolfwood finally found Vash living under an assumed name and convinced him he was needed in order to stop Knives (Wolfwood did not share his own connection with Knives).
The two of them began travelling together, joined on occasion by Meryl and Milly. Vash, to Wolfwood's chagrin, regularly got involved in resolving problems in the places they traveled through. They also had to overcome other members of the Guns. In a town whose inhabitants had been killed by Knives, the two were confronted by Rai-Dei. On a largely intact spaceship that's the closest thing Vash has to a home, Vash and Wolfwood found the inhabitants under attack from Leonoff and Gray. While Vash confronted Leonoff, Wolfwood battled Gray. In another town, three of the remaining Guns set up a trap by kidnapping Meryl. Although he's temporarily blinded by Midvalley, Wolfwood fought his way to the main confrontation, where Hopperd was intending to actually kill Vash in revenge. The fight ended with Knives's right-hand man, Legato, killing Midvalley and Hopperd for betraying Knives, and Legato himself being rescued by the mysterious final member of the Guns, Elendira.
Eventually, Vash (who had realized that Wolfwood is his "guide") found his way to confront Knives yet again. Vash failed to beat Knives, but Knives wasn't able to fully overcome Vash himself. Meanwhile, a recovered Chapel, accompanied a former friend of Wolfwood's from the orphanage who was recruited by the Eye of Michael without Wolfwood's knowledge, Livio, revealed himself to Wolfwood as having allied with the Guns again. Vash wound up imprisoned on Knives's airship, the Ark, held in place by Legato's power. Wolfwood saw little option but to go along with the Guns for the time, futilely attempting to carry out some of their orders without any of the others causing further casualities. For seven months, Wolfwood remained on the Ark as Knives went about destroying cities and assimilating other (non-independent) Plants for more power. But when Wolfwood suspected Legato was starting to truly feel the strain of keeping Vash contained, Wolfwood confronted him, breaking Legato's concentration enough that Vash was able to free himself. Carrying a weakened Vash, Wolfwood fought Chapel and Livio in his attempt to escape. This gave Vash enough time to recover to the point he was able to get them off the Ark. The two were picked up by one of Vash's allies, determined to help him finally defeat Knives.
At this point, however, Wolfwood up and left. He suspected that Chapel would target Wolfwood's old orphanage in retaliation for his betrayal. He was right. When he arrived at the orphanage, he found it beset by a bunch of hired goons, Chapel, Livio and a few servants of theirs. Wolfwood easily defeated the goons and confronted Livio and Chapel head-on, as well as (eventually) Livio's brutal alter ego Razlo. Wolfwood held his own against the others for a while, but was nearly overwhelmed when Vash unexpectedly arrived to help. In order to continue the fight, Wolfwood made the choice to use two vials of the Eye of Michael's drug, an overdose which boosted his regeneration massively but would also soon kill him. With Vash backing him up and helping to shield everyone in the orphanage, Wolfwood was able to deal a mostly-lethal blow to Chapel and fight Razlo one-on-one. Wolfwood refused to actually kill Razlo, in fact protecting him from a final shot from Chapel aimed at them both. This resulted in Livio taking back over and refusing to kill Wolfwood himself. In the aftermath of the fight, Vash's allies took the inhabitants of the orphanage to safety. Wolfwood, Vash, and Livio remained behind for the moment. Shortly afterwards, Wolfwood passed away.
PERSONALITY:
The first impression anyone's likely to have of Wolfwood is of a relatively laid-back guy - fairly friendly, willing to help out in little ways if it comes up. He'll happily chat with the barkeep or other passengers on the bus. If someone asks for his services as a priest (say, by performing funerals), he'll make the time. Sometimes he'll forget it until the last minute, but he makes sure to thank people for things like food. He has a definite soft spot for kids - an early defining moment has him giving two begging children two of his last three coins. He tends to give out nicknames - Vash quickly becomes "Spikey" based on his preferred hairstyle, while Meryl and Milly get nicknames based on their heights.
But the laid-back impression doesn't survive any extended contact. It's fine for when he's just passing through, but when he spends more time with people his personality, and more significantly his problems, come through much more clearly. Wolfwood's a mess of contradictions: a priest and a murderer, someone who has never lost his devotion to his found family and someone who believes he has to keep himself separate from others, a man who genuinely wants to leave the world a better place for those who come after him and a man who believes that the only way to accomplish anything in a ruthless world is to sink to its level. Due to his experiences, Wolfwood has come to bury most of his altruistic instincts and pursue noble goals through very dirty methods. But as the series progresses he gradually finds his way back to a more idealistic path.
For much of the series, Wolfwood advocates for taking the course of action that best guarantees survival and the ability to deal with big-picture issues. Don't give up the promise of an unpleasant but safe life for something more uncertain, don't risk your life defending a town from some bandits when you still need to confront your genocidal brother. The harshest manifestation of this thinking is a ruthless willingness to kill. After Vash defeats Rai-Dei in a duel, Rai-Dei reaches for his sword again and appears ready to attack Vash from behind. Going against Vash's clearly expressed wishes, Wolfwood simply shoots Rai-Dei before the man can attack. Especially early on, Wolfwood has regular arguments with Vash about whether about whether they should get involved in local problems and whether it's truly possible to protect people without also killing those threatening them. Wolfwood can be cruel in his pursuit of what he thinks is the greater good. He's willing to turn away from things like a hostage situation caused by feuding families because there's a chance it will compromise the larger mission. He'll even hurt his friends if he thinks it's necessary. Rationalizing that it's necessary to keep Milly out of the fight to rescue Meryl by any means necessary, since Milly would be the only normal human involved, Wolfwood at one point knocks her unconscious.
Wolfwood has become convinced that it's necessary to be ruthless, in order to protect the powerless people who really need help. And in order to make the world one where, well, fewer people will end up like him. Wolfwood's been strongly shaped by his experiences in the Eye of Michael. He was at the very least made to think that those in charge were willing to kill him (likely not just an impression), and that the only way to be safe was to succeed in the tasks set before him. Even then, success could still be met with a shot to the leg if Chapel felt like making a point about the realities of combat. It's a dog-eat-dog world. Wolfwood may not like doing what he does, but he doesn't see any way to guarantee others can live in peace except to entirely get rid of those who threaten that, because those who hurt others don't just stop. People don't change, unless (like him) it's for the worse.
And yet, Wolfwood does increasingly get involved in risky plans and fights for the sake of protecting others, and his capability for compassion seeps through from time to time. When Vash gets arrested because he did, of course, decide to go off and resolve that hostage situation, Wolfwood not only breaks Vash out of jail, but also tells the other man imprisoned with Vash to get out and go home to his family. When Milly still rejoins the fight (and, I feel compelled to note, definitely helps out), Wolfwood takes injuries while using his weapon to shield her rather than himself. And Wolfwood is the one who (after, admittedly, strategically biding his time for the best opportunity) braves whatever Legato and the other remaining Gung-Ho Guns may throw at him to rescue Vash from imprisonment on the Ark. Vash comments, after Wolfwood kills Rai-Dei, that he sees Wolfwood as someone who's forcing himself to play the devil while hating the role. And it's true. Wolfwood is plagued by guilt over what he's done - he has nightmares about it, such as one where he returns to the orphanage and is unable to hug the kids because his hands are covered in blood. He hates who he is as a result of his actions. When he goes back to defend the orphanage from Chapel's retaliation, he tries (ultimately unsuccessfully) to avoid being recognized, because the person he is now isn't someone the kids should see. He doesn't want to be cold-blooded.
A more everyday version of Wolfwood's pragmatism comes out in how he acts as a straight man to Vash's riskier or more dramatic behavior. Vash's athletic feats diverting shots or decisions to jump right into a fight are likely to be followed by Wolfwood's commentary on how poorly thought out that was. Wolfwood also has a strong streak of impatience, which can lead to him being easily irritated and turning argumentative. It's Wolfwood, usually, who starts those ideological arguments, frustrated that Vash doesn't see how the world works. And clearly, Vash is just sitting in the sidecar eating donuts instead of taking on driving duties out of aggravating laziness, not for another reason like being hopeless at driving motorcycles. That's enough for Wolfwood to eventually stop driving and yell at Vash to take his turn already. (As it turns out, Vash is hopeless at driving motorcycles.)
Wolfwood has a cocky side that comes out in fights and tense situations. He trashtalks Gray throughout their battle. He'll confidently assert that if he wanted someone dead, he'd have already killed them. But this seems to be at least partly out of the belief that a the best defense is a good offense - he starts it after the threat is clear. Wolfwood's confident in his abilities, but also distinctly aware that he's closer to a normal human than a lot of the people around him. In the fight with Gray, Wolfwood seems to be hyping himself up in response to Gray's greater size and strength. He only tells Elendira that if he wanted her dead she would be after she questions whether he's an ally or an enemy (fair, since he is in fact intent on betraying Knives and the Guns). Sure, he's quick to assert himself and quick to draw, but it's not really out of aggression.
It's usually out of fear. Wolfwood's afraid of those he cares about getting hurt, afraid that what he's done won't amount to anything, afraid of dying. His nightmares aren't just inspired by guilt - he also has ones about what will happen to everyone if he fails and Knives isn't stopped. It all leads to him approaching the world defensively. He keeps people at arm's length. For all that he'll strike up a friendly chat one-on-one or in small groups, he often hangs back from gatherings and rarely offers up more than the broadest personal details. If he does end up around someone a lot of the time, he finds little ways to put up walls - exclusively calling Vash, Meryl, and Milly by nicknames after they start travelling together seems to be as much a way of distancing himself as it is a friendly affectation. He'll let himself continue from generally questioning someone into making an insensitive remark (sometimes he'll apologize for that, at least), driving people back. He's dangerous to be close to, after all, due to the kind of life he leads (he admits at one point that Vash isn't the only one with a tendency to end up in high-risk situations). And it's dangerous for him to care too much as well, because it might make it harder for him to be as ruthless as he thinks he has to be.
But he still notices people, and invests in them. Wolfwood figures out during their first meeting that Vash's smiling friendliness is often an act, and is glad when he sees it change into genuine happiness. At one point, Wolfwood scoffs at Vash's devotion to remembering everyone on the ship, even after years away. And yet, Wolfwood does the same thing with others from the orphanage, instantly recognizing Livio even after the other's transformation at the hands of the Eye of Michael. Wolfwood's been trained in observation - he's able to quickly analyze situations and notice patterns to be more effective in combat situations. But his interest in people goes beyond that, into genuine concern for their well-being. As brutal as he can be in tense situations, outside of those Wolfwood's quick to ask if someone's alright, and tries to be reassuring about little things.
For all that his primary work comes from the Eye of Michael and, later, Knives himself, Wolfwood seems to feel some genuine calling as a priest. Given how intense his training with the Eye of Michael appears to have been (leaving little time to learn things other than combat), and Chapel's initial promise that Wolfwood would be helping to establish new churches, it's reasonable to assume his interest in the profession dates back to his time in the orphanage. He does perform services in some of the places he travels through, and his faith is real. His relationship with God is a personal one that comes through in mental conversations and how he reacts to important events. On learning about the satellites which have enabled contact with Earth for a possible rescue for everyone on Gunsmoke, Wolfwood offers a prayer, explicitly asking not to be saved himself, but for others to live long enough for this hope to remain alive. He understands that, of course, he's a hopeless sinner. But for all his cynicism, when it comes down to it he still believes that people can be saved, and he connects that to God. Eventually, he even dares to hope for redemption for himself.
The conflict between what Wolfwood wants (to help as many people as he can) and what he thinks is necessary (temporarily working with monstrous people, turning away from smaller problems, killing threats) is one of the main things that drives his development throughout the series. Wolfwood's not entirely wrong when he insists that you can't protect anyone without being willing to kill and that some people won't change for the better (Vash will, after all, eventually find that the only way to keep everyone safe is to kill Legato). But he's definitely not right in how comprehensively he applies that thinking, and over time he stops trying to convince himself that he is. It is something he has to keep convincing himself of. Another part of the reason he starts ideological arguments is that he's trying to prove his position to himself as well as Vash. Those disagreements don't end when they stop talking, either - Wolfwood repeats them in his head, trying to reconfirm what he argued for in the first place. Wolfwood claims that a brutal realist is just the kind of person he is, but it's really a stance he was forced into, and that he's clung to because it's seemed, to him, to be the only possible answer in an unkind world. As a kid in the orphanage, Wolfwood might have been blunt, but his instinct was to reach out to others and look after them. He approached the crying new boy and got him to eat, he rushed to help someone who'd gotten stuck on a high part of the building. After watching Vash constantly put himself out there for others, Wolfwood comes to realize that he never completely stopped being that kid. And that maybe he's happier focusing not just on the big picture, but helping those around him. Maybe some situations can be resolved without killing, and it can be better to at least try that first. There are other answers after all.
Wolfwood's central problem for most of the series, really, is that he's lost a lot of his faith in people, including himself. Overcoming that, and rediscovering the part of him that genuinely connects to others, is the other main driving force of his development. Wolfwood's always been stubborn, convinced he knows what's best. It's a trait that's helped him through some situations - he was, after all, able to hold onto his belief that what the Eye of Michael does is wrong, even if he was affected by the kill-or-be-killed mindset they fostered. But the conviction that he knows best comes with the conviction that he has to be the one to take care of things. And with the knowledge that he's already fallen comes the conviction that he should be the one to keep taking on the dirty work. Combine that with the belief that almost anyone can be driven to hurt others and that people are usually focused on their own survival above anything else, and you get someone extremely reluctant to rely on or trust anyone else. As it turns out, though, there really are people in the world who won't give up on anyone else. Some people will even take a detour from stopping their brother from destroying humanity to come and help a friend defend a poor orphanage almost no one cares about, even though you didn't tell them to and it's honestly a pretty stupid idea (he appreciates it, though). He'd like to be that kind of person - someone others can depend on, who can protect and guide them.
People aren't God, as Wolfwood points out frequently. They can't be perfectly good, they can't help everyone, and often their instincts and choices align more with the devil. But for all these assertions, Wolfwood still values people, and seems to find that the grace of God works through them. He was "saved" when the orphanage took him in. And when Wolfwood, trying to avoid killing Livio as he and Vash escape the Ark, wonders mentally to God whether murderers can ever be anything else he gets an answer - from Vash. Wolfwood can change. He finally chooses to hold onto that, to try hoping that people can become better. He wants to at least attempt to stand alongside Vash's ideals instead of doing the dirty work in the background. And it's his reignited connection to others that helps Wolfwood overcome his fear. He starts the fight with Livio and Chapel still determined to survive at whatever cost, but as the fight continues and the cost to others becomes clearer, he changes his mind. He'd rather stick it out through Razlo's continued assault than risk killing Livio after all. He'd rather die than risk everyone else at the orphanage being harmed.
By this point, Wolfwood's found that not only is there a path that he's happier with, but he's actually capable of changing enough to walk it. He'd believed that the only way to protect the people who needed it was to kill - but he was able to remove the threat of the hired goons attacking the orphanage by disabling them rather than killing them, and eventually not only stopped himself from killing Livio('s alter ego Razlo), but protected him, leading to Livio's change of heart. He'd thought he needed to handle things alone - but found that in Vash he had a friend not only ready, but determined to help. He'd believed that what he'd become meant that he could never go home - but when he had to, he found he was still welcomed.
He's satisfied with the way things turned out.
POWER:
Canon-based:
Eye of Michael: Wolfwood will have all the "enhancements" given to the Eye of Michael's assassins - greater than human strength (enough to just casually carry around objects weighing over 200 pounds), enhanced senses (notably extremely sensitive hearing), and a regeneration ability that will ensure he responds to medical treatments and healing powers more quickly than normal and can sustain an unusual number of injuries (he won't be able to get through multiple fatal wounds without outside help, but if it's just one he should survive long enough to look for help at least). He'll also still have the canon drawback of accelerated aging.
Cross Punisher: The ability to summon and desummon his signature weapon, the Punisher - a giant cross-shaped combined machine gun and rocket launcher. Upon summoning, it will come wrapped to make it easier to carry around, and to make it very, very slightly less conspicuous.
Noncanon:
Plant's Friend: If any kind of plant is sick or dying, whether from a disease or a outside problem like a pest, Wolfwood will be able to heal it.
〈 CHARACTER SAMPLES 〉
COMMUNITY POST (VOICE) SAMPLE:
[A black-haired man, scruffy around the edges, peers at the camera over a pair of sunglasses. Satisfied that it's working, he settles the sunglasses further back on his nose and offers a friendly smile.]
You know, I always wondered what food would be like in a place where people can really grow things. I've never even heard of most of the stuff around here. [He sounds happy about that.] So far I've tried [He tilts his head back slightly] some really fancy burgers, a gyro, and sushi. [He's not sure he likes fish, actually, but it was interesting. Very distinct taste.] Oh, and "Thai" curry. That was different - they said it had "coconut milk" in it?
[He looks back at the camera.] If you've got recommendations for stuff to try or places to go, I'll take 'em.
LOGS POST (PROSE) SAMPLE:
test drive
FINAL NOTES:
Wolfwood would arrive with his pistol.
Trigun Maximum is really just a continuation of Trigun - the title change happened when the series jumped magazines after the original one folded. Wolfwood first appears in the series when it's just Trigun, but I'm using Maximum as the canon title since that's what the series is called at the canon point I'm using and it's a handy way to differentiate the manga continuity from the (notably different) anime.
