Trigun: Stargaze Sets the Stage for a Post‑Apocalyptic Series Finale

Image: Orange / Crunchyroll

The concluding chapter of 2023’s Trigun Stampede, titled Trigun Stargaze, is scheduled for 2026 and picks up several years after the catastrophic Lost JuLai incident. New trailer footage and key visuals debuted at New York Comic Con 2025, and the creative team positions the series as both a respectful successor to Stampede and a substantive expansion of the Trigun universe.

Below is Crunchyroll’s plot summary for Trigun Stargaze, presented here in condensed form:

Two and a half years have passed since the Lost JuLai calamity decimated a city and plunged the world into turmoil. Meryl, now an experienced journalist, searches for Vash alongside her younger partner Milly and unexpectedly reunites with Wolfwood. When a spate of plant thefts resurfaces, clues point toward a covert conspiracy tied to Millions Knives. Meanwhile, Vash—living under the alias Eriks—keeps a low profile in a remote settlement until a girl named Jessica arrives with a desperate plea from the third colony ship. Forced to confront a lingering vendetta to protect those he cares for, Vash’s choices converge with a planetary revelation: a fleet of colony ships from Earth offers passage to a new frontier. As hope spreads across the globe, the return of a one‑winged angel threatens to undo their celebration, setting the stage for a decisive, world‑shaping confrontation.

Studio Orange remains at the helm of animation, preserving the series’ distinctive CG-driven look. While many viewers are wary of computer-generated styles—often citing examples like Berserk—both Trigun Stampede and recent high-profile CG successes demonstrate how the technique can be executed with care and cinematic flair. Recent discussions about CG in mainstream anime underscore that quality execution matters more than the medium itself.

Rather than a direct remake, Orange’s 2023 adaptation functions as a spiritual successor to Yasuhiro Nightow’s 1995 space‑western manga. This new season appears poised to reinterpret significant arcs and characters from Trigun Maximum (Nightow’s manga continuation), while also drawing on material that follows episode 17 of the original 1998 anime, crafting its own continuity and perspective.

Trigun Stargaze is directed by Masako Sato (known for Haikyu!! To The Top), with series composition by Kazuyuki Fudeyasu (That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime). Scripts are developed from concepts by Takehiko Oki, and Kouji Tajima contributes concept art and character design work.

Trigun Stargaze is slated for an international release on Crunchyroll in January 2026.

Source: Polygon