Trigun Gets a New Novel, TRIGUN MANUSCRIPT, From the Stampede Writer With Art by Yasuhiro Nightow

The Trigun story is not over after all. The official TRIGUN STARGAZE anime account has announced TRIGUN MANUSCRIPT, a new novel planned for release this winter, and the team behind it is about as close to the source as you can get.

Who is writing it

The novel comes from Takehiko Oxi, who wrote the story concept for both TRIGUN STAMPEDE and TRIGUN STARGAZE. That matters: Oxi shaped the version of Vash, Knives and Meryl that a lot of newer fans met through Studio Orange's anime, so this book reads as a continuation of that take rather than a side project.

Series creator Yasuhiro Nightow is drawing new art for it, covering both the cover illustration and the inside illustrations. The teaser cover shared with the announcement is a rough, fiery sketch in orange on black, carrying the JUMP j BOOKS novel label and the line "Guns arrive this winter."

What we know so far

• Title: TRIGUN MANUSCRIPT
• Format: prose novel
• Writer: Takehiko Oxi
• Cover and interior art: Yasuhiro Nightow
• Release window: this winter

That is the full list for now. The account says more details, including the exact date and what part of the story the book covers, will come later.

My take

After STARGAZE wrapped up the "final phase" of the Stampede storyline, I half expected the franchise to go quiet for a while. A novel from the person who built the anime's story is the best kind of epilogue we could hope for, and Nightow's art on top of it makes this one easy to want. No English release has been mentioned yet, so for now it is a Japan-only book.

You can catch up on the anime itself on its anime.day page, and the original announcement is on the official TRIGUN anime X account.