How Old Is Nicholas D. Woolfwood in Trigun Stampede?

All Trigun fans will know that Nicholas D. Woolfwood is one of the principal characters of the series. But, aside from that, Nicholas D. Woolfwood is an exceptional and very intriguing character who undoubtedly, shaped the series in many ways. His story, as well as his background, are quite intriguing. In this article, we are going to talk about the incarnation of Nicholas D. Woolfwood from the newest Trigun Stampede anime series. In this article, we are going to reveal just how old Nicholas D. Woolfwood is in the Trigun Stampede anime, from start to finish.

Knowing that Trigun Stampede will be a (more) faithful adaptation of the original manga, we can confirm that Nicholas D. Woolfwood, a genetically modified human, is around 27 years old in Trigun Stampede, somewhere between 26 and 28. Although he is genetically modified, this is a normal age range for a human character in the series.

The rest of the article will give you some more information on Nicholas D. Woolfwood’s evolution as a character in the series, as well as answers to some important questions regarding Nicholas D. Woolfwood’s age at some of the most important moments in his life. The article is, of course, going to contain spoilers, so we just wanted to warn you.

Nicholas D. Woolfwood is a regular human in terms of age

Nicholas D. Woolfwood’s age in Trigun Stampede: 26~28 years old

Nicholas D. Wolfwood is one of the principal characters of the Trigun series; he has been featured in all iterations of the series, including the manga and all the anime adaptations, as well as in the 2010 anime film Trigun: Badlands Rumble. In the original anime, he debuted in Episode 9, titled “Murder Machine,” at the beginning of the same, and his meeting with Vash the Stampede will happen by chance in the desert when he is rescued by the passengers of a bus in which Vash travels together with Meryl Stryfe and Milly Thompson. In Trigun Stampede, he debuted in Episode 4, titled “Hungry!” when Meryl and Roberto hit him with a car and then save him.

From the first moment, he seems to be in tune with Vash, at least as regards the goliardic and fun side, but as the series progresses, differences between the two characters can be seen: Vash is an idealist, Wolfwood instead is disillusioned, surrendered from an early age to a world of atrocities and who prefers to kill rather than be killed in dramatic moments; yet his attitude is in some cases contrasting since Wolfwood is a wandering reverend and is particularly generous: in fact, he sends every single $$ (Double Dollar, the currency present in the anime) to his orphanage.

The reverend always carries with him a giant metal cross wrapped in white cloths and belts. This cross, called Punisher, is actually a fearsome firearm, and in the anime, two versions can be identified: the first has 12 stainless M1911A1 colts inside the arms of the cross; the second version instead has a machine gun at the lower end, while at the upper end, it has a rocket launcher instead. Also, in this second version, in the center of the cross, which is used as a handle, there is an engraved skull with hollow eyes. This version is perhaps the most loved by fans of the genre and is so heavy that in the anime, only Wolfwood, Vash, and Milly manage to handle it without particular problems. Wolfwood says it would weigh as much as “God’s mercy.”

In the manga, the character of Wolfwood has a deeper characterization and a very particular role. In fact, he is one of the Gung-Ho-Guns, Chapel, whom Knives sent on a mission to find and protect his brother. However, over time he becomes convinced that Vash is truly the man who can save the world and, in fact, does not betray him. But as in the anime, even in the manga, relations are tense when it comes to killing people out of necessity, something Vash has always been against.

In the clash with the Gung-Ho Guns, he lends valid support to the Humanoid Typhoon: he kills Rai-Dei the Blade, who wanted to eliminate the blond gunslinger behind him; he defeats Ninelives and also faces Midvalley the Hornfreak until he turns against Legato. It also reveals his childhood. Nicholas is an orphan who lives for a short time in an orphanage but who he will remember as the most beautiful of his life. There, he will meet Livio, a boy he will help and to whom he will restore self-confidence.

After a short time, he is noticed by Master C, who takes him with him to the Eye of St. Michael, a sect of assassins, and there he instructs him to strengthen his body and make it more resistant, a process which, however also speeds up his metabolism so as to make it age faster. At the end of the training, he receives one of the ten existing Punishers. Once he discovers the threat Master C poses to the orphanage, he decides to kill him. However, he survives but loses the use of his legs.

In the present timeline of the story, Master C is in the pay of Legato and wants to kill Wolfwood as revenge. However, he has taken on Livio, his old friend, as a pupil. When Master C and Livio go to the orphanage and take the children as hostages, Nicholas rushes to fight them. The clash is furious, so much so that Livio frees his evil personality Razlo the Tri-Punisher of Death.

Thanks to Vash’s help, the reverend kills Master C and makes Livio good again. He asks the director of the orphanage not to reveal his identity to the children and gives the half coin to Vash. Shortly after, due to his wounds and too many regenerating vials, Nicholas dies on the bench near his old friend. Once dead, Livio takes the reverend’s place as Vash’s sidekick.