Legato Bluesummers (Stampede): Difference between revisions

Legato first appears in episode six, as part of Wolfwood's flashback. Wolfwood tries to escape from the Eye of Michael prison block by jumping out of a giant window, but he is caught mid-air and brutally crushed right before achieving freedom. When next we see him, he is in a holding cell whose doors part to reveal Legato. Legato tells Wolfwood he's working for the EoM now, despite his resistance. The two men verbally spar with each other, with Legato crushing Wolfwood into the floor in retaliation for being called a "blue-haired freak". He then presents Livio - the closest thing Wolfwood has to a brother - and says that if Wolfwood won't do the job, Livio has volunteered to do it instead. This at least gets Wolfwood working for Legato, albeit reluctantly.

In the present day, Legato has Livio target Vash aboard a sand steamer on its to the city of July, knowing Wolfwood will protect Vash from harm. Legato's plan is to see whether Wolfwood will choose to protect Vash by killing Livio or spare Livio by allowing Vash to die. To up the ante, Legato uses telekinesis to break one of the drive shafts within the sand steamer and put it on a crash course with the Hopeland Orphanage - the place Wolfwood grew up. Legato's reasoning is that if he can eliminate all emotional ties that Wolfwood has, then he can make Wolfwood into the perfect believer and a perfect instrument of Knives's plans. The reason he is so dead-set on Wolfwood is because Wolfwood has the rare physiological distinction of being able to tolerate all of the weird drugs that the EoM has given him with minimal side-effects - Wolfwood cannot simply leave or die because more children would be taken from the orphanage until another like him is found. Legato is ultimately unsuccessful at crashing the sand steamer into the orphanage. He orders Zazie to retrieve Livio because Livio is still useful.

Legato's backstory in ''Stampede'' has not yet been revealed, though some [https://twitter.com/TakeOxi/status/1639870472581165060 tantalizing lore] recently dropped from a ''Stampede'' staff member (Takehiko Okishi, writer of the series bible) on Twitter: unnatural hair colors such as blue are a legacy of SEEDs passengers who underwent gene therapy to modify their appearances. These characteristics were merely cosmetic, not intended to be passed on, but children born on No Man's Land still inherit them in extremely rare cases. They subsequently become targeted for human trafficking and attract high prices on the slave market.

Legato comes across as a sadist and sociopath. He is a fanatical devotee - he strives to be like Knives in every way, including being cold and emotionless. However, he is not perfect, and every so often the mask will slip to reveal a man who is actually very passionate and driven. He is devoted to Knives to the point of obsession, fully buying into the Eye of Michael's description of Knives as an angel and referring to him as "beautiful", while regarding any opposition to him or his vision with disgust. Hypocritically, Legato's devotion borders upon jealousy and causes him to interfere with his master's plans.

Legato's relationship to Knives is that of a devoted worshipper and faithful servant. His relationship to Wolfwood is that of a cruel master and personal enemy, particularly after the events on the sand steamer. His relationships to Conrad and Zazie are ones of grudging tolerance laced with contempt. He has yet to meet Vash in person, but it is implied his jealousy may extend to the little brother his beloved master is so tirelessly focused on. He has no canonical lovers as of yet.