Nicholas D. Wolfwood (anime)
| Nicholas D. Wolfwood | |
|---|---|
| |
| Japanese name | ニコラス・D・ウルフウッド |
| Race | Human |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Blue |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Priest, gunman |
| First appearance | MURDER MACHINE |
| Last appearance | PARADISE on-screen UNDER THE SKY SO BLUE voice |
| Japanese voice actor | Sho Hayami |
| English voice actor | Jeff Nimoy 1998 Brad Hawkins film |
| The subject of this article goes by multiple names that apply to other articles as well. See Nicholas D. Wolfwood (disambiguation) and Wolfwood (disambiguation). |
Nicholas D. Wolfwood is one of the main characters of Trigun (1998 anime) and Trigun: Badlands Rumble.
Biography
1998 anime
Early Life
Wolfwood first shot a gun at the age of 7 to kill his abusive guardian. He found it surprisingly easy to shoot the gun and kill the man, and remarked that he actually laughed. With his guardian now dead, Wolfwood felt free, but only for a short time. He soon ended up under the tutelage of Chapel the Evergreen, who put Wolfwood through strict and intensive training to be a gunman.
As an adult, he started an orphanage in December so other kids didn't have to grow up in the same way he had. He found the work fulfilling and finally felt like he was doing something good for the world.
Wolfwood began working for Knives and the Gung-Ho Guns with Chapel.
Meeting Vash
When traveling to May City, Wolfwood's motorcycle broke down in the middle of the desert. He decided to continue traveling on foot while carrying his Punisher, but was unable to make it and collapsed. Wolfwood was saved when Vash spotted him from the window of the bus he was taking to May City. Once on the bus and given water to drink, Wolfwood met Meryl, Milly, and Vash.
When the bus stopped for a short rest, Wolfwood had to beg the driver to allow him to ride, as he did not have enough money to afford both the fare and food. The bus driver allowed Wolfwood to ride at a reduced rate--although he did not take up Wolfwood's offer for a free confession with his portable confessional. Vash asked if the confessional was part of his gospel. Wolfwood replied that it was not, instead just for business as he needed money to take care of the orphans back at his church in December. He explained he had left the church because he needed to make some money for them.
When noticing two children, Tania and Helen, complaining to their mother that they were hungry, Wolfwood offered two of his three meal bars--his only food--to them. The children and their mother were very grateful for his kindness and generosity. Wolfwood saw Vash had been watching the exchange and said he was "surprised that [he] could smile like that." Vash seemed confused, and Wolfwood elaborated that he'd noticed although Vash had been friendly and smiling before, it seemed empty, like he was "hurting like crazy on the inside." He then urged Vash to pay for some time in his portable confessional.
Back on the bus, Wolfwood attempted to treat the injured passenger. The mother suddenly shouted out for her daughter, Helen, who was missing. Both Vash and Wolfwood immediately leapt out of the moving bus to rescue the child.
The Quick Draw Tournament
The caravan
Fifth Moon
Relocating Vash
Conflict in New Oregon
Flying Ship
Keybos and the orphans
Confrontation in Tonim
Badlands Rumble
Wolfwood once again had become stranded in the desert. Weak and dehydrated, he struggled to put his only bill into a water vending machine, which refused to accept it. Gasback and his crew drove up to the vending machine. Gasback yelled at Wolfwood for being in his way and told him to go to the nearby cemetery if he wanted to die. Wolfwood feebly pleaded for them to break his bill. One of Gasback's men pointed out the Punisher, which was laying on the ground nearby. The wrappings had become loose and the weapon inside was visible. Gasback made the decision not to steal the Punisher and instead rescued Wolfwood. In return for saving him, Wolfwood temporarily became Gasback's bodyguard, but only under the condition that he would not take part in any actual robberies.
Character
Appearance
Wolfwood is a tall man with black hair, blue eyes, and tan skin. He is has a lithe build, and although he appears fairly slender, he is seen to be very strong as he is able to wield the Punisher with ease. He is often seen with some stubble on his chin.
Wolfwood may be of Asian descent, as his appearance was based on Japanese musician Tortoise Matsumoto.[1]
Wolfwood's outfit consists of a simple black suit (often colored as a dark blue). The suit jacket has padded shoulders and the suit pants are of a slim fit. Beneath the jacket, he wears a white button-up dress shirt. His shirt is always seen partially unbuttoned and open at the top, his chest visible. He wears simple tan shoes (possibly loafers, as they have no laces) with white socks beneath. He has a white cross-shaped cufflink on each sleeve of his suit jacket. Wolfwood is sometimes seen wearing sunglasses, which have square frames and black (often colored as a dark brown) lenses.
Wolfwood is a smoker, and is often seen with a cigarette in his mouth.
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Wolfwood's design in the 1998 anime.
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Wolfwood's design in Badlands Rumble.
As a child, Wolfwood has a similar hairstyle as he does as an adult. He is seen wearing a grey button-up short-sleeved shirt, shorts (possibly dark blue or brown*), and a pair of loafers (possibly tan*), similar in style to what he wears as an adult.
*Wolfwood's scenes as a child in episode 23 were all tinted with red, making these colors unclear. However, the next episode preview in episode 22 features an alternate version of one scene of child Wolfwood without the red overlay, but only his head and shirt are visible.
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Wolfwood as a child.
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Young Wolfwood's design in the 1998 anime.
Personality
Occupation
Wolfwood is a priest of an unspecified Christian denomination, though he is rarely seen performing actual religious duties or rites aside from giving the occasional blessing or offering (paid) usage of his portable confessional. He also works as a gunman and acts as a both a caretaker and provider for the orphans in December. Wolfwood also worked as a bodyguard for Gasback a short time.
Portable Confessional
Wolfwood uses this miniature church-shaped box to perform the Rite of Penance on the go. A coin is inserted to the steeple on top as payment. Wolfwood explains to Vash that this is strictly business, as he desperately needs money to make a living and take care of the orphans in December.
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The portable confessional's intended placement, as demonstrated by the bus driver.
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Wolfwood holding the portable confessional.
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Wolfwood indicates where to insert a coin, urging Vash to give it a try.
Family
Wolfwood was an orphan. The fate of his parents and any other family members he may have had is unknown.
Guardian
Wolfwood was under the care of a man he described as "a sickening piece of garbage who had the nerve to call himself [his] guardian." At the age of 7, Wolfwood shot and killed him. His relationship to this man, familial or otherwise, is unknown.
Relationships
Chapel the Evergreen
Chapel was a mentor to Wolfwood.
Vash the Stampede
Milly Thompson
Weapons
The Punisher
The Punisher, also called the Cross Punisher, is a large cross-shaped weapon that Wolfwood always travels with, usually wrapped in light beige cloth and secured with multiple black straps with clasps. Wolfwood typically uses one of these straps, slung over his shoulder, to carry the wrapped Punisher on his back. The Punisher is very heavy, which is remarked upon by multiple characters. Wolfwood's explanation for its weight is "that's because it's so full of mercy."
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Three men struggle to lift the heavy Punisher.
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"That's because it's so full of mercy."
Version 1
The first version of the Punisher first appears in episode 9 and last appears in episode 16. This iteration of the Punisher appears to only have a gun rack.
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Diagram of 4 Grader handguns on the Punisher's gun rack, showing how they rotate out on the mechanism.
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Four Grader handguns in the storage position before rotating outwards.
Version 2
The second version of the Punisher is closer in design to the one seen in the manga. It first appears in episode 18 and is used for the rest of the series, last appearing in the final episode. This iteration of the Punisher has more features than its predecessor, including a built-in machine gun and rocket launcher.
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Punisher V2
Grader Handguns
Wolfwood owns at least 6 handguns, which are stored in a rack in the first version of the Punisher.
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Design of Wolfwood's Grader handgun.
Non-Canon
Trigun: The 2nd Donut Happy Pack
Album Booklet Story
Wolfwood was a student at Trigun High School in Japan. He was a catcher on the baseball team, playing alongside Vash, who was a pitcher. The two of them became a powerful pitcher and catcher unit, carrying their team to the Koshien tournament. Unfortunately, Wolfwood suffered from an "incurable illness" that put him in the hospital and unable to play at the tournament.
Audio Dramas
Development
Design
Yasuhiro Nightow has stated that Wolfwood's appearance was based on musician Tortoise Matsumoto, who is a member of the musical group Ulfuls, which Wolfwood's name is a pun of.[1]
Voice
Jeff Nimoy, the English dub actor for Wolfwood, originally auditioned for the role of Vash. He was asked if he smoked cigarettes (which he did not) because there was a character on the show who smoked that his voice would be perfect for. Nimoy did not even know the name of the character he would be voicing until he went in to record.[2]
Gallery
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Wolfwood & Vash.
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Vash & Wolfwood.
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Wolfwood with Milly & Meryl.
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Notes
- Wolfwood speaks with a Kansai regional dialect in the original Japanese audio.
Appearances
Episodes
- MURDER MACHINE
- QUICK DRAW
- ESCAPE FROM PAIN
- FIFTH MOON (disambiguation)
- GOODBYE FOR NOW
- HANG FIRE
- FLYING SHIP
- OUT OF TIME
- ALTERNATIVE
- PARADISE
- LIVE THROUGH (Flashback only, reused footage)
- UNDER THE SKY SO BLUE (Flashback, reused footage; voice only)
Opening Credits
- MURDER MACHINE
- QUICK DRAW
- ESCAPE FROM PAIN
- GOODBYE FOR NOW
- HANG FIRE
- FLYING SHIP
- OUT OF TIME
- ALTERNATIVE
- PARADISE
Preview Only
*The preview clip featuring Wolfwood was recycled from episode 9. Despite being included in its preview, neither this clip nor Wolfwood himself appeared in episode 13.
Film - Trigun: Badlands Rumble
Trigun: The 2nd Donut Happy Pack
- Album booklet story
- Audio dramas