TRIGUN STARGAZE has Vash head back Home to a puppet show with Jessica in Ep. 3 “Memento Mori”. Alas, this is not the fun kind of puppet show. This is the kind of puppet show that involves quite a bit of gun fu and martial arts, and all on the part of a very unwilling audience to boot.

TRIGUN STARGAZE Ep. 3 “Memento Mori”: Details in Brief

TRIGUN STARGAZE NA key visual
And this is where the main cast finally all meet up.

TRIGUN STARGAZE Ep. 3 “Memento Mori” is the third episode (you can read my reviews of Ep. 1 and Ep. 2 here) of the second and final season of this reboot anime, with TRIGUN STAMPEDE serving as the first season. Said reboot anime is the reboot of the 1998 Trigun anime series, which itself was the anime adaptation of the manga of the same name by Yasuhiro Nightow.

Studio Orange (BEASTARS, Land of the Lustrous) returns as the animation studio behind this anime. Interestingly though, Kenji Mutō is not returning as the director, and none of the writers from TRIGUN STAMPEDE are returning either. Instead, Masako Satō will be the director, with Kazuyuki Fudeyasu as the writer. Tatsuya Kato returns as the composer though.

The opening theme song for TRIGUN STARGAZE is “Picaresque Hero” by ano. Meanwhile, “Stardust” by FOMARE is the ending theme song.

Synopsis

Vash is definitely not smiling for this episode. At least, not until the very end.

Alas, TRIGUN STARGAZE is an ongoing anime series. In fact, Ep. 3 “Memento Mori” only just made its debut on January 24, 2026 exclusively on Crunchyroll. Thus, for those of you wishing to avoid spoilers, here’s the official synopsis of this episode from Crunchyroll below:

“The immediate threat is suppressed, but now there is no doubt that the threat from Knives is still real.”

TRIGUN STARGAZE Ep. 3 “Memento Mori”: The Good

TRIGUN STARGAZE Ep. 3 "Memento Mori" still 1.
The gang is finally back together.

It’s the action that takes place in TRIGUN STARGAZE Ep. 3 “Memento Mori” that’s the star of it, and it all has to do with the puppet show going on, all centered around the villain of the episode: Leon of the Puppet-Master (voiced by Chō (JP)). As you might guess from his appearance, he’s an odd duck. He’s a top hat-wearing, acrobatic individual with a strangely childish demeanor in spite of his obviously advanced age.

It creates a bizarre contrast between him and the horror story he creates for our heroes Vash (voiced by Yoshitsugu Matsuoka (JP)) and Jessica (voiced by Eri Suzuki (JP)). And yes, a good portion of this episode is a horror story. The cinematography focusing on the darkness and the empty sci-fi environment of Home gives an atmosphere not unlike that of an Alien film, with Leonof’s puppets adding that touch of uncanny valley with both their appearances and their disturbingly life-like movements. The fact that those puppets have the ability to almost perfectly mimic the appearances of other people only adds to their horror.

And to top it all off: all that horror leads to one of the most stylish action sequences in anime history. With Vash pulling off some very stylish gun fu, and with a perfectly normal 6-shot revolver to boot. Even without his super special sci-fi revolver, he still pulls off some good-looking reloads and blocks followed by perfect shots through each puppet’s head. We even get some teamwork play when Jessica takes control of Home’s gravity system, allowing for a gravity-defying battle reminiscent of Gravity Rush.

To close the episode, we then get some calming comedy as Vash reunites with Nicholas (voiced by Yoshimasa Hosoya (JP)), Meryl (voiced by Sakura Ando (JP)), and Milly (voiced by Chika Ayamori (JP)). Complete with slice of life and a moment of connection between Vash and Leonof. How that will turn out will have to wait for the next episode of TRIGUN STARGAZE.

TRIGUN STARGAZE Ep. 3 “Memento Mori”: The Bad

TRIGUN STARGAZE Ep. 3 "Memento Mori" screenshot 1.
Whoever posed those puppets sure knows how to make a good horror scene.

Honestly, if you don’t like the look of CGI anime in the slightest, then no matter how smooth and fluid the movements are in Ep. 3 “Memento Mori”, you probably won’t like this episode. Or really, TRIGUN STARGAZE as a whole. Yes, Studio Orange does some of the best CGI anime in anime history, but there’s just so many poorly animated CGI anime out there that they might’ve poisoned the well. If this particular CGI anime changes your mind, then good for you. If not, then that’s fair enough.

Anime Recommendations

If you want action in the traditional hand-drawn anime style, then you might want to watch Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Kaiju No. 8, DDDD, DAN DA DAN, Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online II, Zenshu, Blue Box, Solo Leveling, Black Butler, Nyaight of the Living Cat, and/or May I Ask for One Final Thing?. On the other hand, if you want to cool down with more low-key anime, whether dramatic or comedic, then you might want to check out Spy x Family, Senpai is an Otokonoko, Apocalypse Hotel, Spice and Wolf: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf, The Ancient Magus’ Bride, My Dress-Up Darling, This Monster Wants to Eat Me, Hana-Kimi, and/or Journal with Witch.

What did you think of this week’s episode of TRIGUN STARGAZE? Tell us your wind-swept and dusty anime thoughts in the comment section below.

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