Nicholas D. Wolfwood

Nicholas D. Wolfwood
Trigun character
Wolfwood with his Punisher
First appearance	"Murder Machine", episode 9 of Trigun
Created by	Yasuhiro Nightow
Voiced by	Shō Hayami (Japanese) Jeff Nimoy (English TV series) Brad Hawkins (Badlands Rumble English version)

"Murder Machine",

Nicholas D. Wolfwood (Japanese: ニコラス・D・ウルフウッド, Hepburn: Nikorasu Dī Urufūddo^?), also known as Nicholas the Punisher, is a major character in both the Trigun anime, and the Trigun manga created by Yasuhiro Nightow. He is a priest who wields a large cross-shaped gun named the Punisher, which he and his former colleagues use either in saving people or for complete destruction.

Wolfwood ranked number 10 in the 1998 Annual Anime Grand Prix for Male Character.

Though Vash the Stampede, the protagonist of Trigun, was Nightow's original creation, Wolfwood on the other hand came from an outside inspiration. There's a band named "Wolfwood," and he took the lead singer as his image for the priest. He's also modeled on Tortoise Matsumoto from the band Ulfuls. Nightow really liked the shape of his sharp, curved down nose. Nightow jokes that as some of us might have noticed, he spent a lot of time sculpting Wolfwood's nose. Nightow noted that the project he's really proud of is actually Wolfwood's life and death, and the storyline around it. His outfit was made simple and Nightow prevented himself from adding a lot of stuff, commenting that if he did, he'll be hard to draw.

Worlfwood's middle name is never stated, but Nightow has given varying answers in interviews when asked the question by fans, such as "Dangerous" and "Dokonokuminomonjawaresumakinishiteshizumetarokakora", Yakuza slang which translates to "What the hell family do you think you're from!? I'm gonna tie you up in a reed mat and dunk ya!" After Wolfwood showed potential in the orphanage in which he is raised, Chapel (also known as Master C) took him into the Eye of Michael, an organization of assassins founded by a plant worshipper, and trained and modified Wolfwood to be a killer. The modifications gave him enhanced abilities and the ability to regenerate from heavy injuries using special vials, but as a result caused him to age at an accelerated rate, giving him the appearance of being middle-aged though he is only in his late teens by the start of the series. His potential was recognized as exceptional, and so he was given the tenth incarnation of the organization's most powerful, a special large cross-shaped gun called the Punisher, which becomes his official title within the Eye of Michael. Wolfwood later betrayed and shot Chapel, impersonating Chapel to gain entry into the Gung-Ho-Guns in an attempt to kill Millions Knives. He failed, and was instead sent by Knives to guide and protect Vash on the latter's travels to Knives's base, thus killing fellow Guns Rai-Dei the Blade and Gray the Ninelives. After Vash is taken prisoner in the Ark, Wolfwood rescues him and later departs to December to protect the orphanage from the retaliation. He battles his childhood friend, Livio, and his crippled master in a two volume face off. He manages to mortally wound Chapel and defeat Livio The Double Fang and Razlo the Tri-Punisher of Death, but having overdosed on the regenerative vials, he soon dies while having a last drink with Vash.