Nicholas D. Wolfwood

Canon Information
Not much is known about Wolfwood's childhood before becoming an orphan but it's strongly implied that at one point, he had a family. It’s possible that they died or were no longer able to take care of him but based on his conversations with other people, it's safe to say he probably lived a pretty rough life at this point. Regardless of how, he ended up being placed in an orphanage (most likely for children with troubled pasts, based on Livio's experiences and something Wolfwood says about the other orphanage kids having it rough) on the outskirts of December and spent most of his youth there.

However, it wasn't until a young boy named Livio arrived at the orphanage that he had his first real friend. After a minor argument regarding Livio's sulking and inability to move on since being abandoned, the two become pals. Wolfwood helps Livio find his place and their friendship flourishes as the two help look after the other children.

That all changes the night when a young Wolfwood witnesses Livio murdering a puppy belonging to one of the girls at the orphanage. The next morning, he confronts his friend about what he's done but Livio denies having anything to do with it despite the blood on his hands. Wolfwood believes him eventually but Livio doubts his memory and thus leaves the orphanage without saying goodbye. Wolfwood leaves the orphanage shortly after Livio's departure with a man dressed as a priest, planning to help build orphanages and churches around Gunsmoke. Presumably, it's to send money back to his family.

It’s quickly revealed that the man he left with has no interest in helping out people around Gunsmoke, taking Nicholas to the headquarters of an occult group of assassins called the Eye of Michael—a fanatical occult of assassins that worship and follow Knives’ orders. He spends the next few years being brutally trained by a man called Master Chapel to be his future successor and eventually physically enhanced to superhuman levels through experimentation, aging his body. Deciding that he’s had enough at this point and that he doesn’t want other kids being used the same way he was, he tries to kill Chapel and leaves to find Knives with the intention of killing him to end the cycle.

After a lot of traveling and his bike breaking down in the middle of the desert, he almost dies from heat exhaustion only to be rescued by chance as Vash and the insurance girls drive by on a passing bus. They travel together until they reach Jeneora Rock then part on their separate ways. Wolfwood meets up with the Gung Ho Guns for the first time under the name of his former mentor after Legato mistakes him for Chapel.

Shortly afterwards, things reach explosive levels between Vash and Knives, causing Vash to lose control of his powers and release his Angel Arm which blows a hole in the Fifth Moon. Wolfwood managed to escape the blast radius unharmed, but it’s later revealed that he returns shortly after Vash has disappeared to attempt to kill Knives. Paralyzed by fear, he can’t bring himself to kill him. Knives wakes up, tells Wolfwood to go find Vash and bring him back.

Two years later, Wolfwood tracks the sixty billion double dollar man down to a rundown town, dragging him with him under the guise that they’re going to find and stop Knives. The two travel together amicably for the most part until they reach Karkassas, where the pair encounter their first Gung Ho Gun together; Rai Dei the Blade. Vash decides he wants to take care of Rai Dei on his own, in hopes of beating him and making him see the error of his killing ways. Vash wins, starts to walk away from Rai Dei (who is furious that he’s been beaten) with his back turned and as Rai Dei starts to attack Vash, Wolfwood quickly shoots him, and he dies.

A small fight follows between the two over killing and who was right in the end with the argument reaching no real answer. Tension high, they continue their journey to the place Vash considers home, a damaged SEED ship. When they arrive, it’s only to find that two of the Gung Ho Guns are waiting for them; Leonoff the Puppet Master and Gray the Ninelives. After another vicious fight, Vash and Nicholas come out victorious, but hardly unscathed. The pair spend some time recovering before moving on and eventually encounter the next three guns; Midvalley, Zazie and Hoppered.

Things explode, Legato shows up, people die, Vash goes nuts, almost blows up another city and Wolfwood finally gets a look at the damage he’s capable of up close and personal. When it’s all said and done, he spends half of the next volume distancing himself from Vash out of fear. He even starts to honestly consider killing him to eliminate the risk of him going off again. Wolfwood manages to convince himself it’s the right thing to do and as he stands behind Vash, gun pointed to his head, he finds he can’t do it. Shortly after, the two separate from the Insurance Girls and make their way to Knives' hideout.

After Vash moves on to deal with Knives, leaving Wolfwood behind, he encounters a very alive Master Chapel and, much to his surprise, a much older Livio. The three are about to fight when Elendira the Crimson Nail puts a stop to it while Chapel and Livio retreat, for the moment.

Over the next seven months, Vash has been subdued by Legato and remains held against his will inside the Ark, while Wolfwood, Chapel, and Livio have all been carrying out orders to eliminate anyone who tries to stand in Knives' way. Wolfwood, realizing that the entire planet is going to Hell and that there's nothing that can be done about it while Vash is being held captive, attempts to break Vash out and escape. However, he's confronted by both Livio and Chapel. Wolfwood pleads with Livio to see reason—Knives isn't going to spare the orphanage (and the only place that the two called home) while wiping out the rest of the planet—but he fails to listen. A fight follows with Wolfwood getting badly beaten and eventually passing out when Vash wakes up and saves the both of them, thus managing to escape.

They are eventually picked up by one of the colony ships, but shortly after Wolfwood leaves once again to go home and settle his business with Livio and Chapel. When he arrives, the two have already taken the orphanage residents as hostage. The fight that follows is long, gruesome, and violent, eventually ending with Chapel's death at his own hands but at a high price. Wolfwood is unable to defeat Razlo (Livio’s second personality) alone so he chooses to overdose on several vials of regenerative drug that amplify his abilities but will kill him by destroying essentially liquefying his organs shortly after.

After the fight ends, Livio reforms, and the orphanage kids escape upon learning Knives is quickly approaching. Wolfwood, Livio and Vash stay behind after Wolfwood tells the orphanage matron to keep it a secret that he even came back and after having a few drinks with Vash on a couch in front of the orphanage, he dies.

Vash buries him there with his Cross Punisher, and that's the last time you see Wolfwood alive. He appears several times throughout the rest of the series as a ghost, haunting both Vash and Livio but disappears after Livio manages to stop Chronica from killing Vash and Knives in the last volume.

Abilities/Powers:

His abilities are vaguely described in the manga as “healing capabilities, strengthened bones, increased muscle strength, sharpened sensory nerves.” Basically, he can heal from minor to major life threatening wounds with a shorter recovery time than the average human but he isn’t Wolverine. If he gets shot in the head or heart, he’s dead. If he loses a limb, it isn’t going to grow back. He’s also stronger, faster and has damn better reflexes than someone in peak physical condition but he’s not invincible. These powers can be amplified by use of vials filled with a drug but since he’s coming from post canon he won’t have access to these in any way.

All that aside, he’s also extremely skilled in the use of firearms. All those years as an assassin in training have taught him more than he needs to know about how to shoot a gun. Wolfwood also tends to be very perceptive of people and their emotions, even if he isn't sympathetic to them in the slightest.

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Vertiline
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