Exclusive: Though 2026 has been a banner year for anime heroines, Crunchyroll's best came out of left field to destroy the competition with a smile.
Going strictly by Crunchyroll, 2026 has been a strong year for women in anime. Between the leading ladies of fantasy like Frieren or Witch Hat Aterlier's Coco, and supporting heroines such as Jujutsu Kaisen's Maki or Sentenced to Be a Hero's Teoritta, there's little doubt that fans of well-written female anime characters have had a great year so far.
Far from a recent turn, though, there have always been anime with great female casts. While some fans might associate strong female characters with adaptations of shojo classics like Sailor Moon or Fruits Basket, the truth is that women and girls have long been essential to more traditional action anime as well. The perfect example of this is Trigun.
Though Vash the Stampede might be the series' most enduring icon, point of view characters Meryl Stryfe and Milly Thompson are great characters who help introduce fans to Trigun's world while being interesting in their own right. Given thisand the tremendous hype surrounding her role, it's little wonder that 2026's best heroine is Trigun Stargaze's Milly.
While some might be skeptical that a supporting character could earn such acclaim,her English voice actress has a perfect explanation for what makes the underrated heroine so great. Trigun's Milly Is The Voice Of Optimism And Positivity Fans Need In an interview with ScreenRant to celebrate the release of Trigun Stargaze's final episode, Milly's new English voice actress, Alexis Tipton, shared that she found the character aspirational. Tipton specifically cited Milly's sense of optimism and positivity as admirable traits.
I just feel really inspired by Milly. I feel like I want to be more like her, as opposed to fully relating to her. Her sort of unflappable positivity, optimism, and strength are all qualities that I would love to have more of in my life.
I just sort of see her as this shining beacon of"It doesn't matter how many awful things are happening in the world, or how dark things get, there is always a place for hope and optimism", and sometimes it can be easy to forget that, depending on what's going on. I just, I would like to be more like Milly, I think.
Now that Trigun has officially closed the book on Stargaze, Tipton's words of high praise for Milly ring truer than ever. Milly is the beating heart of Trigun Stargaze and frequently serves as a light-hearted middle ground between Meryl's snark, Vash's goofy antics, and Wolfwood's grim outlook on life.
In addition to Tipton's impressive performance as Milly and the character's stellar writing in Stargaze, the other element that makes Milly such a gem is the sense of anticipation that came with seeing her return to the Trigun franchise. Milly's Absence Became A Major Question For Trigun Stampede When Trigun Stampede first premiered in 2023, there were two big topics of discussion: the new animation style and why Milly was missing from the cast.
Luckily, Studio Orange's work on the first episode quickly reassured fans that Trigun's new style was a perfect fit. The question of Milly's absence from Trigun Stampede, though, would take a bit longer to explain. By the end of Stampede, it became clear that the series took place earlier in the franchise's timeline than the original manga or the 1998 anime adaptation. Instead of Milly, Meryl was partnered with an older journalist named Roberto De Niro.
While the lack of Milly was definitely a bummer for many, Roberto proved to be a great mentor figure for Meryl, properly setting up her character for Stargaze. Related 10 Must-Watch New-Gen Anime Every Fan Should Binge in 2026 The 2026 anime year looks very promising for new titles.
However, these shows are must-sees before the year ends. Posts By Emedo Ashibeze It seems likely that Milly was kept out of Stampede as her ditzy nature might not stand out as much next to a Meryl who was a little less cynical. Still, whatever the intentions of the series were, it was great to see Trigun Stampede's last episode confirm Milly's return, leading to her grand debut in Stargaze.
As Tipton points out, Milly's sense of hope and optimism make her such an aspirational character, and her role throughout Trigun Stargaze has truly guaranteed her place among the pantheon of all-time great Crunchyroll anime heroines. Trigun Stampede - Season 2 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like TV-14 Sci-Fi & Fantasy Action Adventure Anime Release Date January 10, 2026 Network TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TV Aichi, TVh, TVQ, TSC Series Trigun Stampede Episodes 12 Powered by Expand Collapse
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