#legato is life

[kh4ven]

Haven’t posted anything in a while but here’s legato ig

[ohitslen]

They are doing the thing

[owwllly]

in front of my bible studies

[orcelito]

ok forreal. in trigun 98, vash singing Rem's song alone while looking at the stars & then Meryl joining in as she goes to sit with him... means So Much to me...

they are Everything...

[buccellato]

Fucks me up to think about how Legato's legacy in-universe after his death in Trimax (and presumably Tristamp) is probably gonna be how much he sucked and nothing else....

Like, nobody will like Knives but Vash will be long-lived enough to be able to eventually talk about his good qualities from when he was a child and his quasi-redemption in his last days. But who remembers Legato? Livio and Vash are the only living people with any extended memory of him and neither of them would have anything nice to say (and rightfully so). Neither of them probably knew he was a slave, either—as far as Vash can tell this dude showed up one day and hated his guts, for all he knows he's just another survivor from July! Outside of Knives, Elendira, Legato, and maybe Conrad, I don't think any other character knows his actual life story.

And to add on to that, there's no way of looking up that past either—he had no name or personhood before he was effectively rescued, so who could investigators or reporters or archivists track down for information? The human being that was Legato only existed for as long as he knew Knives, before that he was something to be kept and abused as an object. There's presumably no surviving family they can reliably contact, nobody to really say "yes I knew him, here's what his life was like, here's how we can prevent something like this from happening again".

His entire existence will be reduced down to "a human weapon that was freakishly loyal to public enemy #1" without any reflection on the mechanisms that made him the way he was because there's just no actual knowledge of his life.

[plushievash]

the reincarnation aus got me fucked up fr

[brimslop]

twitter didnt like this much but maybe yall will understand the vision (based on oomfie’s post bc im not that funny)

[duncanor]

WAIT PLEASE CONTINUE TALKING ABOUT THE LEGATO BDSM AESTHETIC FROM THOSE TAGS IM SO DEEPLY INTERESTED (I care legato so much)

First off, I’m truly sorry for how long I took to answer ya. I often forget I even got an Ask-box ahah!

As to my opinion on why “The Leather/BDSM-like aesthetic is important to Legato’s character”...

I know my original post was a bit vague but it’s truly less about how “cool” he looks, and more about the symbolism of it. Legato outfit is outwardly menacing. It's a silent threat. Similar to those birds who evolve to have brighter colors to warn off predators.

And sure the metal skull looks sick, but it isn't as bone chilling (ah-ah). When he's first introduced, everything just Stop so you can take it in the Danger reeking from him. He’s bound by leather straps, got giant metal spikes coming out of his shoulder like some sort of fucked up pauldron, as well as bits of a real human skull directly sewn into the hard leather of his coat.

(Adding to that my UNPROVEN suspicions that the skull belongs to Legato’s abuser..)

And that’s just his outfit. He’s surrounded by similar things. His weapon is truly the less subtle example of this.

A mix of different truly lethal weapons in the form of an Iron-maiden/sex-toy/stress-Toy. The face of the weapon bound in leather with only one of her eyes being visible. (similar to how Legato usually only got one eye visible because of his hair).

It’s blatant and disturbing. It’s depraved Flesh and deadly Metal.

Then, he gets his spine broken by Knives. And where does that put him?

In a metal sarcophagus pretty similar to (once again) an Iron-maiden. He stays there for the most of the story. Bound to it, stuck, mangled. Yet he’s still as terrifying as ever if not more. Sometimes portrayed similarly to a butterfly cocoon, waiting to hatch and release something more powerful..

And finally, his resident-evil goons.

They aren’t really interesting nor are they developed as anything more than Legato’s barely human servants. They got no dialog, no personality, no free will.. Nothing but an imposing mass of flesh in hard leather binding them, blinding them. They look like they come straight from an Hellraiser movie.

Even Legato’s powers themselves are a manifestation of his trauma. They’re metal wire used to fully control bodies against the will of their owner. Making them slaves and most often than not leaving them as a mass of mangled flesh.

Even Legato’s name itself meaning “bound” in Italian. (Thanks to @jackalandhare for this information btw)

In conclusion,

Legato's whole aesthetic reeks of his trauma. It's suffocating, eerie, menacing and binding in seemingly debilitating ways at times, as well as kinda sexual in undertones. It’s Legato abuse and pain on display. And I think all of these details, this aesthetic is a big insight on Legato Bluesummers as a person and what he went and is going through.

HOWEVER, that is not to say Stampede approach will be uninteresting! The symbolism is still strong with Orange. They tend to channel it through a more solid World Building.

We know they planned to add lore on colored hair in link with sexual slavery. And the design of the metal skull as well as his arm, probably implies some sort of body modification more similar to the other Eye of Michael experiments.

I just think it’s a bit unlucky that the change in aesthetic made us lose this much symbolism wise..

[pancake-breakfast]

Digging through Trigun Book Club stuff for the Trigun Reference Library and all I can think of is how TriMax Legato is the most Poor Little Meow Meow ever.

'98 Legato was effing terrifying. Totally stole the show from Worst Knives. But he gave me unrealistic expectations for TriMax Legato. TriMax Legato spends so much time being this pathetic little bagworm (who occasionally still bursts in on the scene with a steel chair somehow?) that he's difficult to take seriously, much less get worked up about. At least in the way '98 Legato works you up.

And then you add on his absolutely tragic (and yet completely understandable) attachment to Knives, which is made even more toxic by the fact that, like, ANYONE could have taken in TriMax Legato and he would have likely become a healthier individual than he was able to become under Knives. Hells, I think there's an argument to be made for him standing a better chance under Eye of Michael, and that's saying something, because those guys are fucked up.

Anyway, TriMax Legato is a 10/10 pathetic wet cat is all I'm trying to say here.

[whom-to-kill-whom-to-let-live]

If they can't be happy in canon they can be together in my imagination at least ( ￣ω￣ ')

[hiveswap]

I just know that in a modern au Knives would be a shut in gamer. With some edgy handle. It's a vivid image in my brain.

[meri-meri-mwah]

Me discovering Vash's pacifist mindset for the first time: Aww, it's okay Vash! There's nothing wrong with not wanting to use violence!

Me several episodes later in Trigun Stampede: GOD DAMNIT, VASH, IT'S OKAY TO DEFEND YOURSELF. YOU'RE NOT AUTOMATICALLY A SERIAL KILLER FOR DEFENDING YOURSELF AGAINST SOMEONE WHO'S ALREADY FAR TOO GONE !!

[eshtaresht]

Oh oh oooh.... spoilers for ep 7

sooo, my predictions basically came true: livio is out of the picture but still alive, vash communicated with the plant and now something's wrong with him

we saw a glimpse of raslo!!!!! so glad that LR are relevant to the story, they deserve more screen time and they're gonna get it

wolfwood was so unhinged, like yay girl go fuck shit up. yeah I'm sure you can move the canon with your bare hands, sweety

the sand steamer episodes were already adapted in the og anime, so it made sense to use it as a backdrop for a different story. bad lad gang members were basically comic relief, and I'm okay with that

meryl is so GREAT in stampede!! I love to see her development and how she is an active participant in the story and gets to have emotional moments. as much as I love the capable "iron lady" meryl, she was often sidelined in the og series

roberto's big "I'M GONNA GET KILLED OFF" forehead sticker is getting bigger with every episode

I despise legato but also love him, what a drama queen... just can't get enough of this twink's attitude

y'all are saying that zazie pulling that worm from their mouth was sooo gross. really? REALLY???don't you remember WHERE that one worm came from in the manga????? be grateful

and vash......... oh boy. love how he trusted meryl with the whole ship, even tho an episode ago he acted pretty cold. also worked with wolfwood as a team, so cool to see them bonding, especially that interaction after the canon fired

and, of course, the plant stuff!!! a bit disappointed that we're not gonna see any feathers or wings in stampede (at least it seems that way)....... apparently they decided to stir away from christian imagery and embrace a sci-fi look. the designs are cool tho and really drive home that it's some nonhuman bullshit

I sorta expected the final scene, but it was so, so good! the terror in meryl's eyes... and vash finally showed his "oh he's fucked up actually" face. and fucking COLLAPSED. what an icon

I'm curious on what happened with him and the plant. they definitely contributed to stopping the ship, but was there some power exchange and if so, in which direction? ep 8's gonna be mainly expositional, and should clear this up (as seen in the preview, lil' vash does a similar thing with a plant. partially merging??? giving away his energy and that's why his eyebrows are black???)

I already made my predictions for the next two episodes, so that's all for now. man, what a ride

[jetsetlifemademeghost]

I finished reading Trimax. Now I feel beyond repair.

[lemongogo]

the whole dynamic btwn livio and vash post ww death makes me want 2 lose it

[dravencore]

Legato using his abilities to keep himself alive way past his body's limit