Rem Saverem

Lore & Background

Rem was assigned to care for Vash and Knives after they were born from the Plants aboard a colony ship, and she raised them from birth. She instilled in Vash the belief that every being deserves life, a philosophy he adopted to an extreme degree, attempting to save everyone regardless of the cost. This upbringing stands in direct contrast to Knives' worldview, which formed after he became disgusted by human actions. In canon, Knives caused the crash of their ship by destroying its central computer, not the entire SEEDS fleet. Rem was not stabbed by Knives; she died sacrificing herself to save Vash and Knives during the crash. This tragic event serves as the origin point for Vash's guilt and his lifelong struggle with his reputation as 'The Humanoid Typhoon'. Her teachings are what Knives seeks to dissuade Vash from, labeling them 'idealistic nonsense', yet they remain the core of Vash's identity throughout the series.

In Their Own Story

During the journey on the colony ship, Rem acted as a maternal figure to the sentient Plants. However, the dynamic shifted when Knives discovered experiments performed on other plants and became disgusted by human behavior. In response, Knives disrupted the course of the ships, causing them to crash onto the planet that would become known for its sparse civilization. This crash resulted in the death of Rem Saverem. Her death is a haunting memory for Vash; it is directly linked to his inability to forgive himself and his determination to stop Knives from harming others. The source notes that during one confrontation, Vash was forced to destroy the city of July, an incident that started his reputation and haunts him greatly, echoing the loss he suffered when Rem died.

Reader's Guide

To understand the characters in Trigun, one must look to Rem Saverem as the foundational influence. She is not a combatant but a moral compass whose absence drives the narrative. Her role is strictly that of the caregiver on the colony ship who taught Vash to value life. Her death at the hands of Knives' actions (causing the crash) is the catalyst for the entire conflict. Fans should note that while Knives cares about other Plants and mourns their deaths, he views humans as evil and self-destructive, a direct reaction to the loss of Rem and his disillusionment with humanity. Vash's journey is essentially an attempt to honor her memory by saving everyone he can, even those who would harm him.

Did You Know?

• Rem was assigned to care for Vash and Knives after they were born from the Plants, and she raised them from birth on the colony ship.
• She instilled in Vash the philosophy that every being deserves life, which he takes to the extreme.
• In canon, Knives caused the crash of only their ship by destroying its central computer, not the entire SEEDS fleet.
• Rem was not stabbed by Knives; she died sacrificing herself to save Vash and Knives during the crash.
• Knives refers to Rem's teachings as 'idealistic nonsense' while trying to dissuade Vash from following them.