While patiently waiting for Dune: Part 3 to arrive, if you are looking for more stories based in the deserts, the cult anime Trigun will make a fitting recommendation. It isn’t the most typical interpretation where one would think of Dune first, yet it has similar core themes such as desolate settings filled with dystopia and heavy legacies.
As the title suggests, Trigun follows Vash the Stampede on his journey across the desert planet to find his fateful destiny and his family’s tragic past. He also happens to parallel Paul Atreides in a way, as he also possesses a great burden in the form of some prophecy. There is also a unique combination of swords with science as well as the perfect incorporation of western influence into the anime.
The series also delves into troublesome concepts such as using religion to gain power and how civilizations used to live on other planets while having a mix of technology that was centuries ahead as well as centuries behind them. These hard sci-fi elements in the story make Trigun a decent alternative for those who are looking for a character-centric story set in the dunes, much like Dune.
All the 26 episodes of the original Trigun series can be found on Netflix. Moreover, if viewers are interested in the franchise more, Trigun Stampede, which was recently released, sticks more closely to Nightow’s manga.