Meryl Stryfe

"It's up to us to end the cycle of hatred. If we don't work to end the sorrow this time, then the cycle of pain will just continue on."

- Meryl stryfe

Meryl Stryfe (メリル・ストライフ, Meriru Sutoraifu) and her coworker, Roberto de Niro, are reporters tracking Vash The Stampede for an interview.

Appearance
Meryl is a petite young woman. She's a short girl with dark and short hair, wears a white dress with black tight pants and a white cape over it, as well as long earrings. Her hair and the dark elements of her clothing have a blue tint. She has light gray eyes with a lilac tint. The age at the beginning of the manga is 21 years old. After a two-year hiatus, the day the Bernardelli Company received word of Vash's return, Meryl was celebrating her twenty-third birthday. Her appearance has changed a little - her hair has become longer, however, the shape of the haircut has been preserved. The style of clothing has not changed.

Personality
Meryl is a very independent, savvy, short-tempered, and yet compassionate woman. She is often frustrated by the lunacy she encounters as part of her job to track Vash the Stampede. Initially, Meryl refuses to believe such an openly childish and clumsy man could be the legendary Humanoid Typhoon. Despite this, she is fiercely dedicated to her job, which often places both her and her partner Milly in grave danger. She is also very strong-willed. After she realizes that he is neither the villain she initially thought him to be but also not the buffoon he pretends to be she starts respecting him and eventually falling in love with him but she has a hard time admitting this even to herself until the end of the series. She also shares his pacifistic views.

Biography


Although she doesn't often fight alongside Vash, she hides many derringer "throwaway" pistols under her white coat which she uses with extremely precise aim.

Manga
Meryl and her partner track Vash the Stampede to Inepril city, where the whole town is after the bounty on his head. After finally getting the attention of the town's people, she was able to announce the bounty on his head invalid as he is deemed a Human Disaster, comparing him to a natural typhoon or a hurricane.

Relationship with Vash in the anime


Initially, she finds Vash to be a nuisance and dismisses the idea that he is the legendary Humanoid Typhoon. As time passes, she realizes that Vash isn't the villain that he is made out to be nor the buffoon that he presents himself to be.

Gradually, as the anime series progresses and she sees Vash get out of a variety of situations while displaying both a high level of skill and compassion, she comes to respect Vash. While at first chasing Vash is just her job, Meryl shows that she values their friendship- although she has a hard time admitting it to anyone until the end of the series, least of all herself. Milly often encourages her to go after Vash, telling her that what she is doing is right, and advises her "not to hold back in matters of the heart."

Towards the later half the series, Meryl follows Vash out of her feelings for him more than her job. No matter how dangerous the situation, no matter how many times Vash tells them to stay away Meryl tries to follow Vash and Milly supports her- at least up until the point her life is seriously endangered, such as in Fifth Moon. Meryl also states once that she would not run away from Vash because of his scars and does not seem to be bothered by them.

Meryl constantly wonders why Vash gets into trouble when he does nothing wrong and worries about him as a result. One day, she is shocked to hear the truth and seems to understand this is something he has to solve alone.

Later in a turning point for the two in Live Through when the girls are taking care of him, Meryl expresses regret at following Vash, believing that he had to endure such emotional suffering (killing Legato to save their lives) because of them. For a time after Legato's death, Meryl takes care of a broken Vash by cooking, changing his bandages and sewing up his tattered red duster. One night while watching the stars together, Meryl tells him that he can stay there with them as long as he likes, and Vash agrees it may not be such a bad idea, which in turn makes Meryl happy.

The next day it is Meryl who protects Vash from angry villagers who find out that he is Vash the Stampede. He sees Rem in her words, and her physical appearance. He then realizes what he needs to do to Knives and hugs Meryl, off-putting her with his first display of affection toward her. While she enjoys it at first, eventually Meryl asks how long this is going to last, to which Vash responds by screaming "Oh, this is a great day!" He then proceeds to swing her around and rub faces with her while laughing, scaring and annoying her until - in true Meryl fashion - she finally punches and leaves him in the dust.



The next day as Vash leaves to fight Knives, Meryl is waiting for him outside. He thanks her sincerely for everything and she seems as if she is about to say something when Milly interrupts with Wolfwood's Punisher. After Vash leaves, Meryl begins crying, stating that she could not say anything to him. Milly responds that she can do so when he gets back.

Soon after, when the small town they are staying at hits water, Milly asks Meryl if she believes Vash is coming back, to which Meryl responds "He wouldn't keep a good woman like me waiting", indicating that she has accepted her feelings and is looking forward to his return.

Fate
In the credits of the last episode in the anime shows Vash coming back to them (her and Milly) after his battle with Millions Knives, while carrying an injured Knives.

At the end of the manga, Meryl and Milly host a TV show about the exploits of Vash.

Voice Actors

 * Japanese voice:
 * Hiromi Tsuru (1998 - 2010)
 * Sakura Andou (2023, Stampede)
 * English voice:
 * Dorothy Elias-Fahn (1998 TV Anime)
 * Luci Christian (Badlands Rumble)
 * Sarah Roach (2023, Stampede)

Trivia

 * In the anime Vash only calls Meryl by name once, at the beginning of Alternative. (English version only)
 * Meryl shows some physical similarity to Rem while she is making her speech in Live Through. There is an unsupported theory that Rem survived the crash and is the grandmother Meryl talks about who holds similar ideals to Rem.
 * Meryl's coat carries 50 Derringer style pistols.
 * Meryl and Milly work for the Bernardelli Insurance Society. Bernardelli is a reference to Italian gun maker Vincenzo Bernardelli, a contemporary of Beretta firearms.

Gallery
Мерил Страйф