"Trigun" manga author Yasuhiro Nightow has stated that Vash's name was his own creation rather than references to bands he gave to other members from the cast. He developed Vash as having a serious personality with a childish side, and found him to be the most relatable of all his creations. To contrast Vash from the typical heroes in action films, Nightow portrayed him as a pacifist since he did not want his lead character to be a murderer. Throughout the story, Vash avoids killing enemies by disarming them and avoids inflicting mortal wounds during combat. His cheerful personality was used to highlight this trait with his catchphrase being: "Hey, sorry. Love and peace?" To emphasize that Vash is an experienced gunman, Nightow depicted him as having a strong eyesight that gives him a more precise aim. While making the series, he was surprised by Vash's popularity with Western readers. Comparing Vash's manga characterization with his anime persona, Nightow said his version does not have as many crushes on the women he meets.