{ { Infobox animanga/Print
| type = manga
| author = Kiyo Kyujyo
| publisher = Kadokawa Shoten
| publisher_en =
| demographic = Shōjo
| magazine = Asuka (2003-2016) Comic Newtype (2016-2018)'
| first = October 2003
| last = April 2018
| volumes = 21
| volume_list =
}}
is a series of Japanese light novels written by Sunao Yoshida with illustrations by Thores Shibamoto and originally serialized in The Sneaker. Set 900 years after an apocalyptic war between humans and vampires, the series focuses on the ongoing cold war between the Vatican, the human government, and the "New Human Empire", the government of the vampiric Methuselah. Fighting on the Vatican's side is Abel Nightroad, a Crusnik - a vampire that feeds on vampires. The novels blend science fiction, fantasy, and political intrigue, with some in the Vatican and the Empire striving for peace, and the Rosen Kreuz Order doing anything in its power to stop it.Trinity Blood has been adapted into both manga and anime series, with continuity differences between the three versions. After Yoshida's death in 2004, his friend Kentaro Yasui aided in completing the manga, with illustrations by Kiyo Kujō. The anime series, spanning 24 episodes, was produced by Gonzo and originally aired on Wowow network. Both adaptations have the same unresolved conclusion as the final novel.
Plot
When Earth's population drastically increased, humanity, led by the United Nations, attempted to colonize Mars. During the colonization, they discovered two alien technologies: the Bacillus virus and the Crusnik nanomachines. The colonists injected the Bacillus in their bodies which transformed them into a vampiric race known as "Methuselah". They installed the Crusnik in the bodies of four test tube babies: Seth, Cain, Abel and Lilith whose enhanced bodies were the only ones able to survive the procedure. Continuing wars on Earth eventually led to Armageddon, the apocalyptic event that happened 900 years before the start of the story, and the colonists returned to Earth to help with rebuilding. However, when the colonists returned to Earth, a war broke out between the Methuselah and the humans who had remained on Earth. Abel, Cain, and Seth sided with the Methuselah—while Lilith supported the Vatican, which guarded humanity. During the war, Cain went insane and killed Lilith. In grief, Abel took her body to the Vatican where she was buried. Abel remained at her side, weeping for her, for 900 years.
At the start of the story, the Methuselah, still a major political and military force, continue to wage war on the "Terrans", as they call the human inhabitants of Earth. The Roman Catholic Church is a major military power determined to protect humans from the Methuselah, with its seat of power based in the Vatican. The Methuselah have their capital in Byzantium, which is surrounded by a field of particles to filter out UV radiation, protecting the Methuselah population. Both groups use "lost technologies", such as airships, missiles, and computers, to engage in a cold war with one another. A third great power, Albion also plays a role in the war with its superior arsenal of lost technology and weapons and higher level of manufacturing ability versus the Vatican. The independent monarchy of Albion is a primarily human country, however the secret of their expertise in lost technology is found in the Ghetto, an underground city of enslaved Methuselah. It is these Methuselah who operate and manufacture the lost technology, but with the death of the Albion Queen, some of the enslaved vampires begin a rebellion for the freedom of all of the Ghetto residents.
Differences among adaptations
While the novels, manga, and anime series all cover the same basic story and feature many of the same characters, they do have some minor and major differences. Each has its own unique variation on the major story arcs, and in general the novels give the most detail concerning the political elements and background information on the stories. There are a few minor name changes and many details found in the novels are not given in the anime or manga.