Dermail Catalonia (Duke Dermail) – Gundam Wing

Dermail Catalonia (デルマイユ, Derumaiyu), also known as Duke Dermail, was the head of the Romefeller Foundation and one of the main antagonists of Mobile Suit Gundam Wing. The father of Chilias and Humbelt Catalonia and grandfather of Dorothy Catalonia and Vingt Khushrenada, Dermail represented the corrupt aristocratic power structure that sought to control the Earth Sphere through the foundation’s vast political and military influence.

Overview

As acting president and duke of the Romefeller Foundation, Dermail embodied the aristocratic forces that manipulated OZ and sought to establish a new world order based on noble privilege and mobile doll technology. His conflict with Treize Khushrenada over the foundation’s direction represented a fundamental clash between human-centred warfare and automated combat systems.

Appearance

Dermail was an elderly man with grey hair, typically dressed in the formal attire befitting his status as a European duke. His aristocratic bearing and refined manner reflected his privileged background and his belief in the superiority of the noble class.

Personality & character

Dermail was an aristocrat at heart who believed that the Romefeller Foundation, composed of aristocrats like himself, would lead to peace in the Earth Sphere—as long as he himself remained in control. He was the strongest embodiment of the corrupt nature of the foundation, taking a hard line that seemed partly motivated by the death of his son Chilias.

Dermail’s worldview was fundamentally elitist. He believed that power should rest in the hands of the nobility and that the common people required aristocratic guidance. This belief system made him blind to the legitimate grievances of the colonies and dismissive of alternative visions for the future.

Biography

Romefeller Foundation leader

Dermail served as acting president and duke of the Romefeller Foundation, the shadowy aristocratic organization that manipulated OZ and the United Earth Sphere Alliance from behind the scenes. Initially, he was presented as the string-puller behind Treize Khushrenada and OZ, using them as instruments of the foundation’s will.

However, as the foundation began to prosper and expand, Dermail started to lose control of Treize. The breaking point came over Treize’s strong objection to the foundation’s investment in mobile doll technology. Treize believed in the nobility of human combat and viewed automated warfare as an abomination, whilst Dermail saw mobile dolls as the key to absolute military superiority.

Conflict with Treize

The ideological divide between Dermail and Treize grew insurmountable. Duke Dermail eventually demanded Treize’s resignation and forced him into exile, removing the one figure within OZ who possessed both the vision and the charisma to challenge the foundation’s authority.

With Treize removed, Dermail focused on dealing with two threats: the rebellious Treize faction within OZ and the peace-oriented Sanc Kingdom. He orchestrated Operation Nova, a battle plan to send newly manufactured mobile doll armies from the foundation’s lunar base to Earth to crush these rebellious forces.

Rise and fall

After conquering the Sanc Kingdom, Duke Dermail gave its leader, Relena Peacecraft, an ultimatum. He forced her to become the chief representative of the Romefeller Foundation in an attempt to replace Treize and unify the disjointed world forces under the foundation’s control, including OZ. Relena accepted and became the first Queen of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation.

Dermail’s plan eventually backfired. The induction and counsel of Relena caused the other executives of the foundation to begin questioning Dermail’s leadership and intentions. His autocratic methods and single-minded pursuit of power had alienated even his fellow aristocrats.

After ordering the construction of the Libra battle station and being somewhat manipulated by his granddaughter Dorothy, Dermail departed for space to personally oversee the foundation’s operations and prove himself to his Earth colleagues. However, on his way to Bulge, his shuttle was intercepted by mobile dolls belonging to the newly emerged rebel group, White Fang.

Although his group tried to escape and defend themselves with their own mobile dolls, they were quickly overrun. Dermail was killed when his shuttle was destroyed. Ironically, his granddaughter Dorothy referred to his death as that of “a brave soldier in battle,” when in fact Dermail turned and cowered from the blasts that ended his life.

In the Glory of the Losers manga, Dermail was detained on his way to the moon base but escaped when he saw an opening. He activated the mobile dolls and resisted, but the XXXG-01S2 Altron Gundam destroyed all of the mobile dolls (including the mobile suit that White Fang was riding in). Dermail himself was caught in the explosion of the base and died.

Relationships

Treize Khushrenada

Dermail’s relationship with Treize began as patron and protégé but deteriorated into antagonism as their visions diverged. Dermail viewed Treize as a useful military commander who could advance the foundation’s interests, but Treize’s independence and philosophical objections to mobile doll technology made him a liability. The forced exile of Treize represented Dermail’s victory in their power struggle, though it ultimately contributed to the foundation’s downfall by removing its most capable military leader.

Dorothy Catalonia

Dermail’s granddaughter Dorothy shared his aristocratic worldview but possessed a more nuanced understanding of human nature. Her manipulation of Dermail—encouraging him to go to space personally—suggested she recognized his weaknesses even as she supported his goals. Her romanticized description of his death contrasted sharply with the reality, perhaps reflecting her need to preserve the image of aristocratic dignity even in defeat.

Tubarov Bilmon

Dermail placed great trust in Tubarov Bilmon, the OZ chief engineer and mobile doll developer. Their shared belief in automated warfare technology aligned their interests, and Dermail relied on Tubarov to deliver the military superiority the foundation needed. However, this alliance proved disastrous—Tubarov’s brutal methods and eventual capture by White Fang accelerated the foundation’s collapse.

Behind the scenes

Dermail Catalonia served as the primary political antagonist of Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, representing the corrupt aristocratic order that the series critiqued. His character embodied themes of class privilege, the dangers of concentrated power, and the disconnect between elites and the people they claimed to lead.

His ironic death—killed by the very mobile doll technology he championed—underscored the series’ message about the dangers of dehumanized warfare and the hubris of those who believe technology can substitute for human judgment.

Appearances

Dermail Catalonia appeared in:

Mobile Suit Gundam Wing (TV series, episodes 14-40)
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing Endless Waltz: Glory of the Losers (manga)

External links

Dermail Catalonia on the Gundam Wiki

Dermail Catalonia