Catherine's Tears

Catherine’s Tears is the 13th episode of Mobile Suit Gundam Wing. It premiered in Japan on 30 June 1995 and later aired in North America on 22 March 2000. The episode was written by Katsuyuki Sumisawa and directed by Takeshi Yoshimoto. Tallgeese gets out of its carrier and heads into the atmosphere.

Synopsis

Tallgeese gets out of its carrier and heads into the atmosphere. Zechs calls for his assistants to fire anti-aircraft missiles at the Tallgeese, which he easily dodges. He lands, unharmed. In the docking hangar, he talks to his engineer, and tells him to tune up the engine.

Elsewhere, a Cancer fires missiles upon an Alliance Base. An Aries attacks from the air. The Alliance members surrender, but the two Mobile Suits pilots execute them anyway, destroying the rest of the base. Later, the two mobile suit pilots, Alex and Mueller, head to Lake Victoria, where they hope to get supplies and more troops. They are upset when the get there because there is no soldiers to help them.

The only OZ soldier at the base is Zechs, who agrees to go with them as a subordinate. The next day he heads to their target, while they prepare on the river. Alex and Mueller plan on using Zechs as a decoy during the battle. Zechs is let off in the Tallgeese over the base. The Alliance Base’s main weapon, the Noventa cannon fires at him, but he dodges.

Zechs blast the front line Leos while Alex, Mueller and another pilot attack from the sea. Zechs orders the Alliance to surrender, and they do so, but Alex, Mueller and their assistant continue to attack. When Zechs tells them to stop, they refuse and continue to blast the area. Zechs distracts their assistant out of the attack, which causes him to be killed by the Alliance commander.

Angered at Zechs, Mueller attacks him, but Zechs easily slices his mobile suit in two. Alex knocks him underwater, but Zechs sneaks up behind him and tears his Cancer mobile suit to pieces. He returns to Lake Victoria with a report on their deaths, then heads in the hangar where the Wing Gundam is being rebuilt.

Meanwhile, Trowa watches OZ carriers prepare to head for space. That night, both the audience and the circus crew is shocked when Trowa’s Gundam is unveiled at the show. They are even more shocked when he starts firing at a flying carrier, which is destroyed. Trowa gets out of the collapsed tent and blasts all the OZ carriers and Mobile Suits.

Catherine realizes he wants to kill himself and runs to him. She punches him in the face and convinces him not to self-detonate after he saves her from a Leo. The next day, Trowa leaves with Heero in his truck. Catherine, talking to the Circus Manager, is confident that he will return someday.

Production notes

• Script by Katsuyuki Sumisawa.
• Unit direction by Takeshi Yoshimoto.
• Storyboard by Yumekichi Minatoya.
• Animation direction by Shinichi Sakuma and Hitoshi Waraya.

Broadcast and home media

• Premiered in Japan on 30 June 1995.
• Broadcast in North America on 22 March 2000.

References

1. “Catherine’s Tears,” Gundam Wiki, accessed 12 November 2025, https://gundam.fandom.com/wiki/Catherine%27s_Tears.