Odin Lowe

Odin Lowe was an OZ assassin who killed the pacifist colonial leader Heero Yuy on 7 April AC 175, setting off the chain of events that would lead to the Gundam pilots’ rebellion twenty years later. After defecting from OZ, he became a colonial rebel operative and the biological father and mentor of Heero Yuy, training the young pilot in combat and survival skills before his death in AC 188.

His name derives from the Russian word odin, meaning “one”, continuing the After Colony series’ tradition of naming characters after numerals.

History

Background

Odin Lowe was a highly skilled assassin employed by OZ during the early years of the After Colony era. He maintained a relationship with Aoi Clark, with whom he had a son who would later take the name Heero Yuy.

In AC 175, Lowe was commissioned by Cinquante Khushrenada to carry out a series of high-profile assassinations that would reshape the political landscape of the Earth Sphere. His targets included the colonial pacifist leader Heero Yuy (politician), Ein Yuy (Heero’s nephew and father of Treize Khushrenada), as well as Treize’s half-brother Vingt and mother Angelica Khushrenada. Lowe successfully killed the original Heero Yuy by shooting him in the heart on 7 April AC 175, an event that would become a pivotal moment in colonial history.

Following the assassination, Lowe broke off his relationship with the pregnant Aoi Clark and defected from OZ, beginning to work for the colonial rebel cause. This defection suggests that the assassination may have troubled his conscience, as later comments to his son and Aoi implied he regretted killing the colonial leader.

Training Heero

Years later, Lowe took his son back under his wing, teaching the young boy how to use firearms and survive on his own. The boy served as Lowe’s assistant during various operations. As a former assassin, Lowe likely expected that his past would eventually catch up with him, and he prepared his son for a life without him.

Lowe’s training was harsh but effective, instilling in his son the skills that would later make Heero Yuy one of the most formidable Gundam pilots. He taught the boy marksmanship, tactical thinking, physical conditioning, and the mental fortitude required for dangerous missions.

Death at X-18999

In AC 188, Lowe and his son travelled to Colony X-18999 to assassinate United Earth Sphere Alliance General Septum. During the operation, Heero separated from his father to assist the rebellion forces elsewhere in the colony.

The assassination mission proved to be a trap. Realising the setup, Lowe attempted to escape, presumably to find his son and evacuate the colony. He encountered Dekim Barton, whom he believed to be an ally. However, Dekim betrayed and shot Lowe in the heart, calling it revenge for killing his mentor, the original Heero Yuy (politician).

Mortally wounded, Lowe managed to survive long enough to give his son one final piece of advice: to live by his emotions rather than simply following orders. This dying counsel would profoundly influence the young pilot’s development and his eventual decision to rebel against the original Operation Meteor plan.

Personality

Little can be definitively said about Lowe’s personality, as most of his life remains shrouded in secrecy. However, his actions reveal a complex character. As an assassin, he was completely ruthless, capable of taking on assignments as morally questionable as killing a colonial representative for peace. His successful assassination of multiple high-profile targets demonstrated his professionalism and skill.

Despite his ruthlessness in combat, Lowe possessed a softer side. He cared deeply for his son, training him and protecting him right until his death. His comments to Heero and Aoi suggested that he harboured regrets about his past actions, particularly the assassination of the original Heero Yuy. This internal conflict between his role as an assassin and his conscience may have been what drove him to defect from OZ and join the colonial cause.

His final words to his son—advising him to live by his emotions—revealed a man who had learned the cost of suppressing one’s humanity in service to duty. This lesson would prove crucial in shaping the younger Heero’s character and his eventual rejection of blind obedience.

Skills and abilities

Marksmanship

As an OZ assassin, Lowe possessed exceptional marksmanship skills. He was able to fatally shoot the original Heero Yuy in the heart and slip away undetected, demonstrating both accuracy and stealth. His ability to eliminate multiple high-profile targets without being captured speaks to his expertise with firearms. He passed these skills on to his son, whose own marksmanship would become legendary amongst the Gundam pilots.

Physical conditioning

Even in his later years, Lowe maintained excellent physical condition. He was shown easily fighting and outrunning younger soldiers, demonstrating the endurance and strength required for field operations. His ability to survive and operate in hostile environments whilst training his young son showed his continued combat readiness.

Tactical awareness

Lowe’s survival as an assassin for years required keen tactical awareness. His ability to recognise the trap at Colony X-18999 and attempt to escape demonstrated his situational awareness, though ultimately his trust in Dekim Barton proved to be his fatal mistake.

Relationships

Heero Yuy

Lowe’s relationship with his son was complicated by the harsh realities of his life as a fugitive assassin. He trained the boy in the skills necessary for survival, often putting him in dangerous situations. Despite the harshness of the training, Lowe clearly cared for his son, as evidenced by his final words encouraging Heero to maintain his humanity. The boy would later honour his father’s memory by adopting the name of the man his father had killed, perhaps as a form of atonement.

Aoi Clark

Lowe broke off his relationship with Aoi after assassinating the original Heero Yuy, likely to protect her from the consequences of his actions. His decision to distance himself from her whilst she was pregnant suggests he recognised the danger his presence would bring to both her and their child.

Dekim Barton

Lowe’s fatal mistake was trusting Dekim Barton, believing him to be an ally in the colonial cause. Dekim’s betrayal was motivated by revenge for Lowe’s assassination of the original Heero Yuy, whom Dekim had considered his mentor.

Legacy

Odin Lowe’s legacy is deeply intertwined with the events of the After Colony timeline. His assassination of the pacifist leader Heero Yuy in AC 175 became a pivotal moment in colonial history, inspiring both the colonial independence movement and the eventual Operation Meteor. His son would adopt the name of the man he killed, becoming one of the five Gundam pilots who would fight to liberate the colonies.

The training Lowe provided to his son proved instrumental in the success of the Gundam pilots’ rebellion. However, his final advice—to live by one’s emotions—may have been his greatest gift, as it helped his son maintain his humanity throughout the brutal conflicts of AC 195.

Notes

• Odin Lowe’s name derives from Russian odin, meaning “one”, following the After Colony series’ tradition of naming characters after numerals.
• Originally described as Heero’s adoptive father in earlier material, Lowe was retconned as Heero’s biological father in New Mobile Report Gundam Wing: Frozen Teardrop.
• Lowe’s assassination of the original Heero Yuy on 7 April AC 175 set the date that would later become significant in Operation Meteor, which launched exactly twenty years later.
• The character appeared primarily in New Mobile Report Gundam Wing: Episode Zero and New Mobile Report Gundam Wing: Frozen Teardrop.

References

Main article: Mobile Suit Gundam Wing

• Gundam Wiki. “Odin Lowe.” Retrieved from https://gundam.fandom.com/wiki/Odin_Lowe
• New Mobile Report Gundam Wing: Episode Zero
• New Mobile Report Gundam Wing: Frozen Teardrop