Trant Clark

Trant Clark was an OZ mobile suit pilot and engineer who became the only non-Gundam pilot to operate the XXXG-00W0 Wing Gundam Zero during the Eve Wars of AC 195. His obsession with understanding and mastering the ZERO System led to his death when the system’s psychological demands overwhelmed him during combat with Duo Maxwell.

His name derives from the French word trente, meaning “thirty”, following the After Colony series’ tradition of naming characters after numerals.

History

Testing the ZERO System

Trant Clark first appeared after the Wing Gundam Zero was abandoned by Heero Yuy and Quatre Raberba Winner, who had both experienced the ZERO System’s overwhelming psychological effects. Although ordered by Tubarov Bilmon to destroy the Gundam to erase all evidence of its existence, Clark believed that the Gundam’s ZERO System held the key to turning the tide in the war, especially to render the mobile doll system obsolete.

Working independently to understand the system, Clark captured Heero Yuy, Quatre Raberba Winner, the Gundam scientists, and soldiers of the Treize Faction. He forced Heero to test the system, determining that a pilot using ZERO could fight even more efficiently than a mobile doll. Unfortunately for Clark, Heero took control of the Gundam whilst under ZERO’s influence and went berserk, attempting to kill anyone he perceived as a threat before eventually abandoning the machine.

Pursuit of perfection

Undeterred by the danger, Clark continued to use the Gundam to record results, believing he could master the system where others had failed. However, the complexities of the ZERO System made it increasingly difficult for him to maintain control after prolonged periods of use. The system’s ability to show all possible futures simultaneously began to take a psychological toll on Clark.

When it was discovered that he had used numerous mobile dolls to gather data on the system’s capabilities without authorisation, Tubarov sent soldiers to apprehend him and destroy the Wing Gundam Zero.

Final battle

During the same period, Trant tracked down Gundam pilot Duo Maxwell and forced him to battle mobile dolls in order to gather more accurate combat data on the ZERO System’s effectiveness. Duo became overwhelmed by the ZERO System’s visions and was pulled out of the cockpit by Trant just as OZ soldiers arrived to retrieve Trant and destroy Wing Zero.

Trant immediately piloted Wing Zero himself and easily dispatched the OZ soldiers and their accompanying mobile dolls. However, the ZERO System quickly overwhelmed his mental state, making him crave more destruction. The system’s continuous stream of possible futures drove him into a state of madness.

Duo, now piloting his XXXG-01D2 Gundam Deathscythe Hell, prevented Trant from destroying a nearby colony. In the ensuing battle, Trant’s deteriorating mental state made him unable to effectively use the ZERO System’s predictive capabilities. Their attacks collided, and Trant was killed in the explosion.

In the Glory of the Losers manga adaptation, Trant’s death is depicted differently: he activated the Wing Gundam Proto Zero’s self-destruct system whilst losing his mind from the ZERO System during the battle with Deathscythe Hell, killing himself in the process.

Personality

Trant Clark was characterised by an obsessive drive to understand and master advanced technology. His fascination with the ZERO System bordered on dangerous fixation, leading him to disobey direct orders from his superiors to pursue his research. This independent streak demonstrated both intellectual curiosity and a reckless disregard for authority when it conflicted with his goals.

Unlike many OZ officers who relied on the mobile doll system, Clark recognised the ZERO System’s superiority and was willing to risk everything to unlock its potential. His belief that human pilots enhanced by ZERO could surpass automated systems showed a faith in human capability, albeit one twisted by his obsession.

However, Clark’s greatest flaw was his overconfidence in his own mental resilience. He believed he could master a system that had driven multiple Gundam pilots to temporary madness, underestimating the psychological demands it would place on him. This hubris ultimately led to his death.

Skills and abilities

Engineering expertise

As an OZ engineer, Trant possessed significant technical knowledge about mobile suit systems. His ability to understand and attempt to optimise the ZERO System demonstrated advanced comprehension of complex combat prediction algorithms and neural interface technology.

Mobile suit piloting

Trant was a capable mobile suit pilot, able to operate the Wing Gundam Zero effectively against OZ mobile dolls and soldiers. When enhanced by the ZERO System, he easily dispatched multiple opponents. However, his piloting skills were insufficient to handle the system’s psychological demands during extended combat.

Research methodology

Clark’s systematic approach to testing the ZERO System showed scientific rigour. He methodically gathered data using captured pilots and mobile dolls, attempting to understand the system’s parameters and limitations. However, his methods were ethically questionable, as he forced unwilling participants to risk their mental health.

Relationships

Heero Yuy

Clark captured and forced Heero to test the ZERO System, treating him as a test subject rather than a person. This resulted in Heero going berserk whilst piloting the Wing Zero, demonstrating the danger of Clark’s methods. Despite being Clark’s step-nephew through marriage, there is no indication they had any familial relationship.

Duo Maxwell

Clark tracked down Duo and forced him to fight mobile dolls whilst using the ZERO System to gather combat data. Duo ultimately killed Clark in battle, preventing him from destroying a colony whilst under ZERO’s influence.

Tubarov Bilmon

Tubarov was Clark’s superior officer who ordered the destruction of the Wing Gundam Zero. Clark disobeyed these orders, working independently to study the ZERO System, which eventually led to Tubarov sending soldiers to apprehend him.

Family

Trant’s brother was Seis Clark, and through Seis, he was brother-in-law to Aoi Clark, making him step-uncle to Heero Yuy (the son of Aoi and Odin Lowe). There is no indication these family connections influenced any of his actions.

Legacy

Trant Clark’s experiments with the ZERO System provided valuable data on the system’s capabilities and dangers. His death served as a stark warning about the psychological costs of attempting to master ZERO without proper preparation or mental resilience. His fate reinforced what the Gundam pilots had already discovered: the ZERO System could grant incredible tactical advantages, but only to those who could maintain their sanity whilst experiencing all possible futures simultaneously.

Clark remains the only non-Gundam pilot known to have operated the Wing Gundam Zero, a dubious distinction given that it cost him his life.

Notes

• Trant Clark’s name derives from French trente, meaning “thirty”, following the After Colony series’ tradition of naming characters after numerals.
• His English voice actor David Mackay also voiced Doctor S and several other characters in the series.
• Clark is the only confirmed non-Gundam pilot to operate the Wing Gundam Zero, though his time piloting it was brief and ended in his death.
• In Glory of the Losers, the Wing Gundam Proto Zero was destroyed by Clark’s self-destruct activation and later rebuilt into the Endless Waltz design by Mike Howard.

References

Main article: Mobile Suit Gundam Wing

• Gundam Wiki. “Trant Clark.” Retrieved from https://gundam.fandom.com/wiki/Trant_Clark
• Mobile Suit Gundam Wing episodes
• Mobile Suit Gundam Wing Endless Waltz: Glory of the Losers manga