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Trowa Barton

Trowa Barton was the pilot of Gundam Heavyarms and one of the five Gundam pilots during Operation Meteor.
Jenxi Seow Published 2 Aug 2025 Updated 2 Aug 2025
Trowa Barton

Trowa Barton (トロワ・バートン, Torowa Bāton) was a Gundam pilot who operated the XXXG-01H Gundam Heavyarms during Operation Meteor in After Colony 195. Originally known only as “Nanashi” (No-Name), he assumed the identity of the real Trowa Barton after the latter’s assassination and became one of the five pilots tasked with liberating the Earth Sphere from the oppressive United Earth Sphere Alliance.

Biography

Early life

Trowa Barton was born Triton Bloom on Earth in After Colony 180. At the age of two, he and his older sister Catherine were separated during a crossfire that killed their parents, who worked in a travelling circus. In the ensuing chaos, Triton suffered a severe head injury that wiped his childhood memories, whilst Catherine was left believing her brother had died alongside their parents.

Growing up without memories of his past, the boy became known simply as “No-Name” and drifted from battlefield to battlefield as a mercenary. His exceptional combat skills and emotional detachment made him an effective soldier, though he remained entirely without purpose or identity beyond warfare.

Mercenary years

During After Colony 190, No-Name served as a mobile suit pilot in a mercenary group. At the age of ten, he demonstrated remarkable piloting abilities that belied his youth. During this period, he encountered a girl named Middie Une, who served as both a fellow mercenary and romantic interest. However, their relationship ended tragically when No-Name discovered that Middie had been betraying their group to the Earth Sphere Alliance to support her family. After confronting her about her deception, he left her behind and decided to venture into space.

Joining the Barton Foundation

No-Name eventually made his way to space and found work as a mechanic with the Barton Foundation, where he was assigned to maintain the XXXG-01H Gundam Heavyarms. During this time, he became acquainted with the mobile suit’s intended pilot, the real Trowa Barton, son of foundation leader Dekim Barton.

The real Trowa was an arrogant young man who boasted about his plans for the original Operation Meteor, which involved dropping colonies onto Earth to commit mass genocide. When Doktor S and the other Gundam scientists refused to participate in such wholesale slaughter and convinced their pilots to target only military installations, the real Trowa threatened to report their “betrayal” to his father. To prevent this catastrophe, one of Doktor S’s assistants shot and killed the real Trowa Barton.

Witnessing this event, No-Name offered to assume the dead pilot’s identity and participate in the modified Operation Meteor. Thus, he became “Trowa Barton” and prepared to descend to Earth as one of five Gundam pilots.

Operation Meteor

In After Colony 195, Trowa launched to Earth aboard Gundam Heavyarms as part of Operation Meteor. Unlike his fellow pilots, who struggled with their missions’ moral implications, Trowa approached his objectives with cold professionalism, viewing them simply as another assignment to complete.

Upon reaching Earth, Trowa quickly established a cover identity as a circus performer, a role that came naturally due to his acrobatic abilities and emotional control. Ironically, this led to his reunion with Catherine Bloom, though neither initially recognised their familial connection. Catherine adopted a protective, sisterly attitude towards Trowa, unknowingly caring for her actual brother.

During the early stages of the conflict, Trowa operated largely independently, conducting precision strikes against OZ installations. His tactical approach emphasised overwhelming firepower followed by strategic withdrawal, earning him a reputation as the most experienced and ruthless of the five pilots.

Alliance with fellow pilots

Trowa’s first meaningful connection with his fellow Gundam pilots came through Quatre Raberba Winner, whose genuine kindness and pacifist ideals began to crack Trowa’s emotional barriers. This friendship marked the beginning of Trowa’s gradual transformation from an emotionless soldier into someone capable of caring for others.

After Chang Wufei suffered defeat during a failed assassination attempt on Treize Khushrenada, Trowa provided sanctuary at the circus, demonstrating his growing capacity for compassion. Similarly, when Heero Yuy self-detonated Wing Gundam in Siberia and fell into a coma, Trowa recovered his body and nursed him back to health.

Crisis of purpose

As the war progressed and Trowa witnessed the futility of endless conflict, he began to question his existence. Having lived his entire life without purpose beyond combat, he struggled to find meaning in a world that might no longer need soldiers. This crisis culminated when the circus was scheduled to perform at an OZ base, and Trowa decided to sacrifice himself by self-destructing Heavyarms.

Only Catherine’s intervention saved him. When she punched him back to his senses and demanded he value his life, Trowa experienced his first genuine emotional awakening. Her fierce protection of him, combined with her absolute rejection of his death wish, forced him to confront the possibility that his life had value beyond warfare.

Infiltration operations

Demonstrating his exceptional abilities as a double agent, Trowa successfully infiltrated OZ by posing as a colony volunteer. His stoic demeanor and apparent loyalty impressed Lady Une, leading to his selection as pilot of the experimental OZ-13MSX1 Vayeate. This assignment placed him in an ideal position to gather intelligence whilst maintaining his cover.

During his time with OZ, Trowa participated in the capture of fellow pilot Heero Yuy and subsequently recommended Heero pilot the OZ-13MSX2 Mercurius with a detonation switch as insurance. This apparent betrayal was actually part of a coordinated strategy between the two pilots.

Memory loss and recovery

Trowa’s infiltration mission ended catastrophically when he confronted a mentally unstable Quatre Raberba Winner, who had destroyed a colony using Wing Zero. During the battle, Quatre’s buster rifle destroyed Vayeate, and Trowa was presumed dead. Miraculously, he survived but suffered complete amnesia, drifting unconsciously in space until rescued by a random vessel.

Catherine discovered the memory-lost Trowa wandering aimlessly on a colony and brought him back to the circus. Protective of his mental state, she convinced him they were siblings and attempted to shield him from his past as a soldier. Even when Duo Maxwell and Quatre tracked him down, Catherine initially refused to let them take him, especially after their presence triggered panic attacks.

Trowa’s memories returned only when he piloted Wing Zero to defend the colony where Catherine and his circus family were threatened by OZ. Exposure to Wing Zero’s ZERO System not only restored his memories but also revealed his true identity as Triton Bloom, though he chose to retain the name Trowa Barton.

Eve Wars and aftermath

Using the space-modified Heavyarms brought by Sally Po, Trowa participated in the final Eve Wars between Milliardo Peacecraft’s White Fang and Treize Khushrenada’s World Nation. With the war’s conclusion, Trowa returned to the circus and Catherine, believing his fighting days were over.

When the pilots decided to dispose of their Gundams by sending them into the sun, Trowa willingly surrendered Heavyarms to Quatre for destruction. However, the peace proved temporary when Mariemaia Khushrenada launched her rebellion in After Colony 196.

Mariemaia Rebellion

During the Mariemaia Rebellion, Trowa once again demonstrated his infiltration skills by joining Mariemaia’s forces. Dekim Barton quickly recognised him as an impostor and, after a confrontation, Trowa pledged apparent loyalty to save his life. This deception allowed him to gather crucial intelligence about Dekim’s plan to execute the original Operation Meteor.

Working alongside Heero and Duo, Trowa helped prevent the colony drop that would have devastated Earth. During the final battle in Brussels, he piloted the XXXG-01H2 Gundam Heavyarms Custom, engaging as many OZ-06MS Leo units as possible until his ammunition was exhausted.

After the rebellion’s defeat, Trowa joined his fellow pilots in a final symbolic gesture, self-destructing their Gundams to ensure they could never again be used for war. At Quatre and Duo’s encouragement, he chose to keep the name Trowa Barton rather than reverting to Triton Bloom, having found meaning in the identity he had created.

Personality & traits

Trowa Barton was defined by his extraordinary emotional control and analytical approach to life. Having grown up without memories or a true identity, he developed an almost impenetrable emotional barrier that manifested as stoic silence and apparent indifference. This mask served both as protection and as a tool, allowing him to function effectively in combat and infiltration scenarios where emotional compromise could prove fatal.

Despite his seemingly emotionless exterior, Trowa possessed a fundamentally caring nature that emerged through his actions rather than words. His willingness to risk himself for others, his gentle treatment of animals, and his protective instincts towards those he considered family revealed the warmth beneath his stoic facade. He demonstrated remarkable patience and loyalty, particularly in his relationships with Catherine and Quatre.

Trowa’s sense of justice operated on a pragmatic level. Unlike some of his fellow pilots who struggled with moral absolutes, he understood that effective action sometimes required morally ambiguous choices. This perspective made him perhaps the most psychologically stable of the Gundam pilots, as he could compartmentalise necessary violence without losing sight of his ultimate goals.

His experience with betrayal, particularly Middie Une’s deception, taught him to be cautious with trust whilst not making him cynical about human nature. Instead, he learned to evaluate people through their actions rather than their words, a skill that served him well during his various infiltration missions.

Skills & abilities

Trowa possessed exceptional mobile suit piloting abilities that surpassed most professional soldiers despite his youth. His combat style emphasised precision and efficiency, using Heavyarms’ overwhelming firepower to achieve rapid battlefield dominance before strategic withdrawal. He demonstrated remarkable spatial awareness and tactical thinking, often positioning himself to maximise damage whilst minimising exposure to enemy fire.

His natural acrobatic abilities, which served him well in his circus cover identity, also enhanced his mobile suit operations. The balance and coordination required for aerial circus performance translated directly to improved maneuvering in three-dimensional space combat. These skills made him particularly effective in close-quarters battle and unconventional tactical situations.

As an infiltration specialist, Trowa had few equals among the Gundam pilots. His emotional control allowed him to maintain cover identities for extended periods without arousing suspicion. He could rapidly adapt to new environments and roles, whether as a circus performer, OZ pilot, or rebel soldier. His ability to analyse and mirror the expectations of others made him nearly undetectable as a double agent.

Trowa also demonstrated exceptional emotional intelligence, particularly in his ability to calm and communicate with animals. This skill reflected his deeper understanding of non-verbal communication and emotional states, abilities that also served him well in reading potential threats or allies during covert operations.

Relationships

Catherine Bloom

Trowa’s relationship with Catherine Bloom represented the emotional anchor of his life. Though they were separated as children and neither initially recognised their blood relationship, they formed an immediate familial bond upon his joining the circus. Catherine’s fierce protectiveness and unwavering care provided Trowa with his first experience of unconditional love since childhood.

Catherine served as both sister and surrogate mother, attempting to shield him from the horrors of war whilst supporting his choices when he insisted on returning to combat. Her ability to see past his emotional barriers and recognise his fundamental humanity helped ground him during his most psychologically challenging periods. The revelation that she was truly his sister Triton only strengthened a bond that had already transcended blood relations.

Quatre Raberba Winner

Quatre Raberba Winner became Trowa’s closest friend among the Gundam pilots, representing a connection built on mutual respect and complementary personalities. Quatre’s genuine kindness and idealistic nature provided a counterpoint to Trowa’s pragmatic approach, whilst Trowa’s stability helped anchor Quatre during moments of emotional turmoil.

Their friendship developed gradually through shared combat experiences and mutual support during crises. Trowa’s willingness to risk his life defending Quatre, and Quatre’s persistent efforts to reach Trowa during his amnesia, demonstrated the depth of their bond. This relationship proved crucial in Trowa’s emotional development, teaching him that caring for others was strength rather than weakness.

Heero Yuy

Trowa’s relationship with Heero Yuy was built on professional respect and shared understanding of the soldier’s burden. Both pilots approached their missions with similar emotional detachment, creating a natural partnership during combat operations. Their collaboration during infiltration missions and joint operations demonstrated their ability to work seamlessly together despite minimal verbal communication.

Heero’s advice to “live by his emotions” during his recovery period marked a turning point in Trowa’s psychological development, suggesting a deeper understanding between the two soldiers than their stoic exteriors might suggest.

Mecha

XXXG-01H Gundam Heavyarms

The XXXG-01H Gundam Heavyarms served as Trowa’s primary mobile suit throughout Operation Meteor and the subsequent conflicts. Originally designed by Doktor S for the real Trowa Barton, the mobile suit’s overwhelming firepower perfectly matched Trowa’s tactical preferences for rapid engagement and strategic withdrawal.

Heavyarms featured the most extensive weapons loadout of any Gundam, including chest-mounted Gatling guns, shoulder-mounted missile pods, and a handheld beam Gatling gun. This massive arsenal allowed Trowa to engage multiple enemies simultaneously and suppress entire battlefield sectors through concentrated fire. The mobile suit’s ammunition capacity, whilst finite, provided sufficient firepower for most tactical situations when properly managed.

Trowa’s piloting style maximised Heavyarms’ strengths whilst compensating for its limitations. He typically engaged from advantageous positions that allowed for rapid ammunition expenditure followed by immediate tactical withdrawal before enemy forces could coordinate an effective response. This approach proved devastatingly effective against conventional mobile suit formations.

XXXG-01H2 Gundam Heavyarms Custom

The XXXG-01H2 Gundam Heavyarms Custom represented an upgraded version of Trowa’s original mobile suit, featuring enhanced armour, improved weapons systems, and space-optimised performance. The custom variant incorporated lessons learned from Operation Meteor combat data and reflected the ongoing evolution of Gundam technology.

During the Mariemaia Rebellion, Trowa piloted this enhanced Heavyarms in the final battle in Brussels, where he engaged multiple enemy mobile suits until his ammunition was completely exhausted. The mobile suit’s improved systems allowed for sustained combat operations against superior numbers, demonstrating both the machine’s capabilities and Trowa’s tactical expertise.

In a symbolic gesture reflecting his desire to move beyond warfare, Trowa participated in the ceremonial destruction of Heavyarms Custom alongside his fellow pilots’ Gundams, ensuring these powerful weapons could never again be used for war.

Full mecha list

OZ-13MSX1 Vayeate

During his infiltration of Organization of the Zodiac, Trowa piloted the experimental OZ-13MSX1 Vayeate, a high-performance mobile suit designed by the captured Gundam scientists. The Vayeate’s beam cannon provided exceptional long-range firepower, though it lacked the multiple weapons systems that characterised Heavyarms.

Trowa’s operation of the Vayeate demonstrated his adaptability as a pilot, successfully mastering a mobile suit with entirely different tactical requirements from his usual equipment. The assignment also served his cover identity, as his apparent loyalty to OZ helped maintain his position within their ranks.

XXXG-00W0 Wing Gundam Zero

Trowa briefly piloted Wing Gundam Zero during the defence of Catherine’s colony from OZ forces. Exposure to Wing Zero’s ZERO System triggered the return of his lost memories and revealed his true identity as Triton Bloom. The experience proved traumatic but ultimately beneficial, as it allowed him to reclaim his past whilst choosing his future identity.

Behind the scenes

Trowa Barton was designed by Okawara Kunio as part of the five-pilot ensemble for Mobile Suit Gundam Wing. His character design emphasised his role as the most mysterious and emotionally controlled member of the group, with his distinctive asymmetrical hairstyle serving as both a visual trademark and symbolic representation of his hidden nature.

The character’s name derives from the French word “trois,” meaning three, reflecting the numerical naming convention used for all five Gundam pilots in the series. His original name, Triton Bloom, maintains this pattern with “tri” whilst also connecting him to his sister Catherine Bloom and their circus background.

Director Ikeda Masashi drew inspiration from classic film portrayals of stoic soldiers and circus performers when developing Trowa’s personality and background. The character’s emotional journey from mechanical soldier to caring human being reflected themes of identity and belonging that ran throughout the series.

Voice acting:

  • Japanese: Nakahara Shigeru provided Trowa’s voice throughout the original series and subsequent productions, bringing a subtle emotional depth to the character’s typically restrained dialogue.
  • English: Kirby Morrow voiced Trowa in the Ocean dub, maintaining the character’s stoic nature whilst conveying his underlying humanity. Morrow continued in this role until his passing in November 2020.

The character’s popularity among fans led to his prominence in various Gundam video games and model kit releases, with particular attention paid to recreating his distinctive hairstyle and Heavyarms’ extensive weapons systems.

Appearances

Television series

Films

  • Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz (1997)

Manga

  • Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Episode Zero
  • Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz Glory of the Losers

Video games

  • Mobile Suit Gundam: Extreme Vs. series
  • SD Gundam G Generation series
  • Super Robot Wars series