Tubarov Bilmon

Tubarov Bilmon (ツバロフ・ビルモン, Tsubarofu Birumon) was an executive member of the Romefeller Foundation and OZ’s chief engineer in Mobile Suit Gundam Wing. A secondary antagonist during the first half of the series, this brilliant engineer and technical designer was thuggish and brutal in his personal dealings, which put him on a collision course with both Treize Khushrenada and his adjutant, Lady Une.

Overview

Tubarov created the mobile doll system to help consolidate Romefeller and OZ’s control over the planet, gaining Duke Dermail’s trust in the process. His belief that machines were far superior to any human being ensured he and Treize Khushrenada, OZ’s military commander, would never get along.

Appearance

Tubarov was a middle-aged man with a perpetual scowl and angular features that reflected his harsh personality. His stern appearance and typically angry expression matched his brutal temperament.

Personality & character

Tubarov was a thuggish, unpleasant individual whose plans lacked subtlety. When confronted with a problem, his solution was inevitably to apply more and more brute force. He had a short temper, a loud angry voice, and a tendency towards ranting when he was mad. His only loyalty was to himself and his mobile dolls, as evidenced by his betrayal of Lady Une, one of his project’s staunchest supporters.

Tubarov liked war, as it gave him the chance to demonstrate just what his mobile dolls were capable of, and relished the opportunity to hurt people, showing an utter lack of morals. He had no qualms about turning the mobile dolls loose in populated areas and attempted to murder the Gundam pilots due to a petty dislike. He experienced a total mental breakdown shortly before his death, during which he claimed to be invincible.

Skills & abilities

A gifted engineer, Tubarov was valued by the Romefeller Foundation for his technical expertise and designing ability. The mobile dolls were his most prized invention, from the earliest Leo-based suits to the later models which were capable of space flight. Tubarov displayed an inordinate attachment to the mobile dolls, and his obsession with perfecting them ultimately played a role in his downfall.

Biography

Mobile doll development

As an executive member of the Romefeller Foundation, Tubarov created the mobile doll system to help consolidate Romefeller and OZ’s control over the planet, gaining Duke Dermail’s trust in the process. Tubarov believed that his machines were far superior to any human being, a fact that ensured he and Treize, OZ’s military commander, would never get along.

When Treize interfered with a test of the mobile doll system, their relationship was permanently soured. Treize’s eventual removal as OZ’s commander-in-chief owed much to Tubarov and Dermail’s disapproval of his philosophy regarding human-centred warfare.

Lunar base command

Dermail eventually sent Tubarov to the colonies, where he frequently interacted with Treize’s adjutant, Lady Une. Unlike Treize, Une believed there was value in the mobile dolls, and she lent Tubarov her full support, believing that his inventions would help keep human casualties down. Tubarov was appreciative of her support but found that her pacifistic intentions rankled him—he wanted his mobile dolls to see combat, something that Une hoped would never have to happen.

Tubarov also disagreed with Lady Une’s collaboration with the captured Gundam pilots and scientists on the Mercurius and Vayeate projects. Whilst Une was out dealing with Quatre Winner and the Wing Zero’s attack on the colonies, Tubarov and his loyalists began a rebellion against Une.

Taking control of the lunar base, Tubarov cut off the oxygen to the Gundam pilots’ cell, leaving them and their scientist mentors to die. When Lady Une returned and turned the oxygen back on, Tubarov ambushed and shot her, leaving her in a coma. Unfortunately for him, he was unable to prevent the Gundam pilots’ escape.

Tyranny and downfall

With the colonies fully supporting OZ and Romefeller, Tubarov began construction on the massive battleship Libra under orders from Duke Dermail, who hoped to use it as Romefeller’s symbol and flagship. All was not well, however. With Une’s removal as ambassador and the enormous demand for resources to construct the monstrous battleship, Tubarov began to get increasingly tyrannical with the colony citizens, squeezing them of both resources and manpower.

The colony citizens became so tired of the situation that the secret White Fang rebel movement, led by Quinze and Colonel Sedici, began gathering momentum and used this opportunity to come out of the shadows.

Tubarov was captured by the White Fang and imprisoned by the rebels in OZ’s lunar base, who claimed they would make him regret oppressing the colonies and planned to put him through a public execution for the crimes he committed. Escaping whilst being escorted to imprisonment, Tubarov made his way to his control room, where he unleashed the mobile dolls, ordering them to kill anything they saw.

Although having the upper hand at first, the tables turned when Wufei in his Altron Gundam appeared during the battle and started attacking both sides and destroying that section of the base.

As the entire complex collapsed around him, Tubarov’s mind snapped. Ranting about how he and his precious mobile dolls were invincible and would one day rule the world, Tubarov and the room he was in were caught in one of the explosions that tore through the facility. His death, and the seizure of his technology by the White Fang, marked the beginning of the end for the Romefeller Foundation and the start of the colonial rebellion.

Relationships

Lady Une

Tubarov’s relationship with Lady Une began as an alliance of convenience but ended in betrayal. Whilst Une supported the mobile doll programme for its potential to save lives, Tubarov viewed her pacifistic goals as a limitation. When the opportunity arose, he betrayed her without hesitation, shooting her and leaving her in a coma. This betrayal demonstrated Tubarov’s true nature—loyal only to himself and his machines.

Treize Khushrenada

Tubarov and Treize represented diametrically opposed philosophies. Treize believed in the nobility of human combat and viewed automated warfare as an abomination, whilst Tubarov saw mobile dolls as superior to human pilots in every way. Their fundamental disagreement contributed to Treize’s removal as OZ commander and exemplified the ideological split within OZ and the Romefeller Foundation.

Dermail Catalonia

Tubarov enjoyed Dermail’s trust and patronage, as both shared a belief in mobile doll technology as the key to absolute power. Dermail valued Tubarov’s technical expertise and relied on him to deliver the military superiority the Romefeller Foundation needed. However, Tubarov’s brutal methods and eventual capture by White Fang contributed to the foundation’s downfall.

Behind the scenes

Tubarov Bilmon served as a secondary antagonist in Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, representing the dangers of dehumanized warfare and technological obsession. His character arc—from confident engineer to ranting madman—illustrated the series’ themes about the importance of human judgment in warfare and the hubris of those who believe machines can replace human pilots.

His mental breakdown and death amidst the destruction of his own mobile dolls provided a fitting end for a character who valued machines over human life.

Appearances

Tubarov Bilmon appeared in:

Mobile Suit Gundam Wing (TV series)

External links

Tubarov Bilmon on the Gundam Wiki