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Wufei Chang
Gundam Pilot 05
Machine: Shenlong
Age: 15
Sex: Male
Ethnicity: Chinese
Origin: L5 Colony cluster
Family: Meiran (his wife in Episode Zero, who is dead)
Height: 156cm
Weight: 46kg
Eye colour: Black
Hair colour: Black
Personality / Role in the series / Relationship
Personality
He is almost ridiculous in his pride. His definition of 'justice' is very clear and his enemies are those who get on the way of justice. He himself claims to have been a representative of justice, and quite unlike others, he acts on the basis of justice.
However, we can't say he is a very just person. He is full of egoism and prejudice. His way of executing justice, too, is too violent and emotional- getting rid of everyone who gets on his way. It resulted in describing him as a pchyco in TV series. Luckily, though, we have Episode Zero. According to it, Wufei was a quiet scholar in his hometown when he got married. His wife, Meiran, was chosen by his family. She was a member of resistent in her country, and she had an ability to handle the mobile suit. One day in a battle she got badly hurt and Wufei in his Shenlong rescued her. But it was too late and she died in his arms. Nataku- the mobile suit that always reminds him of Meiran, his affection toward Nataku, his severe and prejudiced execution of justice, everthing is explained by his painful past.
Then, what's wrong with Wufei's p.o.v.? As a witness of his colony's complete destruction, he refused to see the public as human beings. He devided them as good and evil by his own criteria, and started to destroy every 'evil'. One is the duel with Treize Khushrenada. Their battle at the end of TV series ended up with Treize's death, and he, too surprised to see Treize actually committed himself to death, bursts out into crying. He momentarily loses his ground of 'justice', since Treize himself became an executor of justice.
Then, his prejudice against the weak and the woman - it's almost hilarious from time to time. His inferior complex, which was caused by his wife's death and his self-esteem of uselessness, resulted in the opposite effect. He despises women because they are weak. He despises the weak because they have no power thus cannot defend themselves and become a burden to the strong. His logic of 'power=justice' is quite childish and illogical- if Alliance were stronger, would they be just? On the contrary, there are more powerful and evil rulers than powerful and good rulers. The reason he beleives in it is because he thinks he is the strongest and the justest. Pride becomes arrogance at this point.
Fortunately to him AND others, there are two people who teach him it's not the way world goes on- Sally Po and Heero Yuy. Wufei once told Sally, "The weak shouldn't fight at all." and Sally's answer was "But I, myself the weak, shall keep fighting. The weak, too, have something and someone to protect." He was slightly taken aback by this brave and frank answer. But his mental ability is not that mature enough to understand what Sally truly meant by that.
There comes Heero Yuy. Unlike other GW pilots who see themselves as just a pilot, Wufei considered himself as an executor of justice who will get rid of every EVIL man in the world. In other words, he resurrects an old model of GOOD-EVIL structure into his war. He is sure he is a part of, rather a leader of "good side", while others think they are fighting for the sake of colonies. Also, he is always very sure of himself "doing the right thing" till the end of Endless Waltz. During the battle with Heero in Endless Waltz, nonetheless, he sees more than an execution of justice in battle - he sees pain, death, and sorrow, the things he had to hide in order to live sanely since his wife's death. Heero's exclaim, "How many times do I have to kill that girl and the dog? Tell me Wufei... " He was vividly reminded of his hometown, his colony, and probably his wife. He, for the first time since he started fighting, realizes there were people who longed for peace, and people who were dying like his wife and his people in the colony.
His point of justice doesn't have only drawbacks, though. The author (or the artist) created a new character type in him. His point of view is wider and broader than just the colonies, and he is the one who was least moved by colonies' betrayal. (His home colony was destroy beforehand, by the way) He fights alone, and it is a uniqueness of GW- while other anime or TV series emphized so strongly on teamwork that it looked quite sappy and almost unrealistic, GW pilots don't fight altogether till the end. More than that, Wufei himself fights against GW pilots NOT TO BETRAY HIS FRIENDS AND HAVE AN ADVANTAGE BUT TO PROVE HE WAS JUST AND FAIR.
Role in the series
Other than the general role as a GW pilot, he is so-called 'an executor of justice', as I described in the previous section above. Through him, the author (or the artist) proves that the world is not a good-evil fighting field, and that people's criteria of justice are actually on a very weak ground. For details, refer to 'personality' paragraph above.
Relationship
Hmm... other than Meiran, there is only one woman Wufei (sorta) respects- Sally Po. It is well-known that Wufei despises women, but as a matter of fact he is afraid of women because he does not understand them very well. His underestimation of women is based on the fact women depend on their emotions too often. But wasn't it that Heero said, "You have to act on your emotions."? Sally and Heero are two people who directly taught him that. Well, at the end of Endless Waltz Sally persuades Wufei into joining in the preventer's job. Sally makes a good match with Wufei with her womanly instinct and motherly calmness. Her experience in the battlefield makes Wufei respect her, and her sensible and logical personality suits with Wufei's view of justice.
By the way, I am NOT saying Heero and Wufei have something going on. They are two very different people- one with violent and passionate emotions, and one with pride and egoism. I'd say Wufei was rather attracted by Treize Khushrenada. I am NOT meaning romance, but as a man-to-man relationship, Treize could've been Wufei's best friend. In fact, Treize refers to Wufei as "my dear friend" at the end of their final battle in Episode 48. But since Treize died, well, too bad!
Character Navigation Chart
Heero Yuy / Duo Maxwell / Trowa Barton / Quatre Raberba Winner / Wufei Chang / Zechs Merquise/Milliardo Peacecraft / Relena Darlian-Peacecraft / Lucrezia Noin / Hilde Schbeiker / Catherine Bloom / Dorothy Catalonia / Sally Po / Treize Khushrenada / Lady Une / Doctors / Mariemeia Barton-Khushrenada
Gundam Wing ¨Ï Bandai, Sunrise, Sotsu Agency 1995 - 2001
Copyright ¨Ï Jenny Ko 2001