On Relena’s Behalf

An Essay by Aisha Yuy

For people who are a part of the internet fan base of Gundam Wing that Relena Peacecraft is probably the most debatable character. The majority of the internet GW fans hate or have a strong aversion to her. Why? Some people have well founded reasons (however well found hatred of a make believe character can be), but most reasons for hating her are superficial and shallow at best.

My theory on why she is hated so much basically involves that the majority of fans are yaoi fans who prefer the Heero and Duo couple rather than the Heero and Relena couple. Now this is a fruitless reason for hating a character. I don’t hate Usagi Tsukino of Sailor Moon because I don’t care too much for Mamoru. Yaoi fans hate Relena because she is competition.

In fan fiction, especially in 1X2 fics, Relena is often portrayed as the enemy, when in reality she isn’t. After all, would Gundam Wing be the same without her? No. Relena’s role in Gundam Wing is very important and essential to the plot. This brings me to the reason I decided to write this essay in the first place, to prove the importance of Relena’s role.

In Gundam Wing, Relena is the symbol of true peace. She represents what the Gundams are fighting for. After all throughout the majority of the series, she is promoting peace, and works to bring it about and to stop the war. She represents the other part of the war. The one that works to stop the war without fighting. Relena is probably the most efficient civilian in the entire show.

It must also be pointed out that Relena under went a huge character change in the series. She was the character that grew up. If you compare to the Relena in the beginning of the show and the Relena at the end, you will notice a huge difference in her personality. In the beginning of the show Relena is your typical spoiled rich girl. She has her clique of friends who yes do appear to be superficial and shallow, and she craves attention from her father, who is busy. However at the end of the series, she has a diplomatic stature, she carries herself, not as a spoiled rich girl, but as a dignified woman who has a goal and wants to achieve it.

This change is a result of two things 1) her encounter with Heero and 2) the death of her father. Her encounter with Heero made her realize that life was more than school and silly parties, and he inspired her to want to help bring peace. She admired him, meeting him had stirred her in the need to stop doing nothing and to help. With the death of her father, Relena learned about the death and destruction and war. She discovered the manipulative tricks of OZ. This gave her the substantial reason to launch her crusade for peace, she didn’t want the horrors of war to continue. She also found a way for her to help promote peace through the discovery that she indeed was Relena Peacecraft of the Peacecraft family, who preached total pacifism.

Relena is an integral part of Gundam Wing, without her, the plot would break a part and would be nothing but mindless battles. So for those people who are anti-Relena, I have this question, can you imagine Gundam Wing without her?