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Stubborn Cowardly Jerk?

In a great deal of fan fiction, I find writers seem to love twisting Trowa's trait of being stubborn into a tool to make his character a selfish, emotionally-stunted and cowardly jerk. This occurs most often in multiple chapter sories where he is paired with Quatre as a love interest. This happens to be a lot since 3x4x3 is considered practically canon. In turn, whenever I come across a fan fiction that makes Trowa's greatest and most horrible flaw out to being a stubborn cowardly jerk, it rather kills the mood for the rest of the story for me even if it is well written and has a happy ending.

These stereotypes placed on Trowa is exceptionally irking when it falls into the commonly used equation to create character conflict, which is: "Trowa is afraid to have a relationship with Quatre, so he becomes a jerk and runs away like a coward. Quatre is horribly wronged and Trowa must obviously be an idiot to run away from someone so perfect". Yes. This plot device is often followed with a lot of the main characters badmouthing Trowa usually in terms of his intelligence and for running away from his feelings because these actions hurt Quatre's feelings. If Trowa happens to have a "best friend" in these stories, the best friend also sides with "poor, abandoned" Quatre and usually wants to cause Trowa physical harm. Everyone so readily jumps in to defend Quatre and verbally or physically beat into Trowa's head how stupid he is and after that abuse Trowa "finally realizes" what a horrible mistake he's made and what a bad person he is. Somewhere during all of this character bashing Quatre is given trials to face to show off how badass he can be. Around the end Trowa ultimately ends up going back to Quatre seeking forgiveness. Quatre is then portrayed as either the teary-eyed, golden-haired angel that mercifully forgives him; or he is the hurt, yet utterly compassionate "dom/seme" that forgives Trowa but will not take or allow anymore bullshit from him a second time, because Quatre has to be made out as more manly and having balls while still retaining sainthood. The real kicker is how in a lot of these stories, Quatre has done just as many "stupid things" as Trowa has (sometimes even more), but no one bats an eye or calls him out on his bullshit. Double standards much?

Yes, I am mainly aiming this at writers who are "Quatre Fanatics". (Note the "Fanatics" written here as opposed to "Fans". Thankfully, there are undoubtedly some lovely 3x4x3 fiction out there.) While this is only a theory, I feel that in their attempt to "Defy the Stereotype" in regards to how Quatre was once presented as weak and over-emotional in the Gundam Wing fan community, they relied heavily on focusing on how Trowa acts like in the beginning of the television series and automatically jumping to stereotypes that are often placed on stoic, closed-off characters in the media. If they haven't made Trowa into an insensitive, emotionally-immature jerk, then it is Trowa being made into an insecure coward who feels utterly unworthy of Quatre because of their backgrounds and status. In doing this, they completely disregarded or plainly forgot the true dynamic between Quatre and Trowa in the show. If not that, they didn't try very hard to understand Trowa's character if they even really bothered to at all.

Many times I have sent comments on fan fictions that pair the two in such a manner, which ultimately resulted in the authors readily replying that Trowa is a jerk. I will concede to that to some extent. As I see it, Trowa can certainly act like a jerk, but that doesn't mean he is one. If one pays attention at all, in the television series it is shown that he only acts like a jerk towards people he has no intentions of getting close to, is suspicious of or considers an enemy. When it comes to people he sees as an ally, trustworthy or even a friend he is kind and thoughtful. This is shown exceptionally well in the middle of the series when Quatre has gone mad from grief and nearly kills Trowa in Episode 25 to later on when Quatre finds the amnesiac Trowa is alive in Episode 38. Again, it is something a fair deal of 3x4x3 writers seem to forget about when writing Trowa's character. Trowa never runs away from anyone, much less Quatre. If anything he is always running towards Quatre.

Now, let us return to Trowa's stubbornness. In the series, Trowa is shown to be stubborn and is even called out on it by Catherine when he decides to go after Quatre in Episode 38. The thing is, his stubbornness is placed in doing what he knows from the depths of his soul are right. It is never intertwined with any fears or uncertainties he may have. Even when at his most fragile of state, where he was quick and willing to share his shaken state during amnesia, he did not let his fear or trauma ultimately petrify him.

The entire time he suffered amnesia he was constantly moving, searching for a path that would allow him to move forward. When he finally found it in discovering his desire to end the suffering his "sister" and all other civilians caught up in the wars were enduring, he felt certainty for the first time. He would not let the pain or fear he experienced cripple him. He knew what going into battle would entail and that he could end up being more of a liability than an aid. Nevertheless, he now found a path that would let him move forward with certainty again. Trowa has always shown to be a character who follows his instincts and expands on this when he quickly and wholeheartedly takes Heero's advice to "act on your emotions." to heart. Thus, stories portraying him as a character easily intimidated by his own feelings to the point of running away from them comes off as very out of character to me.

Expanding on the stereotype of Trowa being emotionally insecure, he usually is portrayed as being fearful of being betrayed. This one also throws me for a loop since he has never been displayed as a character that dwells on the past. He lives in the moment, takes what is at present and uses it to prepare for the future. With this trait, he is shown to not hold grudges or regrets. This is displayed well via his Episode Zero segment. When he believed former members of the Mercenary Corp. he was raised in betrayed them, he did not let past attachments interfere. The past is the past and if past comrades were today's enemies, then he would approach them accordingly. After he took out his past comrades with ease, his captain looked at him without recognition. The captain considered him inhuman, which is an emotional betrayal if any. As No-name, he easily replied in confirmation. He was what the mercenaries raised him to be. He was what he was. He wasn't going to apologize for being a soldier. There was no reason to apologize for being what he was to the man who helped raise and shape him. If the captain had any regrets over this truth, there was no point in lamenting over "if only's" or "what if's". This is the same mindset No-name displayed after he realized Midii Une's betrayal.

What happened had happened. He had been tricked, made a mistake and there was nothing he could do to change the past. Midii had tricked him and she was the only survivor besides him. The deed was done and there was nothing he could do to her that would change the past either. Paint it as revenge or justice, his entire troop would remain dead and Midii would just be another body to add. He also understood her position and her reasons. It was war. It was survival. They both did their parts. With that act over, their acquaintance was no longer required. Midii never needed his former Mercenary Corp. to take her in. She had a home and still has one. Thus, it was fine to leave her to her own devices. He in turn needed to choose a new direction to follow, continue to survive and maybe someday find what he yearns for in the future. He continues to act this way in the television series and in Endless Waltz. Thus, the chances of him turning tail out of fear of being hurt by people he cares about strikes me as highly unlikely. He wouldn't play the "hurt them before they hurt me" card. It isn't his character from the time he was a young child to when he is at mid-adolescence. Rather he will give the benefit of the doubt and if someone should "fool [him] once" he will make sure said person will not "fool [him] twice" by washing his hands clean of him or her.

Something else fan fiction writers seem to either not notice or simply forget is that Trowa doesn't waste time via hesitation or insecurity. When he wants something he goes for it. He is confident in his abilities and he isn't metaphorically shackled to being a "lowly circus clown" the rest of his civilian life. I highly doubt he would suddenly be ashamed of his past as a mercenary, a mechanic, a Gundam pilot or a circus clown because he's never felt shame ever being any of those things. He has always chosen his paths. He chose to go with the mercenary troop that picked him up and stayed with them until they were eradicated. He chose to go into space and secured himself a job as a mechanic under the Barton Foundation. He chose to make his presence known when the original Trowa Barton died and seized the opportunity to become the pilot of HeavyArms. He chose a traveling circus for a cover and decided to remain a member of it after he no longer had to be a soldier. Thus, if his love interest were rich, famous or both, I would be more inclined to think he would see it as a worthy challenge to overcome rather than an intimidating barrier to lament against. Based on his method of operation Trowa would likely bide his time, secure "better" occupations and carefully look for opportunities to rise in social status should it be deemed necessary.

I must take a slight detour and make note of the ridiculous "pedestal" theme that often is paired with the "Trowa feels inadequet to Quatre" trope. There are writers who like to make Trowa out to be a fanatic of Quatre. Basially the conflict is presented as this: "Trowa admires and adores Quatre to the point he metaphorically places him high on a pedestal. Trowa considers Quatre an angel of perfection and himself a nameless unworthy nobody. Quatre in turn is exasperated by this. Then cue up the 'Trowa runs away like a coward because Quatre deserves so much better' hogwash." Again, where do these writers pull this pull this from? It certainly isn't from the television series, Endless Waltz or the manga. If anyone places Quatre on some metaphorical pedestal it is the Maganac troop that is comprised of his loyal followers at best canon-wise. The rest seems to be all the "Quatre Fanatics" channeling their adoration for him through Trowa and in turn they punish Trowa for that very adoration.

Quite frankly, the only time I can see Trowa actually falling into such roles would be sometime after suffering long term abuse from a toxic person he mistook to be worthy of giving his whole heart to. As it goes, in the show he does consider his life worthless, but he lives because there are people who truly care about his existence. The only view of him that matters to him is those he completely trusts. Therefore, if one of those people were to isolate the both of them and slowly turn one-eighty on him, Trowa most likely would take any negativity from him or her quite heavily. Without the ability to contact any of his healthy relationships, he'd only have feedback from the abusive person he still believes in. In time his belief in himself and other people would be deteriorated. He would be truly broken.

Such a scenario screams highly unlikely, however. Trowa is very careful and selective of who he gives his trust to. When he gives an exceptional amount of his trust, it is because he is truly knows and sees the person as they are. Episode 25 really illustrates this. After hearing of Quatre's crimes while piloting Wing Zero and even being physically attacked by him, Trowa didn't suddenly believe he'd been cruelly betrayed by a person he trusted. He displayed concern and continued to believe in Quatre because he knew the real Quatre and could recognize as well as sympathize with the pain Quatre was going through. Therefore, the chances of Trowa opening up and giving that same amount of trust or more to someone who actually isn't a kind, trustworthy person are slim to none. Rather the significant other would have had to undergo some sort of trauma that changed him or her into a cruel, manipulative person. This change would have to somehow miraculously occur without Trowa noticing it, because he wouldn't just stand by while an important person to him has suddenly stopped acting like his or her true self. Rather he would do everything possible to help said person, even if it means dying for him or her. He or she would never have the chance to brainwash and weaken him.

In conclusion, I must say that a great deal of 3x4x3 fan fiction writers have come to produce leaves me rather disappointed. Trowa really does seem to make extreme sacrifices for Quatre since even in fandom Trowa's true character is tossed aside and bastardized for the sake of "legitimizing" Quatre's balls. In turn, thanks to many fan fictions I have read that pair Trowa and Quatre together, I wound up feeling exceptionally sorry for Trowa and pretty much disliking Quatre to the point I have to remind myself that it isn't the canon content I fell in love with so that I do not automatically mutter, "fuck Quatre" followed by a quick, "no, it isn't his fault. fuck his fanatics" whenever I see content on him. Yes, I am still blaming the "Quatre Fanatics" for this, because before being overwhelmed by fan fiction that followed such unoriginal plot outlines and bastardized character concepts I actually liked Trowa and Quatre together and had no problems with Quatre whatsoever. Bravo, fanatics. Bravo.



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