CHARACTER ANALYSIS

By far, the persona of Duo Maxwell is one of the most complex, intricate tangled webs imaginable. Duo's character is abundant with idiosyncrasies; however his aversity to standing out.



I believe his personality consists of layers, that he tends to conceal himself behind a facade, a mask if you will. Though at times, I often speculate if he even recalls what the true being he is trying to hide is like-I think at times he becomes so wrapped up in his charade he loses sight of himself, and perhaps even what is real.



It's remarkably easy for him to mislead the rest of the world too, it is my personal opinion that he might even have it to an art form. The mask he dons is so cleverly crafted, the smile seared on too perfectly.



I surmise the reason he professes this false appearance is to deceive others from getting close to him, to protect himself from getting emotionally hurt, to project the image that he believes others want to see, to pretend that everything is okay, so perhaps it might be, and maybe also that he has being doing so for such a lengthy period of time, he has gotten accustomed to it.



One must look intensely close, for some occasions, you briefly see an occasion where the mask slips persay, for example when he averred absently in Hilde's presence that he wondered what true peace was like, whereas Hilde gaped at him, he quickly dismissed it and shrugged the notion off.



If you pay special attention, at certain instances you can see a distance, a sadness reflected deep in his eyes. I have also noticed, Duo has some of the most profound, communicative facial expressions at times. I believe he has a kind heart, and he feels emotions very acutely.




Quips, wiles, and jests, a professed carefree demeanor with a laid back, nonchalant attitude, one would never suspect something was amiss, right? I do think on some surface level Duo is an easygoing individual, but I also fervently believe he conceals his feelings of despondency, cynicism, and despair. Rarely does he allow these feelings to surface, and if at all, in small degrees that are difficult to correctly comprehend or register.



There is no question that Duo has had a difficult life, that is evident. The tragedy of his past probably still haunts him, and gnaws at his mind. From a young age, it is almost as if he had escaped from one nightmare to another, and never had an opportunity to cope with the grief over the loss of his loved ones. For most of his life, Duo's standard of living was bent on survive, since he grew up on the streets of L2 fending for himself.



I think he was wounded emotionally over the Maxwell Church tragedy, Solo's Death, and being autonomous for such an extended period of time, that he decided to conceal these emotions, burying them deep down inside of himself, so he could pick up and carry on, as there isn't a substantial amount of time for grieving when you're trying to survive on your own. I believe this disrupted the healing process, thus never enabling Duo to mend.



Duo never had a normal childhood, and I also think that emotionally stunted him so to speak, he is adept in manners of taking care of himself, but I do think it would be hard for him to adjust to a said normal life after the War. I always loathe when Duo is regarded as being immature, when in fact I think that is absurdly false.



I believe Duo is incredibly mature for his age when it comes down to it. True, he can be rather cocky and somewhat brazen at times in battle and other such occaisons, but I speculate that is because he is confidant in his abilities. Duo has had such trauma early in his life, which probably aged him from the inside out. From a psychological standpoint, when a child is very young, the first five years of its life are the most influential.



Duo was taught from an early age to take care of himself, and help to take care of the other orphans in his group, and probably living with the constant fear of not knowing if he would be alive next week. Essentially, that is just it, Duo has never had anything constant in his life-not love, security, protection, and every personage he had cared about has died.



Sadly, I think as Duo aged he would disbelieve in such cherished elements, and probably blame himself for the loss of such individuals as Solo, Sister Helen, and Father Maxwell, carrying that weight with him, like a wraith haunting his step.




So Duo hides his wounds, wounds that he never allowed to heal. I also think he has a stigma with being considered weak, as he has always had to rely on himself, and had to be strong. Duo uses his smile as a disarming mechanism; if he believes he is okay, perhaps things will be okay, and if he can convince others of this, all the better. Which brings me to my next topic.



On many incidents, Duo has declared that he does not lie, which is only partly true. Duo does not orally lie, he uses deception, which can be considered lying. Also, he inadvertently lies to himself. I believe underneath it all, Duo has a fear of loneliness, since he has lost all he has cared for in his past. As well it is depressingly ironic, since in a way he creates his own loneliness by not allowing others to get close to him, and insisting on being so fiercely independent and doing things his own way.



No doubt about it, Duo is tough, rough around the edges. You see, he has had to be throughout his life. But beneath that, he has a heart of gelatinous mush, so to speak. Which is all the more reason why he must protect himself. I think behind his rugged exterior, he can be quite sensitive. He longs for true peace, and possesses to some degree an idealistic mind, though he is a realist-Duo knows how harsh and cruel the world is, but that does not stop him from hoping for something better.



Duo is also witty, and extremely intelligent. It is sheer folly to assume otherwise, of course he would be wise, he would have to be for surviving so long on his own. I also believe Duo possesses an inquisitive mind, and would be intrigued with history and literature despite his distaste for organized schooling. Moving on to his sense of humor, one might say it is somewhat dry, with a sarcastic edge. I admire this aspect of his persona, despite his hardships he has still retained his humor.



Duo has a mechanical mind, he tends to see things for what they are, and desires to fix problems and help others when he can. Duo also has a flair for repair work, making him an excellent mechanic.




Though some may regard his ability at being an expert pick pocket as not a valuable trait, though his knack for being stealthy aids him later as a Gundam pilot. Duo is skilled in terms of physical combat, and his piloting capabilities are almost flawless. Though, Duo can sometimes be rather impulsive, shooting first and thinking later. I feel it also imperative to add he has somewhat of a temper, and when he truly becomes irate, he is in his most ominous form.



But beneath this, Duo is truly a caring, generally decent human being. He cares for others, and is willing to sacrifice his own desires and needs to protect those he deems worthy of defending. Duo would honor protecting those he cares about, it would give him a sense of purpose and strength, to momentarily chase away his feelings of being empty and emotionally weak.



For reasons I can speculate from the series, I think Duo would be courteous and respectful to women. Yet, to be put bluntly, Duo does not take shit from anyone, female or not. If provoked, he would verbally defend himself. But I do not see him ever striking a female willingly.



It can also be inferred that Duo has something of a morbid streak to his personality, taking on the surname the God of Death and garbing himself in black. Perhaps this is true, though I believe he assumed the of the God of Death because he saw it fit, and most likely blaming himself for his deceased loved ones. In a way Duo believes he was death, as anyone that got close to him passed away.



In the same sense, I also think Duo fears Death, as he has a strong will to live. But he has proven time again that he would willingly sacrifice his life in battle for what he believes in and for the sake of who he was protecting. Duo does not believe in a Christian God, he has said so himself. Instead, he averred he believed only in the God of Death. Duo has seen mostly tragedy and despair in his short life, Not miracles. He would have no reason to believe in a some said righteous supreme being. Itt is the little nuances of his attire, such as the braid, the ensemble resembling more joyous times with the Maxwell Church.



Duo is also fiercely dedicated to his mission, to protect the Colonies and fight for their freedom. Throughout the series he never wavers from this goal. Duo has a strong appreciation for human life, as he vowed to protect the innocent citizens of the colonies.



Though in the end, I think he will eventually become chagrined when he realized the amount of lives he had to take to try and achieve that goal, and will probably end up blaming himself for it. Duo's emotional burdens weigh heavy on his mind, he sought to be a soldier to ensure peace and prosperity for the populace, so others would not have to suffer as he had, but I think he will struggle greatly to find a place for himself in this new world he helped create.



And with his task complete, and life more mundane, Duo will have sufficient time for the pain of his past to eventually catch up with him, and finally facing that may even be too much for him, though one can hope he would find some way to cope with the lament of his past, and his depression.




It is my belief that Duo also deeply yearns for a place he can call home. Not merely just a house or residence, but a sense of stability, a beacon to call to him and give him sanctuary and refuge. For only a short time in his tumultuous existence, Duo was able to claim that he had a home. Yet after the Maxwell Church tragedy, his way of life reverted once more to the way of wandering orphan and as he aged, traveling nomad.



I don't think Duo would prefer his life to be based upon such chaotic circumstances. Latently, he desires love and acceptance, yet I believe he deems himself unworthy and undeserving of such lofty concepts. After the war, Duo hopes to find a place to belong, stability.



Yet, I am unsure if he would know how to pursue it, or if he would ever belong in the world anywhere. In all honesty, I do not think Duo knows how to live, but to survive. Following the War, he would most likely continue to wander, or succumb to lose himself in mundane everyday life. Duo has a sweet strong soul, however battered and bruised. But deep down, I doubt he would percieve his fortitude for I truly believe his inner insecurities and vulnerabilities would get in the way of his ability to view himself correctly.



As I've said, Duo does not want to be alone, I think he would secretly detest it. He avowed to fight alone because he saw it as the proper thing to do, but that does not necessarily mean he would or did not welcome the aid of the other Gundam pilots. He desires companionship, for others to potentially understand him, yet I firmly believe he would be reluctant ever to reach out for it, allow his mask to shatter.

He does not want others to see his scars, exposed nerves of frailty. Aid in other areas he may accept, but assitance to cope, to heal, I believe he would allow himself to stumble and fall before he reached out for help. Duo requires love, for someone strong to empathize with him, and draw him from his shell so that he can find the faith to believe in love once more and to believe in himself. Perhaps he would not even be aware of this fact himself. Especially, before Duo can allow himself to love others again, he must learn to accept himself, weaknesses and all. Yet, the love of Duo Maxwell is difficult to obtain, he has a pure heart and once he decides to care for someone that deeply, he would never falter from it.



In conclusion, it is my personal belief that Duo is a treasure; his kindess reflect his humanity. Duo is a paradox; hard to fathom and interpret. Duo is vibrant; he has a strong soul but a tender heart. Duo is often melancholy; his pain runs deep yet undetected. Yet for all his flaws, his spirit still shines beautifully.