Like every other anime character both popular and obscure, Relena has her share of fans and avid haters. Of the latter, there seems to be large numbers of them in fandom, many of whom are bitterly angry towards her for various reasons.

I neither like nor dislike this character with any extreme prejudice or bias. Instead, I prefer to analyze her from an objective standpoint. So while her constant pleas for Heero Yuy to kill her (even a character this extreme ought to have some amount of self-preservation) is disturbing, I feel that there are some positive things that can be said about her.

In the first place, even though she's only fifteen and even though she undoubtedly wants Heero Yuy as her love interest, she does manage to show plenty of pluck and courage. She's not afraid to go out and get what she wants, whether it's Heero Yuy's attention, or fighting to uphold her beliefs. Trying to promote and defend pacifism while being almost completely surrounded by dissenters and plotters is not for the faint of heart and throughout the show, Relena repeatedly shows the viewer that she's willing to stand by her convictions, even if that means placing herself in danger.

There's also her obvious compassion, which manifests itself on both a small and a grand scale. When OZ attacked her school during a dance party, she showed concern in getting her friends to safety, even attempting to calm their panic with encouraging words. How many people, of whatever age, would be able to maintain their presence of mind and act without selfishness during a situation fraught with danger? Not very many. Not that you or I can be blamed for wanting to save our skins if we were to find ourselves in a similar situation, but her reaction to the calamity was admirable. And when it came to larger concerns, she was prepared to sacrifice and compromise if it meant that lives would be saved, which is most likely the reason why she agreed to become Queen Relena in the first place.

Finally, there's evidence that her character does grow and mature later on, and this evidence can clearly be seen in Endless Waltz. By the time this last installment to the Gundam Wing saga rolls around, Relena has managed to change and in my opinion, change for the best. Thougn it's obvious that she'll always love Heero, gone is the starry-eyed teenage gushing over a crush. What's striking is that her character has managed to acquire a quiet strength and dignity, something that, at her age, isn't easy to develop (with pardonable reason). Watch how she behaves in this final chapter, and compare it to her behavior in the previous shows: Relena has truly grown up.

Copyright © 2004 Vicky Thripp. All rights reserved. Distribution of any kind is prohibited without the written consent of Vicky Thripp.