Duo Maxwell

Duo Maxwell is a supporting character in Gundam Wing.
 
==Canon==
Duo Maxwell is one of the five Gundam Pilots fighting OZ on behalf of the colonies, representing the L2 colony. He is an orphan raised first by his fellow street kid Solo and later by Father Maxwell and Sister Helen of the Maxwell Church following Solo's death of illness. When the church was destroyed during a clash between the United Earth Sphere Forces and colonial rebels, Duo was the only survivor. He was later found by Professor G and trained to be one of the Gundam Pilots.
Throughout the series, Duo acts as comic relief, making jokes and teasing his fellow pilots. At the same time, he fights fiercely for the cause, proclaiming himself to be a shinigami (Grim Reaper or God of Death in English translations) to his enemies. He treats his mobile suit as a friend. In a mobile suit, his specialty is stealth and assassination; he is also shown to have computer and mechanical skills. He is also affiliated with the initially-neutral Sweeper organization. 
In the Frozen Teardrop novel series, he marries Hilde Schbeiker and becomes the head of a church orphanage. The two later divorce over financial matters, but return to good enough terms that when Duo becomes president of the Mars Federation, Hilde is his first lady. He also adopts a child, Duo Maxwell II, who he names and then trains as a mobile suit pilot.Gundam Wiki at Fandom.com: Duo Maxwell 
==Fandom==
===Popular Tropes===
* Whump, especially involving his backstory or his capture by OZ during the series.
* Many fanworks feature Duo hiding various items, usually weapons, in his braid.
* Many fanworks portray Duo as usually speaking similarly to other characters, but falling into an L2 accent or L2 street slang when stressed. The exact nature of the accent varies from author to author.
* Some fanworks designate Duo's title of Shinigami as a persona Duo assumes, or even as a separate personality resulting from trauma or experimentation. 
* In fanworks, Duo frequently hides aspects of or even the entirety of his past, leading to an angsty or cathartic reveal.
* Many fanworks also incorporate survival sex work as a part of Duo's time on the street.
* In fanart, it is popular to give Duo wings, usually bat-like ones resembling those on Gundam Deathscythe. He may also carry a scythe weapon resembling Deathscythe's.
===Shipping===
In GW fandom's nomenclature, Duo is known by the character code 2 or 02, from the meaning of his name "Duo." Duo is considered something of a Little Black Dress for the fandom. 
Common ships include:
* Heero/Duo (1x2)
* Trowa/Duo (3x2)
* Quatre/Duo (2x4)
* Wufei/Duo (5x2)
* Zechs/Duo (6x2)
* Duo/Hilde (2xH)
* Duo/Relena (2xR)
==Example Fanworks==
===Fanfiction===
* - Heero/Duo, pseudo deathfic, complete, posted 2005
* - OC/Duo noncon and Heero/Duo, hurt/comfort, complete, posted 2009
* - Freeport colony: a notorious den of pirates, smugglers and thieves. Wufei persuades one of its denizens, his one-time ally Duo, to help him catch a killer hiding there. Agent Chang thinks he knows what to expect from this case, from Freeport and from Duo Maxwell. He couldn't be more wrong. - Duo/Wufei, slow burn, explicit, complete, posted 2017-2018
* - Seven years ago the Mariamaia Revolt failed. Seven years ago Duo Maxwell vanished. The other Pilots are still searching for him. Why did he leave? Is he still alive? The questions remain unanswered. Seven years and counting. - gen, mystery, complete, posted 2009-2010
* - Duo is isekai'd into the body of a novel's villainess character and runs with it. - Heero/Duo, transmigration, ongoing, posted 2020-2023
===Fanart===
File:Demonic duo by ladyoyuki d5mhoe-pre.jpg|alt=a monochrome image of a shirtless Duo with demon-like wings crouched low to the ground in front of a full moon.|Demonic Duo by LadyOyuki, posted 2004
File:179950 p0 master1200.jpg|alt=a monochrome sketch of Duo in his black outfit with its cassock-style collar. He is seated and smiling while stretching his arms out in front of him.|Rakugaki Duo (Duo Sketch) by ヒオ, posted 2007
File:Duo-cey.jpg|alt=	a color illustration of Duo Maxwell in profile, from the waist up. His chin rests on one or his hands, while the other hand points at a small floating heart.|Duo Maxwell by CeY, posted 2013
File:Tumblr 17510e90a96d5c3f3c7592712a558b11 74871442 400.jpg|alt=a color illustration in which Duo walks happily across the palm of Gundam Deathscythe, with its head visible behind him. He is dressed in his cassock-like black outfit, and holds a flower in one hand and a scythe resembling Deathscythe's in the other.|Here's Duo by slowedmountains, 2021
===Fanvids===
* Duo Maxwell I cant help falling in love with you by asddsa28 - audio from "Can't Help Falling in Love with You" by Elvis Presley, covered by the A*Teens, posted 2007
* Duo Maxwell - What I've Done by sad-ghost-kid - audio from "What I've Done" by Linkin Park, posted 2010
* 
===Cosplay===
File:E3ayGnXWEAMOgaf(1).png|alt=	a cosplayer dressed as Duo in his black cassock-like outfit and a black ball cap. They lean against a TV stand, with one hand extended in a peace sign. There is a Gundam Wing poster featuring Duo behind them.|Vintage 2001 cosplay of Duo Maxwell from Gundam Wing by cyborgmermaid7, posted 2023
File:20716-7364-1.jpg|alt=an image of a Duo cosplayer wearing a pair of bright yellow pajamas with orange piping and an image of Deathscythe on the pajama top. The cosplayer is seated on the ground and leaning against the wall.|Duo Maxwell (pajamas) by Scruffy Rebel, posted 2005
File:90012-cbab1f6d0a20adf6bf8e0bae590e78a4.jpg|alt=a cosplayer dressed as Duo in his black cassock-like outfit and a black ball cap. The cosplayer is leaning toward the camera with their hands in their pockets.|Duo Maxwell by BizCosplay, posted 2008
File:Duo maxwell duo by duosmexymaxwell d3a6yfh-fullview.jpg|alt=an image of a Duo cosplayer lying on the floor in front of their camera. They are wearing Duo's cassock-like black outfit with a black ballcap. Their eyes are obscured but they are grinning.|Duo Maxwell Duo by DuoSmexyMaxwell, posted 2011
===Meta===
* Duality by sarolynne - posted 2004
* The History of Duo (Gundam Wing Lore) by Kakarot197 - video, posted 2021
==Archives and Communities==
=== Fansites ===
* S H I N I G A M I : The Duo Maxwell Fanlisting, founded 2009
=== Mailing Lists ===
* Duo ML - inactive, founded 1999
* The Society for the Defence of Duo's Intelligence - inactive, founded 2000
=== Communities ===
* Duo Maxwell Fanclub at Fanpop
* Duo Maxwell Love at DeviantArt
==Links and Resources==
* Duo Maxwell at Archive of Our Own
* Duo Maxwell at Fanfiction.net
* Duo Maxwell at the Gundam Wiki at Fandom.com
* Duo Maxwell on Twitter
* Duo Maxwell on Tumblr
* Duo Maxwell on DeviantArt
* Duo Maxwell on pixiv
==References==
Category:Gundam Wing