The stern pilot of the Shenlong Gundam is the proud offspring of a legendary warrior clan, who were exiled from China to a decrepit space colony by a fearful government. Wufei adheres to a strict code of honor and justice, seeking to protect the weak and punish the guilty. But his pride is something of a weak point - when pushed too far, Wufei's huge ego has a tendency to break.

Unlike the other Gundam pilots, even the relatively antisocial Heero and Trowa, Wufei prefers to operate alone and frequently seems to have a better idea what's going on than his blundering fellows. His only companion is his Gundam, which he calls "Nataku" after the Chinese mythological hero.

The pilot of the Gundam Deathscythe, Duo is as jolly and happy-go-lucky as Gundam pilots get. He persists in offering his friendship to the initially hostile Heero, eventually winning his antisocial comrade's trust through sheer persistence. But despite his friendly nature, Duo earns his "God of Death" nickname when he takes on Alliance and OZ soldiers in battle.

Prior to Operation Meteor, Duo was part of the spacegoing salvage organization known as the Sweeper Group, and on Earth he is assisted by the Sweepers' seafaring kinsfolk. When there is a lull in the fighting, Duo happily returns to his salvage-merchant's trade. He is distinguished by his black wardrobe, his yard-long braided ponytail, and his minister's collar.

The pilot of the Wing Gundam and Wing Zero, the boy known as Heero is the most grim and serious of the Gundam pilots. His true name is unknown, but for this mission of revenge he has been code-named after the martyred leader of the space colonies. Raised by the scientist Doctor J, Heero has been trained since childhood to be a ruthless killing machine, equally proficient in mobile suit piloting, personal combat, demolitions, and computer hacking.

Though Heero's upbringing hasn't quite managed to squeeze all the compassion out of him, he is nonetheless callous towards his allies, and cold-blooded towards his enemies, and almost suicidally careless of his own life. His unexpected reluctance to kill Relena, after she discovers his identity, is the first step in Heero's gradual reclamation of his own humanity.

The friendly, empathetic pilot of the Gundam Sandrock, Quatre is unusually tender-hearted for a Gundam pilot. He is the only son of a wealthy family of space colony builders, with 29 older sisters and a stern pacifist father who disapproves of his going into combat. Though Quatre himself abhors bloodshed, he feels compelled to fight to protect his loved ones.

While Quatre lacks the fighting prowess and ruthlessness of his fellow Gundam pilots, he does have excellent family connections, almost unlimited cash, and a troop of forty loyal underlings at his disposal. His gentle personality quickly wins over his fellow Gundam pilot Trowa Barton, and he eventually becomes the de facto leader of the Gundam pilots.

Relena is the pampered adoptive daughter of an Earth Alliance minister, and the undisputed queen bee of her posh private school. However, she yearns for something more in her well-ordered life, and her chance encounter with Gundam pilot Heero Yuy soon provides exactly the kind of excitement she'd been longing for - plus an element of dangerous flirtation.

Early in the story, Relena's dying foster father reveals her real identity: she is the daughter of King Peacecraft of the Sanc Kingdom, spirited away to safety when the kingdom was razed by Alliance troops. Relena soon decides to continue the pacifist work of her true parent, and becomes a leading advocate for peace and nonviolence in an increasingly chaotic world.

The pilot of the gun-toting Gundam Heavyarms, the boy who calls himself Trowa is the most mysterious of the Gundam pilots. Calm, cool, and detached, he seldom speaks and never smiles. Trowa falls in with a travelling circus troupe as cover for his terrorist mission, finding employment as the world's most dispassionate clown. Trowa is a gifted and fearless acrobat, and these abilities also prove useful in his alternate occupation as a Gundam pilot.

Despite his youth, Trowa is an experienced professional soldier. His preferred combat tactic is to stand his ground and spray the battlefield with an endless hail of bullets, though every now and then he'll dispatch an enemy with his acrobatic trademark move - a mid-air triple spin, ending in a deadly knife slash.

The man who would become Zechs Merquise was originally born Milliardo Peacecraft. He was the son of King Peacecraft of the Sank Kingdom and is also the brother of Relena Darlian/Peacecraft. He wore a mask to conceal his identity while in the OZ organizaiton and is sometimes referred to as the "Lightning Count" for his battle prowess.

He has given up the right to rule the Sank Kingdom because of too much blood on his hands due to his actions. He regards Heero as a worthy adversary and at one point rebuilds the destroyed Wing Gundam so that they may again battle one day.

Note: Most of Zechs motives are revealed in episode 46.