Episode Zero
Many people who have read Episode Zero believe definitely that Cathrine is Trowa's real sister. However, this is not certain, and can be interpreted as not just as easily. In addition, there are many instances in OFFICIAL artbooks, guides and biographies showing that they are "lovers" and NOT siblings.
Here is a direct quote from a famous Japanese doujinshi author on the subject of Trowa x Cathrine:
"...your opinion about EPISODE ZERO was interesting.(As Wufei and Sally fan, I also have complex feeling for it. ) Looks like, most of English fanfic writers describing Trowa and Catherine as sister and brother. First time, I thought it is very strange. We Japanese GW fans positioning EPISODE ZERO as one of possibilities. It is not absolutely correct. Besides, no one said Trowa and Cathrine have blood relation. Maybe so, but maybe not. There are lots of possibilities in the world. Personally, I love Trowa and Cathrine as a couple!^_^"
~Shie Onodera~
In Japan, where Gundam Wing was created, the fans and creators don't believe that they are blood brother and sister absolutely. When they read our fan fictions, they find it strange that many American fans make all their stories having Trowa & Cathrine as relations definitely.
Please view below the scan from the Episode Zero manga along with the text beside it below:
This states "...the truth is unclear" and "...there is a possibility".
That is far from definite and so we choose to opt that they are NOT siblings. As an additional argument, it would have been impossible for Trowa to live from a 2 year old to a 4 year old with no care after "falling" from the wagon. If that was Trowa, how did he exist? Where did he eat? Where did he live? The mercenaries found him when he was 4. He supposedly fell from the circus wagon when he was 2. Where was he in those 2 inbetween years if that was him? It would have been impossible for him to exist as a tiny 2 year old toddler until four years old just wandering around aimlessly by himself! Therefore, we believe that the little boy who fell from the circus wagon was indeed Triton Bloom, Cathrine's real little brother---who is NOT our Trowa. That real brother must have died when he fell from the wagon, as both their parents did. But Trowa could not have been that 2 year old child who fell, as he was found at the age of 4 by mercenaries, two whole years later! He just couldn't have lived without care all that time! Wouldn't you agree that is reasonable to assume? No 2 year old can live on his own. That is just one of the reasons why we don't believe Trowa is Cathrine's brother.
Main Reasons
1)Episode Zero reason stated above
2)In 2 official Japanese Gundam Wing art books, they asked each pilot's seiyuu which character on the show was their "love interest/sweetheart". Trowa replied "Cathrine, of course. She is the best girl."
3)On the "Secret Operation" Official Cassette Voice Drama, the pilots gave a love call, morning call, etc and both Trowa and Duo stated that Trowa's were directed at "Cathrine". Duo even asked Trowa directly after one of these fond messages "Isn't Cathrine looking for something with a more personal touch?"
4)In the OFFICIAL Endless Waltz 1/100 Model Kit of Heavyarms Custom and Trowa Barton figure there is a booklet/manual included with the kit. In this book, it says: "In order to never lose the one he loves, he throws himself fully into this battle so that he may once again return to that home." The "love" used was "aisuru" which is Japanese for "in love with" or "loves". This is NOT the norm for what siblings say to each other, it is what people in love say.
5)In Episode 39, just before Trowa is about to be shot down by mobile dolls, the very last word he utters and thinks about is "Cathrine..." How many brothers do you know would call out fondly for their sister at the second of their demise? ^^
6)In the Gundam Wing Manga, Book 2, there is a scene between Trowa & Cathrine that can be viewed as a "kiss." If you are a fan of old 30s and 40s movies, you'll know that whey they just show 2 people's legs close together or hidden behind a pillar with the man's hat or the woman's purse dropped to the ground, etc, they mean to denote that a kiss just happened between the pair that the audience isn't privy to. It's a film "trick" and very sweet. It's a demure and cute way of showing a "kiss scene". Anyway, in GW Manga, Book 2, this appears to be what's going on for Tro & Cath. Please view the picture HERE for details. You see, in the last scenes, we see that Trowa had taken Cathrine by the shoulders to try to calm her down. Then, in the final scene, we just see their legs, quite close together, and Trowa's clown mask dropped and no dialogue. Going by the precedent of many old films, this denotes that a kiss is happening between them. Very sweet!
7)In the officially licensed artbook "Gundam W Party", there is a "Couple Contest" in which GW fans vote for their favorite couple on the series. The couples involved were: Treize x Une, Heero x Relena, Zechs x Noin and....Trowa x Cathrine! Look at one of the book's winners HERE!
8)I've been told by Japanese friends that Trowa's calling of Cathrine "Sis/Neesan" during his amnesia and then back to "Cathrine" after he regains his memory is significant to their relationship. In Japan, when a man calls a woman by her name, he is thinking of her as a woman and not as a relation. For example, brothers would never call their sister by their name, by as "Nee san" or "Nee chan" and that goes for almost all relatives, whether cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. All relatives have a title given to them in place of their real name. Now, when Trowa first meets Cathy, he calls her "Cathrine", just as he ought to, for she is just a girl to him. No relation. Then, when he has amnesia, she tells him to call her "Nee san (sis)" which he does all the time he has amnesia. Finally, when he recovers, immediately regaining his memory, he goes back to calling her "Cathrine"---meaning he no longer considers her as a sister, but as a woman whom he cares for. This shows that Trowa himself doesn't consider her his "sister" and only did so during his amnesia because she advised him to. When he regained his senses, he remembered his true feelings for her and could not bring himself to call her "Sis" any longer. ^^
For these and other reasons, we believe that Cathrine is NOT Trowa's real sister.
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This is all explained in detail in our ongoing novel "Neverending Story", which is the continuing saga of the GW characters starting from the end of Endless Waltz.
To read how we explain Trowa's scar, Cathrine's parents & brother, along with all the other characters, please read our story found on this site under the section "Novel: NeverEnding Story". Thank you!!!
