I don't own Gundam wing. It's owned my Sunrise. Rated G.
Things I'm noticing more in GW is Trowa's kindness. Even though Quatre shows more kindness than the other pilots (it's Winner's trademark) Trowa showed it in very subtle ways, which is unusual considering his background is very similar to Heero's. Despite having a hellish childhood, with killing as all he knew, this guy can be very kind when it counts.
Point one, he was winning against Quatre, but when Quatre stopped fighting, he surrendered. This could have been a bluff to throw Quatre off and then get away, but then Trowa learned how nice this guy was.
2. He was nice to Wufei far more than he needed to be. He tried to help him defeat Treize. He backed him up. When Wufei failed he stuck by him to encourage him and took him back with him to the circus.
3. When Heero blows himself up, he was as good as dead. Trowa didn't have to pick him up and take off with him. He could have left instantly with out him, he told the others to leave from where ever they were and explained Heero's sacrifice to them. Trowa paused wondering if he had to fight Zechs before he could leave with Heero, but Zechs graciously let him go. Of course one reason is you don't leave your comrades with the enemy, even if he is dead. But I think it was more than that.
4. And the biggest showing of his kindness to others: Finding that Heero is still clinging to life by a thread, Trowa nurses him back to life. It's true you don't want you're fellow soldiers to die, but I'm guessing Heero looked doomed from the start. It was really a losing battle, but Trowa took care of this guy for a month and more. Heero wasn't even conscious for a month! Imagine taking care of someone so comatose, caring for all their needs, who has hundreds of broken bones, constantly changing their bandages, trying to feed them, cleaning them up - would you do it? I know Catherine helped him out with this a lot, but still.
5. Heero, still severely injured, wants to go around apologizing for killing innocent people. Trowa tries to convince him that he should let it go and forgive himself. Hah, not Heero, he's hoping to have someone kill him even after Trowa nursed him from the dead. Despite knowing this, Trowa sticks by this guy on his travels and watches over him. Trowa takes out Oz soldiers that are after them, while having Heero hide in safety. I must admit that Trowa learns something from Heero during this time that he lacked - strength and purpose. Trowa didn't know how to put it into action yet but that's coming.
6. Trowa wants to use the strength he gained from Heero in the wrong way. He still wants an easy death for the emptiness he feels and is sure going out like Heero is the way to do it. This really isn't part of his kindness, but more of Catherine. But it's the first major turning point for Trowa, because he cared enough of what Catherine thought of him, to not kill himself. He left Catherine, certain he would never see her again, but her love for him gave him some hope. He still wouldn't let her get into his heart - yet, which may be one of the reasons why he took Heero and left. Like Heero, having someone so interested in his welfare was a mystery to him.
7. The Zechs period. I'm amazed at how much talking he did with Zechs and Noin on behalf of Heero. The silent warrior talked more than he ever did, except for his big death speech at the end. Trowa didn't want to trust Zechs, he thought the whole fight was pointless and a waste of time (which it was), and tried to protect or accommodate Heero through the entire point they battled at Antarctica. Heero and Trowa, like Quatre and Duo spent the time of the Siberian fiasco to the point they returned to the colonies together. Roughly two months. A lot of time to get to know someone and become friends. I'll admit that Trowa didn't have as much impact on Heero as Duo did, perhaps because they were so much alike. But by the end even Heero had to admit that he cared for Trowa as a friend as much as Duo.
8. No his kindness isn't over, it just keeps growing. His death wish now gone forever, thanks to Catherine, Trowa is back at the L3 colony and his attitude shifts slightly. He infiltrates OZ to destroy it from within, (a very shrewd, intelligent plan), but complications arise as the Gundam pilots and the scientists are captured and even Zechs shows up to possibly blow his cover. He uses his position in OZ, as much as he can, to keep the others alive. He had to hurt a few of them, mainly Duo, to keep up the act of allegiance to OZ, but he filled them in on plans, new gundams, got Heero to pilot the new model and even won Lady Une over to his side completely even if she did suspect him to be a Gundam pilot. Despite how cold the others could be, no one betrayed him, not Heero, Zechs or even a skeptical Wufei. I think mainly because of his earlier kindness to them they let it go. His attitude is now of taking care of others. It was always there - buried, but realizing his strength he uses his wits and position to do what he wanted to do - care about people.
9. His death scene and the events leading up to it. Another big point on how he CAN care for others. He trusts Quatre so much that despite Heero's warnings that Quatre is not acting like himself he lets his guard down and the Vayeate is partially destroyed. Trowa wants answers, Quatre talks like a crazy person (Duh), and Heero vows to do what he does best. Kill him. Trowa tries to talk to them both to get them to stop fighting and find out what was really happening with Quatre but they both ignore him completely. Since his Gundam is severely damaged there's little he can do but watch. But when Quatre is about to kill a badly beaten Heero, Trowa takes the blast himself. His gundam about to explode, Trowa tries to fly it far enough away so that the colony will not be destroyed. Trowa has time to get away at this point, but he tries to talk to Quatre, to snap him out of his insanity. At this point Trowa is not in his death wish mode that he was in earlier in the series, at no point was he trying to die. His thoughts were on helping Quatre and Heero. He saved Heero's life. Again. He tried to snap Quatre back into himself, knowing that he could still fail to do so. In the end his thoughts were on others and not his own self pity.
10. Like Heero, he can rise again! Near the end of the series, back from the dead, and his memory restored, he kindly went out of his way to tell Wufei bluntly that he'd better be nice to Relena, or any woman if she came to the ship. Do not spout that chauvinistic garbage in front of them. Wufei's silence was telling.
11. Trowa goes back in to save Quatre. He and Duo thought Quatre might be in danger so Trowa goes to get him and destroy the ship, despite the dangers. He saves him and amazingly tells Dorothy off and leaves her to rot. Now, his kindness was saving Quatre, cause Dorothy did a good job of nearly killing him, so woman or not, Trowa wasn't thrilled with her. He could have saved her as well, but he figured she was as skilled as him, so she could survive. Perhaps it was a kindness he didn't kill her.
It's not hard to guess that Trowa is my favorite. The more I reflect on this guy and what he does in the series the more I like him. In reality this is a very difficult person to know and get close too and there's no mistaking that he is a dangerous guy to be around. But there is so much to like about Trowa Barton, and he grows as a character. Kindness is just one part of his subtle character. There are others things about him as well, his look, his bravery especially when he can't remember who he is, his voice - very nice - and the things he comes to care about. A man with problems, a mystery to even to those who care about him, yet when he speaks it is wise to listen.