TV-Series
Description
Aaron Burroughs is a soldier who appears in the anime Gunslinger Stratos: The Animation. He is introduced as a man who looks identical to a corpse that the protagonist, Tohru, encountered in the first episode. Burroughs is not an ordinary soldier because he has already done what the central conflict of the series demands of its main characters: he has killed his own doppelganger from a parallel world. In the world of the anime, individuals face the disturbing prospect of fighting an exact copy of themselves, and Burroughs is presented as someone who has succeeded in this perverse task, existing in a space between murder and suicide.
Originally a mercenary, Burroughs was recruited by a character known as Professor Odhner to fight in the war between two parallel worlds, Frontier S and Ward 17. His background as a hired gun informs his pragmatic and effective approach to combat. He is a character of intrigue precisely because of his unique experience, and the questions that arise from living in a world with deadly doubles are exemplified through him. When Tohru asks him how it felt to fight and kill himself, Burroughs serves as a form of dark foreshadowing for the path Tohru himself is inevitably forced to walk.
In terms of abilities, Burroughs is built for combat at various ranges. His primary weapons are a pair of mid-range energy pistols, which offer strong and accurate firing from a safer distance. For closer encounters, he can use his pistols to generate a pair of beam tonfas for melee combat, which have good range and are effective for performing combos. He also carries a fully-automatic rifle as an assault weapon to quickly wear down an enemy, though he is careful not to charge in recklessly. When the situation calls for long-range engagement, he employs a sniper rifle, which has a low firing rate and small capacity but is capable of taking down most targets with a few good shots.
The anime indicates that the version of Aaron Burroughs from the world of Frontier S dies early in the story, but his counterpart from Ward 17 continues to play a role, having been recruited to fight in the conflict. His significance to the narrative lies less in his personal journey and more in what he represents: a living example of the grim fate that awaits the characters who must confront their own doppelgangers. His success in killing his double makes him a character to watch, as his experiences and actions directly reflect the central premise of the anime.
Originally a mercenary, Burroughs was recruited by a character known as Professor Odhner to fight in the war between two parallel worlds, Frontier S and Ward 17. His background as a hired gun informs his pragmatic and effective approach to combat. He is a character of intrigue precisely because of his unique experience, and the questions that arise from living in a world with deadly doubles are exemplified through him. When Tohru asks him how it felt to fight and kill himself, Burroughs serves as a form of dark foreshadowing for the path Tohru himself is inevitably forced to walk.
In terms of abilities, Burroughs is built for combat at various ranges. His primary weapons are a pair of mid-range energy pistols, which offer strong and accurate firing from a safer distance. For closer encounters, he can use his pistols to generate a pair of beam tonfas for melee combat, which have good range and are effective for performing combos. He also carries a fully-automatic rifle as an assault weapon to quickly wear down an enemy, though he is careful not to charge in recklessly. When the situation calls for long-range engagement, he employs a sniper rifle, which has a low firing rate and small capacity but is capable of taking down most targets with a few good shots.
The anime indicates that the version of Aaron Burroughs from the world of Frontier S dies early in the story, but his counterpart from Ward 17 continues to play a role, having been recruited to fight in the conflict. His significance to the narrative lies less in his personal journey and more in what he represents: a living example of the grim fate that awaits the characters who must confront their own doppelgangers. His success in killing his double makes him a character to watch, as his experiences and actions directly reflect the central premise of the anime.