TV-Series
Description
Gertrud Barkhorn, known as Trudy, is a veteran Karlsland witch and second-in-command of the 501st Joint Fighter Wing. As the second-highest-scoring ace in the Karlsland Air Force, she is vital against the Neuroi. Her familiar is a German Shorthair Pointer.
Born near Libau in Kaisersberg, she volunteered before the Neuroi invasion, graduating from the Karlsland Military Academy. Assigned first to Jagdgeschwader 2 (JG2), she later transferred to Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG52), gaining promotions and combat experience. There, she maintained a contentious relationship with subordinate Pilot Officer Marseille, who mocked her as a "hard-headed siscon."
Her younger sister Christiane suffered severe injuries during the Karlsland evacuation war, falling into a coma. This trauma triggered near-suicidal recklessness in combat and bitterness towards less fervent comrades. Her behavior stabilized after interactions with Sergeant Yoshika Miyafuji and Christiane's recovery. Trudy began visiting Christiane regularly with souvenirs, believing she hid her distress, a fact that surprised Flying Officer Juutilainen.
Commanding JG52 Gruppe II during the Gallian evacuation war, the unit disbanded under heavy losses, leaving only her and Flying Officer Erica Hartmann operational. She joined the newly formed 501st Joint Fighter Wing in June 1941 alongside Wing Commander Minna-Dietlinde Wilcke and Hartmann as a founding member. After Gallia's liberation and the 501st's temporary disbandment, she moved to Sint-Truiden, Belgica, with Wilcke and Hartmann for Karlsland recapture operations.
The third Karlsland witch to achieve 250 confirmed Neuroi kills, she earned the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. Her combat record places her among the top seven witches by shot-down count.
Stoic, rational, and disciplined, she strictly adheres to military protocols yet harbors intense passion that occasionally causes loss of situational awareness. She enforces strict standards, especially on Hartmann, sharing a longstanding but fractious camaraderie. She maintains a distinct boundary in their shared space, the "Siegfried Line"—a physical fence meant to contain Hartmann's clutter—frequently breached by Hartmann.
She exhibits a pronounced "siscon" inclination, extending protectiveness to those resembling Christiane, like Yoshika Miyafuji, or those perceived as "raised by a gentle elder sister," like Flying Officer Litvyak, contrasting with her exclusion of boisterous personalities like Lucchini or Juutilainen. Her culinary specialty is Eisbein, though she prioritizes taste only for Christiane.
Notably deficient with complex machinery, her poor driving skills are deemed dangerous, leading her to cede vehicle operation to Hartmann despite rarely relying on her otherwise. Conversely, she adapts swiftly to Striker Units, often volunteering to test experimental models without training.
Her inherent magic, "Herculean Strength" (telekinesis-lineage), grants extreme physical enhancement surpassing basic Witch strengthening. It circulates magic internally with minimal expenditure, enabling prolonged combat endurance. This allows her to wield heavy armaments, carry extra ammunition, tear iron chains, and briefly lift multi-ton steel structures. She has halted high-speed Neuroi barehanded, though the ability's upper limits remain undefined.
Beyond combat, she excels as a tactician and administrator, skilled in drafting operations, managing supplies, and allocating personnel, serving as the 501st's archivist.
Her Striker Units include the FlakWolf Fw190D-6 prototype (modified with a liquid-cooled engine), a spare Messerscharf Bf109G-6, the mass-produced Fw190D-9, and the experimental Me262V1 Jet Striker. The latter caused a crash due to a defect inducing severe magic power consumption. Her armaments typically comprise dual MG42 machine guns modified with 75-round drum magazines. She utilized MK108 cannons and BK-5 autocannons during Jet Striker testing and Panzerfäuste in the movie. Though her MG151/20 could fire high-powered mine shells, supply shortages prevented their use in the anime.
In "World Witches: Take Off!", she spearheads a film project with Charlotte and Francesca to reunite the 501st, proposing Sanya V. Litvyak's participation could aid her parent search by raising public awareness. During filming, Francesca's use of ketchup simulating blood on Sanya causes a misunderstanding that alarms Gertrud and Yoshika until the ruse is exposed.
Her development across media highlights her evolution from a trauma-driven pilot to a stabilizing force within the 501st, underscored by her mentorship of younger witches and unwavering dedication to her comrades.
Born near Libau in Kaisersberg, she volunteered before the Neuroi invasion, graduating from the Karlsland Military Academy. Assigned first to Jagdgeschwader 2 (JG2), she later transferred to Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG52), gaining promotions and combat experience. There, she maintained a contentious relationship with subordinate Pilot Officer Marseille, who mocked her as a "hard-headed siscon."
Her younger sister Christiane suffered severe injuries during the Karlsland evacuation war, falling into a coma. This trauma triggered near-suicidal recklessness in combat and bitterness towards less fervent comrades. Her behavior stabilized after interactions with Sergeant Yoshika Miyafuji and Christiane's recovery. Trudy began visiting Christiane regularly with souvenirs, believing she hid her distress, a fact that surprised Flying Officer Juutilainen.
Commanding JG52 Gruppe II during the Gallian evacuation war, the unit disbanded under heavy losses, leaving only her and Flying Officer Erica Hartmann operational. She joined the newly formed 501st Joint Fighter Wing in June 1941 alongside Wing Commander Minna-Dietlinde Wilcke and Hartmann as a founding member. After Gallia's liberation and the 501st's temporary disbandment, she moved to Sint-Truiden, Belgica, with Wilcke and Hartmann for Karlsland recapture operations.
The third Karlsland witch to achieve 250 confirmed Neuroi kills, she earned the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. Her combat record places her among the top seven witches by shot-down count.
Stoic, rational, and disciplined, she strictly adheres to military protocols yet harbors intense passion that occasionally causes loss of situational awareness. She enforces strict standards, especially on Hartmann, sharing a longstanding but fractious camaraderie. She maintains a distinct boundary in their shared space, the "Siegfried Line"—a physical fence meant to contain Hartmann's clutter—frequently breached by Hartmann.
She exhibits a pronounced "siscon" inclination, extending protectiveness to those resembling Christiane, like Yoshika Miyafuji, or those perceived as "raised by a gentle elder sister," like Flying Officer Litvyak, contrasting with her exclusion of boisterous personalities like Lucchini or Juutilainen. Her culinary specialty is Eisbein, though she prioritizes taste only for Christiane.
Notably deficient with complex machinery, her poor driving skills are deemed dangerous, leading her to cede vehicle operation to Hartmann despite rarely relying on her otherwise. Conversely, she adapts swiftly to Striker Units, often volunteering to test experimental models without training.
Her inherent magic, "Herculean Strength" (telekinesis-lineage), grants extreme physical enhancement surpassing basic Witch strengthening. It circulates magic internally with minimal expenditure, enabling prolonged combat endurance. This allows her to wield heavy armaments, carry extra ammunition, tear iron chains, and briefly lift multi-ton steel structures. She has halted high-speed Neuroi barehanded, though the ability's upper limits remain undefined.
Beyond combat, she excels as a tactician and administrator, skilled in drafting operations, managing supplies, and allocating personnel, serving as the 501st's archivist.
Her Striker Units include the FlakWolf Fw190D-6 prototype (modified with a liquid-cooled engine), a spare Messerscharf Bf109G-6, the mass-produced Fw190D-9, and the experimental Me262V1 Jet Striker. The latter caused a crash due to a defect inducing severe magic power consumption. Her armaments typically comprise dual MG42 machine guns modified with 75-round drum magazines. She utilized MK108 cannons and BK-5 autocannons during Jet Striker testing and Panzerfäuste in the movie. Though her MG151/20 could fire high-powered mine shells, supply shortages prevented their use in the anime.
In "World Witches: Take Off!", she spearheads a film project with Charlotte and Francesca to reunite the 501st, proposing Sanya V. Litvyak's participation could aid her parent search by raising public awareness. During filming, Francesca's use of ketchup simulating blood on Sanya causes a misunderstanding that alarms Gertrud and Yoshika until the ruse is exposed.
Her development across media highlights her evolution from a trauma-driven pilot to a stabilizing force within the 501st, underscored by her mentorship of younger witches and unwavering dedication to her comrades.