OVA
Description
Dekim Barton is a central antagonist in the sequel story, known as the mastermind behind the original Operation Meteor and the leader of the Mariemaia Army. He is the paternal figure of the Barton Foundation, acting as the grandfather of Mariemaia Khushrenada and the father of the original Trowa Barton. His primary role in the narrative is that of a puppet master, seeking to conquer the Earth Sphere by exploiting his granddaughter's lineage as the daughter of the late Treize Khushrenada to rally former OZ soldiers to his cause.
Before the events of the main series, Dekim Barton served as a top aide to the pacifist colonial leader Heero Yuy. After Yuy was assassinated by Odin Lowe, Dekim tracked down and killed the assassin, but this act did not quench his thirst for revenge, which he then redirected into a deep-seated hatred for Earth itself. He faked his own death and began amassing power, funding a team of scientists to develop the five Gundams for a plan called Operation Meteor. This original plan was far more genocidal than what was ultimately carried out in the television series, involving the dropping of a space colony onto Earth to kill billions, after which the Gundams would be used to seize control. The scientists, repulsed by the plan's cruelty, rebelled against Dekim and allowed the Gundams to be taken by other colonial rebels, forcing him to go into hiding.
Dekim Barton's personality is defined by a ruthless, sociopathic drive for power and a cynical social Darwinist worldview. He operates under the belief that might makes right, that the victor of any conflict dictates history, and that the public will inherently obey whoever holds power. Despite claiming to act in the memory of Heero Yuy, Dekim's true motivation is revealed to be a selfish ambition for world domination, viewing the pursuit of revenge as a mere justification for his own tyranny. He holds an utter disregard for human life, including that of his own family, whom he sees as nothing more than tools to be used and discarded.
His most significant relationship is with his granddaughter, Mariemaia. Dekim raised her from a young age specifically to serve as a figurehead and a symbol for his new army, indoctrinating her to believe she was fulfilling her father's will. He has no genuine affection for her, treating her as a replaceable pawn. This is starkly illustrated when she takes a bullet meant for Relena Darlian, and Dekim responds not with concern but with a callous declaration that he can simply create another Mariemaia. He also has a notable relationship with the Gundam Scientists, who ultimately betrayed him when they could not abide by the scale of his intended colony drop. The original Trowa Barton was his biological son, who was killed while trying to report the scientists' betrayal, leading to a nameless orphan adopting the Trowa Barton identity.
In the story of Endless Waltz, Dekim emerges from hiding after the conflicts of the Eve Wars have ended and the Earth Sphere has embraced total pacifism. Exploiting this disarmament, he launches a coup using the Mariemaia Army, kidnapping Vice-Foreign Minister Relena Darlian and occupying the ESUN capital of Brussels. He threatens to execute the original Operation Meteor by dropping Colony X-18999 onto Earth unless his demands are met. As the Gundam pilots and the Preventers mount a counter-offensive and the civilian population rises up against him, Dekim becomes increasingly unhinged. When his plans fall apart, he attempts to force Mariemaia to execute Relena, and then tries to do so himself. His development throughout the story is less about change and more about the full, disturbing revelation of his true nature. He is consumed by his obsession, ultimately abandoned by his ideals and his followers.
Dekim Barton does not pilot a mobile suit himself, so his abilities are not combat-oriented but rather political and strategic. His notable abilities lie in long-term manipulation, resource acquisition, and psychological control. He successfully financed the creation of the powerful Gundams and the Serpent mobile suit army. His primary skill is his ability to corrupt and twist the noble ideals of others, such as Heero Yuy and Treize Khushrenada, to further his own despotic agenda, using them as a mask for his naked ambition. This talent for manipulation allows him to build a private army and almost succeed in conquering the Earth Sphere through cunning rather than personal martial prowess. His end comes when this mask finally slips, and a soldier who had been loyal to the ideals of Treize shoots him for being a traitor to those very principles.
Before the events of the main series, Dekim Barton served as a top aide to the pacifist colonial leader Heero Yuy. After Yuy was assassinated by Odin Lowe, Dekim tracked down and killed the assassin, but this act did not quench his thirst for revenge, which he then redirected into a deep-seated hatred for Earth itself. He faked his own death and began amassing power, funding a team of scientists to develop the five Gundams for a plan called Operation Meteor. This original plan was far more genocidal than what was ultimately carried out in the television series, involving the dropping of a space colony onto Earth to kill billions, after which the Gundams would be used to seize control. The scientists, repulsed by the plan's cruelty, rebelled against Dekim and allowed the Gundams to be taken by other colonial rebels, forcing him to go into hiding.
Dekim Barton's personality is defined by a ruthless, sociopathic drive for power and a cynical social Darwinist worldview. He operates under the belief that might makes right, that the victor of any conflict dictates history, and that the public will inherently obey whoever holds power. Despite claiming to act in the memory of Heero Yuy, Dekim's true motivation is revealed to be a selfish ambition for world domination, viewing the pursuit of revenge as a mere justification for his own tyranny. He holds an utter disregard for human life, including that of his own family, whom he sees as nothing more than tools to be used and discarded.
His most significant relationship is with his granddaughter, Mariemaia. Dekim raised her from a young age specifically to serve as a figurehead and a symbol for his new army, indoctrinating her to believe she was fulfilling her father's will. He has no genuine affection for her, treating her as a replaceable pawn. This is starkly illustrated when she takes a bullet meant for Relena Darlian, and Dekim responds not with concern but with a callous declaration that he can simply create another Mariemaia. He also has a notable relationship with the Gundam Scientists, who ultimately betrayed him when they could not abide by the scale of his intended colony drop. The original Trowa Barton was his biological son, who was killed while trying to report the scientists' betrayal, leading to a nameless orphan adopting the Trowa Barton identity.
In the story of Endless Waltz, Dekim emerges from hiding after the conflicts of the Eve Wars have ended and the Earth Sphere has embraced total pacifism. Exploiting this disarmament, he launches a coup using the Mariemaia Army, kidnapping Vice-Foreign Minister Relena Darlian and occupying the ESUN capital of Brussels. He threatens to execute the original Operation Meteor by dropping Colony X-18999 onto Earth unless his demands are met. As the Gundam pilots and the Preventers mount a counter-offensive and the civilian population rises up against him, Dekim becomes increasingly unhinged. When his plans fall apart, he attempts to force Mariemaia to execute Relena, and then tries to do so himself. His development throughout the story is less about change and more about the full, disturbing revelation of his true nature. He is consumed by his obsession, ultimately abandoned by his ideals and his followers.
Dekim Barton does not pilot a mobile suit himself, so his abilities are not combat-oriented but rather political and strategic. His notable abilities lie in long-term manipulation, resource acquisition, and psychological control. He successfully financed the creation of the powerful Gundams and the Serpent mobile suit army. His primary skill is his ability to corrupt and twist the noble ideals of others, such as Heero Yuy and Treize Khushrenada, to further his own despotic agenda, using them as a mask for his naked ambition. This talent for manipulation allows him to build a private army and almost succeed in conquering the Earth Sphere through cunning rather than personal martial prowess. His end comes when this mask finally slips, and a soldier who had been loyal to the ideals of Treize shoots him for being a traitor to those very principles.