CHANG WUFEI
PILOT: GUNDAM 05 SHENLONG [ALTRON]

Note: in SnK we refer to the Gundam as Shenlong instead of Altron, though it is the upgraded version

Of all the pilots, Wufei is the most dangerous hand-to-hand. His piloting and targeting skills leave something to be desired, however, and that's no surprise, since he wasn't supposed to be the pilot of Shenlong in the first place (gives you some new respect for Meilan, if the scientists thought her piloting skills were up to level with the other Gundam pilots). In comparison to the other pilots, Wufei's piloting is most like Duo's in that they both like to come in with a bang and sweep the opposition away before they're ready. However, he has none of the pure raw skill that Duo has. If he had more time to prepare and train for flying, perhaps he would have come into the fight with a leveler head.

Wufei has the born instinct of a martial artist and swordsman, and that translates over into his piloting, but in space, sword technique has limited value. He moves in fluid spurts and stops just as a swordsman would in sword-to-sword combat. Especially later in the series, this technique is effective earlier in the battle but not later, simply because it works for annihilating front line troops but has no impact on those coming in from behind with the heavier firepower.


QUATRE RABERBA WINNER
PILOT: GUNDAM 04 SANDROCK [KAI]

Quatre is the brains of the pilots. As Zechs said in the last battle when moving to attack him, taking out the head of the team is the most effective way to win, and he's unquestionably the Gundams' strategist. He seems to be the best at calculation and concentration (possibly with the exception of Heero at times) and these talents combined with his uchuu no kokoro (which may even let him predict what will happen) make Quatre a dangerous force intellectually on the battlefield. In the last few episodes, as he directs the Gundams in battle, it's obvious he knows what he's doing. The Zero system, when installed in Sandrock, served to enhance his concentration, but Quatre has the innate ability of a strategist, which is why he probably uninstalled the Zero system in the end, realizing that he didn't need it.

Quatre ranks with Wufei among the weaker pilots, but this is less of a problem for him than it is for Wufei. Unlike Wufei, he realizes this and usually stays in the back directing, using his Gundam only when necessary. The double scythes that Sandrock is equipped with are great for close hand-to-hand combat but lousy for a regular space battle. Compared to the other pilots, Quatre flies cautiously, never jumping into the fray when he can avoid it, and using force usually only when he is certain that he can handle it. The few times he has tried to take on the enemy by himself, he goes in with the full knowledge that he is at a disadvantage.


TROWA BARTON
PILOT: GUNDAM 03 HEAVYARMS [KAI]

Trowa's piloting reflects both his excellent observation skills and his lack of ability to innovate. He's a wonderful pilot, low-key but with a sharp, quick mind and a knack for judging the fighting techniques of others. He makes an effort to understand each machine he flies before he flies it, thus boosting his ability to interact with the mobile suit's systems. This is what makes him a successful test pilot for the Vayeate. Trowa seems to also have picked up some strategy from Quatre later in the series; during the last few battles, it is he who holds the group together and makes some good observations when Quatre is unable to.

However, his combat skills are next to nonexistent, though this is in part due to the Gundam he flies. Heavyarms isn't named that for no reason - Trowa's Gundam is more of a heavy artillery backup support than anything that could make it on the front lines. Heavyarms is the "tank" of the group. At a distance, its firepower makes it a formidable target simply because of its sheer scope, and while on Earth, it was easy for him to just stand there and blast through everything in his path. In space, however, Trowa becomes pretty much a sitting duck. His heavy cannons are no match for the agility of any mobile suit in zero-g, even a mobile doll. However, Heavyarms is a good match for Trowa because it saves him the extra energy of having to form a combat strategy. Unlike the other pilots, all Trowa has to do is start shooting. Trowa is able to fly other, less heavily armed mobile suits, as shown with his piloting ability in Vayeate and Wing Zero, but both of them seem to slow his reaction time in combat.


DUO MAXWELL
PILOT: GUNDAM 02 DEATHSCYTHE [HELL]

Duo's piloting reflects his flamboyant personality. Along with Wufei, he is the one who is most likely to be put in on the front lines because he goes in with all guns blazing. Duo's piloting style is strong and direct, reminiscent of a cavalry charge on a battlefield. His reflexes seem to be the quickest out of all the pilots, as shown when he fights and defeats the mobile dolls Mercurius and Vayeate by simply moving too fast for them to catch him. From his agile, smooth, and lightning-quick piloting as well as his love for all things stealth, it can be assumed that he is good at infiltration and covert operations as well.

However, Duo's weakness is that once on the battlefield, he loses sight of the big picture. He usually goes in blindly, focused only on attacking when he sees in front of him, and loses sight of any dangers further off. Because his Gundam's weapon is the long scythe, Duo's range of vision is usually limited to what he can see directly around him. It usually takes him a while to realize the full scope of the battle, which leads him to many close calls.


HEERO YUY
PILOT: GUNDAM 01 WING [ZERO]

Heero is the one pilot that has mastered all the skills needed to be an efficient fighting machine. He is neither the best pilot nor the best backup nor the best strategist nor the best hand-to-hand fighter, but he is very very good at everything that he does. Quatre might be better at strategy, but Heero always has a clear concept of the mission and the battle before he joins in the fighting and has trained himself to disregard anything that might obstruct his pursuit of the mission objective. His piloting skills are hard to beat, and even though Duo has more raw talent, Heero's flying is more fine-tuned and honed to perfection. His targeting skills are also incredibly accurate.

Contrary to popular belief, Heero is not invincible - he simply knows what his limits are and uses this knowledge accordingly. He has trained his reflexes and his mind to work side-by-side, creating a very deadly and accurate fighting style that is hard to decipher just because his enemy cannot guess his target. He flies like a fencer - not a swordsman, with a heavier, bulkier weapon, like Wufei or Treize, but a fencer - with a foil that is light enough and yet quick enough to be able pierce through any obstacles in his way. The only pilot that is any match for Heero is Zechs, who coincidentally has much the same fighting style.