Duo is the happy-go-lucky pilot, the one who is always smiling or joking. Well, almost always anyways. Duo's tragic past has caused him to take on the title, and roll, of Shinigami, or The God of Death. Duo seems to be a very simple character, but I think his humourous attitude is just a mask to hide behind, so that he won't get hurt again. But, before we go into that, we have to learn about his past.

Duo is an orphan, his real parents are unknown, but he grew up in the L2 sector. When he was young he roamed with a group of street smart kids, stealing food for a living, etc. His best friend was Solo, at that time Duo didn't have a name. Solo got sick and died, Duo was unable to get the money to pay for the cure. After Solo's death he named himself Duo, so that he would never be alone again. He went on stealing, leading a group of kids, stealing from fruit vendors for food, and military bases (I presume they sold what they stole...) His group was finally caught, and taken in by the Maxwell Church, run by Father Maxwell and Sister Helen. Sister Helen wanted to cut Duo's hair, since they didn' have enough water to wash it, but Duo wouldn't let her, and she ended up braiding it to keep it out of the way ("Neat! It'll be easier to steal without my hair getting in my way!") Duo also claimed the only God he believed in was Shinigami. When asked why, he replied "well, I've seen plenty of people die, but I've never seen a miracle", or something to that effect. The other kids were given to foster families, as was Duo, but he kept causing problems and being sent back to the church, where he would insist it wasn't him that was the problem, it was the family. Finally the Father and Sister gave up, and Duo ended up living with them. Then came a rebel attack against OZ. The church helped injured rebels, who threatened to kill Father Maxwell if he didn't get them some mobile suits. Duo ran off, saying he would get some. He did, but when he returned with them he found that the church had been destroyed. Father Maxwell went out preaching, but Duo found Sister Helen, who died in front of him, telling him how they had been worried about him. Duo took Maxwell for his last name.

Duo was found hiding in shuttle by Doctor G, he had tagged along because they had had a lot of food. Doctor G decided to make him a mobile suit pilot, the pilot of Gundam 02, Deathscythe. He called himself Shinigami when he fought. When he learned about Operation Meteor, he determined to destroy Deathscythe, all the people at its base, and himself to stop it. Fortunetely, his explosives didn't work (that seems to be a re-occuring theme with Duo, ne?) and Doctor G gave him Deathscythe, telling him to take it to Earth, but to go as Shinigami.

Duo met Heero when he was (yet again) threatening to shoot Relena. Thinking Heero was the bad guy, he promplty shot him in the arm. They later became friends, and Duo helped retrieve Wing from the ocean, where Heero had managed to crash it (that boy must have good connections with the fishies). He also offered to help Heero repair his Gundam, but Heero refused. He left, taking parts of Deathscythe with him, not to return for a few episodes. Duo, like all the other pilots, remained a lone wolf, only working with others when he had to, until towards the end of the series anyways. He is good friends with a former OZ recruit, Hilde, who he convinced to leave Oz and help him. She lives on L2, and works at the scrap yard Duo supplies with the Mobile Suits he destroys.

Duo carries a gun inside of his priest's clothes, which must be uncomfortably, but hey, it works. Other than that, he doesn't use any other hand to hand weapons, but since he connects himself with Shinigami, and since Deathscythe uses one, he is often pictured (and writted) with a scythe. His gundam, 02, is called Deathscythe, Deathscythe Custom and Deathscythe Custom Hell. It's main weapon is a Scythe, but it specialises in stealth rather then fighting. Its bat wings act as a stealth cloak, cloaking it from radar and sight when they are in use. Deathscythe is also mainly black, both for stealth and style.

Heero
Duo is the first of the pilots to meet Heero, he finds him on Earth, yet again threatening Relena [with a gun]. Duo shoots Heero before Relana can intervine. But he's okay. Duo later rescues Heero from the hospital (and Relena), brings Wing up from the bottom of the ocean where Heero dropped it, and [unknowingly] gives Heero the parts to fix it. In Endless Waltz they work together in attacking Marimaia.

Trowa
Duo doesn't know Trowa very well, although he was the one who spotted him at the circus after Trowa lost his memory. He later suggests they should whack Trowa on the head to see if it helps him remember it... O.o;;;

Quatre
Quatre tries to be the voice of reason for Duo's whackyness. Tries. He does, however, succeed in keeping Duo away from champaigne at the end of the series (hey, they're only 15, eh?)

Wufei
Duo and Wufei don't meet until Wufei saves him and Quatre from their attack-gone-wrong on an OZ base. They take off for space and repair their gundams together. They later take on Zechs (then Milliardo.)

Hilde
Duo meets Hilde when she's working for OZ, however he convinces her that OZ is bad and she leaves. She then starts running a scrap shop, which Duo supplies. She sneaks into Libra to get the pilots info on White Fang and is nearly killed. Duo and Hilde run a scrap shop at the end of Endless Waltz.