Po Bidau Gustang

Current

Floor of Death
Workshop

포 비더 구스트앙

Japanese Name

ポー・ビダー・グストアン (Po Bida Gusotoan)

Biographical Information

Current Status

Active

Family

Po Bidau Family

Height

183cm^[1]

Tower Information

Sobriquet

Aloof Wave^[2]

Rank

14

Position

Wave Controller

Location

43rd floor

Po Bidau Gustang (포 비더 구스트앙, Po Bidder Gustang) is the head of the Po Bidau Family, one of the 10 Great Warriors and the first living being to systematically record Shinsoo. Po Bidau Gustang is the Tower’s most famous Wave Controller and writer. Excluding the eccentrics within The Workshop, he probably knows the most about The Tower.^[1]

History

Eurasia Blossom and Gustang were lovers for a period, yet both split after the infamous Eurasia Enne Zahard incident (Enne Zahard was the daughter of Blossom and Gustang. Blossom was very opposed to her becoming a Zahard Princess).^[3] After splitting with Blossom, acting contrary to his reputation, he started to go out with different women. However, his greatest followers took his side and stated that he was acting up because the empty spot where Blossom once occupied was too big. Of course, when he went from a "nice guy" to a "bad guy", his popularity increased even more.^[1]

At some point, Gustang proposed to Zahard to choose exceptional female children who will be gradually injected with Zahard’s blood and let them compete with each other as they climb the Tower. Of all these women, the most talented of the surviving princesses would become Zahard’s wife. And thus the system of the Zahard Princesses came to be. However, as the competition intensified, the relationship between the 10 Family Heads also started to turn sour leading to discord between the Families. ^[4]

Appearance and Personality

Along with the glasses he wears to better see the flow of Shinsoo and elegant brunette hair, he’s actually quite a handsome guy. Eurasia Blossom once commented on Gustang’s good looks: “Yeah, he’s like an elegant, ancient book... the same kind that makes you yawn after reading”.^[1] In his most recent appearance, he wore a smart white tuxedo with black lapels, a dark grey shirt underneath and a black tie.

However, because of his quiet, reserved expression, most find it hard to approach him, so he’s often the "target of affections".^[1]

Image Gallery

About

Gustang and Gong Bang have a pretty close relationship. So much so that Macseth (The Great Father of Gong Bang) and Gustang often gets together to exchange stories.^[1] Because of this close relationship, there exists a rumour that says "Gustang knows the way out of the Tower".^[1] Hearing this rumour, Urek Mazino once visited Gustang to learn the way to leave the Tower. However, he left after a while with a headache and complained to Baek Ryun, “It'll be easier for me to dig my way out of the Tower with a spoon than to learn anything from that guy”.^[1]

Po Bidau Gustang is the one who pioneered the research of Shinsoo^[3] but, other than Shinsoo and the Tower, Gustang was highly interested in researching the "Guide" Position.^[1] However, the topic of the "Guide" is a highly taboo topic within the Research Association.^[1] Some believe it's because of his pride as a researcher that he doesn't want anyone else to take his research targets.

Tower of God: Part 2 - The Return of the Prince

Tower of God: Part 2 - The Workshop Battle

Before the Workshop battle began he was "coincidentally" assigned as the head of the E-rank Workshop Battle instead of a Great Teacher, overseeing everything onboard the Archimedes. He made a brief but unofficial appearance at the beginning of this arc where he could be seen smoking and sitting next to a CD player. A voice emitted from the player and asked if the man had an answer to his question. Gustang didn't answer directly, instead saying that there was still lots of time, as the game had just started.

Thorn

Gustang made another appearance, talking again with the person from the CD player. The man from the machine stated that he allowed Gustang to control the Workshop Battle however he wanted and asked him about his plan. Gustang replied that he will watch how the boy dealt with the hardships as long as the competitors didn't cross the line while seeing how strong the "real Thorn" got when it was in the hands of an Irregular.

Closure

As Androssi rescued Baam, Koon, and Rak from the dissolving solution with Bon Bon, Gustang approached Madoraco. When the latter noticed the former's presence he ordered his Rankers to withdraw and abandon the Thorn, otherwise, Gustang would destroy their trade business.

Madoraco asked when he began to play on the palm of his hand while also guessing that he was the one who gave FUG Enryu's Thorn, to which Gustang replied that he was only at Archimedes "coincidentally" as the head of the Workshop Battle in place of the Great Teacher, only restraining Madoraco for a fair game.

Later on, Gustang was discussing with his unknown associate, who then asked the Family Head "who was the 'real' Zahard's Prince that will take the Tower's last test?". Gustang replied that the person was impatient and that 'their' adventure had just begun.

Tower of God: Part 2 - The Hell Train

The Floor of Death

Gustang is revealed to be the person that helped Garam Zahard escape from the Zahard Empire by setting up the Floor of Death and keeping information away from Zahard.

Gustang appears in front of White and Karaka while they try to leave the Floor of Death with all the souls from the Spirit Room. He explains to White that in his desperation to get stronger, he bound himself to the Floor by consuming souls that were cursed. He then proceeds to remove the stolen souls from White but decides to let him live.

After having a talk with Urek about returning the souls to the Spirit Room, Gustang notices Baam and calls him Son of Arlen, claiming that he was waiting for him. With the souls safely returned, Gustang and Baam have a talk. The Family Head reveals that he knows Arlen, and that they suited each other back then, but that he has nothing to say about V, just that he's the worst person he ever met.

Gustang informs Baam that he has a test for him and in exchange, he will give him the second Thorn fragment. This test is to recover an Item from a place called the Hidden Floor. Gustang explains how the Hidden Floor works and that the Data of a Younger Zahard is protecting it.

At the end of the arc, Gustang has a conversation with a mysterious person about the events that just unfolded, saying that Urek Mazino wasn't going to be a problem. He further informs this person that he gave the second Thorn to Baam and a gift to Rachel, to whom he calls his "pawn".

Powers and Abilities

While Blossom used the Shinsoo to directly strike in battle as an “Offensive” Wave Controller, Gustang used Shinsoo to assist as a “Support” Wave Controller.^[3] He is an accomplished Wave Controller and an extremely skilled shinsoo manipulator whose battle prowess is great, although not as good as Blossom's.

He referred to himself as an "expert of science and medicine" of the Tower. He was indeed capable of curing Rachel of a deadly poison with ease.^[5]

Notes and Trivia

Gustang's sobriquet "Aloof Wave" means something like "alone but elegant", like the English term "lone wolf". An alternate translation would be "Lone Wave".
It seems Gustang loves to smoke cigarettes. He was seen at the beginning of the Workshop Battle with a plain cigarette and later on smoking a mysterious cigarette that Madoraco states it is "a top product only sold by his merchant group" and only a few can get their hands on it.
He is the first family head and the second top 20 ranked character to be shown in and directly affect the active plot of Tower of God.
"Gustang looking at Blossom" has become a comparison for envying a person's natural talent while the envious one has plenty of natural talent themselves. It has evolved to describe a man and woman in a poor relationship.^[3]
It's widely known that Gustang was both Blossom's greatest fan and hater. There are many stories floating around about the union of the two, however, most are fake. But it is a fact that a certain legal document exists in the possession of the sealed Princess, Enne Zahard, that contains a secret about the two.^[1]
SIU noted that he is an extremely influential character over the whole story, as well as a villain.^[6]

Quotes

(To White) "Still, a bug is a bug."
(To Urek Mazino) "Well.. I can sort of understand why you're behaving so strangely, since someone the size of a whale is suddenly stuck in a little fishbowl."
(To Urek Mazino) "The only pepole equal to you here are us, Ten Family Leaders and Jahad. To them, that "Wolhaiksong" or whatever little games that you play with your friends are just a deception."
(To Twenty-Fifth Baam) "You're interfering with them for nothing right now. They themselves chose to be here. Are you trying to force your opinion on them just because you don't think that was good choice?"
(To Urek Mazino) "Yes, he is. A bug that would blow away with even a sigh from you. A bug that would be crushed to death if you stomp your feet. A bug that could never ever reach the soles of your shoes no matter how high it flies. you can give a name and feel affection for it, but a bug is still just a bug."