He was chosen the most popular male character of 2006, and 2007 at Animage magazine’s annual Anime Grand Prix. His seiyū Jun Fukuyama also won the “Best Actor in a Leading Role” award for his portrayal of the character at the first Seiyū Awards in 2007.

Character planning history

While first designing the concept art design for Lelouch, the series’ original character designers CLAMP had initially conceived of his hair color as being white. Ageha Ohkawa, head writer at CLAMP, said she had visualized him as being a character to which “everyone” could relate to as being “cool”, literally, a “beauty”. During the early planning stages for Lelouch’s alter ego, Zero, CLAMP had wanted to create a mask never witnessed prior in any Sunrise series. While developing the character during the initial planning stages, the series’ core staff at Sunrise, director Gorō Taniguchi, writer Ichirō Ōkouchi, and the production team discussed numerous possible influences for the character with CLAMP, such as Kinki Kids and Tackey and Tsubasa.

Character outline

Lelouch is the son of the Emperor of Britannia, Charles zi Britannia, and the late Imperial Consort Marianne, making Lelouch the eleventh prince of the Britannian Imperial Family. He was seventeenth in line for the throne prior to his mother’s assassination and his sister’s crippling in the same incident. A ten year old Lelouch confronted the Emperor afterward and accused him of leaving his mother defenseless, even going as far as renouncing his entitlement to the throne. In response, his father banished him to Japan, where he was used as a political hostage in the Sakuradite conflict.

It was during his stay at the Kururugi household that he first met Suzaku Kururugi, with whom the young Lelouch did not interact initially in a friendly manner, before later becoming friends. However, when Britannia finally developed its Knightmare Frames fleet and decided to invade Japan to seize control of the Sakuradite mines, consequently discarding Lelouch’s use as a diplomatic tool, Lelouch, fearing for his and his sister’s safety, hid their true identities and sought the help of the Ashford family, who were his mother’s allies.

His mother’s death and his father’s apparent lack of concern in regards to it were huge blows to Lelouch. He always felt that it was unfair for both his mother and sister, and therefore made it his goal to pursue a better world for Nunnally. He also seeks to discover the true reason for his mother’s death, as she was murdered in the Aries Imperial Palace, a place terrorists would be unlikely to penetrate successfully without being noticed, if at all.

Zero

Shortly after gaining the power of Geass from C.C., Lelouch assumes the secret identity Zero, a mysterious, masked revolutionary dressed in a black helmet and cloak. The helmet has a retractable plate over the left eye so Lelouch can use his Geass. In this guise, he forms the Order of the Black Knights, initially composed of the members of Kaname Ohgi’s resistance group. The goal of this vigilante group is a campaign against powerful individuals who oppress the helpless, which he eventually expands into reforming Japan as an independent nation.

Lelouch is willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish his goal, even if it means lying to his followers and using people as bait for the outcome he desires. However, he has trouble putting those he is close to in harms way for the sake of his goal, which is a weakness as a commander but a remnant of his humanity and sanity. His feelings for Nunnally in particular often hinders his plans, particularly at the end of the first season, where he abandons a massive war with Britannian forces to rescue her, and early into the second season, when he has trouble believing Nunnally is willingly waging a campaign for peace that interferes with his plans. Gradually, however, he has come to embrace the fact that he has to destroy before reconstruction can occur, even if it means harming those he cares about.

Originally, Lelouch is motivated by the desire to avenge his mother’s death and construct an ideal world where his sister Nunnally can live in peace. After Nunnally becomes Viceroy of Area 11, and her wishes conflict with his goals, his friends help him to realize that his rebellion is no longer just for Nunnally, but for all the people of the world.

Abilities

Geass

Lelouch’s Geass, given to him by C.C., grants him “the power of absolute obedience,” allowing him to plant commands within a person’s mind upon eye contact which they will obey without question. Activation of his Geass is visually represented by the manifestation of a Geass sigil in his left eye. Commands dictated in this state are written into the minds of the designated targets once the sigil projects from his eye to theirs.

Lelouch could initially toggle Geass activation at will, but subsequently loses this control. In the second season, C.C. gives Lelouch a contact lens that blocks his Geass, but indicates that his Geass will eventually grow powerful enough to render it ineffective. Lelouch’s Geass evolves to cover his other eye in episode 21 of the second season, but he receives a second contact to compensate.

Of all the Geass abilities in the series, Lelouch’s has been explored the most, and also seems to have the most restrictions and side effects of any Geass introduced.

• Commands must be issued verbally.
• The victim must make direct eye contact for commands to be issued. The maximum effective distance is 270 meters. Line of sight via a reflective surface is sufficient for the effect to occur.
• Commands may be issued only once to any given individual, but any number of commands may be issued at initial application so long as eye contact is unbroken. Since Jeremiah’s Geass Canceler negates all Geass effects, those exposed to it may be commanded once again.
• The victim will not perform any action disallowed by their physical or mental capabilities, though they will try to carry out the command to the best of their ability. For example, a victim will not be able to correctly answer a question they don’t know the answer to, but will direct the user to someone who can if they are able. However, commands that affect the mind or consciousness, such as telling the victim to forget something, will take effect despite the fact that the victim could not normally force themselves to do so.
• An action will be carried out for as long as dictated in its command, or upon the indicated conditional circumstance. Eye contact does not need to be maintained for command execution to occur. No upper limit has been established, but the conditional command Lelouch gives Suzaku is still in effect more than a year later.
• The victim’s memories for the duration of command issue and execution are sealed and cannot be recalled, thus anyone affected by the power will not be able to remember anything they did while carrying out the command or who ordered them to do it.
• Two victims have shown the ability to resist a command for a short period before being forced to submit, both times the command being one that the victim finds utterly reprehensible and outside their normal character.

So long as the above conditions are met, commands may be issued to anybody besides those who have gained the power of immortality and to any number of individuals at once. Those under the effect of Geass have a red outline on their irises, presumably a visual cue for the viewer since the characters never point it out.

Intellect

Even without his Geass, Lelouch is a formidable opponent. He is highly intelligent, possessing a genius-level intellect, and is capable of devising and executing strategies with incredible speed and precision. As Zero, most of his leadership abilities come from his intelligence than his Geass. Rolo notes that operating the Absolute Defense Territory of the Shinkirō requires complex calculations which he cannot perform, while Lelouch almost makes it look easy. In the audio dramas, Suzaku says that, when they were children, Lelouch devised a secret sign language containing over 500 words.

Lelouch is quick to deduce facts from simple clues. In episode 14, when Mao says C.C.’s name, Lelouch instantly comes up with fourteen different possibilities for Mao’s identity, including the correct one. Lelouch is also able to perfectly predict the Lancelot’s actions without actually knowing who the pilot was simply through his study of their past battles, allowing Tohdoh and the Four Holy Swords to almost defeat it, had not the battle been interrupted.

Lelouch is also charismatic and persuasive; as Zero, he is able to win the support of much of Japan’s population through well-delivered speeches combined with his ability to make miracles in almost any situation through his superior tactical planning. Mao repeatedly praises Lelouch’s persuasive talent, and V.V. remarks that Lelouch is “a lot like his father.”

Physical

Physically, Lelouch is underwhelming. He possesses the physical prowess of a teenager who engages in little to no strenuous physical activity. Thus, one of Lelouch’s traits is the inability to run very fast or for any substantial period of time. Within the series, this is usually played for comedic effect, as Lelouch is constantly outpaced by his classmates in every situation, and even the most simple tasks requiring manual labor exhaust him before he manages to accomplish anything significant. This joke is taken to its logical conclusion in the second season, where it is revealed that Lelouch is supposed to attend remedial physical education classes, but skips them as often as possible. This creates problems when Sayoko poses as Lelouch: she is a master of martial arts, and hence far more athletic than Lelouch himself. However, Lelouch does have some decent skill with firearms.

Lelouch is shown to be very talented at domestic skills such as cooking and sewing; it has been stated that this comes as a result of his taking care of himself and Nunnally for seven years. He serves as the cook for parties held by the Student Council, both because the others (except Milly) are terrible cooks and nobody else can meet his exact requirements (such as measuring ingredients to three significant decimals).

Lelouch is capable of proficiently handling a Knightmare Frame, having learned how by being the pilot of Ashford Academy’s Ganymede Knightmare Frame during school festivals before Suzaku’s arrival. He rarely battles opponents one on one, instead usually attacking with coordinated groups or using clever deceptions to gain an advantage. Pilots such as Suzaku and Cornelia, both of whom are masterful Knightmare pilots and usually pilot more advanced Knightmares than his own, are commonly able to overwhelm him in single combat. Lelouch is typically accompanied by Kallen, who serves as his personal guard. After stealing the Gawain, Lelouch co-pilots it with C.C., controlling the weapons and command functions while C.C. handles navigation and flight. After the Black Knights are exiled from Japan, Lelouch pilots the Shinkirō, which has the most powerful defense of any Knightmare, but requires complex calculations to be effective. Its highly-impenetrable defense allows him to hold his own against even the members of the Knights of the Round during the second battle of Tokyo.

Links

• Code Geass

Gallery

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 Episode 3 Preview: Imprisoned in Campus – The Black Knights are able to escape the Babel Tower. And Zero returns, to announce the creation of the United States of Japan!
To counterattack, the Britannian Forces threaten to execute the detained members of the Black Knights. Theres little time left to save them. But Lelouch is constantly being watched, and he cant act! That is when Lelouch decides to do something surprising..

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 Episode 2 Preview: Plan for Independent Japan – What happened at Kamine Island between Lelouch and Suzaku? The secret behind Lelouchs mysterious change in behavior is revealed!! Inside the Babel Tower, a battle is going on. A new Knightmare appears before the Black Knights, and they are in a bind as it shows menacing skills. What will become of Lelouchs destiny!?

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion is an anime television series created by Sunrise. Directed by Gorō Taniguchi and written by Ichirō Ōkouchi, both of whom had earlier worked on the series Planetes, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion features original character designs by Clamp.

The first season of the series premiered across Japan on MBS from October 5, 2006, and concluded its run on July 28, 2007, after running for 25 episodes. A second season and sequel to the series, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 (コードギアス 反逆のルルーシュR2, Kōdo Giasu Hangyaku no Rurūshu Āru Tsū?), premiered on MBS and TBS on April 6, 2008 and concluded on September 28, 2008. Both seasons have won several awards at the Tokyo International Anime Fair, Animage Anime Grand Prix, and Animation Kobe event.

Both seasons of Code Geass have been licensed for release in the United States and Canada by Bandai Entertainment, and the first season began airing on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim programming block in the U.S. on April 27, 2008; the second began airing on November 2, immediately following the first season. In Australia and New Zealand, the series is licensed by Madman Entertainment, and began airing on Australian channel ABC2 from January 19, 2009.

Plot

On August 10, 2010, a.t.b., the Holy Empire of Britannia overpowered Japanese forces and conquered the country with their new, powerful, robotic weapons, the Knightmare Frames, in less than a month. In the aftermath of Britannia’s invasion, Japan lost its freedom, its rights, and even its name, becoming Area 11 of the Britannian Empire. The Japanese people, renamed as “Elevens”, are forced to survive in poor neighborhoods, while Britannians live in first-class settlements. Rebel elements persist, however, as pockets of Japanese organizations struggle against the Empire for the independence of Japan.

After his father, the Emperor of Britannia, failed to prevent the assassination of his mother, an attack which also left his sister blind and crippled, the young prince Lelouch vowed to destroy Britannia. Seven years later, he accidentally becomes mixed up with “terrorists” in Area 11 and encounters a mysterious girl named C.C., who gives him the power of Geass. With it, he finally has the power that he needs to defeat Britannia and fulfill his two wishes: to seek revenge for his mother and to construct a world in which his beloved sister Nunnally can live happily.

Settings

Code Geass is set in an alternate universe where the Holy Empire of Britannia, an international superpower, has conquered more than a third of the planet. The world is, for the most part, divided between it and two other superpowers: the Chinese Federation and the Euro Universe. Australia has remained independent of the other powers though it is not significantly mentioned in the story. The three powers maintain a tentative balance for the first part of the series. The balance shifts in the second season. The E.U. has much of its territory conquered by Britannia while Lelouch engineers a revolution in the Chinese Federation and creates a new alliance of countries, the United Federation of Nations, reducing the number of superpowers to two.

Holy Britannian Empire

The Holy Britannian Empire (神聖ブリタニア帝国, Shinsei Buritania Teikoku?) is an imperial monarchy and the most prominent superpower within the world of Code Geass, controlling over one-third of the world at the start of the series, which expands as the series progresses. Its homeland is based in North America, and its imperial city is Pendragon. Britannian society is elitist and is run based on a caricature of Social Darwinism. Society is arranged by ranks of nobility.

During season 1, the Britannian Empire controls the entire Western Hemisphere (both American continents), New Zealand, and recently conquered Japan. Early in season 1, Britannia conquers “Area 18″, a desert region that is a part of the Middle East. During season 2, Britannia successfully conquers about half of the rival “Euro Universe” superpower; taking over France, Spain, the western half of Africa, and Russia. Ironically, Britannia does not control the British Isles, as Napoleon successfully conquered them.

Territories conquered by the Britannian Empire are renamed with an “Area” number based on when they were conquered and the native people are referred to by their area number or just called “Numbers”; Japan, being the eleventh territory conquered, is Area 11 and its people are “Elevens”, for example. The Numbers are denied many of the rights of Britannian citizens, and are usually left to live in poverty. They can apply for Honorary Britannian citizenship to earn basic rights, but cannot attain the same status as regular citizens.

In the series, history diverged during Julius Caesar’s invasion. A Celtic “super-king” was elected, similar to the Arverni chieftain Vercingetorix, and managed to successfully resist the invasion, beginning the Britannian imperial line. It should be noted that Britain successfully resisted Julius Caesars invasions (both) in real life but without a “super-king”. As a result, the empire retained absolute monarchy, suppressed the American colonies’ rebellion in 1776, and eventually migrated the capital to America following Napoleon’s capture of Britain. The timeline diverged since Caesar’s invasion, but the history of the empire began to become drastically different with the death of Elizabeth I: instead of the Tudor dynasty ending, she was instead succeeded by her illegitimate son “Henry IX”. “Elizabeth III” died after losing the British Isles to Napoleon, and a new royal line was established from a prominent family of the nobility. The Britannian calendar era is “Ascension Throne Britannia” (a.t.b), known as the Imperial Calendar in the English dub. Its epoch is the date when the super-king was elected, roughly fifty years earlier than that of the Gregorian calendar.

Japan

Japan, renamed as Area 11 under Britannian rule, is the source of over 70% of the world’s total supply of sakuradite, a fictional mineral with a high energy content. Japan oppressed and dominated other countries through economic control of the mineral prior to the start of the series, leading to its invasion and eventual takeover by Britannia. Japan serves as the main setting for much of the series, as it is where Ashford Academy, Lelouch’s school, is located. Under his alter-ego of Zero, Lelouch attempts to reform it as an independent nation, the “United States of Japan”, as part of his quest to overthrow Britannia.

Chinese Federation

The Chinese Federation (中華連邦, Chūka Renpō?) is an imperial monarchy that spans the Asian and Pacific regions, including Central, South, East and Southeast Asia with Sakhalin and the Korean Peninsula. Its territory extends further north than real-world China to include Vladivostok; and westward to include Afghanistan and Pakistan, but not Iran. Its population is the largest of the three major powers, but most live in poverty. Its political structure and organization appears to resemble the real-world Empire of China. The Emperor of the Federation holds absolute political power, but under Empress Tianzi, it is reduced to an effectively symbolic figurehead posting, “a symbol of the state and the unity of the people.” As with the real-world Emperor of Japan, the individual who holds the title is regarded as a living divinity whose sovereignty is entirely ceremonial. The Vermilion Forbidden City (朱禁城, Shu Kinjō?) is the seat of the Chinese Emperor and the government of the Federation — a large palace situated in the capital city of Luoyang. The governmental organization known as the “High Eunuchs” (大宦官, Dai Kangan?), advisers to the Empress, use her power for their own gain.

In the first season, the Chinese Federation unsuccessfully attempts to take over Japan through the use of former government officials that fled during the war. India has also been trying to overthrow Chinese rule, and already have a large organized resistance movement. As a result, the Indian resistance lends their lead weapons R&D scientist, Rakshata, to the Black Knights in Japan, in the hopes that a future independent Japan will in return aide them in gaining independence from China. In the second season, a Chinese consulate is established with the agreement of the local Britannian authorities, and negotiations are held by Eunuch Gao Hai to the end of obtaining a solid Chinese foothold within the colony. After the Black Knights are exiled from Japan, they are granted control of Horai Island (蓬萊島?), a fictional artificial land mass built off the coast of China to generate electricity through tidal activity. The Black Knights destabilize and overthrow the government, returning control to the Empress. Shortly after, the Federation collapses and its former member states are incorporated into the new United Federation of Nations.

Euro Universe

The Euro Universe (ユーロ・ユニバース, Yūro Yunibāsu?), or E.U., is a democratic union. It has long been in conflict with Britannia. It encompasses all of Europe (including the British Isles), Africa, and Russia. Unlike the other countries, focus on the E.U. is minimal. In the second season, Schneizel leads the Britannian forces against the E.U., successfully conquering almost half of their territory. Territories which fell to Britannia include Portugal, Spain, France, half of Africa and all of Russia. Following this, former E.U. nations Italy and Poland were two of the forty-seven nations to join Zero’s United Federation of Nations. The only nations remaining as part of the E.U. are the British Isles, Germany, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine and an area of Africa near the Congo. Due to the significant decrease in the E.U.’s territory and power, Charles zi Britannia no longer considers the E.U. a threat.

United Federation of Nations

Following the collapse of the E.U. and the uprising in the Chinese Federation, most of the remaining territories not under Britannian control join forces and form the United Federation of Nations, a new coalition to counter the Empire’s advance. The U.F.N. flag is a white dove with three circles merging at the point where the wings and body meet, with a yellow background. Their combined territories split the world between the Empire and the Federation.

The U.F.N. is composed of forty-seven countries spread across parts of Eastern Europe, Eastern Africa, and the majority of the Asian continent. Decisions in the U.F.N. are determined by a two-thirds majority vote by the leaders of each country, with the population of each country determining their voting percentage. The individual armies of the member nations are abolished and replaced by a new supranational military force under the Black Knights’ control.

Geass

Geass (ギアス, giasu?) is a mysterious ability which certain people can bestow upon others; C.C. is the most prominent character who grants the power of Geass. The form the Geass takes is different in each individual. C.C. calls Geass the Power of Kings (王の力, Ō no Chikara?). It is represented by a bird-shaped symbol which glows red when active.

Every Geass has its own unique set of restrictions, limitations, or idiosyncrasies. These factors allow a Geass to be defeated, or its power limited, by someone who is aware of its characteristics. All Geass abilities that have thus far appeared within the canon of the television series have been related to the mind, influencing such aspects as will, thought, memory, emotion, and perception. Geass abilities in the manga spin-off Knightmare of Nunnally have no such limitations.

The power of Geass increases with use, usually starting in one eye. It can eventually spread to both eyes and become uncontrollable with repeated use. At this point, the one who granted the power can relinquish his or her immortality to the recipient, allowing the recipient to continue the cycle while the giver is allowed to die. The immortality is referred to as the giver’s “Code,” and grants the person immunity to Geass in exchange for their original power.

According to an English edition of Newtype, the power of Geass has something to do with the very existence of humankind, and it may be used to destroy or transform just about anything. “Geass” may be an intentional corruption of the word geas or geis, a term for a type of magical contract in Irish mythology.

Characters

• Lelouch Lamperouge – The title character and protagonist of the show, Lelouch Lamperouge is seemingly an ordinary 17-year-old student at the Ashford Academy. In reality, he is the son of the Emperor of Britannia and the late Empress Marianne. His real name is Lelouch vi Britannia, the Eleventh Prince of the Britannian Empire prior to his mother’s assassination. When he gets caught up in a battle between the military and Japanese rebels, he gains the power of Geass, which forces others to obey his orders without question. With this power, he begins his quest to destroy Britannia under the alias of Zero.
• Suzaku Kururugi – Lelouch’s childhood friend and son of Japan’s last prime minister, Suzaku is in the service of the Britannia Army as a soldier, and was chosen to test an experimental new model of Knightmare Frame, the Lancelot. Suzaku believes achieving results by wrong or illegal methods is meaningless and does not approve of Zero’s actions.
• C.C. – A mysterious green-haired girl who bestows the power of Geass upon Lelouch under the condition that he grant her greatest wish. C.C.’s abilities caught the interest of Britannia and she was imprisoned as a part of Britannia’s experiments in the past. She passively oversees Lelouch’s missions to ensure that he does not die and to help his plans succeed.
• Nunnally Lamperouge – Nunnally is Lelouch’s younger sister, who is wheelchair-bound due to bullet wounds on her legs, as well as blind due to psychological trauma from witnessing the brutal assassination of her mother. Her blindness is later found to be afflicted by her Father, Charles using his geass of memory manipulation.
• Kallen Stadtfeld – Kallen is a Britannian-Japanese girl who believes herself to be a Japanese person at heart and prefers to be known by her birth name, Kallen Kōzuki. Her father is Britannian and her mother is an Eleven; her father comes from a prestigious Britannian family and as such she attends the Ashford Academy, where she is a member of its student council and is one of its most outstanding students. Though she maintains a frail-girl image at school, she is a member of a Japanese resistance cell.

Knightmare Frames

Knightmare Frames (‘Knightmare’ is a play on “nightmare” and a knight’s mare, referring to the weapon itself; frame is the civilian word for bipedal machines in general) are robotic combat machines intended as a replacement for main battle tanks and other conventional land warfare vehicles. The bulk of Knightmare Frame models are produced by the Britannian Empire, who pioneered the design. As the series progresses, Japan, India, and other countries develop their own Knightmare Frames to match Britannia.

Links

• Bandai Entertainment’s official Code Geass website
• Bandai Entertainment’s Official Code Geass R2 website
• Adult Swim’s Official Code Geass anime website
• Code Geass – Wikipedia