Code Geass

Code Geass

"If the king doesn't lead, how can he expect his subordinates to follow?"

"What do you do when there is an evil you cannot defeat by justice? Do you stain your hands with evil so as to destroy evil? Or do you uphold your justice even if you must surrender to evil? [...] In my case, I commit evil in order to destroy the greater evil!"

Code Geass provides examples of:

• Airborne Aircraft Carrier: The Avalon, the Emperor's Great Britannia, the Ikaruga (which is submersible as well), and several other flying airships which are either passenger transports or cargo ships.
• Airstrip One: All the conquered territories of the Holy Britannian Empire. Japan is now "Area 11".
• Alternate History: And it can get pretty out there. For example, the American Revolution failed because Ben Franklin sided with Great Britain. Then Napoleon conquered Europe, including England, so Britannia rebuilt its empire on the other side of the Atlantic.
  • It is indicated that such changes are due specifically to the presence of Geass.
• • Also, you can't remove and replace contact lenses that easily. But it looks awesome, and besides, Lelouch is the type who would practice that until he got it right.
  • Badass Longcoat: Subverted with Ohgi in his Deputy Commander uniform, since throughout the series he'sfor the most part uninspiring. Played straight with Tohdoh and possibly Lelouch and Suzaku in their civilian disguises
• Bad Guys Play Pool: Played with. Gino, Lloyd and Cecile play pool shortly after Suzaku nukes Tokyo. They are the bad guys, but Cecile and Lloyd clearly disapprove of Suzaku's behavior at this point and let it show. Gino is more apathetic, but he didn't approve, either.
• Batman Gambit: Most of Lelouch's moves are this more than anything, and he screws up just as often as succeeding.
• Bittersweet Ending: In the end, Lelouch achieves his ultimate goal, making the world a better place for all his friends and loved ones ... at the cost of his own life. Or maybe that's just what he wants you to think.
• Black And Gray Morality or Evil Versus Evil: On the one hand, we have a violent Darwinist empire which horrifically oppresses its people and, in the opening episode, massacres an entire ghetto. On the heroes' side, we've got a Magnificent Bastard/ Guile Hero with many, many personality flaws and who will Shoot The Dog if necessary.
• Black Screen Of Death: The sadistic Cliff Hanger end of season one.
• Catch Phrase
  • "Yes, my Lord / your Highness / your Majesty." (spoken in English by the Japanese cast)
  • "Lelouch vi Britannia commands you ..."
  • "With all your strength!"
  • "All tasks at hand have been cleared."
  • "Congratulations!" or "Too bad, but ..."
  • "LOYALTY!"
• Crapsack World: The Brittanian Emperor invades nations because of his "survival of the fittest" philosophy. If he wins, you and others like you, will be relegated to ghettos where you will live in poverty. The ghetto is subject to army raids. If you want a better life, swallow your pride and head to the government building where you can sign a document that says you are now an honorary Brittanian. You are now eligible for education and employment (the really demeaning ones). Life in the settlement is marked by racism. Brittanians can beat you up in the street and no one, not even police, will help you. Being a Brittanian in Area 11 is especially dangerous because of clashes between the army and the Black Knights. The Chinese Federation is no improvement. The only bastion of freedom and democracy in the world is the European Union Universe, and they're losing their war to Brittania.
  • This world seems to exist for the sole purpose of screwing over everyone who lives it. A prime example is what happened to poor Euphie...
  • The Empire: Britannia.
• The Ending Changes Everything: Not as much of an example as most others, as it doesn't cover the whole series, but The Reveal of what the Zero Requiem is entirely changes the context of the final arc and several key conversations.
• Enthusiasm Versus Stoicism
• Esoteric Happy Ending: Depending on how cynical the audience wants to be, the damage to Japan and the world at large paints a rather pessimistic picture of the future when all is said and done. There's also a clear contrast between the tragedy of Lelouch's death and the happiness that follows it, which may be hard to swallow.
• Fake Memories The Emperor gives these to Lelouch with his geass, during the Time Skip. He's did it to Nunnally as well, which caused her blindness.
  • It's not just Lelouch, it's the whole damn school.
• Fantastic Drug: Refrain
• Possibly the most notable aversion is Euphemia. Half of the Zero Requiem is literally Lelouch saying "I will drown her sins with my own."
• Green Rocks: Sakuradite, a power source which makes much of the technology work, and prompted Britannia's invasion of Japan.
• Harmful To Minors: Lelouch and Nunnally witnessed their mother's murder at ages nine and six, respectively.
• Heroic RROD: Rolo Lamperouge. It ends up causing his death.
• Heroic Sacrifice: Rolo "I am not a tool" Lamperouge manages this as a Crowning Moment Of Awesome.
  • Also, Lelouch himself in the last episode.
• Hidden Depths: No one in this series is quite who they seem to be at first.
  • With the possible exception of Rivalz, but then, considering he was Lelouch's 'best friend' before starting with the Black Knights, he has all the characterization as a flea.
• Improbable Age: Almost, but not quite, to the point of Competence Zone / Adults Are Useless.
• Instant Win Condition: The Final Battle of R2 - Lelouch's forces get obliterated, Suzaku gets beaten by Kallen, but once Lelouch seizes control of Damocles, his enemies have no choice but to surrender.
• Ironic Echo: Not an exact echo of a quote, but it was certainly ironic that the long-blind but now sighted Nunnally should end up begging Lelouch to open his eyes.
  • That whole scene where Nunnally is screaming in despair for the dead Lelouch while the world chants "all hail Zero" is incredibly poetic in its irony.
  • "We're friends, aren't we?". First said by Lelouch to Suzaku during the start of the Black Rebellion then said by Suzaku when he took Lelouch to the Emperor to be mind scrubbed.
• Jossed: Word Of God has confirmed that Lelouch is dead.
• • And still contested by the fans due to the wording. To clarify, it was said that Lelouch vi britannia is dead, while that is only the name of a persona he rarely used except for his final plan. Even if Lelouch vi britannia is dead, Lelouch Lamperouge might still live on. Or that is at least what some believe.
• Let Them Die Happy: Before she died, Euphemia asked Suzaku if the people were happy with her creation of the SAZ. Needless to say, he didn't tell her that she killed them all while under the Geass's control.
• • Rolo perishes in Episode 19 being reassured by Lelouch that they are truly brothers. Lelouch then goes on to bury Rolo with his own hands.
• \Living With The Villain: In Season 1, Suzaku goes to school with Lelouch and Kallen. In Season 2, Lelouch is under watch by Villetta and Rolo, who are posing as a teacher and his younger brother, respectively.
• Manly Tears: Suzaku during the Grand Finale. Jeremiah does it, too.
• Meaningful Name: Almost every Britannian Knightmare Frame has a name that references Arthurian legend (though Arthur himself is ... a stray cat that Suzaku adopted).
  • For specific names, please see Code Geass Character Sheet.
• Nothing Is The Same Anymore: The last four episodes.
• Not Quite Dead: Used only a bit (once in the first season, 2-3 times in the latter half of the 
• Not What It Looks Like: Shirley keeps catching Lelouch in what look like romantic encounters with Kallen; Kallen keeps finding Zero (who of course is also Lelouch) with C.C.
  • A more convoluted example: In an incident not long after Suzaku starts school at Ashford, he's attacked by Arthur the cat and falls on top of Shirley. In closeup, it looks like a highly suggestive embrace. For a second or two, they look as if they're about to kiss, whether deliberately or not. But as soon as the camera pulls back to a medium shot, the situation looks more innocent: Suzaku's hands are not on Shirley's chest; one is on her arm and the other is in Arthur's mouth — Arthur is biting him. And on second viewing it's clear the whole scene is a Red Herring: Shirley's eyes are shiny and romantic not because she's being embraced by Suzaku but rather because they've been talking about Lelouch, with whom she's in love.
• One Degree Of Separation: Just how many main characters had connections to each other before the story started?
• One Hundred And Eight: The number of Emperor's wives and the number of dates with school girls Sayoko sets up for Lelouch.
• Outside Man Inside Man: Poor Suzaku and Lelouch.
• Panty Shot: C.C.'s panties are (very) briefly shown in a "blink-and-you'll-miss-it" moment. Here's the video, pause around 7 seconds in. They're light pink, in case you're curious.
• Power At A Price: The whole series can be interpreted as a moral about the terrible ramifications of one man being given power above others. Almost invariably, Geass users end up having lost more than they have gained with their ability.
  • It's also Lelouch's quest to make something of his Geass despite the awful cost. He's partly successful, although even that is open to interpretation.
• Quit Your Whining: Kallen does this to Lelouch during his Heroic BSOD brought about by the reopening of the SAZ. Played with in that she is exactly as unsure as he is.
  • Suzaku does this to Lelouch, with a mixture of Get Ahold Of Yourself Man, when Lelouch finds out that Nunally is alive, and begins to despair. Suzaku tells him to suck it up and remember Zero Requiem.
• The Remnant: How the last prime minister of Japan is treated.
• Super Reflexes: Kallen, being a combat mech pilot, has incredible reflexes, which tend to act up even when she is playing an Ill Girl in school. In one episode, when Rivalz accidentally sends a champagne bottle cork right into her face, she notices it even before he does and deflects it with her hand.
• Take A Third Option: There's Lelouch's viewpoint, Suzaku's viewpoint, and both of them agreeing on Zero Requiem.
• • A more favorable third option might have been agreed on had they not both went past the Despair Event Horizon at that point.
• Thanatos Gambit: Lelouch dies for world peace - and wins the gambit.
• Try Not To Die: Among other times, Lelouch to C.C. in the first season finale, after she kisses him. Her response is "Hey, remember who you're talking to".
• Xanatos Gambit: Lelouch and Schneizel are experts at it.
  • Schneizel is an interesting take on this, since he takes The Chessmaster Up To Eleven: He literally will notfight if he is not guaranteed to win (note his chess match against Zero, where he basically forfeited with a florish) and his last big scene in the series, where he is fleeing from a fight he has a very good chance of winning, but is not guaranteed to win.
• Zero Approval Gambit: Zero Requiem
• Zero Percent Approval Rating: Britannia to anyone who isn't Britannian. Toward the end of the series, Lelouch gets even the Britannians to disapprove, resulting in world unity when he's assassinated.