OVA
Description
Jeremiah Gottwald is a fictional character from the anime series Code Geass. A nobleman holding the title of Margrave, he is initially a prominent officer in the Britannian military serving as the leader of the Purist Faction in Area 11, the region formerly known as Japan. The Purist Faction is a political group within the military that believes only those of pure Britannian blood should be allowed to serve, leading Jeremiah to view honorary Britannians, such as the pilot Suzaku Kururugi, with suspicion and contempt.
Jeremiah is a tall, imposing figure with a commanding presence, possessing blue hair and orange eyes. In his youth, he was a guard at the Aries Palace, where he was assigned to protect Empress Marianne. He held deep respect for the Empress, and her assassination became the defining failure of his life, an event he refers to as his first great failure He carries immense guilt over this and is haunted by the fact that Marianne's children, Lelouch and Nunnally, were sent to Japan as political hostages where they were reportedly killed. In an attempt to atone for his past failure and to watch over the late Empress's children, he volunteered for service in the impending invasion of Japan.
His personality in the beginning is marked by overconfidence, arrogance, and a passionate, almost impulsive drive to further his goals and uphold the supremacy of the pure-blooded Britannian aristocracy. He is deeply loyal to the royal family and dreams of one day becoming the Knight of One, the strongest warrior in the Empire, to redeem his past shame. This ambition, however, makes him rash in battle and easily manipulated by his emotions.
Jeremiah's role in the story is fundamentally altered by a single, powerful humiliation. During a public execution for Suzaku Kururugi, the masked rebel Zero appears. Zero calls out to Jeremiah using the seemingly nonsensical word Orange, a deliberate act to sow suspicion of conspiracy. Using his Geass power, Zero commands Jeremiah to assist in the prisoner’s escape. Forced to obey, Jeremiah shouts for his own men to let the terrorists escape, effectively destroying his career. Following this incident, he is publicly disgraced, stripped of his rank, and mockingly nicknamed Orange by his peers and subordinates a name that becomes a symbol of his utter ruin.
Driven to obsession by the need to capture Zero and regain his honor, Jeremiah disobeys orders during the Battle of Narita. His impatience leads him into a direct confrontation with the advanced Guren Mk-II Knightmare, which nearly kills him. He is recovered in a delirious state by a secret research team led by General Bartley Asprius, who are experimenting to replicate the immortal powers of the being known as C.C. They perform extensive cybernetic enhancements on Jeremiah, turning him into a powerful living weapon. However, his mind is left unstable and fixated on Zero. He steals a powerful prototype weapon called the Siegfried but is seemingly destroyed when it is dragged to the bottom of the ocean.
Jeremiah survives and is recovered by the mysterious V.V., the leader of the Geass Order. His body is perfected, and he is given a unique and powerful ability: a Geass Canceler built into his left eye. This device allows him to negate the effects of any Geass within a certain area, restoring the memories and wills of those who have been manipulated. He is sent as an assassin to eliminate Lelouch, but upon finding him, he demands to know why Lelouch would rebel against his own father, the Emperor. When Lelouch reveals that his goal is to avenge the death of his mother, Empress Marianne, Jeremiah undergoes a profound transformation. Realizing that Lelouch is his late master's son and is acting out of loyalty to her, Jeremiah immediately renounces his vengeance. He kneels and swears his undying loyalty to Lelouch, seeing service to him as the ultimate act of redemption for his failure to protect Marianne. From this point, he proudly adopts the nickname Orange, declaring it to be the name of his loyalty.
Key to Jeremiah's character is his relationship with Lelouch vi Britannia. He transitions from being a vengeful, obsessive enemy to becoming Lelouch's most loyal and trusted retainer, serving as the commander of his royal guard. He also has a complex, mutual respect with Suzaku Kururugi, who once saved his life, despite their roles as enemies. His loyalty is also extended to Lelouch's sister, Nunnally, whom he serves with equal devotion.
Throughout this journey, Jeremiah undergoes significant development. He begins as an arrogant noble representing the worst of Britannian elitism, but after being broken and rebuilt, he is purified into a figure of genuine, unwavering chivalry. He discards his political ambitions and personal pride, finding a noble purpose in service. His character arc is complete by the series' end, where, after Lelouch's final plan is carried out, he is seen living a peaceful life cultivating an orange farm, a final, tranquil acceptance of the identity once meant to shame him.
Jeremiah is notable for his extraordinary abilities. He is an exceptionally skilled Knightmare Frame pilot, capable of challenging even the most advanced machines. After his cybernetic transformation, his combat skills become superhuman; he possesses retractable blade weapons in his wrists and a body that is largely bulletproof and machine-enhanced. His most significant ability is his Geass Canceler. This device, situated in his left eye, emits a field that nullifies the supernatural commands of any Geass, making him one of the few individuals in the world who can directly counter the power that drives much of the plot.
Jeremiah is a tall, imposing figure with a commanding presence, possessing blue hair and orange eyes. In his youth, he was a guard at the Aries Palace, where he was assigned to protect Empress Marianne. He held deep respect for the Empress, and her assassination became the defining failure of his life, an event he refers to as his first great failure He carries immense guilt over this and is haunted by the fact that Marianne's children, Lelouch and Nunnally, were sent to Japan as political hostages where they were reportedly killed. In an attempt to atone for his past failure and to watch over the late Empress's children, he volunteered for service in the impending invasion of Japan.
His personality in the beginning is marked by overconfidence, arrogance, and a passionate, almost impulsive drive to further his goals and uphold the supremacy of the pure-blooded Britannian aristocracy. He is deeply loyal to the royal family and dreams of one day becoming the Knight of One, the strongest warrior in the Empire, to redeem his past shame. This ambition, however, makes him rash in battle and easily manipulated by his emotions.
Jeremiah's role in the story is fundamentally altered by a single, powerful humiliation. During a public execution for Suzaku Kururugi, the masked rebel Zero appears. Zero calls out to Jeremiah using the seemingly nonsensical word Orange, a deliberate act to sow suspicion of conspiracy. Using his Geass power, Zero commands Jeremiah to assist in the prisoner’s escape. Forced to obey, Jeremiah shouts for his own men to let the terrorists escape, effectively destroying his career. Following this incident, he is publicly disgraced, stripped of his rank, and mockingly nicknamed Orange by his peers and subordinates a name that becomes a symbol of his utter ruin.
Driven to obsession by the need to capture Zero and regain his honor, Jeremiah disobeys orders during the Battle of Narita. His impatience leads him into a direct confrontation with the advanced Guren Mk-II Knightmare, which nearly kills him. He is recovered in a delirious state by a secret research team led by General Bartley Asprius, who are experimenting to replicate the immortal powers of the being known as C.C. They perform extensive cybernetic enhancements on Jeremiah, turning him into a powerful living weapon. However, his mind is left unstable and fixated on Zero. He steals a powerful prototype weapon called the Siegfried but is seemingly destroyed when it is dragged to the bottom of the ocean.
Jeremiah survives and is recovered by the mysterious V.V., the leader of the Geass Order. His body is perfected, and he is given a unique and powerful ability: a Geass Canceler built into his left eye. This device allows him to negate the effects of any Geass within a certain area, restoring the memories and wills of those who have been manipulated. He is sent as an assassin to eliminate Lelouch, but upon finding him, he demands to know why Lelouch would rebel against his own father, the Emperor. When Lelouch reveals that his goal is to avenge the death of his mother, Empress Marianne, Jeremiah undergoes a profound transformation. Realizing that Lelouch is his late master's son and is acting out of loyalty to her, Jeremiah immediately renounces his vengeance. He kneels and swears his undying loyalty to Lelouch, seeing service to him as the ultimate act of redemption for his failure to protect Marianne. From this point, he proudly adopts the nickname Orange, declaring it to be the name of his loyalty.
Key to Jeremiah's character is his relationship with Lelouch vi Britannia. He transitions from being a vengeful, obsessive enemy to becoming Lelouch's most loyal and trusted retainer, serving as the commander of his royal guard. He also has a complex, mutual respect with Suzaku Kururugi, who once saved his life, despite their roles as enemies. His loyalty is also extended to Lelouch's sister, Nunnally, whom he serves with equal devotion.
Throughout this journey, Jeremiah undergoes significant development. He begins as an arrogant noble representing the worst of Britannian elitism, but after being broken and rebuilt, he is purified into a figure of genuine, unwavering chivalry. He discards his political ambitions and personal pride, finding a noble purpose in service. His character arc is complete by the series' end, where, after Lelouch's final plan is carried out, he is seen living a peaceful life cultivating an orange farm, a final, tranquil acceptance of the identity once meant to shame him.
Jeremiah is notable for his extraordinary abilities. He is an exceptionally skilled Knightmare Frame pilot, capable of challenging even the most advanced machines. After his cybernetic transformation, his combat skills become superhuman; he possesses retractable blade weapons in his wrists and a body that is largely bulletproof and machine-enhanced. His most significant ability is his Geass Canceler. This device, situated in his left eye, emits a field that nullifies the supernatural commands of any Geass, making him one of the few individuals in the world who can directly counter the power that drives much of the plot.