TV-Series
Description
Lelouch vi Britannia, known publicly under the alias Lelouch Lamperouge, is the central figure of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2. Born on December 5, a.t.b. 2000, he was the eleventh prince of the Holy Britannian Empire and the seventeenth in line for the imperial throne. His father was Emperor Charles zi Britannia, and his mother was Empress Marianne vi Britannia, a commoner who became a consort. Lelouch spent his early childhood at the Aries Villa alongside his younger full sister, Nunnally vi Britannia, and several half-siblings. This relatively peaceful life ended in a.t.b. 2009, when Marianne was assassinated in an attack that left Nunnally blind and paralyzed. Lelouch confronted his father over the incident but was harshly dismissed. Renouncing his right to the throne, he and Nunnally were instead exiled to Japan as political hostages. In Japan, they were placed under the care of Prime Minister Genbu Kururugi. It was there that Lelouch first met Suzaku Kururugi, with whom the siblings formed a close friendship. In a.t.b. 2010, the Britannian Empire invaded Japan, and Japan fell in less than a month. Discarded as diplomatic tools, Lelouch and Nunnally survived by hiding their identities. They were taken in by the Ashford family, who had been allies of their mother. The siblings were officially listed as dead.
At the start of the original series, set in a.t.b. 2017, Lelouch is a seventeen-year-old student at Ashford Academy in the Tokyo Settlement, known as Area 11. He lives a seemingly ordinary but subdued life, burdened by the constant fear of his and Nunnally's true identities being discovered. This changes when he encounters a mysterious girl named C.C. during a terrorist incident. She offers him a contract, granting him the supernatural power of Geass in exchange for fulfilling her wish. Lelouch's Geass manifests as the power of Absolute Obedience, enabling him to issue a single command to any person that they are compelled to obey, provided he makes eye contact with them once. Recognizing the potential of this ability, he turns the situation around, defeats the Britannian forces, and executes the viceroy of Area 11, his half-brother Clovis. This act marks the beginning of his rebellion.
To pursue his goals clandestinely, Lelouch creates the masked identity of Zero and builds the Black Knights, a resistance organization, from a small group of Japanese terrorists. His strategic genius and charisma allow him to unite various factions under Zero's banner. Over time, he challenges the Britannian hold on Japan, clashing with various imperial family members including his half-sister Cornelia and, later, the more compassionate Euphemia. A tragic turning point occurs when his Geass goes out of control during a conversation with Euphemia, inadvertently forcing her to order a massacre of the Japanese people. Lelouch is forced to kill Euphemia to stop the slaughter, an event that reshapes his resolve and gives him a powerful rallying cause. This leads to the Black Rebellion, a large-scale uprising that ultimately fails when Nunnally is kidnapped, forcing Lelouch to abandon his forces to save her. He is captured and his memories are altered by his father.
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 begins one year later. Lelouch is living an amnesiac life as a student at Ashford Academy, unaware of his past as Zero. His younger brother figure, Rolo Lamperouge, is an agent of the Britannian Geass Directorate planted to watch him. C.C. finds Lelouch and restores his memories, reigniting his desire for revenge. He quickly reclaims the identity of Zero and rebuilds the Black Knights. Throughout R2, Lelouch's motivations expand. He initially seeks to destroy his father and the Britannian Empire, but as he learns more about the world and his mother's true fate, his goals shift toward reshaping the entire global order. He confronts his father Charles, who is revealed to be attempting to create a collective unconscious through the Ragnarok Connection, an act Lelouch sees as destroying individuality.
In the final arc of R2, Lelouch declares himself the 99th Emperor of Britannia after defeating his father. He systematically uses his Geass to subjugate enemies and consolidate power, presenting himself as a ruthless tyrant. This is part of a master plan known as the Zero Requiem. He orchestrates a scenario in which he becomes the ultimate villain, unifying the world against his tyranny. He then arranges for his childhood friend Suzaku Kururugi, wearing the mask of Zero, to publicly assassinate him. This act of sacrificial suicide transforms Lelouch into a martyr and a symbol of evil, allowing the world to unite in peace around the ideal of Zero. His death completes his vision of a gentle world for his sister Nunnally and for humanity.
Personality-wise, Lelouch is defined by his extraordinary intellect, strategic cunning, and a deep-seated, often vengeful drive. He is a master manipulator who treats people as pieces on a chessboard, a reflection of his preferred game. He can be cold, calculating, and ruthless, but this is rooted in a profound, protective love for his sister Nunnally. He is capable of deep empathy, but his trauma and the constant pressure of his revolution often lead him to suppress his emotions. He is a natural leader, winning loyalty through his brilliance and charisma, though he also inspires fear. He is highly determined, refusing to give up even in the face of catastrophic setbacks, such as the Euphemia incident or the Black Rebellion's failure. However, his vengefulness and tendency to keep his true plans hidden from even his closest allies create significant weaknesses, contributing to the eventual betrayal by the Black Knights.
Lelouch's key relationships shape his journey. His bond with Nunnally is his primary motivation; she is the innocent ideal of the gentle world he seeks to create. His relationship with Suzaku Kururugi is the axis of the entire series. They share a childhood friendship and a deep mutual respect, but their ideological clash over how to achieve peace is irreconcilable for much of the story. Suzaku seeks to change the system from within through obedience, while Lelouch fights to tear it down. This conflict deepens into a bitter enmity, but ultimately, they reunite to execute the Zero Requiem together. With C.C., Lelouch shares a complex and codependent bond. She is his contractor, confidante, and often his anchor. Their partnership evolves from a transactional arrangement to a genuine connection rooted in mutual loneliness and a shared goal. Other important figures include Kallen Kozuki, the ace pilot of the Black Knights who is fiercely loyal to Zero and develops romantic feelings for both identities of Lelouch; and Rolo Lamperouge, the fabricated brother who grows genuinely attached to Lelouch, ultimately sacrificing his life to protect him.
Regarding notable abilities, Lelouch's primary supernatural power is his Geass, the ability of Absolute Obedience. It is limited to one use per person and requires direct eye contact, but its effectiveness is only limited by the command itself, which must be within the realm of possibility for the target. He uses this power creatively to control soldiers, gather intelligence, and force influential figures to serve his plans. However, the Geass is a double-edged sword; it can go out of control if his emotional state is unstable, with dire consequences. Beyond his Geass, Lelouch is a genius-level strategist and tactician. He is a master of psychological warfare, deception, and long-term planning, often orchestrating complex schemes that involve multiple moving parts. He is also a skilled user of information control and propaganda, using his identity as Zero as a symbol to inspire hope in the masses and fear in his enemies. He pilots the custom Knightmare frame Shinkirō, a unit designed for command and defense, though his physical endurance is notably poor.
At the start of the original series, set in a.t.b. 2017, Lelouch is a seventeen-year-old student at Ashford Academy in the Tokyo Settlement, known as Area 11. He lives a seemingly ordinary but subdued life, burdened by the constant fear of his and Nunnally's true identities being discovered. This changes when he encounters a mysterious girl named C.C. during a terrorist incident. She offers him a contract, granting him the supernatural power of Geass in exchange for fulfilling her wish. Lelouch's Geass manifests as the power of Absolute Obedience, enabling him to issue a single command to any person that they are compelled to obey, provided he makes eye contact with them once. Recognizing the potential of this ability, he turns the situation around, defeats the Britannian forces, and executes the viceroy of Area 11, his half-brother Clovis. This act marks the beginning of his rebellion.
To pursue his goals clandestinely, Lelouch creates the masked identity of Zero and builds the Black Knights, a resistance organization, from a small group of Japanese terrorists. His strategic genius and charisma allow him to unite various factions under Zero's banner. Over time, he challenges the Britannian hold on Japan, clashing with various imperial family members including his half-sister Cornelia and, later, the more compassionate Euphemia. A tragic turning point occurs when his Geass goes out of control during a conversation with Euphemia, inadvertently forcing her to order a massacre of the Japanese people. Lelouch is forced to kill Euphemia to stop the slaughter, an event that reshapes his resolve and gives him a powerful rallying cause. This leads to the Black Rebellion, a large-scale uprising that ultimately fails when Nunnally is kidnapped, forcing Lelouch to abandon his forces to save her. He is captured and his memories are altered by his father.
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 begins one year later. Lelouch is living an amnesiac life as a student at Ashford Academy, unaware of his past as Zero. His younger brother figure, Rolo Lamperouge, is an agent of the Britannian Geass Directorate planted to watch him. C.C. finds Lelouch and restores his memories, reigniting his desire for revenge. He quickly reclaims the identity of Zero and rebuilds the Black Knights. Throughout R2, Lelouch's motivations expand. He initially seeks to destroy his father and the Britannian Empire, but as he learns more about the world and his mother's true fate, his goals shift toward reshaping the entire global order. He confronts his father Charles, who is revealed to be attempting to create a collective unconscious through the Ragnarok Connection, an act Lelouch sees as destroying individuality.
In the final arc of R2, Lelouch declares himself the 99th Emperor of Britannia after defeating his father. He systematically uses his Geass to subjugate enemies and consolidate power, presenting himself as a ruthless tyrant. This is part of a master plan known as the Zero Requiem. He orchestrates a scenario in which he becomes the ultimate villain, unifying the world against his tyranny. He then arranges for his childhood friend Suzaku Kururugi, wearing the mask of Zero, to publicly assassinate him. This act of sacrificial suicide transforms Lelouch into a martyr and a symbol of evil, allowing the world to unite in peace around the ideal of Zero. His death completes his vision of a gentle world for his sister Nunnally and for humanity.
Personality-wise, Lelouch is defined by his extraordinary intellect, strategic cunning, and a deep-seated, often vengeful drive. He is a master manipulator who treats people as pieces on a chessboard, a reflection of his preferred game. He can be cold, calculating, and ruthless, but this is rooted in a profound, protective love for his sister Nunnally. He is capable of deep empathy, but his trauma and the constant pressure of his revolution often lead him to suppress his emotions. He is a natural leader, winning loyalty through his brilliance and charisma, though he also inspires fear. He is highly determined, refusing to give up even in the face of catastrophic setbacks, such as the Euphemia incident or the Black Rebellion's failure. However, his vengefulness and tendency to keep his true plans hidden from even his closest allies create significant weaknesses, contributing to the eventual betrayal by the Black Knights.
Lelouch's key relationships shape his journey. His bond with Nunnally is his primary motivation; she is the innocent ideal of the gentle world he seeks to create. His relationship with Suzaku Kururugi is the axis of the entire series. They share a childhood friendship and a deep mutual respect, but their ideological clash over how to achieve peace is irreconcilable for much of the story. Suzaku seeks to change the system from within through obedience, while Lelouch fights to tear it down. This conflict deepens into a bitter enmity, but ultimately, they reunite to execute the Zero Requiem together. With C.C., Lelouch shares a complex and codependent bond. She is his contractor, confidante, and often his anchor. Their partnership evolves from a transactional arrangement to a genuine connection rooted in mutual loneliness and a shared goal. Other important figures include Kallen Kozuki, the ace pilot of the Black Knights who is fiercely loyal to Zero and develops romantic feelings for both identities of Lelouch; and Rolo Lamperouge, the fabricated brother who grows genuinely attached to Lelouch, ultimately sacrificing his life to protect him.
Regarding notable abilities, Lelouch's primary supernatural power is his Geass, the ability of Absolute Obedience. It is limited to one use per person and requires direct eye contact, but its effectiveness is only limited by the command itself, which must be within the realm of possibility for the target. He uses this power creatively to control soldiers, gather intelligence, and force influential figures to serve his plans. However, the Geass is a double-edged sword; it can go out of control if his emotional state is unstable, with dire consequences. Beyond his Geass, Lelouch is a genius-level strategist and tactician. He is a master of psychological warfare, deception, and long-term planning, often orchestrating complex schemes that involve multiple moving parts. He is also a skilled user of information control and propaganda, using his identity as Zero as a symbol to inspire hope in the masses and fear in his enemies. He pilots the custom Knightmare frame Shinkirō, a unit designed for command and defense, though his physical endurance is notably poor.