TV-Series
Description
Bartley Asprius is a supporting character in Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, serving as a general within the Britannian military. He is a large, balding man who holds the critical position of leader of the Code R Research Team, a top-secret scientific project originally overseen by Prince Clovis la Britannia.
As a character, Bartley is defined by his unwavering loyalty to the Britannian imperial family. He initially serves Prince Clovis with absolute devotion, carrying out any order without question. This loyalty extends to the deeply ingrained prejudice of Britannian society, as he holds the Elevens, the native population of the conquered Area 11, in contempt. After Clovis's assassination, Bartley is arrested and stripped of his rank by the Purist Faction. He is later freed and pardoned by Prince Schneizel el Britannia, to whom he then transfers his complete allegiance, feeling forever indebted for his salvation.
Bartley’s primary motivation throughout the story is to serve his current master and advance the scientific goals of the Code R project. This research, conducted in secret, focuses on the mysterious immortal being known as C.C., with the intent of studying and potentially replicating the power of Geass. He is a pragmatic scientist and military leader, more concerned with results and duty than with personal glory or moral quandaries, though he shows a capacity for self-preservation when he senses danger.
His role in the plot is directly tied to the series' central mysteries. He is first seen informing Clovis that the experimental subject C.C. has been stolen by resistance forces, which leads to the brutal military crackdown on the Shinjuku Ghetto where the story begins. Following Clovis's death, he ensures the Code R research continues at a hidden facility in the Narita Mountains. Later, after being recruited by Schneizel, he is present at the Thought Elevator on Kamine Island and oversees the traumatic cyborg transformation of Jeremiah Gottwald. In the second season, he is forced by Emperor Charles zi Britannia to complete Jeremiah's modifications for the Geass Order, a task he performs with visible reluctance as he becomes aware that the Emperor's ambitions could spell disaster for the world.
Key relationships define his journey. His initial bond is with his direct superior, Prince Clovis, whose death leaves him directionless until Schneizel takes his place. His professional relationship with Jeremiah Gottwald is significant, as he is the one who transforms the disgraced noble into a powerful cyborg. This act, while dutiful, is not something he appears to enjoy, and Jeremiah later holds no loyalty towards him. The relationship with his prisoner, C.C., is one of captor and test subject, and it is his involvement with her that ultimately leads to his demise.
Bartley’s development is subtle but noticeable. He begins as a confident and ruthless general, willing to destroy an entire ghetto to recover a single asset. After his arrest and pardon, he becomes more subservient and cautious. His final moments show a significant change, as he expresses regret for his life's work. During the Black Knights’ assault on the Geass Directorate stronghold, he is killed in the attack. As he dies, he sees C.C. and laments to the memory of the deceased Prince Clovis, stating that they should never have captured her in the first place. This final realization suggests a degree of remorse for the catastrophic consequences of the research he once so dutifully managed.
In terms of notable abilities, Bartley is not a frontline fighter. His skills lie in military leadership, strategy, and scientific administration. He effectively commands large forces and leads a complex, secretive research division, demonstrating considerable organizational and tactical intelligence. His primary contribution is as a facilitator of the dark science that underpins the world of Geass, making him a crucial, if secondary, antagonist in the larger conflict.
As a character, Bartley is defined by his unwavering loyalty to the Britannian imperial family. He initially serves Prince Clovis with absolute devotion, carrying out any order without question. This loyalty extends to the deeply ingrained prejudice of Britannian society, as he holds the Elevens, the native population of the conquered Area 11, in contempt. After Clovis's assassination, Bartley is arrested and stripped of his rank by the Purist Faction. He is later freed and pardoned by Prince Schneizel el Britannia, to whom he then transfers his complete allegiance, feeling forever indebted for his salvation.
Bartley’s primary motivation throughout the story is to serve his current master and advance the scientific goals of the Code R project. This research, conducted in secret, focuses on the mysterious immortal being known as C.C., with the intent of studying and potentially replicating the power of Geass. He is a pragmatic scientist and military leader, more concerned with results and duty than with personal glory or moral quandaries, though he shows a capacity for self-preservation when he senses danger.
His role in the plot is directly tied to the series' central mysteries. He is first seen informing Clovis that the experimental subject C.C. has been stolen by resistance forces, which leads to the brutal military crackdown on the Shinjuku Ghetto where the story begins. Following Clovis's death, he ensures the Code R research continues at a hidden facility in the Narita Mountains. Later, after being recruited by Schneizel, he is present at the Thought Elevator on Kamine Island and oversees the traumatic cyborg transformation of Jeremiah Gottwald. In the second season, he is forced by Emperor Charles zi Britannia to complete Jeremiah's modifications for the Geass Order, a task he performs with visible reluctance as he becomes aware that the Emperor's ambitions could spell disaster for the world.
Key relationships define his journey. His initial bond is with his direct superior, Prince Clovis, whose death leaves him directionless until Schneizel takes his place. His professional relationship with Jeremiah Gottwald is significant, as he is the one who transforms the disgraced noble into a powerful cyborg. This act, while dutiful, is not something he appears to enjoy, and Jeremiah later holds no loyalty towards him. The relationship with his prisoner, C.C., is one of captor and test subject, and it is his involvement with her that ultimately leads to his demise.
Bartley’s development is subtle but noticeable. He begins as a confident and ruthless general, willing to destroy an entire ghetto to recover a single asset. After his arrest and pardon, he becomes more subservient and cautious. His final moments show a significant change, as he expresses regret for his life's work. During the Black Knights’ assault on the Geass Directorate stronghold, he is killed in the attack. As he dies, he sees C.C. and laments to the memory of the deceased Prince Clovis, stating that they should never have captured her in the first place. This final realization suggests a degree of remorse for the catastrophic consequences of the research he once so dutifully managed.
In terms of notable abilities, Bartley is not a frontline fighter. His skills lie in military leadership, strategy, and scientific administration. He effectively commands large forces and leads a complex, secretive research division, demonstrating considerable organizational and tactical intelligence. His primary contribution is as a facilitator of the dark science that underpins the world of Geass, making him a crucial, if secondary, antagonist in the larger conflict.