Lelouch vi Britannia

"I, Lelouch vi Britannia, command you! Now all of you...DIE!"

- Lelouch using his Geass for the first time on a group of Britannian soldiers.

"If the king does not lead, how can he expect his subordinates to follow?"

- Lelouch vi Britannia

"The human heart has always been the source of all our power. That is why the people rose up against the High Eunuchs, and the Black Knights fight like titans. We fight with the power of our hearts!"

- Lelouch vi Britannia

Lelouch vi Britannia is the anti-heroic protagonist of the anime series Code Geass. He is the son of the Britannian Emperor Charles zi Britannia and the older brother of Nunnally.

He is voiced by Jun Fukuyama in the Japanese version, and Johnny Yong Bosch in the English version.

Lelouch
Lelouch was a regular schoolboy who goes to a high school in Japan or as it's now known, Area 11. He had a special power known as Geass or as it is also known, "The power of the king." He was not born with it though and before he acquired it, he had to make a contract with a girl named C.C.(or as it's pronounced C2). The girl also went by another name, "The immortal witch." She was called this because Geass allows it's possessor to live forever. It is said that anyone with Geass must find someone to grant a wish for them, then making it possible for the person who started the contract to truly die. Lelouch discovered C.C. by accident when he got caught up in a terrorist act by the Japanese or "Elevens" as they're now called. Lelouch had stumbled onto the back of a truck being handled by two Eleven terrorists and found a large container which had the girl inside. But it was not known by either the Elevens or Lelouch that there was actually a girl in there just that it was a top-secret project being handled by the Britannian military. There are two parts to this show and at the beginning of both parts, Lelouch learns about Geass. The first part he acquires it, the second part he remembers he has it. In both of these first episodes, C.C. helps Lelouch out of a sticky situation.

The Elevens think that there is only poison gas in C.C.'s container and nothing else, but they didn't know that there was another passenger on their truck, Lelouch. Lelouch also has a little sister named Nunnally who became blind due to the loss of their mother. Nunnally gets a major role in the next part of the show as an ambassador for Britannia who only wishes for peace and nothing else. Lelouch finds the container which he also thinks contains poison gas but finds out for himself what's in there later on when he gets into a critical situation. It's when C.C. is shot in the head by a Britannian soldier that Lelouch gains the power of Geass, which differs from person to person. After making a deal with C.C., he gains the power to control anyone he desires using his Geass eye, which happens to be his left eye. He then immediately puts his new power to use by controlling the soldiers who shot C.C. and commanding them to die. They do so by making their deaths look like suicide but instead it is s really a murder. After that, he decides to lead an army of his own consisting of the Elevens which he calls The Black Knights. He leads them by disguising himself as a new terrorist leader called Zero.

However, it all comes to an end in the late season 2 when the Black Knights betrayed him as a result of his evil brother, Schneizel El Britannia, having told them everything about him, including his true identity and his Geass. Having lost everyone he holds dear including Nunnally, he tries to get himself killed by having the Black Knights shot him to death but failed when Rolo Lamperouge, his false brother saves his life. Lelouch tries to die with his father by imprisoning themselves in the Sword of Akasha but failed. In the next month, Lelouch becomes the new emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire with Suzaku as his lieutenant with the title Knight of Zero. Next, he orchestrated a war, and when discovering Nunnally is alive, he gets the Damocles and puts her imprisoned. He owns the world. In the next months, Lelouch gets into a fight with Zero, who turns out to be Suzaku. It is revealed that they plotted his assassination for world peace. Lelouch's real plan was to become enemy to the world so the world would unite against him. Suzaku stabs Lelouch, completing their plan. Nunnally touches his hand and realizes the plot. Lelouch says his final words, "I destroyed the world... and create it... anew" before finally dying. Lelouch dies smiling in the arms of a crying Nunnally, who then succeeds her brother as Empress of Britannia with Zero(Suzaku) as the new leader of the Black Knights. With his death, the war is over.

In the upcoming sequel, Lelouch of the Resurrection Lelouch returns from the dead and becomes the main protagonist once again.

Zero
"People! Fear us, or rally behind us as you see fit. We are the Black Knights. We of the Black Knights stand with all those who have no weapons to wield, regardless of whether they be Elevens or Britannians. The Japan Liberation Front cowardly took innocent Britannian civilians hostage, and then mercilessly executed them. It was a wanton and meaningless act, therefore they have been punished, just as former Viceroy Clovis was punished for ordering the slaughter of countless unarmed Elevens. We cannot stand by and allow such cruelty to be carried out, and so we made him pay for his actions. I will not repudiate battle on a fair and level field, but neither will I tolerate a one-sided massacre of the weak by the strong. The only ones who should kill are those who are prepared to be killed! Wherever oppressors use their power to attack those who are powerless, we shall appear again, no matter how mighty, how formidable our foe may be. Those of you in power, fear us! Those of you without it, rally behind us! We, the Black Knights, shall be the ones who stand in judgment of this world!"

- Zero.

Zero is Lelouch in disguise. He even makes a costume for this terrorist leader which consists of a black cape, a purple uniform, and a hi-tech mask which allows him to control people without him having to risk people seeing his face but instead only his left eye. The Black Knights main weapons are machines designed for war called Knightmares.

He stops being Zero when the Black Knights find out his true identity and sell him out.

Emperor Lelouch
"Yes, I have...destroyed the world...and created...a..new."

- Lelouch's last words.

Lelouch becomes emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire after murdering his father and mother. He wears a fully-white clothing and has Geass on both of his eyes.

He uses his power over Britannia in his goals to create the Zero Requiem: Destroy the world and recreate a new one. Although he had to give up his own life, which is where Zero (Suzaku Kururugi) must kill him in front of a crowd of citizens.

Those who know about the Zero Requiem where Suzaku Kururugi, C.C., Jeremiah Gottwald, Lloyd Asplund, Cecile Croomy, Sayoko Shinozaki and Nina Einstein.

The only other key character to realize the plan during and after Lelouch's execution were Nunnally, Kallen, Cornelia, Ohgi, and Kaguya.

Quotes
"Say, how should a Britannian who detests his own country live his life?"

- Lelouch vi Britannia.

"What's wrong? Why not shoot? Your opponent is just a schoolboy. Or have you finally realized...the only ones who should kill are those who are prepared to be killed!"

- Lelouch vi Britannia.

"That was the turning point. Since that day, I've lived a lie: The lie of living. My name, too, was a lie. My personal history, a lie. Nothing but lies. I was sick to death of a world that couldn't be changed. But even in my lies, I refused to give up in despair. But now, this incredible power, it's mine. Well, then..."

- Lelouch vi Britannia.

"It's been a long time, big brother. The eldest son of the late consort Marianne and 17th in line to the imperial throne, Lelouch vi Britannia, at your service."

- Lelouch vi Britannia reveals himself to Clovis.

"I have returned, Your Highness, and I've come back to change everything."

- Lelouch to Clovis.

"The trick of real combat is that everyone is human."

- Lelouch stating why real combat is tricky.

"You can't change the world without getting your hands dirty."

- Lelouch before killing Clovis.

"C.C., I do not know why snow is white, but I do find such white snow beautiful."

- Lelouch to C.C.

"I must spill yet more blood, so the blood already spilled will not be in vain."

- Lelouch to Kallen.

"I didn't know. I didn't know until I lost her how much she meant to me..."

- Lelouch telling a memory-erased Shirley his feelings for her.

"Farewell, Euphie. You may have been the first girl that I ever loved."

- Lelouch to Euphemia.

"If you are a witch, then I'll become a warlock."

- Lelouch upon knowing C.C.'s past.

"Yes, I am Zero, the man who leads the Black Knights, who challenges the Holy Britannian Empire; The one who holds the entire world in his hand."

- Lelouch admitting his true identity to Suzaku.

"Let me ask you something, Lord Guilford. Suppose there is an evil that justice cannot bring down. What would you do? Would you taint your hands with evil to destroy evil? Or would you carry out your own justice and succumb to that evil?"

- Lelouch to Guilford.

"I see, then I... shall become evil to conquer an evil larger still!"

- Lelouch to himself.

"Everything I've done was for Nunnally's sake."

- Lelouch stating his main motivation for the Rebellion.

"If I'm not mistaken I think it was Suzaku who said that the shape of happiness might resemble glass. His reasoning made sense. He said that even though you don't usually notice it, it is still definitely there, you merely need to change your point of view slightly, and that glass will sparkle whenever it reflects the light. I doubt that anything else can argue its own existence more eloquently."

- Lelouch vi Britannia.

"Your Majesty, your future belongs to you. You decide your own fate."

- Lelouch to Empress Tianzi.

"Kallen, you have to live."

- Lelouch to Kallen.

"My name is Lelouch vi Britannia, I am the eldest son of Empress Marianne, the prince who was abandoned by his empire. If anyone wishes to stop me, let them try, if there is anyone who can go beyond my despair."

- Lelouch vi Britannia as he now claims the Britannian throne as the country's new emperor.

"That ... I ... I reject you, and I reject everything you believe. Why do people lie, it isn't only because they struggle against each other, it's also because there is something that they're seeking. You now want a world without change. How stagnant, you could hardly call it life. The same as a world of memories, just a world that's closed and completed, that's a place I wouldn't want to live in."

- Lelouch to Charles zi Britannia.

"But forcing your good intentions on others is no different from an evil act."

- Lelouch to Charles zi Britannia.

"I don't intend to defeat God. This is a request. Yes, now I know who I really am. God, Collective Unconscious! Please, don't stop the march of time!"

- Lelouch vi Britannia.

"Life without change might be called anything except life, it's nothing more than experience. ... Yes, Emperor Charles sought the past, you seek the present, but I seek the future."

- Lelouch to Schneizel.

"Attention entire world, hear my proclamation. I'm Lelouch vi Britannia, Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire and your only ruler. Schneizel has surrendered to me. As a result of this, I'm now controlling both Damocles and the F.L.E.I.J.A. weapon. ... Yes, from this day, from this moment on, the world belongs to me. Lelouch vi Britannia commands you, obey me, subject! Obey me, world!"

- Lelouch after defeating Schneizel.

"Before creation, there must be destruction. If my soul stands in the way, then I'll toss it aside. Yes, I have no choice but to move forward."

- Lelouch describing the Zero Requiem.

Trivia

 * It is thought that Lelouch gave his terrorist group the name "The Black Knights" because of the fact that he uses the black chess pieces every time he begins a match.
 * Lelouch is quite similar to Light Yagami from Death Note, but unlike Light, Lelouch always had a reason for killing people and displayed love and affection for his family even after taking the persona of Zero, while Light became enraptured in his own god complex, and cared for no one but himself by the end of the series.

Lelouch vi Britannia