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Code Geass

Code Geass

コードギアス反逆のルルーシュ

2006 -2008 Sunrise MBS / TBS 50 episodes Completed

Action Mecha Sci-Fi Political Drama

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Details & Synopsis

Lelouch vi Britannia is seventeenth in line to the throne of the Holy Britannian Empire, exiled to Japan, now called Area 11, a conquered territory with no rights and no name, following his mother's assassination and his sister's crippling. He attends school, plays chess for money, and waits.

Then a mysterious girl named C.C. gives him the Geass: the absolute power to command anyone to do anything, once, through direct eye contact. He puts on a mask. He calls himself Zero. He tells himself he is doing it to destroy Britannia.

He might even be right.

Produced by Sunrise and directed by Goro Taniguchi, who made s-CRY-ed five years earlier and clearly spent the intervening time thinking about political violence and what it costs, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion aired on MBS from 2006 to 2008. Fifty episodes across two seasons built around a chess match played in real time between a revolutionary who cannot stop lying and a childhood friend who joined the empire to reform it. The show understands that both positions are correct and neither of them will survive being correct.

The plot moves. This is the understatement of the decade. Code Geass was downloaded faster than most fansub groups could release it because no one watching it was willing to wait a week between episodes. The cliffhangers are not cheap, they are the load-bearing structure of a narrative that never stops accelerating. The Knightmare Frame battles are spectacular. The political maneuvering is genuinely intricate. The character work earns what it asks of you.

The ending of R2 is one of the most argued finales in anime history. It is also the correct ending. This is not up for debate.

Fifty episodes. Clear your schedule.

Alt Title コードギアス反逆のルルーシュ

Studio Sunrise

Network MBS / TBS

Aired 2006 - 2008

Episodes 50

Genre Action, Mecha, Sci-Fi, Political Drama

Status Completed

Arc List (8)

R1: Awakening Arc (5) R1: Black Knights Arc (7) R1: Mao Cult Arc (5) R1: Tokyo Rebellion Arc (8) R2: Reborn Mastermind Arc (6) R2: Chinese Federation Arc (7) R2: Geass Directorate Arc (6) R2: Zero Requiem Arc (6)

R1: Awakening Arc 5 eps 5 canon 📷 5

001 The Day a New Demon Was Born Aired Oct 6, 2006 canon 📷 200 ►

Lelouch Lamperouge gets caught in a terrorist crossfire inside Shinjuku Ghetto and encounters a mysterious green haired girl. She grants him the power of absolute obedience via direct eye contact. Lelouch uses his new Geass to command a squad of Britannian soldiers to execute themselves.

View all 200 screencaps from this episode →

002 The White Knight Awakens Aired Oct 13, 2006 canon 📷 195 ►

Lelouch uses a hijacked military radio channel to direct the rebel forces against the Britannian army like chess pieces. Prince Clovis authorizes the deployment of the experimental high mobility Knightmare Frame Lancelot. Suzaku Kururugi pilots the white machine to decimate the rebel advance.

View all 195 screencaps from this episode →

003 The False Classmate Aired Oct 20, 2006 canon 📷 193 ►

Lelouch returns to Ashford Academy and discovers his classmate Kallen Stadtfeld is secretly one of the Shinjuku terrorists. He attempts to test her using his new power but realizes Geass only works once per target. The tension mounts as he realizes he must keep his royal identity hidden from his friends.

View all 193 screencaps from this episode →

004 His Name is Zero Aired Oct 27, 2006 canon 📷 190 ►

Lelouch constructs a dramatic public persona to orchestrate the rescue of the framed Honorary Britannian soldier Suzaku Kururugi. He dons a mask and cape and declares himself to be Zero the leader of a new revolutionary movement. He leverages a captive nobleman to secure Suzaku's freedom in front of a massive media broadcast.

Lore Zero Is a Weapon Before He Is a Person

View all 190 screencaps from this episode →

005 The Princess and the Witch Aired Nov 3, 2006 canon 📷 193 ►

The mysterious immortal girl C.C. moves directly into Lelouch's school quarters and turns his life into an administrative nightmare. Princess Euphemia li Britannia accidentally falls into Suzaku's life while wandering the city incognito. The political climate grows tense as Viceroy Cornelia arrives to assume absolute command of Area 11.

View all 193 screencaps from this episode →

R1: Black Knights Arc 7 eps 7 canon 📷 7

006 The Stolen Mask Aired Nov 10, 2006 canon 📷 192 ►

A stray cat steals Lelouch's Zero mask and runs amok across the Ashford Academy campus. The entire student council launches a chaotic campus wide hunt to retrieve the cat before his identity is exposed. Lelouch handles the high stress situation with absolute panic while trying to maintain his cool exterior.

View all 192 screencaps from this episode →

007 Attack on Cornelia Aired Nov 17, 2006 canon 📷 194 ►

Lelouch launches a direct tactical assault against Viceroy Cornelia at the Saitama Ghetto to test his strategic skills. Cornelia completely reads his opening maneuvers and turns his army into a localized slaughter zone. Lelouch narrowly escapes the trap and realizes his imperial half sister is a far more formidable commander than Clovis.

View all 194 screencaps from this episode →

008 The Black Knights Aired Nov 24, 2006 canon 📷 192 ►

Zero officially organizes his core rebel forces into a disciplined revolutionary army known as the Black Knights. He delivers a global manifesto declaring his military will act as the sword of justice for the weak regardless of nationality. The public broadcast captures the imagination of the entire oppressed population of Japan.

Lore · 2 The Black Knights' First Promise

+1

The Order of the Black Knights Factions & Geopolitics

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009 Refrain Aired Dec 1, 2006 canon 📷 195 ►

Kallen struggles to manage the deep emotional scars of her family life as she discovers her mother is addicted to a dangerous reality distorting drug called Refrain. The Black Knights launch a midnight raid on a local drug distribution warehouse to eliminate the black market trade. Kallen learns the true depth of her mother's sacrifice.

View all 195 screencaps from this episode →

010 Guren Dances Aired Dec 8, 2006 canon 📷 191 ►

The Black Knights receive a massive technological upgrade from their shadow backers in Kyoto. Kallen takes command of the red claw armed Guren Mk-II and prepares for a high stakes deployment. Lelouch maps out a massive landslide strategy at Mount Narita to bury Cornelia's elite forces.

Lore Narita Proves Zero Can Win and Shows What Winning Costs

View all 191 screencaps from this episode →

011 Battle for Narita Aired Dec 15, 2006 canon 📷 194 ►

The artificial landslide shifts the tactical balance of Narita completely into Zero's favor. Kallen engages Cornelia's elite guards in a high speed melee dogfight while Lelouch moves to corner the Viceroy. The white Lancelot unexpectedly crashes the battlefield and shatters the Black Knights advance.

Lore Narita Proves Zero Can Win and Shows What Winning Costs

View all 194 screencaps from this episode →

012 The Messenger from Kyoto Aired Dec 22, 2006 canon 📷 189 ►

Lelouch travels to a hidden mountain fortress to secure official funding and military assets from the legendary house of Kyoto. The underground leaders demand Zero reveal his face to confirm his royal bloodline. Lelouch successfully passes the high stakes test of character through pure rhetorical manipulation.

View all 189 screencaps from this episode →

R1: Mao Cult Arc 5 eps 5 canon 📷 5

013 Shirley at Gunpoint Aired Jan 5, 2007 canon 📷 193 ►

Shirley Fenette suffers immense grief after learning her father was killed as collateral damage during the Narita landslide. She wanders the rainy streets looking for comfort and discovers Lelouch's secret notebook. She stands over an unconscious Lelouch with a loaded pistol caught in a spiral of trauma.

Lore Shirley's Father Makes Collateral Damage Personal

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014 Geass vs. Geass Aired Jan 12, 2007 canon 📷 190 ►

A terrifying new Geass user named Mao arrives in the city with the ability to read minds within a broad radius. He isolates Shirley and uses his telepathic power to manipulate her guilt into a murderous obsession. Lelouch is forced to use his own power to wipe Shirley's memories of him entirely to save her life.

Lore Shirley's Memories Become a Battlefield

View all 190 screencaps from this episode →

015 Cheering Mao Aired Jan 19, 2007 canon 📷 191 ►

Mao traps C.C. inside a localized amusement park cloaked in psychological torment. Lelouch utilizes a pre recorded video broadcast loop to completely bypass Mao's mind reading ability and orchestrate a flawless rescue. The tactical manipulation leaves the telepath cornered and exposed to a brutal police ambush.

View all 191 screencaps from this episode →

016 Nunnally Held Hostage Aired Jan 26, 2007 canon 📷 195 ►

Mao survives the ambush and kidnaps Lelouch's blind sister Nunnally inside the school underground infrastructure. Lelouch and Suzaku are forced into a tense high stakes partnership to defuse a complex wire bomb trap. Lelouch uses his Geass on himself to mask his tactical thoughts from Mao's radar.

View all 195 screencaps from this episode →

017 Knight Aired Feb 2, 2007 canon 📷 191 ►

Princess Euphemia stuns the entire Britannian establishment by selecting the Honorary Britannian Suzaku Kururugi as her personal Knight. The appointment creates a massive wave of political outrage among the purist nobility. Lelouch organizes a public execution rescue mission to safeguard his core revolutionary assets.

View all 191 screencaps from this episode →

R1: Tokyo Rebellion Arc 8 eps 8 canon 📷 8

018 Stage 18 Commander Suzaku Kururugi Aired Feb 9, 2007 canon 📷 195 ►

Suzaku assumes direct command of a specialized military operation to capture Zero at the Shikinejima base. Lelouch activates a massive ground trap to isolate the Lancelot and prepare for a definitive execution. A sudden high altitude bombardment from the Britannian floating fortress disrupts both armies.

View all 195 screencaps from this episode →

019 Gods Island Aired Feb 16, 2007 canon 📷 186 ►

The high altitude bombardment strands Lelouch Suzaku Kallen and Princess Euphemia on the mysterious uncharted shores of Kamine Island. Lelouch and Suzaku face off in a raw cave showdown where their identities are nearly exposed. They accidentally discover an ancient subterranean ruin that glows with cosmic Geass energy.

View all 186 screencaps from this episode →

020 Battle for Kyushu Aired Feb 23, 2007 canon 📷 197 ►

A rogue faction launches a massive military insurrection in the southern territory of Kyushu with the backing of foreign armor. Suzaku's Lancelot runs out of power in the middle of a dense combat zone. Zero unexpectedly descends from orbit to provide a critical power core resupply and shift the tide.

Lore · 2 The 'Live' Command Turns Suzaku's Death Wish Into a Weapon

+1

Memory Loss & Command Duration Geass Mechanics & Order

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021 The Ashford School Festival Aired Mar 2, 2007 canon 📷 189 ►

The student council attempts to cook a giant festival pizza using custom engineered mecha frames to restore morale. Ohgi and the Black Knights infiltrate the campus grounds incognito to deliver tactical data to Lelouch. Princess Euphemia makes a surprise public appearance that changes the geopolitical landscape.

Lore Euphemia Creates a Political Exit From the War

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022 Bloodstained Euphie Aired Mar 23, 2007 canon 📷 195 ►

Euphemia launches her bold political campaign to establish the Specially Administrated Zone of Japan. Lelouch corners her in a private room to reveal his identity and accept her terms. Tragically his Geass enters a permanent out of control state during a casual joke commanding her to slaughter the Japanese population.

Lore · 2 Runaway Geass Turns a Bad Example Into a Massacre

+1

Runaway Geass (Permanent Activation) Geass Mechanics & Order

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023 At Least with Grief Aired Mar 30, 2007 canon 📷 197 ►

The stadium turns into a horrific bloodbath as the brainwashed Euphemia commands her army to open fire on the innocent crowd. Lelouch suppresses his agonizing personal trauma and delivers the order to execute his childhood friend to stop the massacre. Zero uses the tragedy to ignite a total global rebellion.

Lore Lelouch Chooses Zero Over Euphemia

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024 The Collapsing Stage Aired Jul 28, 2007 canon 📷 193 ►

The Black Knights launch the absolute Tokyo Rebellion assaulting the Britannian government complex with total kinetic force. Lelouch turns the city structures into massive gravity traps to sink the defending armor. A sudden message revealing Nunnally has been kidnapped forces him to abandon his command post.

Lore The Black Rebellion Fails When Lelouch Stops Being Zero

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025 Zero Aired Jul 28, 2007 canon 📷 192 ►

The Black Knights rebellion collapses into total chaos as their commander vanishes mid battle to pursue his sister. Suzaku tracks Lelouch directly to the ancient subterranean ruins of Kamine Island. The mask is violently shattered in a high stakes standoff as the two childhood friends point their pistols at each other.

Lore · 2 Kamine Island Ends the Last Comfortable Lie

+1

The Black Rebellion Fails When Lelouch Stops Being Zero Zero & the Black Knights

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R2: Reborn Mastermind Arc 6 eps 6 canon 📷 6

026 The Day a Demon Awakens Aired Apr 6, 2008 canon 📷 200 ►

Lelouch lives a quiet peaceful life as a student with his memories completely wiped by his father's Emperor Geass. C.C. launches a high stakes assault on a local casino tower to restore the mastermind's true persona. The demon Zero awakens and immediately collapses the building onto his Britannian pursuers.

Lore R2 Opens With a Manufactured Normal

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027 Plan for Independent Japan Aired Apr 13, 2008 canon 📷 198 ►

Lelouch uses his restored mastermind capabilities to gather the scattered remnants of the Black Knights inside the Chinese Federation consulate. He issues a global broadcast declaring the immediate restoration of the United States of Japan. The move stuns the newly appointed Viceroy Rolo.

View all 198 screencaps from this episode →

028 Imprisoned Campus Aired Apr 20, 2008 canon 📷 199 ►

Lelouch returns to Ashford Academy and discovers his entire school life is a heavily monitored panopticon facility run by secret agents. His fake brother Rolo possesses a localized time freezing Geass designed to assassinate him. Lelouch begins a high stakes psychological game to turn Rolo into his personal asset.

View all 199 screencaps from this episode →

029 Counterattack at the Gallows Aired Apr 27, 2008 canon 📷 197 ►

Britannian execution squads prepare to slaughter the captured Black Knights on live television to draw out Zero. Lelouch orchestrates a brilliant structural collapse of the execution plaza using modular engineering. He successfully converts the execution into a massive recruitment triumph for his army.

View all 197 screencaps from this episode →

030 Knights of the Round Aired May 4, 2008 canon 📷 196 ►

Suzaku returns to Ashford Academy accompanied by the elite Knights of the Round to test whether Lelouch's memories have been restored. Lelouch is forced to maintain a flawless civilian mask while under constant physical and telepathic surveillance. The tension reaches a critical point during a phone call trap.

View all 196 screencaps from this episode →

031 Pacific Ocean Siege Battle Aired May 11, 2008 canon 📷 200 ►

The Black Knights launch a massive high altitude aerial ambush against the Britannian naval transport fleet carrying the new Viceroy Nunnally. Kallen drives the Guren into a high stakes aerial dogfight to breach the command ship. Lelouch faces absolute emotional paralysis upon hearing his sister's voice.

View all 200 screencaps from this episode →

R2: Chinese Federation Arc 7 eps 7 canon 📷 7

032 Discarded Mask Aired May 18, 2008 canon 📷 189 ►

Lelouch struggles with severe depression over his inability to rescue Nunnally without putting her life in danger. He attempts to abandon his mask in the slums but is confronted by the unyielding loyalty of Kallen. He rebuilds his resolve and prepares a grand geopolitical defection strategy.

View all 189 screencaps from this episode →

033 Million Vows Aired May 25, 2008 canon 📷 199 ►

Zero strikes a brilliant diplomatic deal with the Britannian Viceroy to exile one million Japanese citizens peacefully. He utilizes identical custom Zero costumes to make the entire one million crowd look completely identical. The mass identity swap allows his entire army to defect to the Chinese Federation undetected.

Lore One Million People Become Zero

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034 A Bride in the Forbidden City Aired Jun 1, 2008 canon 📷 194 ►

The corrupt High Eunuchs of the Chinese Federation arrange a political marriage between their young Empress and a Britannian prince to secure noble status. Zero crashes the royal wedding inside the Forbidden City and takes the Empress hostage to spark a national civilian revolution.

View all 194 screencaps from this episode →

035 When Shen Hu Wins the Glory Aired Jun 8, 2008 canon 📷 198 ►

The brilliant strategist Xingke launches the ultra high performance Knightmare Frame Shen Hu to intercept the retreating Black Knights. His masterful tactical lines push Lelouch's command unit to the absolute brink of mechanical destruction. The battle turns into a fierce clash of pure intellect.

View all 198 screencaps from this episode →

036 Power of Passion Aired Jun 15, 2008 canon 📷 192 ►

Lelouch exposes the financial corruption of the High Eunuchs to the entire global population via a pirated broadcast channel. The revelation causes a massive domestic civilian uprising across the Chinese Federation. Xingke switches alliances to secure the Empress and permanently joins the Black Knights coalition.

View all 192 screencaps from this episode →

037 Love Attack Aired Jun 22, 2008 canon 📷 197 ►

Milly Ashford organizes a final chaotic hat chasing graduation match across the campus grounds with the prize being a mandatory engagement. Lelouch is forced to deploy his entire tactical apparatus just to escape the student match without exposing his double life. The event serves as the final peaceful civilian interlude.

View all 197 screencaps from this episode →

038 Assassin from the Past Aired Jun 29, 2008 canon 📷 196 ►

The unstable assassin model V.V. dispatches a specialized anti Geass squad to purge the Ashford student council. Shirley accidentally recovers her wiped memories of Lelouch's true identity and Zero's past actions. She tries to find Lelouch to save his soul but is brutally murdered by Rolo.

View all 196 screencaps from this episode →

R2: Geass Directorate Arc 6 eps 6 canon 📷 6

039 Geass Hunt Aired Jul 6, 2008 canon 📷 198 ►

Lelouch flies into a blinding cold fury over Shirley's death and mobilizes the Black Knights for a secret military purge of the Geass Directorate. His elite squads execute an unsparing annihilation of the underground research facility. Lelouch corners his immortal uncle V.V. to prepare for a definitive bloodline extraction.

Lore V.V., C.C. and the Geass Order

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040 The Cs World Aired Jul 13, 2008 canon 📷 190 ►

Lelouch is transported directly into the surreal collective subconscious dimension known as C's World. He faces off against his father Emperor Charles zi Britannia who reveals the true nature of the Code inheritance. Lelouch traps his father inside the abstract space and attempts a permanent structural execution.

Lore V.V., C.C. and the Geass Order

View all 190 screencaps from this episode →

041 United Federation of Nations Resolution Number One Aired Jul 27, 2008 canon 📷 194 ►

Zero coordinates forty seven independent nations to officially ratify the global charter of the United Federation of Nations. The massive economic and military superpower block directly challenges Britannia's global dominance. The first official resolution demands the immediate liberation of Japan.

Lore The United Federation of Nations (U.F.N.)

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042 Taste of Soil Aired Aug 3, 2008 canon 📷 190 ►

Lelouch travels to a heavily guarded facility to conduct a private high stakes negotiation with Suzaku to secure Nunnally's safety. Suzaku demands Lelouch answer for all his strategic crimes before accepting the terms. The meeting is violently sabotaged by a hidden Britannian strike squad tracking his signal.

View all 190 screencaps from this episode →

043 Final Battle Tokyo II Aired Aug 10, 2008 canon 📷 198 ►

The United Federation of Nations launches a massive total kinetic assault to reclaim Tokyo. The Lancelot is pushed to its absolute structural limit by Kallen's newly upgraded Guren Seiten. Suzaku's brainwashed Geass command forces him to fire the deadly FLEIJA nuclear warhead vaporizing the entire center of the city.

Lore · 2 Suzaku Fires the First F.L.E.I.A.

+1

F.L.E.I.A. (Field Limit Expansion Implosion Armament) Knightmare Frames & Tech

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044 Betrayal Aired Aug 17, 2008 canon 📷 192 ►

Schneizel delivers verified data exposing Zero's Geass capabilities and imperial heritage directly to the Black Knights command staff. The revolutionary leaders turn their weapons on Lelouch feeling completely exploited. Rolo uses his failing heart power to execute a brilliant high stakes mecha escape to save his brother.

Lore · 2 Schneizel Wins by Giving Them the Truth Selectively

+1

Rolo's Final Choice Is the Opposite of How Lelouch Used Him R2: Memory, Return & Betrayal

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R2: Zero Requiem Arc 6 eps 6 canon 📷 6

045 Emperor Dismissed Aired Aug 24, 2008 canon 📷 196 ►

Rolo perishes from absolute cardiac arrest after securing the escape. Lelouch buries his brother with genuine honor and abandons his masked persona forever. He travels back into the ancient ruins of Kamine Island to launch his definitive final assault against the Emperor inside the core of C's World.

View all 196 screencaps from this episode →

046 The Ragnarok Connection Aired Aug 31, 2008 canon 📷 197 ►

The true world resetting plot of Charles and Marianne is fully laid bare inside the collective subconscious. They plan to destroy individual human boundaries to construct a world without lies. Lelouch violently rejects their stagnant utopia and uses his Geass to command the collective consciousness to erase his parents from existence.

Lore · 2 Charles and Marianne Want a World Without Lies

+1

Lelouch Chooses Tomorrow Over the World His Parents Wanted C's World & the Ragnarok Connection

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047 Emperor Lelouch Aired Sep 7, 2008 canon 📷 189 ►

Lelouch emerges from the ruins and hijacks the Britannian imperial broadcast network to crown himself the ninety ninth Emperor of the realm. Suzaku stands by his side as the newly appointed Knight of Zero. The mastermind uses his Geass on the entire imperial court to establish absolute autocratic rule.

Lore Lelouch Takes Britannia So the World Has One Enemy

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048 Schneizels Guise Aired Sep 14, 2008 canon 📷 194 ►

Schneizel aligns with the remaining Black Knights coalition and assumes control of the floating fortress Damocles. He reveals Nunnally is alive and operating as the face of his resistance faction. Lelouch is forced to structure his tactical lines against his own sister to complete his ultimate plan.

Lore · 2 Damocles Is a Political System, Not Just a Fortress

+1

Nunnally Chooses to Carry the Key Herself F.L.E.I.A., Damocles & the Final War

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049 The Grip of Damocles Aired Sep 21, 2008 canon 📷 194 ►

The ultimate high altitude mecha dogfight erupts over the Pacific Ocean as Lelouch's flagship breaches the Damocles energy shield. Suzaku engages the Round aces in a final lethal clash of mecha piloting styles. Lelouch uses a masterfully timed cyber calculation pattern to permanently disable Schneizel's strategic network.

Lore · 2 9th Generation Transcendent Frames

+1

Suzaku vs. Kallen, Lelouch vs. Schneizel F.L.E.I.A., Damocles & the Final War

View all 194 screencaps from this episode →

050 Re Aired Sep 28, 2008 canon 📷 193 ►

Lelouch assumes absolute dictatorial dominance over the entire planet as the hated tyrant of humanity. The grand finale unfolds during a massive victory parade in the streets of Tokyo. Suzaku dons the Zero mask to execute the master calculated assassination of Emperor Lelouch vi Britannia. The Zero Requiem finishes cleanly as the world's collective hatred dies with the mastermind leaving a gentle dawn for humanity.

Lore · 3 Zero Requiem Requires the One Person Lelouch Cannot Fool

+2

The World Watches Zero Kill Lelouch Zero Requiem Nunnally Understands Too Late Zero Requiem

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ⓘ Legend

canon Episode adapts events from the source manga.

mixed Adapts source material but adds anime-original scenes.

good-filler Anime-original episode generally well-received by fans.

filler Anime-original episode not based on the source manga.

📷 Number of user-uploaded screencaps available for this episode.

Lelouch vi Britannia

The Mastermind / Zero

An exiled Britannian prince hiding out as a brilliant, bored high school student in Area 11 (formerly Japan). When a mysterious girl grants him the "Absolute Obedience" Geass—allowing him to command anyone to do anything via direct eye contact—Lelouch turns the entire world into his personal chess board. Donning a dramatic cape and mask as the revolutionary leader "Zero," he orchestrates a massive, hyper-calculated rebellion against his own tyrannical father. He is the ultimate shonen strategist, famous for his theatrical hand gestures and his terrifying willingness to sacrifice anything—and anyone—to build a gentler world for his sister, Nunnally.

+14 LORE

Charles and Marianne Want a World Without Lies C's World & the Ragnarok Connection Lelouch Chooses Tomorrow Over the World His Parents Wanted C's World & the Ragnarok Connection Lelouch Chooses Zero Over Euphemia Euphemia & the Special Zone R2 Opens With a Manufactured Normal R2: Memory, Return & Betrayal Rolo's Final Choice Is the Opposite of How Lelouch Used Him R2: Memory, Return & Betrayal Zero Is a Weapon Before He Is a Person Zero & the Black Knights Narita Proves Zero Can Win and Shows What Winning Costs Zero & the Black Knights Lelouch Takes Britannia So the World Has One Enemy Zero Requiem The World Watches Zero Kill Lelouch Zero Requiem The Order of the Black Knights Factions & Geopolitics The United Federation of Nations (U.F.N.) Factions & Geopolitics Lelouch Vi Britannia: Absolute Obedience Geass Mechanics & Order Destroy the System or Change It From Inside Lelouch & Suzaku Kamine Island Ends the Last Comfortable Lie Lelouch & Suzaku

Suzaku Kururugi

The Lancelot Pilot / Tragic Rival

Lelouch’s childhood best friend and the ultimate ideological foil of the series. As the son of Japan's last Prime Minister, Suzaku chose a radically different path: joining the Holy Britannian Empire’s military as an Honorary Britannian to try and reform the system from the inside. Piloting the experimental, high-mobility Knightmare Frame Lancelot, he unwittingly becomes Zero’s most devastating frontline obstacle. Suzaku possesses superhuman physical reflexes and an ironclad moral code wrapped around a deep, self-destructive death wish, making his tragic battlefield clashes with Lelouch the psychological anchor of the show.

+15 LORE

Suzaku Loses the Person Who Made His Path Seem Possible Euphemia & the Special Zone Suzaku Fires the First F.L.E.I.A. F.L.E.I.A., Damocles & the Final War The 'Live' Command Turns Suzaku's Death Wish Into a Weapon Lelouch & Suzaku Kamine Island Ends the Last Comfortable Lie Lelouch & Suzaku Zero Requiem Requires the One Person Lelouch Cannot Fool Lelouch & Suzaku Suzaku's Punishment Is to Survive as Zero Zero Requiem The Mask Outlives the Man Zero Requiem Suzaku vs. Kallen, Lelouch vs. Schneizel F.L.E.I.A., Damocles & the Final War Area 11 & The Eleven Designation Factions & Geopolitics Honorary Britannian Status Factions & Geopolitics Memory Loss & Command Duration Geass Mechanics & Order 7th Generation (Z-01 Lancelot & Guren Mk-II) Knightmare Frames & Tech 9th Generation Transcendent Frames Knightmare Frames & Tech Destroy the System or Change It From Inside Lelouch & Suzaku The World Watches Zero Kill Lelouch Zero Requiem

C.C.

The Immortal Witch / Code Bearer

A mysterious, green-haired immortal woman who bestows the power of Geass upon Lelouch in exchange for a secretive, binding "contract." Dubbed the "Immortal Witch," C.C. is immune to physical harm, does not age, and has watched empires rise and fall for centuries. She moves into Lelouch's school clubhouse room, transforming into his live-in accomplice, sounding board, and cynical reality check. Despite her deep emotional detachment from humanity and her legendary, bottomless obsession with ordering large Pizza Hut boxes, she harbors a profound, heartbreaking vulnerability regarding her eternal existence.

+3 LORE

V.V., C.C. and the Geass Order C's World & the Ragnarok Connection The Code of Immortality Geass Mechanics & Order R2 Opens With a Manufactured Normal R2: Memory, Return & Betrayal

Kallen Stadtfeld

Black Knights Ace / Guren Pilot

A fierce, hot-tempered young woman balancing a double life: by day, she acts as a frail, sickly aristocratic student at Ashford Academy; by night, she is the undisputed frontline ace pilot for Zero’s revolutionary army. Born to a Britannian father and an oppressed Japanese mother, Kallen proudly reclaims her Kozuki heritage on the battlefield. Commandering the red, claw-armed Guren Mk-II, her blistering, high-speed melee dogfights against Suzaku’s Lancelot are the absolute peak kinetic highlights of the series. She is blindly loyal to the ideal of Zero, completely oblivious to the fact that her commander is the annoying guy sitting across from her in class.

+6 LORE

Suzaku vs. Kallen, Lelouch vs. Schneizel F.L.E.I.A., Damocles & the Final War The Order of the Black Knights Factions & Geopolitics Command Division & Asymmetrical Warfare Factions & Geopolitics 7th Generation (Z-01 Lancelot & Guren Mk-II) Knightmare Frames & Tech 9th Generation Transcendent Frames Knightmare Frames & Tech The Black Knights' First Promise Zero & the Black Knights

Shirley Fenette

SPOILER!

Ashford Sweetheart / Tragic Anchor

A bubbly, sweet-natured student at Ashford Academy and a prominent member of the Student Council who harbors a massive, utterly transparent crush on Lelouch. Shirley functions as the crucial, heartbreaking emotional tether to Lelouch's civilian innocence. Her life is completely shattered when the collateral damage of Zero's rebellion kills her father, dragging her straight into a spiral of horrific psychological trauma, memory manipulation, and betrayal. Her tragic narrative arc serves as a stark, unforgiving reminder of the devastating human cost exacted by Lelouch’s grand geopolitical chess game.

+4 LORE

Shirley's Father Makes Collateral Damage Personal Ashford Academy & the Civilian Cost Shirley's Memories Become a Battlefield Ashford Academy & the Civilian Cost Ashford Is Not Filler to Lelouch Ashford Academy & the Civilian Cost Narita Proves Zero Can Win and Shows What Winning Costs Zero & the Black Knights

Schneizel el Britannia

SPOILER!

Nice Prince / Grand Strategist

The Second Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire and the Prime Minister of the realm. Schneizel is the only person in the universe capable of matching—and routinely beating—Lelouch in a game of pure strategic chess. Charismatic, impeccably polite, and universally adored, he masks a terrifyingly cold, absolute nihilism beneath his charming statesman exterior. He doesn't view war through anger or prejudice; he views it as a cold mathematical problem, eventually deploying weapons of mass destruction from his floating fortress in the name of a peaceful, tightly controlled world order.

+4 LORE

Damocles Is a Political System, Not Just a Fortress F.L.E.I.A., Damocles & the Final War Schneizel Wins by Giving Them the Truth Selectively R2: Memory, Return & Betrayal Suzaku vs. Kallen, Lelouch vs. Schneizel F.L.E.I.A., Damocles & the Final War F.L.E.I.A. (Field Limit Expansion Implosion Armament) Knightmare Frames & Tech

Nunnally vi Britannia

The Emotional Anchor / Exiled Princess

Lelouch’s sweet, wheelchair-bound, and blind younger sister who serves as the absolute catalyst for the entire series. Left physically traumatized after the brutal assassination of their mother, Nunnally is the sole reason Lelouch vows to destroy the Britannian Empire—he wants to construct a peaceful, gentle world where she can live safely. Completely oblivious to the fact that her beloved brother is secretly the masked terrorist Zero, her presence is a constant ticking tactical time-bomb, acting as both Lelouch's ultimate vulnerability and his highest moral boundary.

+4 LORE

Nunnally Chooses to Carry the Key Herself F.L.E.I.A., Damocles & the Final War The Black Rebellion Fails When Lelouch Stops Being Zero Zero & the Black Knights Nunnally Understands Too Late Zero Requiem Ashford Is Not Filler to Lelouch Ashford Academy & the Civilian Cost

Euphemia li Britannia

SPOILER!

Third Princess / The Tragic Idealist

The kind-hearted, deeply idealistic Third Princess of Britannia who arrives in Area 11 as the Sub-Viceroy. "Euphie" completely rejects the empire's brutal systemic racism, choosing Suzaku as her personal knight and launching a radical political campaign to establish a Specially Administrated Zone of Japan where Elevens can reclaim their name and rights peacefully. Tragically, her pure innocence makes her the victim of the series' most devastating, irreversible plot twist when Lelouch’s Geass goes permanently out of control, transforming her into an unwitting monster and sealing her fate as the show's ultimate tragedy.

+4 LORE

Euphemia Creates a Political Exit From the War Euphemia & the Special Zone Runaway Geass Turns a Bad Example Into a Massacre Euphemia & the Special Zone Suzaku Loses the Person Who Made His Path Seem Possible Euphemia & the Special Zone Runaway Geass (Permanent Activation) Geass Mechanics & Order

Cornelia li Britannia

The Goddess of Victory / Viceroy

The ruthless, fiercely imperialistic Second Princess of Britannia who takes command of Area 11 as Viceroy. Dubbed the "Goddess of Victory," Cornelia is a master military general who scorns political monologues and leads her elite purist forces from the absolute frontlines inside a custom, cape-wearing Gloucester Knightmare Frame. She is an impenetrable strategic wall for Zero's early rebellion, driven by a fierce, fanatical protectiveness over her younger sister, Euphemia, and a cold determination to slaughter anyone who threatens the throne.

LORE

Rakshata Chawla

Cybernetic Engineer / Black Knights Scientist

The brilliant, pipe-smoking Indian cyberneticist who serves as the chief technical director for the Black Knights. Carrying a relaxed, deeply sarcastic attitude and lounging on a customized sofa even in high-stress military bunkers, Rakshata is the scientific genius responsible for breaking Britannia’s mechanical monopoly. She engineered the Guren’s devastating Radiation Wave claw and developed the modular Akatsuki frames, running an aggressive, permanent professional rivalry against Lloyd Asplund to prove her tech reigns supreme.

+3 LORE

The Order of the Black Knights Factions & Geopolitics Command Division & Asymmetrical Warfare Factions & Geopolitics 7th Generation (Z-01 Lancelot & Guren Mk-II) Knightmare Frames & Tech

Diethard Ried

SPOILER!

Information Director / Propagandist

A cynical, highly ambitious former producer for the premier Britannian television network Hi-TV. Diethard is a pure media parasite who doesn't care about national pride, justice, or human lives; he cares about the ultimate narrative. Viewing Zero's rebellion as the greatest piece of historical documentation to ever occur, he defects to the Black Knights to become their director of information and propaganda. He masterfully manipulates public perception, editing live broadcasts and orchestrating media blackouts to transform Zero from a rogue terrorist into a global messiah.

+3 LORE

The Order of the Black Knights Factions & Geopolitics Command Division & Asymmetrical Warfare Factions & Geopolitics Schneizel Wins by Giving Them the Truth Selectively R2: Memory, Return & Betrayal

Milly Ashford

Student Council President / Grand Tease

The hyper-energetic, chaotic, and relentlessly teasing President of the Ashford Academy Student Council. As the granddaughter of the school's director, Milly uses her absolute authority to drag Lelouch, Suzaku, and the rest of the council into absurd, campus-wide events—ranging from cooking a giant festival pizza with mecha frames to running a high-stakes hat-chasing match. Beneath her bubbly, matchmaking exterior, she carries the heavy aristocratic pressure of an arranged marriage to restore her family's declining social status, serving as the bright, civilian center of Lelouch's school life.

+2 LORE

Milly Represents the World That Keeps Moving Anyway Ashford Academy & the Civilian Cost Ashford Is Not Filler to Lelouch Ashford Academy & the Civilian Cost

← All lore

Fansub & Scanlation History

2006-2008: MBS/TBS Broadcast, 720p MKV & Speedsub Rivalries

[gg] vs. [Eclipse]: The Mid-2000s Speedsub & Quality Rivalry (2006-2008)

MBS/TBS Late-Night Airings · The Great [gg] Speed vs. [Eclipse] Quality War

When Sunrise's Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion premiered on MBS/TBS in October 2006 (followed by R2 in April 2008), it coincided with the fansub scene's transition from 480p AVIs to 720p H.264/Matroska (.mkv) softsubbed files. The series became the battleground for a legendary rivalry between speedsub group [gg] and quality group [Eclipse]. [gg] gained massive popularity for delivering subbed episodes within hours of Japanese broadcast, complete with localized humor and bold Aegisub typesetting, while [Eclipse] provided immaculate translations and elaborate musical karaoke for FLOW's "Colors" and ORANGE RANGE's "O2".

[gg]

Softsub Standardization & H.264/720p High-Definition Containers

Matroska (.mkv) Container Standard · Uncompressed AAC Audio & Karaoke Styling

Code Geass served as one of the definitive series that cemented x264 video encoding and Matroska (.mkv) softsubs as the universal Western fansub standard. Instead of hardsubbed video, groups released softsubs that allowed viewers to toggle raw video tracks, stylized fonts, and secondary translator notes explaining Britannia's alternate-history geography, Geass constraints, and Knightmare Frame mechanical designations.

[Eclipse]

Archival BitTorrent Batch Swarms & Complete R2 Preserves

50-Episode Complete Series Batches · Lossless Audio & Text Note Preservation

Following the R2 finale in September 2008, fan encoders compiled complete 50-episode batch packs combining Japanese Blu-ray/DVD raws with refined softsubs, preserving Kotaro Nakagawa's orchestral score and the Japanese voice performances of Jun Fukuyama and Takahiro Sakurai long before official streaming existed.

2006–2007: English DTV Fansubs

gg's Own Site Confirms Code Geass as an Active Project

Latest 17 / Total 25 on February 27, 2007 · AnimeSuki Later Reaches 22

gg's Code Geass credit no longer rests only on a contemporary torrent index. The group's own archived ggkthx.org project page, captured February 27, 2007, lists Code Geass under Active Projects with Latest: 17 and Total: 25. The same site exposes Releases, IRC Channel, Forums, Staff and Recruitment pages, making the project listing part of gg's own operating fansub infrastructure.

AnimeSuki independently preserves gg from episode 1 through at least episode 22, along with a 1–12 batch, revised releases, half-episode extras and DVD picture-book material.

Why it matters

The two sources do different jobs. gg's own site proves project ownership and status at a dated snapshot. AnimeSuki preserves a later public release trail beyond that snapshot. Together they make gg one of the better-documented Code Geass release lines.

[gg]

Shinsen-Subs and the Near-Complete Broadcast Run

23 TV Episodes · DTV Source · Later DVD Work

Shinsen-Subs was one of the major English-language groups working on Code Geass during the original Season 1 broadcast. Their release run reached 23 television episodes, with additional DVD-sourced work appearing alongside the broadcast releases. That makes Shinsen part of the actual week-to-week English fansub history of the series, not simply a later archival encoder: viewers were following Japanese broadcasts through translated releases while the show was still airing.

[Shinsen]

Your-Mom and the Complete 25-Episode DTV Release

25 / 25 Episodes · English Fansub · Digital TV Source

Your-Mom completed all 25 episodes of Code Geass Season 1 from digital television sources, making their release one of the full English fansub routes through the original broadcast. The group was already active in the same mid-2000s IRC and BitTorrent scene as Shinsen-Subs, and Code Geass landed squarely in that transition period when H.264, Matroska containers and fast digital-broadcast distribution were replacing the older AVI-heavy workflow.

[Your-Mom]

2006-2010: Kadokawa Spin-Off Manga & Early Scanlations

Parallel Spin-Off Manga Serialization & Flatbed Scanlations

Nightmare of Nunnally & Suzaku Spin-Offs · Desktop Flatbed Raws

Code Geass expanded across multiple parallel manga spin-offs published in Kadokawa Shoten magazines (Monthly Asuka and Comp Ace), including a Knightmare-less retelling by Majiko!, Nightmare of Nunnally, and Suzaku of the Counterattack. Early scanlation teams digitized imported magazine raws using desktop flatbed scanners, cleaning newsprint bleed-through and hand-typesetting translated dialogue.

Real Scanlation Activity, No Single Named Group

codegeass.5d6d.com · LiveJournal Coordination

Confirmed real scanlation activity around the spin-off manga, but decentralized rather than run by one clearly named group. A LiveJournal community actively circulated raws, coordinated translation requests, and shared volume-level torrents of Nightmare of Nunnally, Suzaku of the Counterattack, and Lelouch of the Rebellion, with codegeass.5d6d.com serving as a real, named hosting hub referenced directly in period posts. [UNCONFIRMED]: no single formally-named English scanlation group could be pinned down here, unlike other titles on this site.

Bandai Entertainment Manga Publishing & Scanlation Code Drop

2008 Official English Manga Localizations · Scene Honor Code Transition

In 2008, Bandai Entertainment licensed the official English publishing rights for the Code Geass manga spin-offs, confirmed as running alongside their existing anime license until the company's 2012 closure. Upon the announcement, scanlation groups honoring the scene code of ethics pulled active chapter downloads to direct fans toward the official releases.

2007-2020s: Bandai Licensing, Adult Swim Blockbuster & Funimation Rescue

Bandai Entertainment Licensing & Cartoon Network Adult Swim Premiere (April 27, 2008)

Dub by ZRO Limit Productions · Uncut English Cable Broadcast

Bandai Entertainment licensed the Code Geass anime, bringing Season 1 to Cartoon Network's Adult Swim on April 27, 2008 (R2 followed that November). The English dub, produced by ZRO Limit Productions with original director Goro Taniguchi involved in casting, starred Johnny Yong Bosch as Lelouch and Yuri Lowenthal as Suzaku, both confirmed accurate here. The broadcast aired virtually uncut in a late-night timeslot, turning the series into a mainstream cable success.

Bandai Entertainment's 2012 Shutdown & The Out-Of-Print Vacuum

January 2012 Bandai Collapse · Secondary DVD/Blu-Ray Market Shortage

Bandai Entertainment ceased North American home video distribution as 2012 began, freezing production and leaving Code Geass out of print. Secondary market prices for the limited edition DVD box sets rose sharply, temporarily pushing fans back toward archival BitTorrent swarms.

Funimation's 2013 License Rescue & the October 2016 Blu-ray

2013 License Acquisition · Confirmed: Blu-ray/DVD Released October 4, 2016

Funimation rescued the licensing rights to Code Geass in 2013, releasing both seasons on Blu-ray and DVD on October 4, 2016, timed to the show's 10th anniversary, confirmed accurate here. The release used a new Japanese 5.1 surround mix with music and sound effects re-recorded under the supervision of original director Goro Taniguchi, and included both the Japanese track and the original English dub.

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