Code Geassis an anime that features the story of a young man who decided to rebel against the hierarchy of his royal family and avenge his mother, whom he suspects died at the hands of the imperial family. Lelouch vi Britannia was a former prince of the imperial family but was exiled to Japan after questioning his father, the emperor, about the death of his mother.
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Years after his exile, Lelouch gained an ability calledGeass. A power that compels people to carry out any order given to them by Lelouch as long as they look into his eyes. Using this power,Lelouch led a rebellionagainst the empire under the guise of justice and equality, concealing his primary motives from his comrades. Unfortunately, despite posing as a beacon of hope, the former prince was fond of methods that endangered the lives of many innocents and those of his allies.Here are some of the most heinous acts Lelouch committed throughout the story.
10Exploiting The Japanese Liberation Front
Prior to the emergence of theOrder of the Black Knights—the primary organization formed by Lelouch to take action against the empire, there was a group consisting of former Japanese soldiers called the Japanese Liberation Front.They served as the main opposition to the Britannian army in Japan, now named Area 11.
Determined to use everything at his disposal in his fight against the Britannian army, Lelouch took advantage of the long-standing battle between them and the front. On two different occasions even murdering prominent members of the group and painting both incidents as suicides.
9Ordering Suzaku To Live
Kururugi Suzaku was a childhood friend of Lelouch, acquainted since the beginning of his days in exile.He became a Britannian soldierdespite being the son of the former prime minister of Japan due to his extremely idealistic principles. He faces off against Lelouch on many occasions though he is not aware of this as Lelouch usually operates behind a mask as Zero.
During one of their battles, with both facing imminent annihilation at the hands of the second prince Schneizel. Suzaku was tasked with holding Lelouch in place while they were to be bombarded with relentless cannon fire. In a desperate attempt to escape, Lelouch uses his Geass on Suzaku and orders him to live. This command shattered Suzaku, as it broke his unnatural detachment to life crucial to realizing his ideals, causing him great pain and suffering throughout the rest of the story.
8Murdering Clovis
Clovis la Britannia was the third prince of the imperial family and the Viceroy of Area 11. Despite his severe discrimination against the Japanese, now known as Elevens, he was shown to have been relatively fond of those whom he considered family, one of which used to be Lelouch himself.
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Shortly after receiving his Geass and leading a group of rebels against Clovis' personal unit, Lelouch confronts the Viceroy and uses the Geass to ask him about the truth behind his mother’s death at gunpoint. Despite Clovis' uninformed responses and countless pleas for mercy, Lelouch kills him, murdering his half-brother in cold blood.
7Abandoning The Black Knights During The Black Rebellion
The Black Rebellion was the first major attempt at restoring power in Area 11 to the Japanese. Lelouch led the operation, and it was the largest assault movement he had spearheaded up until this point. He had gained the trust and respect of his comrades, who followed him into battle with undying faith in his leadership. However, at the height of the battle, Lelouch was nowhere to be found.
After learning of the abduction of Nunnally from C.C, Lelouch heartlessly delegates his responsibilities to Tohdoh and departs in search of his sister. This action led to mass confusion and caused uncontrollable panic within the ranks of the Black Knights, with his abandonment ultimately leading to the defeat and capture of most of his comrades.
6Deceiving Rolo
After getting captured by Suzaku and having his memories rewritten by the emperor, Lelouch was made to forget about Nunnally’s existence, with a boy named Rolo hired to act as his new younger sibling. Rolo had an additional role of executing Lelouch if his memories ever returned but could not do so after a newly revived Lelouch coaxed him into believing their relationship as brothers was genuine.
Following Rolo’s recruitment into the Black Knights and the murder of Shirley Fenette, Lelouch resolves to kill Rolo. In multiple scenes, Lelouch is seen maniacally desiring Rolo’s death while maintaining the facade of a loving brother. His wish finally comes true whenRolo sacrifices himself, overusing his Geass' ability to freeze others in time, and saving Lelouch from insubordinate members of the Black Knights.
5Killing Euphemia
To create an environment where Britannians and Elevens could interact without the presence of discrimination, third princess Euphemia vi Britannia announced the establishment of an area called the Special Administrative Zone of Japan. It was an idea welcomed by many Elevens and a move that would also serve to dwindle the support for rebels fighting to reclaim their country.
Lelouch attends the opening ceremony, planning to make Euphemia shoot him to maintain the standing of the Black Knights. However, despite her persuasion and his eventual compliance, Lelouch inadvertently uses his Geass to force Euphemia into killing all the Elevens in attendance. After which, Lelouch tracks her down and kills her, framing her as an enemy of the Japanese.
4Holding The Representatives Of The U.F.N. Hostage
After eliminating the emperor, Charles zi Britannia, Lelouch took to the throne, using his Geass on different members of the imperial family to gain their support. Shortly after, Lelouch moved to his next big target; The United Federation of Nations, an alliance of multiple territories formed with the aim of opposing Britannia.
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Lelouch’s request to join the U.F.N. was met with skepticism as the leader of the organization, Kaguya Sumeragi, pointed out that Britannia’s involvement would automatically grant them a dictatorship due to the massive population of the empire. Not only does Lelouch reject Kaguya’s conditions to regulate voting power, but he also orders Suzaku, now under his command, to infiltrate the venue and hold all representatives of their respective territories hostage until they accept his proposal.
3Threatening To Launch The F.L.E.I.J.A. At Any Who Opposed His Rule
In the middle of the U.F.N. incident, Lelouch gets word of the annihilation of the imperial capital Pendragon. It was caused by the F.L.E.I.J.A., a weapon of mass destruction capable of obliterating massive cities with a single strike. The attack, however, was carried out by none other than second prince, Schneizel el Britannia.
In response to Schneizel’s attack on the capital, Lelouch mobilizes his army, places himself on the frontlines, and leads them against his brother in an attempt to subdue him permanently. After an intense battle and theexecution of an extremely clever tactic, Lelouch infiltrates Schneizel’s warship and uses Geass on him to command absolute obedience, after which he takes over the multiple F.L.E.I.J.As loaded on the ship and points them at the rest of the world. Threatening to decimate all those who oppose him
2Destroying The Tokyo Settlement
During the first Black Rebellion, second princess Cornelia li Britannia and her army were the main opposition to Lelouch and his Black Knights. She stationed troops around the Tokyo settlement, where the battle was set to take place, hoping to halt the rebels' advance. However, she had unknowingly already fallen for Lelouch’s ploy.
Lelouch, taking advantage of the system in place for countering the effects of earthquakes,collapses the entire area. The result was the submergence of the majority of Cornelia’s army and the demolition of multiple buildings in the area, presumably killing thousands. He was well aware of the risks that came with his actions, as shown when he told C.C. his hands had long been stained, right before he gave the order to collapse the settlement.
1Purging The Residents Of The Geass Order
Following Shirley’s death at Rolo’s hands, Lelouch decides to eliminate the Geass’s power at its source, claiming it hascaused too much sorrow. With this in mind, Lelouch advances toward the Geass Order, a place where Geass research is conducted and Geass users are born.
Upon arrival, with a few members of the Black Knights in tow, Lelouch orders the complete extermination of the residents of the Geass Order, a command leading to the deaths of multiple helpless families, including their children. Even when his soldiers question the use of such cruel methods on civilians without the ability to fight back, he rebukes them, saying questions will be met with punishment.
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