Lelouch Lamperouge

Infobox animanga character
color = #000
color text = #FFF
name = Lelouch Lamperouge
series = Code Geass


caption = Lelouch Lamperouge
first =
last =
voiced by = Japanese
Jun Fukuyama
Sayaka Ohara (Child)
English
Johnny Yong Bosch Michelle Ruff (Child)
nickname = Lulu
alias = Lelouch vi Britannia (real name)
Zero
Black Prince
King of Elevens
Emperor of Justice
Man of Miracles
age = 17 (first season)
18 (second season)
gender = Male
height = 178 cm
born = December 5, 1999 a.t.b.
occupation = Ashford Academy Student
Leader of the Order of the Black Knights
Emperor of Britannia
Chairman of the U.F.N.
title = His Majesty
relatives = Charles di Britannia (father, deceased)
Marianne vi Britannia (mother, deceased)
Nunnally vi Britannia (sister)
See Britannian Imperial Family
nationality = Britannian
divider = yes
aux1 name = Allegiance
aux1 = Order of the Black Knights
The Holy Britannian Empire
The United Federation of Nations
aux2 name = Position
aux2 = Order of the Black Knights leader
99th Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire
2nd Supreme Council Chairman of the U.F.N.
aux3 name = nowrap|Knightmare Frame
aux3 = Burai
Gawain
Shinkirōnihongo|Lelouch Lamperouge|ルルーシュ・ランペルージ|Rurūshu Ranperūji is the Byronic protagonist, anti-hero and tragic hero of the Sunrise anime series '. Lamperouge is his assumed surname, while his real name is nihongo|Lelouch vi Britannia"'|ルルーシュ・ヴィ・ブリタニア|Rurūshu vi Buritania, son of the 98th Britannian Emperor. His seiyū is Jun Fukuyama, and his child self is voiced by Sayaka Ohara. His English dub voice is provided by Johnny Yong Bosch with Michelle Ruff doing Lelouch's child voice.

He was chosen the most popular male character of 2006 and 2007 at Animage magazine's annual Anime Grand Prix. [ [http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/6079/fmalejs1.jpgFavorite Male Character, 29th Annual Anime Grand Prix] ] His seiyū Jun Fukuyama also won the "Best Actor in a Leading Role" award for his portrayal of the character at the first Seiyū Awards in 2007.

Character planning history

While first designing the concept art design for Lelouch, the series's original character designers CLAMP had initially conceived of his hair color as being white. Ageha Ohkawa, head writer at CLAMP, said she had visualized him as being a character to which "everyone" could relate to as being "cool", literally, a "beauty". During the early planning stages for Lelouch's alter ego, Zero, CLAMP had wanted to create a mask never witnessed prior in any Sunrise series. While developing the character during the initial planning stages, the series' core staff at Sunrise, director Gorō Taniguchi, writer Ichirō Ōkouchi, and the production team discussed numerous possible influences for the character with CLAMP, such as Kinki Kids and Tackey and Tsubasa.cite book | title="Newtype", May 2007 issue]

Character outline

Lelouch is the son of the Emperor of Britannia, Charles di Britannia, and the late Imperial Consort Marianne, making Lelouch the eleventh prince of the Britannian Imperial Family.cite episode|title=Stage 3: The White Knight Awakened|titlelink=List of Code Geass episodes|series=Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion|serieslink=Code Geass|network=MBS|airdate=2006-10-12] He was seventeenth in line for the throne prior to his mother's assassination and his sister's crippling in the same incident. A ten year old Lelouch confronted the Emperor afterward and accused him of leaving his mother defenseless, even going as far as renouncing his entitlement to the throne. In response, his father banished him to Japan, where he was used as a political hostage in the Sakuradite conflict.

It was during his stay at the Kururugi household that he first met Suzaku Kururugi, with whom the young Lelouch did not interact initially in a friendly manner,cite episode|title=Code Geass Picture Drama 1|titlelink=List of Code Geass episodes|series=Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion DVD 1|serieslink=Code Geass|airdate=2007-01-26 ] before later becoming friends. However, when Britannia finally developed its Knightmare Frames fleet and decided to invade Japan to seize control of the Sakuradite mines, consequently discarding Lelouch's use as a diplomatic tool, Lelouch, fearing for his and his sister's safety, hid their true identities and sought the help of the Ashford family, who were his mother's allies.

His mother's death and his father's apparent lack of concern in regards to it were huge blows to Lelouch. He always felt that it was unfair for both his mother and sister, and therefore made it his goal to pursue a better world for Nunnally. He also seeks to discover the true reason for his mother's death, as she was murdered in the Aries Imperial Palace, a place terrorists would be unlikely to penetrate successfully without being noticed, if at all.

Zero

Shortly after gaining the power of Geass from C.C., Lelouch assumes the secret identity nihongo|Zero|ゼロ, a mysterious, masked revolutionary dressed in a black helmet and cloak. The helmet has a retractable plate over the left eye so Lelouch can use his Geass. In this guise, he forms the Order of the Black Knights, initially composed of the members of Kaname Ohgi's resistance group. The goal of this vigilante group is a campaign against powerful individuals who oppress the helpless, which he eventually expands into reforming Japan as an independent nation.

Lelouch is willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish his goal, even if it means lying to his followers and using people as bait for the outcome he desires. However, he has trouble putting those he is close to in harms way for the sake of his goal, which is a weakness as a commander but a remnant of his humanity and sanity. His feelings for Nunnally in particular often hinders his plans, particularly at the end of the first season, where he abandons a massive war with Britannian forces to rescue her. Gradually, however, he has come to embrace the fact that he has to destroy before reconstruction can occur, even if it means harming those he cares about.

Originally, Lelouch is motivated by the desire to avenge his mother's death and construct an ideal world where his sister Nunnally can live in peace. After Nunnally becomes Viceroy of Area 11, and her wishes conflict with his goals, his friends help him to realize that his rebellion is no longer just for Nunnally, but for all the people of the world.

Character history

First season

Lelouch is introduced in the first episode of the series as a student of Ashford Academy high school, where he is a member of its student council. A brilliant thinker who is quite talented at chess, he lives with his younger sister, Nunnally, with their maid, Sayoko Shinozaki, at a house situated within the compounds of Ashford Academy, where they are looked after by the Ashford family.

Lelouch is soon swept into the conflict between the Britannia Empire and the pockets of resistance which oppose it when he accidentally boards a truck being used by Japanese resistance operatives.cite episode | title = Stage 1: The Day The Fiend Was Born | titlelink = List of Code Geass episodes | series = Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion | serieslink = Code Geass | network = MBS | airdate = 2006-10-05 ] Within the truck is a capsule holding C.C., who sacrifices herself to save him from the military forces trying to recapture her. When it seems as if her sacrifice was pointless, C.C. suddenly touches his hand and offers him the "Power of the King", the mythical power of Geass. The Geass manifests itself in him as the power of absolute obedience, which allows him to make people obey his orders without question. He uses this power to order the Britannian soldiers to kill themselves in his name.

With his new power, Lelouch begins his rebellion against the Empire, starting by killing his half-brother, Clovis, after extracting information about the murder of his mother, Marianne. He later forms the Order of the Black Knights and takes up the identity of Zero to lead them, becoming a revolutionary and gaining popular support amongst the people.

The turning point in his rebellion comes when Euphemia li Britannia declares the region under Mount Fuji the Special Administrative Zone of Japan, giving the Japanese people their name and country back, albeit in a much smaller area. This effectively destroys any possibility of the Black Knights' rebellion; acceptance would render them powerless and refusal would make them pariahs. Lelouch confronts her at the opening ceremony and tries to have her shoot him, hoping to make himself a martyr. When she says she plans to give up her title, he surrenders and agrees to work with her. However, at this moment his Geass permanently activates, and an offhand comment about ordering her to kill the Japanese forces her to do just that. Lelouch reluctantly kills her and uses the massacre as an excuse to declare Japan an independent nation. He then leads an attack on the Tokyo Settlement. The attack goes well at first, but when Lelouch learns that Nunnally has been kidnapped, he abandons the battle, leaving his forces helpless against the much better organized Britannian forces.

Lelouch and C.C. make their way to Kaminejima to search for Nunnally, where Lelouch is confronted by Suzaku Kururugi. Lelouch attempts to broker a truce, but Suzaku is distraught over the death of Euphemia and refuses to listen. An angered Lelouch draws his pistol and both Lelouch and Suzaku attempt to shoot one another. A single gunshot is heard as the screen fades to black at the end of the first season.

econd season

In the second season, set a year later, Lelouch is once again a student at Ashford Academy. He has had his memories rewritten by the Emperor, revealed to possess a Geass power of his own, making him believe that he was never a prince and that he has a younger brother, Rolo Lamperouge, instead of a sister. Lelouch's memories are restored by C.C., and he resumes leadership of the Black Knights.

When Nunnally is appointed as Viceroy of Area 11, and announces her plans to reestablish the Special Administrative Zone of Japan, Lelouch falls into depression since he would be impeding her wishes by continuing his rebellion. He nearly begins taking Refrain before Kallen stops him. With the help of Kallen and his friends at the Ashford Academy, Lelouch realizes that his mission no longer revolves solely around Nunnally, but concerns the rest of his friends and the Japanese people as well. To solve both concerns, Lelouch engineers the legal exile of the Black Knights by getting the Britannians to agree to exile Zero in exchange for bringing one million participants for Nunnally's new Japan. By having them all dress as Zero, he forces Suzaku to exile them all rather than order a massacre.

The Black Knights escape to the Chinese Federation, where Lelouch begins forging an alliance with the other world powers to create a force that rivals Britannia. He starts by destabilizing the Chinese Federation, returning control to Empress Tianzi from the High Eunuchs. Kallen is captured during the battle, and Lelouch works to free her from their custody when he returns to Area 11.

During his time in Area 11, Shirley is killed by Rolo after her memories are restored by Jeremiah Gottwald, an assassin for the Geass Directorate. Unable to retaliate against either, as they are now his allies, Lelouch instead wipes out the Directorate, in the process learning of C.C.'s wish to die and that the Emperor has become immortal. C.C. would have had Lelouch kill her and take on her immortality, but instead spares him by placing him inside her memories while the Emperor kills her. Lelouch refuses to let her die unhappy and convinces her to live on, but her memories of her life after gaining Geass are erased during their escape.

Once Lelouch's new alliance, the United Federation of Nations, is formed, their first act is to liberate Japan. To insure Nunnally's safety, Lelouch meets with Suzaku in an attempt to convince him to help. Lelouch takes full responsibility for all that he has done rather than admit the truth, but Suzaku agrees to help since he recognized what Lelouch is doing. Prince Schneizel's troops, having been ordered to follow Suzaku, then move in to arrest Lelouch, convincing him that Suzaku sold him out. Lelouch escapes with the help of Guilford, having used his Geass to make Guilford see him as Princess Cornelia, and begins his attack on Tokyo. Rolo and Sayoko are sent in to retrieve Nunnally and Kallen.

The battle initially goes well, but the hostilities are cut short when Suzaku fires Nina's F.L.E.I.J.A. bomb under the influence of the command Lelouch placed on them. Nunnally is apparently among the dead, which leaves Lelouch heartbroken. This is only made worse when Schneizel convinces the Black Knights to betray him using recorded evidence from his meeting with Suzaku. Rolo evacuates him, but dies in the attempt. Lelouch comes to terms with his feelings for Rolo and buries him properly.

Having been given his life back, Lelouch focuses his energy on defeating his father. Lelouch confronts the Emperor in the Sword of Akasha, where he learns of the Emperor's plan to remakes the world in such a way that no one will be able to lie to one another, thereby creating peace. He also learns the truth behind his mother's assassination, and that her soul lived on through her Geass power. He denies their new world, which would never move forward attempt to create a new world, and kills both Charles and Marianne. One month later, he installs himself as the 99th Emperor of Britannia and appoints Suzaku as his "Knight of Zero."

As Emperor, Lelouch establishes himself as an ally of justice, abolishing all the oppressive laws and class systems of Britannia, frees every colony (thereby abolishing the concept of "Numbers"), and puts down all resistance to his goals. However, the seemingly benevolent acts are a smokescreen for his intention to take over the world, which he calls the Zero Requiem. He announces that Britannia intends to join the U.F.N., and Kallen escorts him to the meeting. She tries to confront him about what she means to him along the way, but Lelouch remains silent on the matter, even when she kisses him. She bids him farewell when it becomes clear he won't respond, and Lelouch does the same once she walks away.

At the meeting, Lelouch takes the council members hostage after it is revealed that Britannia's large population would give him a majority voting block. This brings him into conflict with Schneizel and the Black Knights, the former bringing his F.L.E.I.J.A.-equipped floating fortress into the battle. The biggest surprise comes when Nunnally is revealed to be alive and declares herself to be his enemy. Though initially reluctant, Lelouch is convinced that he must fight her for the sake of his plan. He is able to take over "Damocles" and use his Geass on Schneizel, forcing him to serve Zero. He also uses his Geass on Nunnally to make her give up the control key to the fortress. With no one left capable of opposing him, Lelouch becomes the ruler of the world.

Lelouch arranges the public execution of the Black Knight leaders and the U.F.N. representatives. Suzaku, disguised as Zero, interrupts and kills Lelouch, the culmination of the Zero Requiem as they had planned. By directing the hatred of the world onto himself, Lelouch's death will serve to facilitate peace. He dies smiling, saying he is the one who both destroys worlds and creates them. Suzaku is left to play the role of Zero. Lelouch dies in the arms of a crying Nunnally. The aftermath is narrated by Kallen, who ends up forgiving Lelouch and explains how the world is much better off with all the energy being focused on reconstruction. The viewers last hear of Lelouch during the final scene of the series, where C.C. is reflecting upon how the power of Geass isolates people, but ironically brought the world together. At the end of the series, C.C. is shown to be traveling around the countryside, riding in the back of a hay cart with a mysterious driver talking about how Geass doesn't seem to isolate people after all. She addresses Lelouch as she speaks, leaving the viewer to decide who she is actually speaking to.

Abilities

Geass

Lelouch's Geass, given to him by C.C., grants him "the power of absolute obedience," allowing him to plant commands within a person's mind upon eye contact which they will obey without question. Activation of his Geass is visually represented by the manifestation of a Geass sigil in his left eye. Commands dictated in this state are written into the minds of the designated targets once the sigil projects from his eye to theirs.

Lelouch could initially toggle Geass activation at will, but subsequently loses this control to an affliction known as nihongo|Geass runaway|ギアス|giasu bousou. In the second season, C.C. gives Lelouch a contact lens that blocks his Geass, but indicates that his Geass will eventually grow powerful enough to render it ineffective. Lelouch's Geass evolves to cover his other eye in episode 21 of the second season, but he receives a second contact to compensate.

Of all the Geass abilities in the series, Lelouch's has been explored the most, and also seems to have the most restrictions and side effects of any Geass introduced.
*Commands must be issued verbally.
*The victim must make direct eye contact for commands to be issued. The maximum effective distance is 270 meters. Line of sight via a reflective surface is sufficient for the effect to occur.
*Commands may be issued only once to any given individual, but any number of commands may be issued at initial application so long as eye contact is unbroken. Since Jeremiah's Geass Canceler negates all Geass effects, those exposed to it may be commanded once again.
*The victim will not perform any action disallowed by their physical or mental capabilities, though they will try to carry out the command to the best of their ability. For example, a victim will not be able to correctly answer a question they don't know the answer to, but will direct the user to someone who can if they are able. However, commands that affect the mind or consciousness, such as telling the victim to forget something, will take effect despite the fact that the victim could not normally force themselves to do so.
*An action will be carried out for as long as dictated in its command, or upon the indicated conditional circumstance. Eye contact does not need to be maintained for command execution to occur. No upper limit has been established, but the conditional command Lelouch gives Suzaku is still in effect more than a year later.
*The victim's memories for the duration of command issue and execution are sealed and cannot be recalled.
*The victim may be able to resist a command for a short period if it is something they find utterly reprehensible, but will eventually submit.

So long as the above conditions are met, commands may be issued to anybody besides those who have gained the power of immortality and to any number of individuals at once. Those under the effect of Geass have a red outline on their pupils, presumably a visual cue for the viewer since the characters never point it out.

Intellect

Even without his Geass, Lelouch is a formidable opponent. He is highly intelligent, possessing a genius-level intellect, and is capable of devising and executing strategies with incredible speed and precision. Rolo notes that operating the Absolute Defense Territory of the Shinkirō requires complex calculations which he cannot perform, while Lelouch almost makes it look easy. In the audio dramas, Suzaku says that, when they were children, Lelouch devised a secret sign language containing over 500 words. [ [http://galvea.livejournal.com/1557.html#cutid1 Stage 9.725 - The Night Before the Decisive Battle.] Retrieved on April 18, 2008.]

Lelouch is quick to deduce facts from simple clues. In episode 14, when Mao says C.C.'s name, Lelouch instantly comes up with fourteen different possibilities for Mao's identity, including the correct one. Lelouch is also able to predict the Lancelot's actions exactly through his study of their past battles, allowing Tohdoh and the Four Holy Swords to almost defeat it, had not the battle been interrupted.

Lelouch is also charismatic and persuasive; as Zero, he is able to win the support of much of Japan's population through well-delivered speeches combined with his ability to make miracles in almost any situation through his superior tactical planning. Mao repeatedly praises Lelouch's persuasive talent, and V.V. remarks that Lelouch is "a lot like his father."

Physical

Physically, Lelouch is underwhelming. He possesses the physical prowess of a teenager who engages in little to no strenuous physical activity. Thus, one of Lelouch's traits is the inability to run very fast or for any substantial period of time. Within the series, this is usually played for comedic effect, as Lelouch is constantly outpaced by his classmates in every situation, and even the most simple tasks requiring manual labor exhaust him before he manages to accomplish anything significant. This joke is taken to its logical conclusion in the second season, where it is revealed that Lelouch is supposed to attend remedial physical education classes, but skips them as often as possible. This creates problems when Sayoko poses as Lelouch: she is a master of martial arts, and hence far more athletic than Lelouch himself. However, Lelouch does have some decent skill with firearms.

Lelouch is shown to be very talented at domestic skills such as cooking and sewing; it has been stated that this comes as a result of his taking care of himself and Nunnally for seven years. He serves as the cook for parties held by the Student Council, both because the others (except Milly) are terrible cooks and nobody else can meet his exact requirements (such as measuring ingredients to three significant decimals).

Lelouch is capable of proficiently handling a Knightmare Frame, but rarely battles opponents one on one, usually attacking with groups or using clever deceptions to gain advantages. Pilots such as Suzaku and Cornelia, both of whom are masterful Knightmare pilots and usually pilot more advanced Knightmares than his own, are commonly able to overwhelm him in single combat. Lelouch is typically accompanied by Kallen, who serves as his personal guard. After stealing the Gawain, Lelouch co-pilots it with C.C., controlling the weapons and command functions while C.C. handles navigation and flight. After the Black Knights are exiled from Japan, Lelouch pilots the Shinkirō, which has the most powerful defense of any Knightmare, but requires complex calculations to be effective. Its nearly-impenetrable defense allows him to hold his own against even the members of the Knights of Rounds during the second battle of Tokyo.

Appearances in other media

Lost Colors

In "", the video game for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable, there are a few endings and clips of Lelouch that involve the main character, Rai. If the player decides to use Rai's Geass on Suzaku to make him join the Order of the Black Knights, Lelouch becomes angry, having wanted Suzaku to join him of his own accord, and uses his Geass to put Rai into an eternal sleep, resulting in a game over. If the player follows the Blue Moon route and makes Rai and Nunnally fall in love, Lelouch will be reluctant to accept their relationship and will be with them during their first date, watching them closely as they go visit the Ashford Academy's garden.

Nightmare of Nunnally

Lelouch receives a different Geass ability in the "Nightmare of Nunnally" spin-off series as a result of his near-death during the Britannian attempt to recapture C.C. Instead of the ability to control others, he receives invulnerability granted through a suit of black armor, transforming into a much, more heavily armored version of Zero. In the armor, Lelouch can fight on par with multiple Knightmares in single combat. As in the original series, C.C. often serves as his body double, but here is able to manifest the same Geass ability and fight on the same level as Lelouch. With his new abilities, Lelouch forms a different Order of the Black Knights and leads them directly in battle instead of planning strategies from the rear, though his fighting ability allows him to achieve the same ends.

ee also

* List of Code Geass characters

References