General

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion is an anime television series created by Sunrise. Directed by Gorō Taniguchi and written by Ichirō Ōkouchi, both of whom had earlier worked on the series Planetes, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion features original character designs by Clamp.

The first season of the series premiered across Japan on MBS from October 5, 2006, and concluded its run on July 28, 2007, after running for 25 episodes. A second season and sequel to the series, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2, premiered on MBS and TBS on April 6, 2008. Both seasons of Code Geass have been licensed for release in the United States and Canada by Bandai Entertainment,[5] and the first season began airing on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming block in the U.S. on April 27, 2008. In Australia and New Zealand, the series is licensed by Madman Entertainment.

Plot

On August 10, 2010, a.t.b. (the Imperial calendar), the Holy Empire of Britannia overpowered Japanese forces and conquered the country with their new robotic weapons, the Knightmare Frames, in less than a month. In the aftermath of Britannia's invasion, Japan lost its freedom, its rights, and even its name, becoming Area 11 of the Britannian Empire. The Japanese people, renamed as "Elevens", are forced to survive in poor neighborhoods, while Britannians live in first-class settlements. Rebel elements persist, however, as pockets of Japanese organizations struggle against the Empire for the independence of Japan.

After his father, the Emperor of Britannia, failed to prevent the assassination of his mother, an attack which also left his sister blind and crippled, the young prince Lelouch vowed to destroy Britannia. Seven years later, he accidentally becomes mixed up with "terrorists" in Area 11 and encounters a mysterious girl named C.C., who gives him the power of Geass. With it, he finally has the power that he needs to defeat Britannia and fulfill his two wishes: to seek revenge for his mother and to construct a world in which his beloved sister can live happily.

Settings

Code Geass is set in an alternate universe where the Holy Empire of Britannia, an international superpower, has conquered more than a third of the planet. The world is, for the most part, divided between it and two other superpowers: the Chinese Federation and the Euro Universe. Australia has remained independent. The three powers maintain a tentative balance for the first part of the series. The balance shifts in the second season. The E.U. has much of its territory conquered by Britannia while Lelouch engineers a revolution in the Chinese Federation and creates anew alliance of countries, the United Federation of Nations, reducing the number of superpowers to two.

 

Holy Empire of Britannia

The Holy Empire of Britannia is an imperial monarchy and the most prominent superpower within the world of Code Geass, controlling over one-third of the world at the start of the series, which expands as the series progresses. Its homeland is based in North America, and its imperial city is Pendragon. Britannian society is elitist and closely resembles Social Darwinism. Society is arranged by ranks of nobility.

With the exception of the European countries and parts of North Africa (which it is attempting to conquer), the Britannian Empire controls the entire Western Hemisphere, Japan, New Zealand, parts of the Middle East, France, Spain, most of Africa, Russia and a portion of the Indochina Peninsula in the novels (the maps in later episodes contradict this). Ironically, it does not control the British Isles, as Napoleon managed to successfully conquer the region. Territories conquered by the Britannian Empire are renamed with an "Area" number based on when they were conquered and the native people are referred to by their area number or just called "Numbers"; Japan, being the eleventh territory conquered, is Area 11 and its people are "Elevens", for example. The Numbers are denied many of the rights of Britannian citizens, and are usually left to live in poverty. They can apply for Honorary Britannian citizenship to earn basic rights, but cannot attain the same status as regular citizens.

In the series, history diverged during Julius Caesar's invasion. A Celtic "super-king" was elected and managed to successfully resist the invasion, beginning the Britannian imperial line. As a result, the empire retained absolute monarchy, suppressed the American colonies' rebellion in 1776, and eventually migrated the capital to America following Napoleon's capture of Britain. The Britannian calendar era is "Ascension Throne Britannia" (a.t.b), known as the Imperial Calendar in the English dub. Its epoch is the date when the super-king was elected, roughly fifty years earlier than the Gregorian calendar.

 

Japan

Japan, renamed as Area 11 under Britannian rule, is the source of over 70% of the world's total supply of sakuradite, a fictional superconductive mineral. Japan oppressed and dominated other countries through economic control of the mineral prior to the start of the series, leading to its invasion and eventual takeover by Britannia. Japan serves as the main setting for much of the series, as it is where Ashford Academy, Lelouch's school, is located. Under his alter-ego of Zero, Lelouch attempts to reform it as an independent nation as part of his quest to overthrow Britannia.

 

Chinese Federation

The Chinese Federation (中華連邦, Chūka Renpou?) is an imperial monarchy that spans the Asian and Pacific regions, including Central, South, East and Southeast Asia with Sakhalin and the Korean Peninsula. Its population is the largest of the three major powers, but most live in poverty. Its political structure and organization appears to resemble the real-world Empire of China. The Emperor of the Federation holds absolute political power, but under Empress Tianzi, it is reduced to an effectively symbolic figurehead posting, "a symbol of the state and the unity of the people." As with the real-world Emperor of Japan, the individual who holds the title is regarded as a living divinity whose sovereignty is entirely ceremonial. The Vermillion Forbidden City is the seat of the Chinese Emperor and the government of the Federation — a large palace situated in the capital city of Luoyang. The governmental organization known as the "High Eunuchs", advisers to the Empress, use her power for their own gain.

In the first season, the Chinese Federation unsuccessfully attempts to take over Japan through the use of former government officials that fled during the war. In the second season, a Chinese consulate is established with the agreement of the local Britannian authorities, and negotiations are held by Eunuch Gao Hai to the end of obtaining a solid Chinese foothold within the colony. After the Black Knights are exiled from Japan, they are granted control of Horai Island (蓬萊島, Horai Island?), a fictional artificial land mass built off the coast of China to generate electricity through tidal activity. The Black Knights destabilize and overthrow the government, returning control to the Empress.

 

Euro Universe

A map of the world in Code Geass, following the formation of the United Federation of Nations and the fall of the E.U. The red represents the U.F.N. while the blue represents the Holy Empire of Britannia. White nations are non-aligned.
A map of the world in Code Geass, following the formation of the United Federation of Nations and the fall of the E.U. The red represents the U.F.N. while the blue represents the Holy Empire of Britannia. White nations are non-aligned.

The Euro Universe , or E.U., is a democratic union. It has long been in conflict with Britannia. It encompasses all of Europe (including the British Isles), Africa, and Russia. Unlike the other countries, focus on the E.U. is minimal. In the second season, Schneizel leads the Britannian forces against the E.U., successfully conquering almost half of their territory.[7] Territories which fell to Britannia include Spain, France, half of Africa and all of Russia. Following this, former E.U. nations Italy and Poland were two of the forty-seven nations to join Zero's United Federation of Nations. The only nations remaining as part of the E.U. are the British Isles, Germany, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine and an area of Africa near the Congo. Due to the significant decrease in the E.U.'s territory and power, the Emperor of Britannia no longer considers the E.U. a threat.

 

United Federation of Nations

Following the collapse of the E.U. and the uprising in the Chinese Federation, most of the remaining territories not under Britannian control join forces and form the United Federation of Nations, a new coalition to counter the Empire's advance. Their combined territories literally split the world between the Empire and the Federation. It is composed of forty-seven countries spread across parts of Eastern Europe, Eastern Africa, and the majority of the Asian Continent. The individual armies of the member nations are abolished and replaced by a new supranational military force under the Black Knights' control. The first resolution of the newly formed Federation is to liberate Japan, as it is considered one of their member nations.

The U.F.N. flag is a white dove with three circles merging at the point where the wings and body meet, with a yellow background.

Lelouch using the power of Geass

Geass is a mysterious ability which certain people can bestow upon others; C.C. is the most prominent character who grants the power of Geass. The form the Geass takes is different in each individual. C.C. calls Geass the Power of the King. It is represented by a glowing, bird-shaped symbol.

Every Geass has its own unique set of restrictions, limitations, or idiosyncrasies. These factors allow a Geass to be defeated, or its power limited, by someone who is aware of its characteristics. All Geass abilities that have thus far appeared within the canon of the television series have been related to the mind, influencing such aspects as will, thought, memory, emotion, and perception. Geass abilities in the manga sidestory Knightmare of Nunnally have no such limitations. The power of Geass increases with use, usually starting in one eye. Most forms eventually spread to both eyes and become uncontrollable with repeated use. At this point, the one who granted the power can relinquish his or her immortality to the recipient, allowing the recipient to continue the cycle—forcibly if the giver desires—while the giver is allowed to die. The immortality is referred to as the giver's "Code," and grants the person immunity to Geass at the cost of their original power.

According to an English edition of Newtype, the power of Geass has something to do with the very existence of humankind, and it may be used to destroy or transform just about anything.[9] "Geass" may be an intentional corruption of the word geas or geis, a term for a type of magical contract in Irish mythology. (from Wikipedia)