Battleground Planet: Earth
Status: Alternate Universe Earth
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Welcome to the World of Gode Geass. Technically speaking, it is still Earth, but it bares only a passing resemblance to the world we know. Despite the state of the world today, this world is even more war-loving, corrupt, and racist.
I have done my best to compile an accurate depiction of what this world will be like for the coming battle. It should be noted that Code Geass makes up an anime, a couple of novels, some video games, and three different manga (and all three of them have conflicting information and plotlines). The wikis have helped tremendously (and some of the more science-y parts are just copied from them) and I have done my best to keep information as precise as possible.
For those that know the series, the planet will be set, in it's timeline, before certain events. To sum it up:
Emperor Charles is still Alive
Lelouch / Zero is still in total control of the Black Knights
The Events of the Thought Elevator have not happened yet
The Secret Geass Lab still exists
The Four Holy Swords are still alive and loyal to Zero
Agent Orange (Jeremiah) and Rolo recently defected to the Black Knights
The FLEIJA Warhead has been completed, but is not a fully stable weapon yet
Schneizel has not broken away from the Empire yet to start his own campaign, though he is still in the middle of an attack on the EU
So we're looking at around the midpoint of R2. Of course, if you aren't familiar with the series, that probably means nothing to you, but I promise, those are important details.
Geographical Features: Geographically speaking, the world is identical to our's in all Geographical features. Same landmasses, same seas, etc.
The World At Large: The Countries of the World fall under the power of three main superpowers. These factions are: the Holy Empire of Britannia, the Chinese Federation, and the European Union (EU for short). It should be noted that Australia is a neutral country, and is an independent nation not under the control of any of the others (think of it as their version of Switzerland). The Middle Eastern Federation used to be, while not a superpower, at least a diplomatic friend of the EU. However, it was, very very recently, decimated and conquered by Britannia and made into an imperial colony.
Now, some of you may be asking 'Where is America in all of this? Why isn't the USA considered a superpower?' well my friend the answer is simple: There is no America in this world (see, I told you there were some drastic differences). During the American Revolution, or 'The Washington Rebellion' as the British called it, the British are able to buy off Benjamin Franklin (evening giving him the title of Earl) so he is never able to attain help from the French, and thus the Colonists suffer a massive defeat at Yorktown, and the whole revolution was averted.
THIRD PARTY FACTIONS:
The Chinese Federation:
One of the three Superpowers of the world, it is the smallest in terms of Geography. However, it still covers a fairly substantial amount of land. It is made up of all of Eastern Asia (save Japan), all of Southern Asia (save Iran), Central Asia, and Southeast Asia (where it and the British Empire have engaged in longstanding feuds about who controls what territory). Other disputed territories include the Korean Peninsula (which Britannia refers to as THEIR Area 16), New Guinea (which the Chinese seem to have only a slight interest in keeping for political and territorial reasons) and Cambodia.
Mongolia is located in Chinese Territory, and is a member state of the Federation, possessing its own government and limited autonomy. The Militarized Zone of Liaodong is a territory on the eastern seaboard of the Chinese Federation under the jurisdiction of General Cao. Liaodong is a peninsula right next to the Korean Peninsula, hence explaining its close proximity to Area 11 / Japan.
India is a militarized zone under the Chinese Federation. It's Head of State is Maharajah (though nothing about him is ever shown in the series). India has been vying for true independence for years, something the Federation tends to ignore. Because of this, dissent has been fermenting in the land for years, and as such, has been covertly amassing a fortune by selling weapons and supplies to Resistance fighters and Rebel armies across the World, most notably Area 11 / Japan. They have been directly aiding the Order of the Black Knights (see below) by providing them with Akatsuki Knightmare Frames (see Technology: Knightmare Battle Frames).
The Federation has the highest population of any of the superpowers, consisting of AT LEAST 2.5 billion people, though likely having much more. It should be noted though, that the vast majority of these people live in poverty, and consist mostly of the elderly.
When it comes to respecting the basic human dignity of its citizens, the Federation falls right in the middle. It's not as good as the EU, but it is more respectful then its Britannian counterpart. The Federation is an Imperial Monarchy, and tends to follow a traditional communist ideology. All the wealth is 'supposedly' divided equally among all its citizens; however only those in charge seem to benefit from said wealth.
And who is in charge? Well, all the power of the Federation is concentrated in the hands of Empress Tianzi and the High Eunuchs. Over time though, the title of Empress has become largely symbolic, so more often then not the Eunuchs make most of the decisions. One of the Eunuchs, Gao Hai, was recently placed under Geass by Zero while visiting the Federation's Consulate in Areas 11 / Japan. As such, he is more likely to obey any order given to him by Zero.
The capital of the Federation is the Vermilion Forbidden City in Luoyang.
As a superpower, the Federation seems to have a pretty good, if somewhat distant, relation with the EU. Most of its problems seem to be with Britannia. Less then two years ago, they attempted to invade Japan under the guise of re-establishing the former government (obviously, with no intent of following through with that promise). Recently, China has managed to get the Britannians to build a large political consulate in Japan.
More often then naught, the Federation has backed up the Black Knights, generally in secret, by providing them with funds or supplies. Their most recent act was to give the Black Knight leader, Zero, Horai Island, an artificial island for him to use as a home base for his organization. Or course, the alliance is mostly of convenience, and neither side really like each other. The Federation see the Black Knights as means of weakening and distracting Britannia.
Internally, the Federation does have problems with peasant groups, tired of the poverty and unfair treatment, trying to organize and rebel. So far, these haven't gone beyond riots, but each time things seem to get exponentially worse.
Like it's fellow superpowers, the Chinese Federation does employ and maintain a regular military force. However, their exact numbers and organization are not stated.
Basic infantry soldiers wear green body armor and stylized helmets (either baring a symbol of that particular regiment, the area they are from or trained in originally, or the Chinese Flag symbol). All carry assault rifles along with several backup clips of spare ammo. They also carry swords, and have at least basic training in their use. Officers also carry swords, and are expected to have more skill then their subordinates.
The Capital in the Forbidden City has its own private army, which wear stylized red uniforms and carry weapons similar to our special forces as well as traditional Chinese melee weapons, as part of their role in Tianzi's Ceremonial Guard. Think of them like the Secret Service combined with the Marines. A squad of Gun-Ra Knightmares are also part of this group. Though outwardly loyal to the Empress, they are more or less controlled by the Eunuchs, and their orders supersede hers.
The Chinese Federation is implied to have ballistic missile capability, though few of their launch sites are known. It is known that, at a minimum, these missiles have a minimum range of approximately 1000km.
The standard chinese Knightmare Battle Frame is called the 'Gun-Ra'. Typically deployed in large units, they are supported in battle by VTOL Gunships (each armed with a ventral cannon as standard, along with at least two hard-points on the wings, generally carrying rocket pods) and four-wheeled all-terrain AFVs, which are armed with massive cannons and missile pods. The Gun-Ra are sometimes referred to as the 'Dragon Cavalry', though whether this was a particular unit or simply the Knightmare-using branch of the Chinese military is unclear.
Finally, the Chinese Federation makes use of Longdan Mobile Fortresses Shaped like a pyramid, it has two massive cannons on the front, with thirteen normal cannons pointing in various directions. Certain variants have tank treads for land travel, while others are equipped with a hover system, allowing them to operate over water. There is another version that only ever appeared in a sea battle, and was called the Da Longdan noted as being even bigger then the Longdan Mobile Fortress. It's large bow cannon is perhaps the largest conventional gunnery weapon in the Code Geass world. These would all fall under Heavy Armor in terms of PC units, and can provide artillery support, the Longdan being able to wipe out dozens of Knightmares with little difficulty.
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The European Union: Though geographically the largest of the three superpowers at the beginning of the series, the European Union (often abbreviated to E.U., a clear reference to the real world European Union) receives little attention in the show. As such, information about it is a bit more scarce.
In the first season, maps show the EU controls not only Europe (including, to Britannia's chagrin, the British Isles, taken by Napoleon Bonaparte), but also all of Africa, Russia, and parts of the Middle East.
Of the three superpowers, the EU is the most democratic and its people seem to live well, at least in comparison to the poverty found in the Chinese Federation. It is lead by a council with representatives from each member-state present, and meets in the capital: Paris, France.
In terms of military might, the EU's forces are divided into the individual national forces that make it up, referred to as 'state armies' (though it's never laid out exactly the full extent of those forces). From what we do know though, the go to Knightmare Frame that the EU uses is the Panzer-Hummel, which appears to be somewhere between the technological level of the Chinese Gun-Ru and the standard Britannian Knightmares, though they are effective against Sutherlands and Gloucesters at range. The pilots of those battleframes are extremely brave (though not brash or fool-hearty), and will attack any enemy when commanded, no matter their oppositions strength or reputation.
European Union officers and personnel are shown to wear grey uniforms with a gold diamond logo, which may be an emblem of the E.U. But, since the E.U. Armed Forces is actually several armies band together, it could be that the golden diamond logo is the logo of a "state army" rather than the emblem of the E.U. Military as a whole. Another example would be the regular soldiers of France who have blue uniforms, blue helmets and black armor.
The E.U. is described as having once enforced a blockade upon Britannia in cooperation with the Chinese Federation during the "Indochina Incident," which implies significant naval capability. However, the same source indicates that Britannian vessels were shut out of the waters of developing countries, which may imply diplomatic efforts rather than military might.
The existence of Akito Hyuga suggests that the E.U. may have employed Japanese exiles as soldiers (possibly as conscripts or volunteers). They wore noticeably different uniforms to those shown in R2 (Season 2). Their uniforms seem to have been based on actual German WWII uniforms such as that of Klaus Warwick. It is likely that these Japanese soldiers are part of some kind of E.U. "Foreign Legion", akin to the real life French Foreign Legion.
Britannia does seem to take the E.U. seriously as an opponent; Cornelia, in the ninth episode of the first season, Refrain, wanted to return to the battlefield after she heard of an E.U. advance on the El-Alamein Front (presumably in Egypt), and Odysseus at another time warned against attacking the Chinese Federation while still being at war with the E.U.. The battle portrayed in 'Imprisoned in Campus' showed that the E.U.'s military capability is a broad match for Britannia's.
At the time of this war (between Eldar and Reaper), the EU has lost several battles against Britannia, thanks to General Schneizel's outside-the-box thinking, conducting negotiations with individual members of the E.U. rather than with the union as a whole, and persuading them to surrender willingly rather than being destroyed. As such, Britannia's forces are encroaching heavily on many of the EU's boarders, and are moving inland (The countries currently under siege are France, Spain, Russia, and South/West/North Africa).
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The Holy Britannian Empire:
The third and final Superpower, Britannia is the largest and most powerful of the three, ruling over one third of the whole world.
Prior to the invasion of Japan, Britannia comprised of the entire North and South American continents as well as New Zealand and the Philippines. The novels indicate that the Indochinese Peninsula is Area 10, though other maps contradict this; in the anime, Indochina seems to be a part of the Chinese Federation comprised of our Vietnam and Laos. Cambodia appears to be a part of the empire at least by the events of Season 2, as it serves as the headquarter's of Schniezel's forces although never referred to as an Area. Oddly enough, the British Isles are not a part of Britannia, instead being part of the European Union.
--Britannian 'Areas': An Area is a nation or group of nations that has been conquered by Britannia and made into a colony. Each Area is designated with a number, and its people are referred to by that number (ex: after Japan was conquered and made into Area 11, the Japanese were known as Elevens). There are at least eighteen Areas (twenty-one in the manga), numbered in order of conquest, though only a handful are mentioned by name. Early in the first season, Area 18 is conquered by Britannia, while many more Areas are conquered during the course of Season 2, though this battle will take place before that happens.
Areas are given one of three categories: Reformation, Developing, and Satellite status, according to Code Geass Light Novel: Stage-2-Knight. The "Reformation" category is also known as "Correctional." Following conquest, an Area gradually progresses through these areas and gains greater degrees of autonomy with it, though, in the case of a serious setback such as a popular uprising, an Area may be demoted as Area 11 was following the First Black Rebellion. This has the effect of dividing moderates and hardliners within Britannian society, with the former seeking to improve an Area's status through peaceful obedience while the later try to disrupt the process through their activities.
KNOWN AREAS:
1. United States (this, as well as part of Canada, are considered the current British 'Homeland').
2. Canada
3. Mexico
4. Greenland
5. Iceland
6. South America
7. Hawaii & Midway Atoll
8. Falkland Islands
9. New Zealand
10. Indochina (Disputed with the Chinese Federation)
11. Japan (The main focus of the Code Geass Series)
12. Philippines
13. Cambodia (Disputed)
14. Papua New Guinea
15. Southern Pacific Islands
16. Korean Peninsula (Disputed with Chinese Federation)
17. Indonesia (Heavily disputed, and their control is little to nonexistent)
18. Middle Eastern Federation
--Numbers: Just as each sector is given a number, the natives of the region are referred to by the same number. Hence, Japanese become "Elevens" and natives of the Middle East, regardless of their ethnic group, become "Eighteens." Collectively, all Non-Britannians living within the Empire as referred to as the "Numbers", which many Britannians try to separate themselves from. Many Non-Britannians find this very offensive, and the Empire probably uses it as a form of cultural suppression. The term Numbers in itself is often used derogatorily by Britannians.
--Major Cities: The Capital is the Imperial Capital of Pendragon, located in what we would consider present day Arizona.
The Emperor resides in 'Britannia Palace', also called Pendragon Palace images.wikia.com/codegeass/ima…
The majority of the royal family live in the 'Saint Darwin Street' district of the capital, when not otherwise occupied with other business.
A city that is either San Francisco or San Diego exists in their version of California. It is home to the California Base, the most important port used by the Pacific Fleet.
Texas also exists, and is the location of 'In Vogue', Schniezel's personal research team.
--Government: Britannia appears to be an absolute monarchy, meaning that the Royal Family holds most or all governmental power, though there is also a bicameral legislature in effect, at least in the Britannian Homeland. The Upper House is the House of Lords, which probably represents the interests of the aristocrats, while the Lower House is the Senate, and there are also State Legislatures from which Senators may be drawn. With the aristocracy dominating the House of Lords, the Senate represents the common people. In all of Code Geass media, the only named member of the Senate is William H. Helmsley, who was assassinated by Rolo in front of the Tennessee State Legislature in Nashville as portrayed in R2 Stage 04 Counterattack at the Gallows at an unspecified point in the past. This seems to indicate that the Senate actually wields enough power to warrant Rolo being dispatched to assassinate a him. Helmsley stood in opposition of the House of Lords on the issue of demoting Area 8 to a correctional sub-Area, as had happened to Area 11 following the First Black Rebellion. Schneizel, as Prime Minister, may be in charge of one or both Houses.
While the policies of Britannia vary depending on the reigning emperor, its succession is based on Social Darwinism rather than divine mandate as their name would suggest. Consequently, much bloodshed and in-fighting occurs between members of the royal family; one who wants to become the next monarch has to lie, cheat, and murder their way to the top.
Lower nobility controls much of the business and bureaucracy outside the Royal Family, and judging by the number of legal and illegal businesses that appear in occupied areas, capitalism is widely encouraged. The residents of conquered nations can become Honorary Britannian citizen, and while not genuine Britannians or free from discrimination, they are entitled to the same basic rights. Those who refuse to accept honorary citizenship are consigned to live in rundown ghettos, while those who accept it may live in the prosperous Britannian colonial cities, called Concessions. Britannian corporations are described as Zaibatsu in Japanese, referring to powerful business cliques.
Under current Emperor Charles zi Britannia, the Empire follows an ideology of Social Darwinism. While the Emperor himself does hold most of the governmental power in theory, in practice he delegates regional control to his many children, and even those that do not govern a particular region also have considerable political and military power. Charles has stated that traditional "Ten Commandments" morality is counter-progressive and believes that only internal struggle and military conquest can facilitate human evolution, and advocates such acts as adultery and murder. He does not even make exceptions for his own children, as he shows no sympathy for their deaths, only pride in that the those who cannot fend for themselves are being culled from the royal line.
--Nobility: Outside the Royal Family, there were numerous noble ranks during Charles' era, listed here in order of importance:
Grand Duke
Duke
Marquess
Margrave
Earl
Viscount
Baron
Knight, non-hereditary.
Knight of Honor, non-hereditary
--Culture: Although descended from the former British Empire, with English as its national language and direct cultural roots that still exist in its modern state (such as drinking tea as a beverage and an appreciation for classical art, opera, equestrianism and namesakes ex: Glasgow, Sutherland and Warrick) Britannia's culture is both unique and diverse, mirroring that of many real world countries, especially that of America and other European nations (French cuisine seemingly admired throughout both series despite a deep rivalry with the EU over their control of the British Isles.)
Britannia possesses advanced forms of communication including modern cell phones, ear pieces, the internet and television, and information seems to flow freely, despite rigid censorship and state propaganda in news broadcasts. The Tokyo Concession is abound with giant solar panels around it's edges, and vehicles seem to lack exhaust pipes, possibly indicating that for all their racist policies, Britannia is a green society, free of pollution. (And that makes it better right?)
The Empire is EXTREMELY capitalist, and has generated a virulent consumerist culture. Their belief in social Darwinism carries over in business practices as well, and they will do just about anything to get ahead of their competitors. Corporations in Britannia apparently wield large amounts of power and influence. (Not unlike society today)
As for the standard Britannian, there really doesn't appear to be a great amount of discontent with the current governmental system. This indicates that the Britannian government is not as repressive of the lower class Britannian citizens, in comparison to the repression of the Numbers. They have all the rights and privileges of living in a free bountiful empire… which has ended up generating a great deal of spite and hate for the Britannians from other places. This holds especially true with the Numbers, who have demonstrated on multiple occasions (the Elevens most prominently) to have little concern for the wellbeing of Britannian innocents, viewing them as no better than the government. The only good Brit is a dead Brit as the saying goes in some places.
--Religion: This is a bit hard to determine, not just for Britannia, but for the Code Geass world as a whole. Despite being a 'Holy Empire', religion does not seem to be a governing factor in Britannian society. Whilst it is possible and even encouraged by The Emperor Charles for royals to succeed to the imperial throne by killing all co-competitors, it is never indicated that other monarchs do not style themselves as "N. the Xth, by the Grace of God Emperor [...]" and do not adhere to the principle of male primogeniture (i.e., the eldest child succeeds, sons taking precedence before all daughters) as was the ancient custom in the realms of Great Britain (England and Scotland plus the Lordship of Ireland). Indeed, as there is a Crown Prince or Heir Apparent in Odysseus, this will be the general principle followed.
Britannia may be a Christian nation: Chief Scientist Lloyd comments, "onward Christian soldiers"(though this was in the Dub) in reference to Suzaku's conflicting morals just prior to the destruction of the Japanese Liberation Front, and the Fenette family appears to be Anglican. At Odysseus and Tianzi's wedding, a priest in a Protestant cardinal's robes appears to be conducting the service (of note is the popularity of Western-style weddings in Japan).
--Demographics: It is unclear when the term "Britannian" was coined in the history of Code Geass, but when used as an ethnic descriptor, it seems only to refer to citizens with ancestry in the British Isles, and so are of Celtic or Anglo-Saxon descent. However, the territorial acquisitions of Britannia suggest that large numbers of other Europeans may also live under Britannian rule, all of whom may become Honorary Britannians. The fact that Villetta Nu (a woman with noticeably darker skin then the average Britannian) is a full Britannian citizen (and a member of the Purists at that) implies some degree of ethnic diversity in the Britannian population.
--Britannian Military:
Believed to be one of the largest, most powerful, and technologically advanced in the world, the Britannians have Infantry, Knightmares, Armored Vehicles, an Air Force, a Navy, and Knights.
The basic ground soldier of the Britannian forces are actually rather rare. They are usually only deployed in situations where a Knightmare Battleframe would be too large or bulky to use. When they are deployed, they tend to perform the grunt work, such as clearing debris, hunting down rebels, crowd control, etc. They are heavily armed, with assault rifles, pistols, and smoke-grenades. They are also heavily armored, with body armor and helmets with electronic visors (which allow them to see through light smoke cover, and some degree of night vision).
(Britannian Foot Soldiers)
There is a more elite variant of the foot soldier, known as the Royal Guard. These are the personal soldiers that serve members of the Imperial Family and the Knights of the Round.
The military does sometimes employ conventional vehicles like Tanks, Armored Personnel Carriers, and other standard military vehicles. These do not appear to be significantly different then the ones we have in our world.
A notable vehicle though, is the G-1 Base. It is a landcruiser, commonly employed by the Imperial Family or the highest ranking general in the area to act as a mobile command center and a field hospital in hostile territory. Since they are nearly always carrying someone of high station (whether or royal blood or important to the military effort, or both), the base is always surrounded by police, medical vehicles, and is escorted from place to place with a small battalion of tanks, armored vehicles, and Knightmares.
As you can see, the Base has several turrets on it, each capable of firing massive, almost artillery style shells at targets. They can be aimed manually from the command center, or lock onto targets that do not have the proper electronic signature of friendly vehicles (which prevents friendly fire on Knightmares, tanks, or ambulances)
Machines similar to the G-1, but repurposed to contain as many Knightmares as possible, have also been seen. They don't hold important personnel, but are instead meant to deploy large numbers of troops as close as possible, or directly into, battle.
Actual airplanes are rarely, if never, used in combat by the Empire, though VTOL gunships and Knightmare VTOL are often seen, the latter used as Knightmare drop ships. Since the development of efficient float systems, large hover ships like the Avalon are beginning to dominate the Imperial skies. They serve much the same role landcruisers do on the ground, though still heavily-defended and capable of reaching considerable speeds. Similar float systems are now being equipped onto Knightmare frames, rendering them capable of the same role that traditional combat aircraft would have served pre-invasion of Japan.
The standard VTOL Gunships are just like those of the Federation. The Knightmare VTOL are used to transport individual Knightmare Battle Frames into the heat of battle. The planes have no pilots or crew; rather, they seem to be controlled by the Knightmare pilot.
The Britannians also have shuttles to use as transportation. They don't seem to be armed with weapons, but given that they transport members of the royal family and other high ranking officials, they are made of highly durable material, and can move through the skies at astounding speeds.
The Caerleon-Class Floating Battleship is a line of light aerial cruisers, also known as "Light Avalons", which commonly serve as Escort Ship in the Britannian Aerial Armada. It is named after the village of Caerleon, from Arthurian legend.
The Caerleon-class has five turrets: three on the top and two below the ship, several missile launchers and one launch catapult, and also utilizes Blaze Luminous shielding. They can carry at least 3x VTOL gunships, and presumably carry flight-capable Knightmares.
The Caerleon class appears in large numbers, suggesting that it is considerably cheaper to build and maintain than larger or more sophisticated floatships, and are generally used as escorts. The class formed the backbone of the Britannian Air Force. However, they are considerably weaker then Avalon class ships. Even with shields online, rocket launcher hits can rock the ships heavily, and damage to their float engines will cause the ships to crash, no matter what state the rest of the ship or its shields are in.
The BBAF-1001 Avalon is a Britannian airship owned by Schneizel, and the first of its kind introduced. It is named after Avalon, a mythical island from Arthurian legend. Designated as a Avalon-class Air Fleet Battleship, the Avalon is a large ship of style and has many quarters, conference rooms and recreational rooms on board. The bridge of the ship has a command platform over other controls platforms, with stairs between the platforms. The bridge's windows can, like in many Brittanian ships, become tactical screens for battle strategy and communication purposes. For defenses, it features Blaze Luminous shielding initially only on its underside, but that was later expanded to encompass the whole ship. For offense, it has automatic machinegun turrets spread across the hull and missile launchers along the topside.
Notably, it also holds a specialized wheelchair catapult for launching Knightmares by accelerating their Landspinners, as well as research, testing and production facilities for Camelot
scientists to utilize.
The Royal Britannian Navy is the Naval Warfare service branch of the Britannian Armed Forces. While battleships are seen used by the Empire in early battles, ships do not play an important role in the show. This lack of a large naval force in the area is possibly why the Black Knights chose a submarine as one of their first headquarters. However, the Britannian military is by no means incapable of aquatic or even deep-sea combat, as shown by effectiveness of the Royal Marine Infantry (RMI)-13 Portman series of amphibious frames.
Not much is known about the Royal Marines other than they serve as a branch for the navy, it is safe to say that the role of the Marines in the Code Geass universe is still the same as it were in the real world they are responsible for the use of Amphibious Warfare during missions and serving as the Ground Units for the Navy, they are only shown in screenshot during the first episode performing amphibious landing on the shore of Japan.
The Marines are most likely based on the the Royal Marines maintained by the United Kingdom in the real world, as they would have been active during the retreat from the British isles and the migration to the American continent. This would give them the role of commandos and rapid response units in their new modern setting.
The Royal Marine Infantry or RMI is the official designation for the Knightmare Corps. In the service of the Britannian Navy the RMI specialize in Naval and Amphibious Warfare although during the Battle of Mt.Fuji a single unit of Portman II equipped with Float System can now participate in Aerial Combat but to what extent is not yet made clear, the Mechanized division is the equivalent of the Royal Panzer Infantry of the Britannian Army unlike the Royal Panzer Infantry the RMI receives little notice in the series and only appear in a few episode. In Area 11 the Navy was stationed in Shikine Island along side the RMI, and both of them is protecting the base from any Naval threat. The RMI staple Knightmare Frame is the Portman series.
Two types of Britannian warship are shown. The most common are the Destroyers, which may have been modeled on the real-world Type 45 Destroyer. No class-name or ship names are given. Its armament includes a deck-mounted cannon and a vertical missile system, which can fire Asroc, though it may include missiles of other types. The other type is a larger Carrier-Battleship hybrid. It is shown as having a trimaran hull, with the outboard hulls supporting two flight decks. It's armament includes two twin gun turrets, a vertical missile system, and numerous CIWS turrets, along with a complement of Portman knightmares. No names are given. All naval guns are shown to be cylindrical in shape and cross-section, implying that they are either conventional guns or electromagnetic coilguns.
Finally, the Britannian Knights. "Knights" as by their name sake are elite specialized bodyguards or units of soldiers, usually Knightmare pilots, who operate outside standard Britannian military hierarchy. It is known that there are several Knight Orders in Britannia. Many are under personal command of a member of the Royal family. They are known to wield swords as well as fire arms.
The Knights of the Round are considered the greatest of knights in Britannia answerable to only the Emperor himself. They will be discussed in the 'Important Characters' Sections
Camelot Scientists: Also called the Britannian Special Research Division, Camelot is an Irregular team founded by Schneizel el Britannia and led by Lloyd Asplund. It has been given an autonomy outside of the Jurisdiction of the Britannian Military by Prince Clovis la Britannia. The Camelot team was responsible for the creation of the first seventh generation Knightmare Frames, the Lancelot series. The Britannian Military managed to create the Vincent and the Vincent Ward from the data obtained from said Knightmare. The Camelot is also responsible for creating the first ninth generation Knightmare Frame the Guren S.E.I.T.E.N. Eight-Elements Type and her sister unit, the Lancelot Albion. Other inventions that they have created included the VARIS, Float System, Hadron Cannon and as well as the Energy Wing System. Later in the series, the Camelot's role changes to a personal R&D team under the new Knight of Seven, Suzaku Kururugi.
"ALL HAIL THE EMPEROR! ALL HAIL THE EMPIRE!"
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The Order of the Black Knights:
(several core members of the Black Knights)
The Order of the Black Knights are a group of vigilante rebels who fight against the Holy Britannian Empire. Founded by Zero, they define themselves as the "allies of justice", and differentiate themselves from other terrorists groups such as the Japan Liberation Front, who take hostages and kill civilians, though this may simply be a tactic to increase public support and recruitment. Most members are former Japanese, many of whom have defected from other insurgent groups, though many other peoples, even Britannians may be found among their ranks. Their logo is a Geass Sigil with a sword through it
The ultimate goal of the Black Knights is, first and foremost, a Free Independent Nation of Japan. This, of course, puts them at opposition with Britannia, and those that work with them.
The Black Knights are amazingly convincing, able to sway large groups of people to their way of thinking. They appeal to the lower class, and have no trouble inciting rebellions whenever they need to. Thanks to Diethard Ried, media coverage is easily acquired, and Zero has some sway over how stories are presented (though increasing Britannian censorship will make this harder has time goes on). They are also able to keep up, and even out do, the Britannian scientists thanks to their lead scientist Rakshata Chawla, a brilliant woman and Knightmare Battle Frame designer with a long standing rivalry with the head of Camelot Lloyd Asplund.
The Black Knights fight back against oppression and corruption, typically the HBE. They recognize the Chinese Federation is corrupt, however for the time being they must work with the Federation in order to keep receiving funds from them. Should the Federation ever try to betray them, the Black Knights leader Zero has a system in place that would bring their government crashing down and incite a full scale revolution, returning power to the Empress. It is Highly likely that, should the Black Knights ever succeed in the war against Britannia, most would consider the Federation their next target.
While technically the smallest faction here, the Black Knights are resourceful, hitting fast and hard where it hurts the most. They have with them some of the brightest minds, both on and off the field of battle. They have a Knightmare battle frame unique to them, with the higher ranking members (Zero, Kallen Kozuki, Agent Orange, Rolo, and the Four Heavenly Swords) having custom Knightmares. While they have little in the way of an airfare, they do have submarines, and have recently acquired a mobile Island Fortress from the Chinese Federation. Under the tactical command of Zero, they have defeated armies that massively outnumber and outgun them.
"DEATH TO BRITANNIA! LONG LIVE JAPAN!"
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MINOR GROUPS WORTH REMEMBERING:
Ashford Academy: Located in Area 11, Ashford Academy, long maintained by the influential Ashford family, is where the best and brightest minds of the future are made. If your family is wealthy and affluent, your child probably goes here. While mostly Britannian, there are a few children of Honorary Britannians. There has only ever been one Japanese student, Suzaku Kururugi, but his commitment to the Military causes him to spend little time there.
Blood-Purist Faction: The Purist Faction, also known as the Purebloods, are a Britannian political and military faction that opposes the system of honorary citizenship, claiming that neither Britannian society nor its military should be sullied by foreigners. Knightmares that are used by the Purebloods have red markings on them, and high-ranking members often wear a red winged pin on the lapel of their jackets.
Geass Order: Also called the Geass Cult, or Geass Directorate; it is a secretive group that studies and produces Geass users. Its last known location is a large underground city, also called the Geass Order, which is within the Chinese Federation territory. It is under the control of V.V., and so presumably under Britannian influence. This order was created so that Geass may be studied and therefore added to humanity to allow anyone to have Geass, a very good example is Lord Jeremiah (Agent Orange) as the people of the research facility created him with an anti-Geass ability.
It should be noted that the Order has no morale scruples, and will do whatever is necessary to produce results from their experiments. It is known that they have experimented on children, and some of the things they do (both to children and adults) violates every basic tenant of human decency. You Mass Effect fans out there may equate the order to 'Sanctuary' from the third game.
In Vogue: A nuclear research team based at the Dallas Research Institute, created by Schneizel el Britannia and led by Nina Einstein. They seek to develop a working nuclear reactor as a viable source of energy with the possibility of weaponization.
Knight Police: A mechanized paramilitary unit that operates Knightmare Frames under the command of the Britannian Police Force, deployed to perform exceptionally dangerous or high-risk operations that fall outside both the abilities of common patrol officers and the jurisdiction of the military. The majority of the Knightmare Frames used by the Area 11 Knight Police appear to be modified Glasgows, painted white and marked with the Police emblem to indicate their affiliation.
IMPORTANT TECHNOLOGY:
These are the bits and bobs that didn't get explained in the various faction segments. It will mostly address Knightmares, but other technology, such as the drug Refrain, Blaze Luminous shielding, and the F.L.E.I.J.A. Warhead will be explained as well (though not particularly in that order).
-The F.L.E.I.J.A. :
Easily one of the most dangerous and powerful technological weapons on the planet, the F.L.E.I.J.A. (Field Limitary Effective Implosion Armament) is a "Heavy Strategic Anti-strongpoint Neutralize Warhead". Designed by a maddened with grief Nina Einstein and developed by 'In Vogue' (a nuclear research team based at the Dallas Research Institute), the weapon's name is pronounced 'Freyja', after the Norse goddess of love and magic.
Initially under development in Ashford Academy by Nina Einstein, it was Nina's personal research on the possibility of using Uranium-235 as viable source of fuel. Lloyd Asplund later took an interest and provided her with sakuradite to further her research. Following Princess Euphemia's death, she created a makeshift nuclear reactor fortified with sakuradite, intending to detonate it and take out all of Tokyo in a misguided attempt to kill Zero and avenge Euphemia. However, it failed to explode.
After being recruited as the chief of the In Vogue development team, she continued her research into nuclear power; however, the earlier prototypes all failed to achieve her desired result. She eventually created her first working prototype, dubbing it F.L.E.I.J.A. She mounted the first one on the Lancelot.
(The 'F.L.E.I.J.A. Gun')
If used in the field, and results prove satisfactory, it will be massed produced for use in the sky fortresses, though projections say it would take about a month to do so. At this point in the Planet's history, Suzaku has not yet had the chance to use it, and he is extremely reluctant to do so.
To give you an idea of how powerful this thing is, in the canon universe (Which this battle takes place BEFORE), the F.L.E.I.J.A. prototype is detonated in the middle of the Tokyo settlement, killing well over 35 MILLION People.
It is a bomb of an unknown type, developed using sakuradite to cause a tremendous collapse effect obliterating all matter within its area of effect. It has the destructive power of fifty mega-collapse effects and is reinforced with sakuradite by twenty units. Its range is at least 3,000 meters within a cylindrical zone, preceded by a 1,300-meter radius spherical zone, and a tertiary range of 5,000 to 8,000 meters.
Sequence:
1. Sakuradite Explosion: Sakuradite within the F.L.E.I.J.A. is detonated in mid-air.
2. Nuclear Fission: The immediate energy caused by the sakuradite explosion then causes a nuclear fission reaction.
3. Folkvangr Field Creation: The collapse effect starts at the creation of a Folkvangr Field.
4. Sessrumnir Sphere Expansion: The collapse effect known as the Sessrumnir Sphere expands until it reaches its set range capacity.
5. Sessrumnir Sphere Reduction and Vanished (Space Transfer): The Sessrumnir Sphere then rapidly reduces until it vanishes, along with everything caught inside the sphere. Air rushes to fill the space that the sphere (along with all matter absorbed into it) once occupied. This effect also damages nearby units and vehicles.
As of now, once the detonation sequence is initiated, there is no way to stop it. This weapon is no joke, and would be a game changer in the Code Geass world's game of war. At present, it has not been used, so even its designers don't know the full extent of what it can do. It is attached to the arm of the Lancelot, piloted by a man who is determined to never use it, unless the most extreme circumstances present themselves.
-Refrain: A little less dramatic then a nuclear bomb, Refrain is a more subtle weapon. It is an illegal and highly addictive deliriant that induces hallucinatory flashbacks to pleasant past experiences. Temporary behavioral abnormality is exhibited while under the influence of Refrain, and it is also useful as a truth serum. Once the drug wears off, the user is left unable to speak for some time and after multiple uses finally becoming an invalid.
Refrain is described by Lelouch as a drug created by the Holy Britannian Empire in order to lull the local population into a state of blissful ignorance as a form of a mild ethnic genocide. The drug is injected by a special injector, see picture above for an example.
Under Britannian law, penalization for possession of Refrain is comparable to that associated with narcotics in the real world but this does not stop smugglers and corrupt noblemen from selling it to the populace. The Black Knights do their best to keep the stuff off the streets, as do most Britannian police officers. However, more then one officer is corrupt and keeps the trade alive. The Black Knights are doing their best to root them out, but for now, Refrain is available to those willing to look for it.
Most users of Refrain are Numbers as the drug was basically created for them. In Area 11 a large number of the users are people living in the Ghetto or Honorary Britannians that can no longer stand the pressure of being persecuted by their Britannian counterparts. It is still unknown if there are any non Numbers who use Refrain, however the Britannians have found a more practical use for the Drug and use it as a truth serum.
As stated above, Refrain has the capability to induce hallucinatory flashbacks to pleasant past experiences. In other words, people who take Refrain can literally escape to a better time in their life. However, as with all illegal substances, it is not without any harmful effects. The Refrain poison enters the Synapse Circuits and forces the brain to create more Dopamine than it requires. Because of a new formation in the memory circuit, as the thoughts loop about within the brain the Cerebellum begins to deteriorate and causes the victim to become an Invalid after prolonged or repeated use.
-Blaze Luminous Shielding: A high tech defense system put on large important vehicles or especially high tech Knightmare frames. It is a system that projects energy in the form of shields around a nearby target, it is first demonstrated by the forearm shields on the Lancelot in 2017. Since then, the Blaze Luminous system had been implemented onto airships like the Avalon, Damocles, and several other Knightmares.
(The Lancelot using its Blaze Luminous)
The amount of energy required to maintain the shields is proportional to the amount of energy being blocked by the shields. Typically, this is reserved for large airships, as the power usage is quite significant. When active, it usually gives off a green colored glow. A downfall in the Blaze Luminous is that, an airship or knightmare that is fully covered by it, is unable to attack or make offensive moves until it is off. A variant to the Blaze Luminous is the Black Knights' Radiant Wave Shielding as well as the Shinkiro's Absolute Defense System.
-Gefjun Disturber:
A Gefjun Disturber is a device created by Rakshata Chawla to disable Knightmare Frames. It does this by disturbing the chemical and mechanical processes of the Knightmare's Sakuradite and interior computers and gears preventing movement, which also disables all sakuradite-based technology. In addition, the field blocks the motion of hadrons, radio waves, and microwaves. The Lancelot Conquista was developed with countermeasures that provide a partial defense against it. This resistance has been implemented on later 7th Generation Knightmare Frames. Other than this, it has shown several other uses such as controlling the blooming effect of hadron-based weaponry as well as a defensive shield against hadron and MVS-based weapons.
At present, the Gefjun has a limited range, and must be employed in concert with several other Disrupters in a circle, forming a net of energy in which their power takes effect. The more Disrupters the bigger the area, but the bigger the area, the more Disrupters you need.
It is possible, with some tweaking, the device could be used to affect other types of machines, though this would require research & experimentation equal to that of the level of the machinery they want to affect (ex: It would be fairly easy to get the device to affect something like a Tau Battlesuit (which is very similar to a Knightmare Battleframe), but much more difficult to get it to affect a Protoss Mothership, and nearly impossible to get it to affect something like a Necron or a TARDIS). The machine also has no effect on organic lifeforms (Knightmare pilots are unharmed in their battleframes, but are unable to move or eject).
Super-Peltier Film: An advanced Peltier device capable of maintaining the temperature of icebergs. It is used by the Chinese Federation to create iceberg-supported ships that can transport more than one million people at a time.
-Knightmare Battle Frames:
Humanoid war machines developed by the Holy Britannian Empire. Unveiled during the invasion of Japan, Knightmare Frames are almost exclusively used in place, and sometimes alongside of the practically obsolete main battle tanks. They are usually between four and five meters tall, about twice the height of an average main battle tank, giving them a significant height advantage, although not necessarily range advantage. In addition to the standard range of bipedal movement, Knightmare Frames are equipped with Landspinners, self-propelled roller skates attached to the ankles of the machines, which allow them to achieve high mobility and speeds on most terrain. Visual data is gathered through Factsphere sensors, which have thermographic capability and an array of other data-collection functions which are collated in real-time. Factspheres are commonly protected under a layer of armor which can be retracted to improve system sensitivity. Knightmare Frames are piloted from a cockpit set in the protruding 'hump back' in the unit. The cockpit is a self-contained control center which can be ejected in case of emergency. Although Knightmare heads seem to have no real function besides housing Factsphere sensors, it seems they are required to pilot the Knightmare, as seen when a pilot ejects himself when his life in danger and the Knightmare's head is knocked off.
Knightmare Frames are typically armed with rocket-propelled anchors called Slash Harkens (which can also be used like grappling hooks to allow them to scale massive skyscrapers) and a number of other weapons, all sized to fit their larger frame. Mass-production models usually carry handheld rifles, which are able to fire micro ordinance as well, and a number of Chaos Mines, cylindrical air burst grenades that spray deadly shrapnel over a small area. Less common equipment, though more widespread as the series progresses, are Maser Vibration Swords (MVS), a form of vibroblade which oscillates at a high rate to cut through almost anything, and Hadron Cannons, powerful energy cannons which can obliterate almost anything in their path. Late in 2017, Float Systems, devices which allow Knighmares to fly, are introduced, though at this point such a thing is relatively rare.
The Frames are powered by the Yggdrasil Drive, a fictional energy source. Its centerpiece is a Sakuradite device called the Core Luminous, where in a cube of unknown composition is weightlessly suspended. The centerpiece may also contain some kind of liquid, as when the Lancelot first launched, bubbles could be seen rising before the activation of the Core Luminous. The cube revolves at high speeds during a state of drive activation known as Yggdrasil Resonance apparently involved in the conduction of electricity. The technology is named after the Yggdrasil Tree of Norse Mythology. The drive is recharged through a Sakuradite energy filler .
(An Active Luminous Core)
(An Energy Filter)
Despite constant animations directed at the Yggdrasil Drive, its location in the Knightmare has never been made clear, nor has the energy filler. It is estimated the Yggdrasil Drive's location is around the waist for most Knightmare frames, as arms and legs are constantly destroyed in combat but the Knightmare is still able to function.
Inside a standard Knightmare frames cockpit block some of the mainstream features are the three panoramic display monitors, the dual control joysticks, and instrument panels. The panoramic monitors are linked to outside sensors and cameras, and can be switched to display other information such as status or even as a video communication system. In custom frames, the interface system varies, dependent on the Knightmare's primary function towards combat.
As it stands, the Knightmares are most advanced they've ever been, and they are evolving all the time. Becoming stronger, faster, more agile, and better weapons. The technology is adapting and changing as the whole world races to keep up and pass the rest of the competition. Below are the Knightmare Frames, sorted by faction, and any prominent features that set them apart.
-The Ganymede (Ashford Academy):
The Ganymede was developed during the third generation of Knightmare Frames, it is the brainchild of the rising Ashford Foundation. At least one Ganymede is retained by the Ashford family, kept at the academy it operates in Area 11. This Ganymede would be brought out of storage once a year, for exhibition during the Ashford Academy's school festival. As a retired Knightmare Frame, it has no real weapons to speak of, besides it massive strength and size.
-The MR-1 (Ashford Academy)
The MR-1 is a basic non-combat Knightmare that can fold itself into a more compact form. Being a non-combat Knightmare and only a third generation, the MR-1 does not have any offensive weapons except for the two chest-mounted Slash Harkens. The only other features it possesses is the Landspinner Propulsion System and a Cockpit Ejection System. Howwever, just like the Ganymede, the MR-1 was used for a basis for the upcoming generation of knightmares. The Black Knights are also known to have one.
- Gun-Ru (Chinese Federation)
Larger than its Britannian counterparts, the Gun-Ru's body is dome-shaped and painted green (though red-colored versions are seen in the second season) (it turns out that the red-colored Gun-Ru's are the ones that are loyal to the High Eunuchs, while the green-colored versions are loyal to Li Xingke) with smaller legs and manipulators that fold into the body, giving it an almost frog-like appearance. The Gun-Ru's armament consists of a pair of machine guns and a pair of cannons, mounted on the shoulders of the main unit. Unlike other Knightmare Frames it does not feature a cockpit ejection system, requiring entry and exit from the front. Though much weaker than Britannian Knightmares, the Gun-Ru's are cheaper to produce, allowing the Chinese to rely upon the strength of numbers when using them.
Shen Hu (Chinese Federation):
The Shen Hu was given to the main forces of the Chinese Federation by the Maharajah. It is a Knightmare Frame model developed by Rakshata's team at the same time as the Guren, However, it was left in storage because piloting it was too physically demanding, and thus a suitable pilot could not be found. Li Xingke proves capable of piloting it, but even at forty percent power the task proves very stressful.
Its main weapons are two dagger-shaped Slash Harkens mounted on its wrist. By wrapping or impaling an enemy with the Slash Harkens, the Shen Hu can send a powerful electrical charge along the cable, instantly destroying the Knightmare on the receiving end. Radiant Wave Shielding tends to halt electrical discharge along its cables. The Shen Hu's wrist armour can also spin in place to turn the Slash Harkens into powerful flails which can double as shields. Finally, the Shen Hu has a short sword stored near its shoulder. The short sword is retractable and can produce a blade on either side of its hilt when fully activated. The sword is strong enough to have the capability to cut through the Vincent Ward unit. In addition, it has white armour plates on the its shoulder and waist which can be used as shields.
Having been built by the same team that developed the Black Knights' Knightmares, the Shen Hu is equipped with the same type of Air Glide Wing System. Mounted in its torso is the powerful Baryon Cannon, a weapon similar to the Hadron Cannon; at forty percent power, it is able to match the full force of the Guren Flight-Enabled Version's improved radiant wave surger; at an unknown (possibly full) level of power it can completely shatter Blaze Luminous shielding, even on Britannian airships.
It should be noted that driving this Knightmare puts a lot of physical stress on the users body. To date, only one pilot, Li Xingke, has been able to use it effectively, and even he only achieves 40% of its full potential, and it leaves him exhausted. As such, the Shen Hu generally tries to end battles as quickly as possible.
The Panzer Hummel (European Union):
The Panzer-Hummel is a mass-production model Knightmare Frame used by the member nations of the European Union; there name suggests they were of German design.
The Panzer-Hummel possesses two auto-cannons mounted on its arms in the place of hands, two machine cannons attached to its hips, six missile launchers divided into two cells, and two Slash Harkens mounted on the hips. They are more mobile than Sutherlands, and are most likely incapable of hand-to-hand combat, due to their lack of proper limbs.
While most Knightmare Frames from Britannia are mostly balanced between close-range and long-range combat, the European Union designed a Knightmare Frame focused solely for long range battle. Even so, they have exceptional defensive capacities, having held the El Alamein line during the war between the E.U. and Britannia.
The Bamides (Middle Eastern Federation):
The Bamides is an unusual fourth generation Knightmare frame developed by the Middle Eastern Federation in order to combat against the military might of the Holy Britannian Empire.
The Bamides' design is highly unconventional as far as Knightmare Frames go: it has no limbs to speak of, save for three tripod-like legs and an elevated "shoulder" area. Its legs are equipped with hover engines or Sand Panels instead of Landspinners, which grant improved traction over the desert sands. It is also much larger than a Sutherland or Gloucester, requiring a large crew to operate it. Its configuration gives it fairly good speed compared to more traditional Knightmares, but the large size and lack of maneuverability make it an easy target for higher generation Knightmare frames.
Despite their shortcomings, the Bamides still have superiority in long-range combat and can destroy a Britannian tank with one shot due their greater firepower and firing range. It is also heavily armored, capable of surviving direct hits from the aforesaid tanks and most other armored-fighting vehicles, as well as small-arms fire. Nevertheless, its focus on long range combat means that it has no weapons to engage in close combat with other than its Machine guns. The long stretches of sand in the Arabian desert is where the Bamides is most deadly, as it can pick off enemies from long range, while floating silently over the sand and rough terrain(s).
Its main weapons include two packs of missile launchers on the shoulders that can carry between six to twelve missiles each, two side-mounted machine guns (one of them is designed for anti-personnel combat, while the other is to target other soft-armored vehicles/installations), and a long-range cannon (designed primarily to target any hard-armored vehicles/installations) mounted directly below the head.
As the MEF has been conquered by Britannia, it is likely that the number of these Knightmares has decreased; however, Britannia would know how to make them now, and could field them if necessary.
The Lancelot (Holy Empire of Britannia):
Lancelot, named after the Knight of the Round Table, is an experimental Knightmare Frame developed by Lloyd Asplund and the Military Engineering Corps. It is the first seventh generation Knightmare Frame ever fielded. The Lancelot outperforms most other models thanks to the heavy amount of Sakuradite scattered throughout its frame as well as in its Yggdrasil Drive, the Core Luminous. As it is still in development, the Lancelot lacks an ejection seat. Its pilot is Suzaku Kururugi.
As a high-performance unit, the Lancelot features a large number of experimental and innovative devices not yet found on its predecessors. The Lancelot features two retractable Factspheres affixed on its chest, two forearm-mounted beam shields (Blaze Luminous), and four Slash Harkens (two on its wrists and two on its hips). These Slash Harkens have experimental thrusters called Harken Boosters which can improve their speed and allow them to change direction midflight. It also sports a pair of Maser Vibration Swords (MVS), which oscillate at a high rate to cut through almost anything. It comes equipped with a VARIS particle rifle (Variable Ammunition Repulsion Impact Spitfire) which can adapt its projectile repulsion output to any situation.
In the second season, Suzaku receives an updated version of the Lancelot called the Lancelot Conquista. The Float System backpack is now standard equipment; however power usage is astronomical, so it cannot stay in the air for prolonged battles. The Conquista gains a Hadron Blaster, which is mounted on top of the Float System and fired by docking the VARIS rifle to the underside of the larger cannon mount. Its unique Core Luminous has been tuned and refined, increasing its power in battle, and it is equipped with countermeasures that provide a defense against the Knightmare-disabling Gefjun Disturber. The Conquista has an additional three energy shields on its legs and chest. The leg shields increase the effectiveness of its kicks. It also has four secondary emitters on the chest which can form the "Core Luminous Cone", a conical barrier that extends several feet ahead of the Lancelot. As mentioned above, it also has a one shot F.L.E.I.J.A. warhead gun.
The Glasgow (Holy Empire of Britannia):
Influenced by the success of the Ganymede prototype, the Holy Britannia Empire begins researching the use of Knightmare Frames as combat weapons. The fruit of their labor is the RPI-11 Glasgow, the first combat-capable Knightmare. Building upon the foundation laid out by the Ganymede, the Glasgow relies upon its small, light frame and Landspinners for high-speed combat, allowing it to outflank ground forces such as tanks and APCs. The Glasgow also introduces the Slash Harken, a wired projectile weapon that can double as a grappling hook, or be used to help the Knightmare descend from aerial transports safely, and becomes standard equipment in almost all Knightmares thereafter. The Glasgow's armament also includes Tonfas, and a handheld assault rifle or a stun gun.
After the invention of the Sutherland Knightmare Frame, the Glasgows became less common. While not rare or un-common, Sutherlands will still outnumber then five to one.
The Knightpolice (Holy Empire of Britannia):
The Knightpolice is a Knightmare Frame made from retired Glasgows. They are operated by an elite paramilitary unit of the Britannian police force, where they serve as backup support for regular and special police units.
After the Holy Britannian Empire developed the superior Knightmare Frame, Sutherland, it becamed more favored over the Glasgow. As a result, the Holy Britannian Empire used the remaining Glasgows and remodeled them into Knightpolice. Being a remodeled Glasgow, it still retains all of the features of a regular Glasgow. However, being made specifically for the Britannian police force, it is armed with a pair of machine pistols instead of an assault rifle, as well as a specially-made anti-Knightmare Frame combat knife. In addition, Knight Police frames also use a riot shield during crowd-control situations where firearms or rogue Knightmares may be present.
The Sutherland (Holy Empire of Britannia):
The Sutherland was designed and developed after the conquest of Japan/Area 11, the RPI-13 Sutherland is in many ways a refinement of its predecessor, the RPI-11 Glasgow. Though it's an advanced and effective design, much of the Glasgow's success comes from Britannia's overwhelming numerical and economical superiority to Japan. Further, the Glasgow is designed primarily to combat tanks and other "traditional" ground combat machines; this proves to be a liability, as its own success means that nations such as the Chinese Federation and EU began seriously pursuing Knightmare design. Thus, the Sutherland is created with the possibility of battles with other Knightmares in mind. Its design was later used as a basis for the RPI-209 Gloucester, a higher performance Anti-Knightmare Unit. A number of these Knightmare Frames were in the hands of the Black Knights, as well as a number of other resistance groups, during the first season, by means of theft or defection. Despite being overshadowed by the Gloucester, the Sutherland is still used in large numbers one year after the Black Rebellion.
The Sutherland features a redesigned, simplified cockpit system with improved life support and enhanced Landspinners, refined for higher speed and efficiency. Even though many of these improvements were passed back to the aging Glasgow in the form of upgrades, the Sutherland eventually replaced it as Britannia's main battle unit. It can be fit with an optional Float Unit backpack, consequentially changing the machine designation to RPI-13FA Sutherland Air. Following his defection to Zero's side, disgraced Britannian noble Jeremiah Gottwald uses a Sutherland fitted with an air glide wing unit and Black Knights weapons in service of his young lord.
The Gloucester (Holy Empire of Britannia):
The fifth-generation Gloucester is a remodeled Sutherland with focus on close combat. Ordinary models are painted a flat, dull purple, but a few ranked-officers units are known to be custom painted. For example, Guilford's and Darlton's units sport a more vibrant deep-purple color scheme, while the elite Glaston Knights mostly retain the standard colors except for their shoulders and the sides of the head, which are blue. The cape on standard-model Gloucesters are a muted dark blue-grey, while those of Guilford, Darlton, and the Glaston Knights are navy-blue. After the first Black Rebellion, the Gloucester became Britannia's mainline Knightmare.
Featuring enhanced hand-to-hand capabilities, in addition to standard Sutherland equipment, the Gloucester also uses a large jousting lance and, to further draw into a medieval knight's motif, is occasionally draped in a cape - Cornelia, her knight Guilford, and the Glaston Knights habitually equipped capes to their units, though Andreas Darlton did not. The lance incorporates a set of expanding prongs on four sides that makes possible to trap and disarm enemy weapons. Combined with the Gloucester's high mobility, this fearsome weapon can be used to penetrate right into an enemy Knightmare's cockpit, killing the pilot and preventing him from escaping via the standard ejection system.
During the Area 18 campaign, several Gloucesters were equipped with sand panels similar to those used by the Z-01 Lancelot in the Battle of Narita. Furthermore, it can be fit with an optional Float Unit backpack, consequentially changing the machine designation to RPI-209FA Gloucester Air.
Exceptionally, the Glaston Knights units were shown to equip two "Sattel Waffen" five-barrel missile launchers attached to the sides of the cockpits, while Guilford's Gloucester has been fit with a pair of MVS stored in black scabbards on the sides of the Gloucester's cockpit.
Cornelia's Gloucester is a custom model specifically customized and tailored to Cornelia li Britannia's skills as a high end knightmare pilot and commander. It differs from a normal Gloucester as it features two horn-like antenna arrays protruding from both sides of the headpiece, as well as a more ornamental waist armor. Its color is a lighter, more vibrant purple, and its cape is white. It also features enhanced hand-to-hand capabilities, in addition to standard Sutherland equipment, Cornelia's Gloucester normally uses a large jousting lance as well as an assault rifle.
The Portman (Holy Empire of Britannia):
A part of the fourth generation of Knightmare Frames, the RMI-13 Portman is the first amphibious Knightmare to be produced, while most Knightmare Frame battle took place in the land the Portman is specially created to fill the role of a Knightmare Frame unit for the Britannian Navy.
Much of its outward design is made with hydrodynamics first in mind and is capable of transforming into Cruiser Mode. In addition to the standard Slash Harkens, the Portman has a set of torpedo launchers mounted in its shoulders, and a hydro jet pack mounted on its back. Though intended to operate primarily underwater, the Portman can also be used on land, though its speed and combat skills are poor in this area.
The Vincent Command Model:
Following the production of the RPI-212 Vincent testbed, the Holy Britannian Empire creates an enhanced model for commanders known as the Vincent Commander Model. This version, designated the A-type, features improved avionics and shielding against ECM and Gefjun Disturbers, but is otherwise identical to the pre-production model.
As the Vincent Commander Model is derived from the Lancelot and data from the Vincent prototype, its design still differs greatly from its predecessor. The Vincent Commmander Model has two Factspheres are mounted in its shoulders and two hip-mounted Slash Harkens. Its Maser Vibration Swords (MVS) are shaped like spears and can be attached at the hilts to form a double-bladed lance. It also features the same armament as the Vincent called the Needle Blazer. This device, developed from the Lancelot's "Blaze Luminous" maser shield, emits a short-range blast of focused energy that can penetrate armor with devastating effect. The Commander Model are also equipped with a second set of Landspinners in its shoulders in addition to the standard issue. It can be fit with an optional Float Unit backpack, consequentially changing the machine designation to RPI-212AFA Vincent Commander Model Air.
The Tristan (Holy Empire of Britannia):
The Tristan is an eighth generation transformable Knightmare Frame developed by the Holy Britannian Empire for the use of Gino Weinberg, the Knight of Three. It is named after Tristan of the Knights of the Round Table.
The Tristan is the first transformable Knightmare Frame developed and is able to tranform into a jet (Fortress Mode) in mid-air and utilizes a pair of machine guns. It has two massive Slash Harkens mounted on its forearms that are also equipped with Harken Boosters. The two Slash Harkens can combine to fire an energy blast. When in humanoid form, it can wield two pickaxe-like Maser Vibration Swords called the MVS Polearms, which can be joined together at the hilts to form a single, double-edged scythe.
The Mordred (Holy Empire of Britannia):
The Mordred, named after the Knight of the Round Table; is a heavy-artillery Knightmare Frame piloted by Knight of Six, Anya Alstreim.
The Mordred has an integrated Float System, which enables flight. It exchanges speed for thick armor, making it highly durable; it is able to take a direct hit from the Gekka's Katen Yaibatou without being scratched (seen in Operation Pacific Ocean Ambush), whereas any other Knightmare would have been sliced in half. The same cannot be said for the Float System, which can be sheared through with ease (seen in Power of Passion). Thankfully, the heavy armor allows the Mordred to survive long falls.
It possesses two sets of Hadron Cannons mounted on each shoulder, which are unfolded and merged into a quad-barrel cannon called the Stark Hadron Cannon, focusing their power into a single blast capable of obliterating an aerial cruiser in a single shot. This weapon is usually used on large targets, strong opponents, or enemies within a straight line of fire. It could also be used to entrap an enemy, enabling the cannon to place pressure on that enemy (seen in Final Battle Tokyo II). To attack multiple targets at once (if they are small and/or scattered in different parts of the battlefield) or a fast-moving one(s), the Mordred also possesses miniature proximity missiles, fired from the wrists, chest, hips, and legs which leave purple trails behind as they move. Although lacking in close-range weapons, the Mordred's raw strength allows it to crush other smaller Knightmares with ease. The Mordred can also project a Blaze Luminous shield to cover it's entire body.
(The Mordred unleashing a full missile salvo)
(The Mordred preparing to fire it's Hadron Cannon)
The Percival (Holy Empire of Britannia):
The Percival, named after the Knight of the Round Table, is a Knightmare Frame piloted by the Knight of Ten, Luciano Bradley.Based on Lancelot Conquista "Core Luminous Cone," the Sutherland's Lance and the Gawain's Hadron Cannon, this Knightmare Frame was built with similar weaponry based on those armaments. Its armor is oddly bulky, with large cones extending from the wrists, pointed leg armor at the hips and feet, and spikes from its shoulders and Landspinners. It also has an Integrated Float System for flight capability. The Percival's main weapon is a large claw on its right wrist. The claws can reconfigure itself and be spun around, generating a Blaze Luminous field and transforming it into an MVS particle drill-lance. It can also use the slash harkens on its head and shoulders for close-range combat. For long range attack, the Percival's pointed hip armor can open up to reveal Hadron Blasters within, as well as the missile launchers in its shield.
(Percival's Claws)
(Particle Drill)
The Galahad (Holy Empire of Britannia):
The Galahad, named after the Knight of the Round Table, is a Knightmare Frame piloted by the Knight of One, Bismarck Waldstein.
Its armor is light purple and black; and its frame design is a variation of the Gawain's. The Galahad possesses many features similar to the original, such as built-in Land Spinners, hands that feature miniature Slash Harkens, as well as being twice the size of an ordinary Knightmare. It is equipped with energy shielding and carries a Maser Vibration Sword named Excalibur on its back, which is larger than the Knightmare itself. The sword's sheath has an additional Landspinner and serves as the Galahad's Float System. The Excalibur is strong enough to break through armour in a single swing, and is capable of generating an energy field that can block and slice through powerful energy blasts.
The Guren Mk-II (The Order of the Black Knights):
The Guren Mk-II was a prototype Knightmare Frame model designed by Indian engineer Rakshata Chawla, manufactured by Japan, and built by the Kyoto House. It is radically different from its Britannian counterparts, and its technology is on par with most seventh generation Knightmare Frames, a fact that is a source of pride for its manufacturers. The later Gekka models were based on the Guren's technology. Unlike Britannian-made Knightmare cockpits, the Guren Mk-II features an unconventional pilot seat shaped in the form of a motorbike seat, and a helm-like outgrowth surrounding its retractable head. The only existing unit is in the possession of The Order of the Black Knights and piloted by Kallen Kozuki.
The Guren Mk-II's main weapon is its silver right hand. The hand stands out from the otherwise red-painted mech, terminating in clawed fingers, and it can extend at the elbow for a surprise attack. Stored within the palm is the Radiant Wave Surger, a powerful microwave radiation emitter. By grabbing onto an enemy Knightmare and activating the emitter, the Guren Mk-II can fry the enemy's electronics and warp the frame itself, not only rendering the unfortunate machine completely unsalvageable, but often damaging the pilot's ejection system, usually ensuring that the pilot will perish with his craft. While not designed as such, the Radiant Wave Surger can also function as a shield. It has been shown to block the lances of enemy Knightmares, bullets from Knightmare rifles, and a shell from the Lancelot's VARIS rifle.
Aside from its Radiant Wave Surger, the Guren Mk-II possesses a small fork knife, a machine-cannon on its left arm, and a single Slash Harken. The Guren Mk-II's speed and strength can also easily match the Lancelot's. Its lack of long-range weapons make it a close-combat model suited for a defensive position in combat, however Kallen's skill in piloting make it a formidable offensive weapon.
The Gawain (The Order of the Black Knights):
Standing three times the size of a standard Knightmare, the Gawain is the one of the Knightmares of Lelouch/Zero with C.C often riding co-pilot (though it does not require two people to fly).
The Gawain is equipped with a prototype integrated Float System, making it capable of sustained flight. Its fingers are miniature Slash Harkens, and it features a pair of shoulder-mounted Hadron Cannons, which can emit continuous streams of destructive energy over prodigious ranges.The unit is perfected by the Black Knights' scientific mastermind, Rakshata Chawla, who uses her Gefjun Disturber technology to gain control of the Hadron cannons' erratic firepower. As a side benefit, the Disturber's natural disruption properties also render the Gawain invisible to radar. Its experimental Druid System, originally intended to investigate the structure and function of the Thought Elevators, allows the Gawain to plot the probable movements of enemy units mark it as a powerful commander unit. Despite its strengths, the Gawain is a fairly slow unit, and as such is easily outmaneuvered by smaller, faster Knightmares
The Shinkiro (The Order of the Black Knights):
The Shinkirō is an Eighth Generation Transformable Knightmare Frame constructed for Lelouch vi Britannia (Zero)'s personal use. It possesses an integrated Air Glide System for flight and can transform into a submarine/jet fighter to move underwater and/or fly, which Lelouch uses to travel to and from Japan undetected. Its armour is primarily black and gold, and it has several unusual physical features. Its feet are not round, instead consisting of four large toes, and its head has four eyes. Its cockpit is also much wider. In addition to the standard control yoke system, the Shinkirō has keyboard-based controls similar to those used on the Gawain.
The Shinkirō possesses an Absolute Defense System system which uses an array of hexagonal energy shields that can be projected over any part of the Knightmare. Its Druid System, adapted from the Gawain, plots the trajectories of incoming projectiles and shifts the shields accordingly, giving the Shinkirō the highest defensive power of any Knightmare Frame. All these are controlled by the Druid system and the keyboard-based controls. The system requires incredibly complex calculations to form effective barriers, such that it takes an intellect on the level of Lelouch to use the system to its full potential. When Rolo Lamperouge attempts to use it, he is only able to erect a meagre defense with a number of weak spots. At its full potential, the Absolute Defense System can block a sustained blast from the Mordred's Stark Hadron Cannon, albeit at the cost of much of its power reserves.
(The Absolute Defense System in Action)
Its main weapon is a chest-mounted Diffusion Structure Phase Transition Cannon. When activated, a prism-like object is fired from the Shinkirō's chest. The Shinkirō then fires a powerful beam into the prism, which refracts the blast into dozens of devastating pinpoint lasers. The beam can be fired without launching the prism for a concentrated attack. The shields must be deactivated for the weapon to be fired. The Shinkirō also has a pair of Hadron blasters mounted on the underside of its wrists which fire sphere-shaped blasts, rather than continuous beams.
Interestingly, the Shinkirō does indeed feature a set of Slash Harkens, concealed within its knees. The unorthodox design requires Shinkirō to bend its knee in order to fire them. Lelouch scarcely ever uses this weapon, leading many to believe that it does not exist on the Knightmare. However, a case could be made that the Slash Harkens are in the perfect location to be used in Fortress Mode. In addition, the Shinkiro mounts at least one missile or grenade launcher, which was never used in combat. It's single operation was within the Thought Elevator, in order to deploy an amount of reflective Chaff with which to disrupt Emperor Charles' ability to use his Geass effectively, while allowing Lelouch to use the reflective surfaces to deploy his own.
The Shinkirō also shares the same black and gold color scheme as its predecessor, the Gawain. Whether this is a personal request from Lelouch or merely a tribute to the larger Knightmare Frame from which it was developed remains unknown.
The Burai (The Order of the Black Knights)
The Burai is a remodeled version of the Glasgow manufactured by the Kyoto House and used by the Black Knights and the Japan Liberation Front. It is basically the same as a Glasgow, except for the head, which has fang-like cheekbones which give the appearance of an oni. It also features a torso-mounted antipersonnel machine gun. Its hands have also been refurbished with special bracers so that they can guard against attacks, a feature exclusive to the Burai. Lelouch pilots a customized unit with a red head module and golden horns resembling those on a samurai's helmet. Like the Sutherland, variants exist including close combat and electronic warfare types.
The Gekka (The Order of the Black Knights):
The Gekka is a new model based on the Guren and the Gekka Pre-Production Test Type. They were seemingly developed for mass production, but only five were produced as prototypes. Using the same motorcycle seat design, this Japanese-made Knightmare is the successor to the Burai Kai and boasts sixth to seventh generation technology, making them superior to Britannia's current mass production models, the Sutherland and Gloucester. The only five existing units are in the possession of the Four Holy Swords and their leader, Kyoshiro Tohdoh.
(Kyoshiro Tohdoh's looks way more badass then the others)
The Gekka differs from the Guren Mk-II in several ways. It has gray armor as opposed to red, and the head unit has been replaced with a monoptic model. It doesn't possess a radiation emitter, either, and the cannon embedded in the left arm has been replaced by an optional, fully-automatic rifle capable of bringing down Knightmare Frames as well as faster objects like missiles and airborne ordnance carriers. Its primary weapon is the Katen Yaibatou, an elongated, heated chain-sword meant to shear through Knightmares with greater ease than with conventional blades, though it isn't quite as effective as the MVS. The Gekkas are equipped with a "Chaffsmoke" dispenser, which enables dispensing of both chaff and a smokescreen. This permits both jamming of electronic equipments and disturbance of visual tracking, allowing for relatively stealthy retreats.
The Sutherland Sieg (The Order of the Black Knights)
The craft, a massive Knight Giga Fortress, serves as the personal ship of Jeremiah Gottwald. As the name implies, the Sutherland Sieg is built around a Siegfried-colored Sutherland, the head of which sticks out of the top. Unlike a standard Sutherland, it has Landspinners shaped like roller blades for feet and a float system installed on each side of the foot. At first glance, it's only visible armament are it's large cone-shaped Slash Harkens and the belly-mounted Hyper-velocity cannon; however it also is equipped with an array of missile launchers. The Britannian energy shielding is replaced with the Radiant Wave Surger based shielding used on the Guren. The five conical Slash Harkens are also positioned differently. Two are mounted on the front as makeshift hands, and can channel the energy from the generators on the hull to deliver an electric shock. The other three are located on the aft side: two are lined up parallel with the engine, and the remaining one is placed perpendicular to the cannon. In addition, like all Knightmares used by the Black Knights, the Sutherland Sieg comes with a countermeasure against Gefjun Disturbers for both with the Knightmare and its pilot. As seen during the Second Assault on Tokyo Settlement, Jeremiah was able to move despite the fact that the Gefjun Disturbers had taken effect in the settlement.
The neural interface from the Siegfried had been transferred onto the Sutherland core unit, which Rakshata finds disappointing since the technology isn't feasible for mass-production.
(Sieg from several sides)
The Raiko (The Order of the Black Knights)
A massive coilgun built from four Glasgows or the Burais variants. It fires a high velocity shell which releases two-dozen steel ball bearings that can tear through Knightmare Frames, as well as most other targets with ease. The four Knightmares are arranged along both sides of the cannon for support, and their heads are attached to a circular disc on the top of the cannon for a 360 degree field of view. The cockpits of the two Knightmares on each side are linked to create a two-seater cockpit.
In addition to the main cannon, the arm on the open side of each Knightmare is replaced with a linkable cannon, creating four secondary cannons in case the main cannon fails to destroy the target.
The Vincent (Built For Holy Empire of Britannia; Defected to The Order of the Black Knights):
Although the Vincent is derived from the Lancelot, its design still differs greatly from its predecessor. The Vincent has two Factspheres are mounted in its shoulders and two hip-mounted Slash Harkens. Its Maser Vibration Swords (MVS) are shaped like spears and can be attached at the hilts to form a double-bladed lance. It also features a new armament called the Needle Blazer. This device, developed from the Lancelot's "Blaze Luminous" maser shield, emits a short-range blast of focused energy that can penetrate armor with devastating effect. The Vincent prototype and later Commander Model are also equipped with a second set of Landspinners in its shoulders in addition to the standard issue.
(The Needle Blazer located in the Vincent's elbow)
This unit, as part of the Order of the Black Knights, serves as Rolo Lamperouge's personal Knightmare Frame.
GEASS:
Geass is the mystical element of the Code Geass series. It is rare, with less then ten people having it, but it is a powerful force and those that have it are always heavy hitters.
Geass is a supernatural ability which certain people can bestow upon others (called 'Code-Users' by some); C.C. is the most prominent character who grants the power of Geass. The Geass manifests differently in each individual, possibly related to their inner desires and personality. Lelouch theorizes that Geass may be a form of wish, though this is never proven. The power of Geass increases with use, starting in one eye and eventually evolving into both eyes.
However, as the power of Geass increases, if it is A) Used to often B) Overtaxed C) The user lacks the willpower to handle the Geass; the user will experience what is known as 'Runaway Geass'. In this instance, the Geass will not turn off, and the user will be consumed by their power. An excellent example of this is Mao, who was able to read minds with his Geass. Once he lost control, he was driven insane by the constant barrage of every thought in a 500 meter radius at every moment of the day.
C.C refers to Geass as the 'Power of Kings'. She and other Code users (which in this case is really just V.V) cannot use a specific Geass power, only granting them to others. In exchange though, Code Users are immune to the power of Geass, whatever it may be. Code Users are also, for all intents and purposes, immortal. No matter what happens to them, they will always be restored to the state they were in prior to injury. Even complete destruction of their body (as C.C once lost her's to explosive decompression) only slows them down, and they will eventually regenerate. For a frame of reference, see Captain Jack Harkness of the Doctor Who / Torchwood series. Most have lived long enough that torture rarely bothers them, and drugs must be powerful and used often in order to affect them. A Code User can only be killed in two ways: Give up their code, rendering them mortal, or be destroyed body, mind, and soul all at the same time.
Geass users are not immune to the Geass effects of others. It is represented by a glowing, bird-shaped symbol.
The power of Geass is tied into the very existence of humankind why may be used to "destroy or transform just about anything". This may be because Geass stems from God/Collective unconscious of those in the Code Geass world. But more on that later.
Every Geass, while powerful, 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 things as will, thought, memory and perception. All Geass, regardless of user, appear in only one eye in the initial stages. Eventually, assuming the user lives long enough, the Geass will eventually begin to grow until it shows on both eyes, seemingly as a result of repeated use, or pushing the Geass to exceed its own limits (although this may also result in the aforementioned 'Runaway Geass').
Once the Geass evolves into both eyes, the person who gave them the Geass can then grant the user his/her Code. Doing so removes the users Geass power, but makes them immortal, while making the former Code User mortal. There is some debate over whether or not giving up a code kills the Code User, as the only two times it has been shown to happen, they did, but one committed suicide and the other was drastically wounded when they gave up their code (not taking the time to heal first). So for now, we will assume that it simply makes them mortal.
Finally, it should be noted that the power of Geass is absolute. One human on earth has a device in his skull to break a Geass put on him after the fact, and some have managed to resist Geass (the longest being about five seconds), but all eventually succumb to it.
Known Geass Users:
-Lelouch Vi Britannia aka Zero: As the hero and focus of the series, we know the most about his Geass, and thus this part will be the longest. Lelouch's Geass, bestowed upon him by C.C., gives him "The Power of Absolute Obedience", allowing him to plant commands within a person's mind upon eye contact in a manner comparable to hypnosis. 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 lost this control and suffered from an affliction known as "runaway Geass" near the end of the first series.
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. At the point in the series we are using, they have not yet evolved into both eyes.
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:
----Only affects the nervous system.
----Commands must be issued verbally.
----The victim must make direct eye contact for commands to be issued. The maximum effective distance is 272 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 Canceller 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 erasing memories or casting a hallucination on a person) 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.
----As demonstrated in Princess Euphemia's response to the command that she kill the Japanese, a victim may resist a commanded action to some degree if it is utterly repugnant and morally incomprehensible to them. However, as stated above, Geass will take effect, no matter the mental strength of the individual. It is only prolonging the inevitable.
So long as the above conditions are met, commands may be issued to anybody besides those that had gained an immortal code 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.
With this power, Lelouch has gained influence over skilled and influential people. He has uncovered secrets, wiped minds ('You will forget such and such ever happened') gained valuable allies, and is able turn even the most loyal of soldiers. A simple command of 'Obey Me' (a command that gets used with increasing frequency as time progresses) gains him a new soldier until their death, while the command 'Die' will basically take all those who receive the order out of commission, as they gleefully take their own lives.
(Lelouch gets Geass and uses it for the first time)
Charles zi Britannia aka The Emperor of Britania:
Charles' Geass in the anime allowed him to freely alter an individual's memories at will, and also seal the Geass of others, as well as physical senses such as sight, though there are ways to break these seals, such as contact with an Immortal or sheer willpower, though the latter may have only been possible thanks to his death. He can use his power more than once on a person. Interestingly, Charles' Geass Sigils appear in both eyes, a display of his experience with Geass.
Rolo Lamperouge's Geass:
Rolo's Geass is known as the "Ward of Absolute Suspension", which is the ability to suspend the subjective sense of time of anyone within a given range. Those under its effect are frozen in place for the duration of its activation. When activated, a Geass sigil manifests in his right eye and projects a red sphere representing the area of effect. Its range is determined at activation; while no upper limit is given, it can at least reach several hundred meters. Physical obstacles or electronic equipment do not hinder its effectiveness, nor does it require eye contact. The same people can be frozen repeatedly. Despite long-term possession of the ability, Rolo's Geass remains under his control, unlike Lelouch.
(His Geass in action)
The weakness of Rolo's Geass is that his heart stops when he uses it, limiting its activation to short bursts. The range also determines the amount of strain it puts on him. Finally, it can only stop sentient beings, such as humans and theoretically animals, but it is unable to stop inanimate objects or physical phenomena such as speed and momentum. (For example, it can neither stop a clock nor a projectile in mid-flight). It also cannot differentiate between friend and foe. When used, everyone, even allies, will be frozen.
As a side note, Rolo's geass inadvertently makes him inadvertently a major threat to those operating sensitive machines. Devices that need by the moment supervisions (such as flying machines) don't fair well when their pilots are frozen and can no longer operate them.
Marianne vi Britannia:
Marianne's Geass allows her to transfer her spirit (along with her Geass) into another person. A side effect is that, when her consciousness surfaces, she can speak with C.C telepathically. She used it after being mortally injured by V.V.. If her body was kept intact, there was a possibility that she could have returned to it.
Bismark Waldstein aka The Knight of One:
Bismarck's Geass allows him to see into the future. The Geass Sigil appears in his left eye which is sewn shut to keep him from using it when not necessary. He is seen using his Geass only several times during his fight against Suzaku. He also states that he has only used his Geass once before against Marianne. How he received the Geass is unknown.
Theory (possible, but not proven)
It is unknown how Bismarck's Geass works, however, the connection between the eye and the brain is not perfect. There is a small delay in the picture of about tenth of a second, basically the vision a person is seeing is 0.1 secs old. If Bismarck's Geass overcame this dilemma somehow and gave him "instant" vision then this would explain how he could see "before-images" (opposite of after-images).
Other: There are a group of children imprisoned in the Geass Directorate that, working in conjunction with each other, are able to manipulate a person's body against their will.
Jeremiah Gottwald's Geass Canceler:
In the second season, Jeremiah received a special anti-Geass power with the help of Code-R personnel and V.V., known as Geass Canceler. Situated in his left eye, which is normally hidden by his mask, it grants him the power to negate the effect of any other Geass within his field of influence. Like Rolo Lamprouge's Geass, it does not require eye contact and works through physical barriers. As part of its effect, it can restore memories erased or modified through Geass. When activated, the silver cover of his left eye opens, revealing an inverted blue sigil over his green cybernetic eye. The area of effect is represented by a blue bubble similar to Rolo's red version. When it effects a victim of Lelouchs' Geass, Lelouch can then use his Geass on them again. The silver covering on his left eye works just like Lelouchs' Geass nullifying contact lenses, and when the covering is on his eye the Geass Canceler only affects Jeremiah. The Geass Canceler also seems set to activate by itself whenever Jeremiah is affected by a Geass.
While powerful technology, it is exceedingly rare. Charles does not like the idea of something that could undermine one of his biggest powers, so did not put much stock in it. The notes to make one exist, but Jeremiah has the only working model.
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GODS / COLLECTIVE UNCONSCIOUS / THE THOUGHT ELEVATOR / THE RAGNAROK CONNECTION & THE SWORD OF AKASHA:
Gods is the term used to refer to the "collective human unconsciousness", which is the source of the individual identities for all humans, living and dead throughout the Code Geass Universe. Due to their human nature of not being equal, they are constantly in conflict with each other.
Using the Thought Elevators (see below) it is possible for one with a strong enough will (and a desire to do so) for a person to enter a halfway zone known as the Sword of Akasha (also seen below) where the Gods are more easily seen and even felt. You may think of this as being near the source of the Force from Star Wars, or the Warp from Warhammer, minus all the demons.
Being near the C.U. can be meditative, giving one greater sense of self, or clarity of purpose. As it is the Collective UN-Conscious, it does not act on its own, seeming to simply exist and not really acknowledging those that appear before it. The only exception seems to be if the C.U. is made aware of a threat to itself.* At that point it will attempt to eject the threat back into the real world. If the threat persists, it will draw on the collective might of all it's minds (a vast well of energy) and absorb the threat into the unconsciousness, reducing it to pure energy. This has the potential to destroy even supposedly immortal beings.
*Threats to the C.U. does not constitute a threat to humanity as a whole. The C.U will make no attempts to intervene in the war ahead.
**As the C.U. is basically the willpower of all humanity past and present, I am stating right now that it is immune to all mind altering effects. The C.U. cannot be swayed via Indoctrination, nor Eldar mind-trickery.
(Thought Elevator Locations Worldwide)
Thought Elevators are constructs of an ancient civilization that appear as enormous vertical gateways which emit bright streams of light when touched.
Their exact function is never explained in the series, but they are known to work through a person's memories or thoughts. A person touching them may be shown the memories of others who have touched the gate before them. They may also will themselves to appear in the Sword of Akasha.
(An Individual Elevator, located on Kamine Island, near Japan)
(The platform & temple of the Sword of Akasha)
The Sword of Akasha is a massive machine located between the real world and the realm of the 'Gods'. Though technically a realm of thought, it works on real world principals as understood by those who use it. Though not currently completed, and given what is about to happen to this world, completion seems unlikely, the machine does hold great potential. If complete, it could facilitate the 'Ragnarok Connection'.
(A far off view of the Sword of Akasha encircling the temple)
The Ragnarok Connection: In the even that all Thought Elevators are controlled by one faction, the Sword of Akasha is complete, and Two Codes, are in the center of the Sword, the Ragnarok process can begin. The process would destroy the 'Gods' of the Code Geass world, and merge the minds of every human on Earth, living and dead, into one being of pure mental energy.
Philosophically, it has been argued that such an action would insure ever lasting peace as all minds were now one. Others argue that such a state is more of an illusion, and a stagnate world in which nothing would ever change.
On a more practical note; Ragnarok would, should it ever come to pass, cause every human on Earth (at least those native to the Code Geass world) to drop dead as their consciousness was absorbed into the great oneness.
While I'm 99.9% sure it won't get the chance to be activated once the war starts, it should still be factored in as part of the Planet itself; as whoever takes the planet takes the Thought Elevator, the Sword, and the Connection. What they would do with it is their's to decide.
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IMPORTANT CHARACTERS:
Lelouch vi Britannia:
(Zero Costume)
The main protagonist of the series, Lelouch is also known as Zero by the Black Knights. Outside of C.C., Rolo, and Kallen, none of the Black Knights know his true name, Britannian heritage, or of his Geass. He believes that, were they to find out, they would not trust him anymore, and would possibly turn on him.
As a strategist, Lelouch is, no joke, the Smartest Man In the World. He is able to best armies much larger and more well equipped then him on several occasions using only half trained terrorist revolutionaries. His use of terrain, hacking skills, ability to predict enemy movements, Geass, and massive intellect has earned him the nickname 'The Miracle Maker' for his ability to so vastly stomp his opponents into the ground.
One particular strategy that stands out, and which appears on a couple of occasions is the 'Televised Bait and Switch'. During this, Lelouch or Zero will appear before his enemy and carry on a conversation with them. However, the Lelouch/Zero is merely a pre-recording; his knowledge of psychology and of his enemies mindset so potent that he can predict what they might say and make it look as though they are really speaking to him live. This is used a distraction, once to allow a group of police to move in on his enemy, the other to get close to them himself so he can use his Geass.
(Go to 6:11 to 9:54 to see it in action, and how effectively devastating it can be. Alternately, go to 3:07 to 4:31, then 5:04 to 6:11 to see just how crazy Geass can make a person when they loose control of it.)
(This is another good example used against a more competent mind then Mao's. However, as it comes from near the tail of end of the series (and is lead up to by events that will now never happen) you may not wish to watch it in order to avoid spoilers)
In battle, Zero prefers to stay back and let his soldiers do the fighting, guiding them to optimum positions through the use of communicators in their Knightmares, and referring to them in chess terms in case anyone is listening in. He only engages in battle himself when he has to, which is why his Knightmares either have superior defensive capabilities, or bigass guns to end a battle quickly.
Of course, Zero is not perfect. Lelouch is young and his emotions have gotten the better of him before; especially his love of his sister. While able to make up astounding plans on the spot, his best work has always come from being able to prepare for a battle before hand, allowing him to set up traps or Geass certain individuals to make sure things go his way. When put on the spot, he tends to rely on his men (particularly his skilled Knightmare pilots) to hold off his enemy until either reinforcements arrive, the enemy is destroyed, retreat is possible, or he comes up with a better plan.
Outside the Knightmare is should be noted that Lelouch is all brains, no brawn. He runs so slowly that he is once outrun by a girl in full victorian ear dress. Virtually every character in the series could physically manhandle him if they want to. This may be another reason why Lelouch stays back in a fight. Without a Knightmare or men to protect him, he would be helpless.
Lelouch's hatred of Britannia runs deep, but he has also grown to hate all that oppress the weak. He seeks a united world, free of oppression and has started with Japan. His intentions are pure, but he acknowledges that much of what he has done and will do to achieve his goals are evil. The death of his soldiers and innocents who may get caught in the crossfire way on his soul, and his inability to save his sister from being whisked off to parts unknown has left him colder.
(And sometimes he laughs like a goddamn lunatic)
In summation, Lelouch/Zero can best be described as Unlawful Good. He knows what must be done, and that it cannot truly be achieved within the laws of society. But even if his actions damn him to hell, Lelouch is determined make the world a better place for people like his sister.
C.C. :
The woman who gave Lelouch his code, C.C. is Lelouch's most trusted advisor, confidant, and friend. Though not romantically involved, C.C. has put herself in harms way several times for him (which isn't that hard given that she can't be killed). In the event that Zero must be present in a place that is to dangerous for Lelouch to actually be, she will go in his stead dressed as Zero, using a voice modifier to sound like him, and using his cloak to hide the change in body type. This allows "Zero" to survive even impossible odds, and gave rise to the idea that Zero was an un-killable icon of the Japanese people.
She claims she stays with him because he must fulfill their contract, a vague, never really explained promise she extracted from him upon granting him his Geass; however she does seem to genuinely care for him, and treats him as though he is a friend. Having lived for an extended period of time, C.C. is wise in the ways of war, politics, and many other things. She can also ride shotgun with Lelouch in some of his Knightmare frames, allowing the both of them to multitask inside the more complex machines.
Also, C.C. is a big fan of Pizza Hut pizza and has obtained enough frequent customer points for most of the prizes. This has nothing to do with the war or anything, I just find it funny. Think of it like that 'Zerg are allergic to lemons' thing.
Suzaku Kururugi:
One of Lelouch's oldest friends, whereas Lelouch turned his back on the Empire of Britannia, Suzaku has embraced it wholeheartedly. The son of Japan's last prime minister, Suzaku knows the death that comes from fighting against impossible odds. He long ago decided that while it is true things in the world must change, they must be done so from within the system itself, not by outside sources. This is why he became a soldier, and detests terrorism and Zero especially. He is aware that Lelouch is Zero, and of his Geass but has not had much of a chance to do anything about it.
His efforts to rise despite the stigma of being Japanese have paid off, as he has risen to become a Knight of the Round (The Knight of Seven to be precise). He pilots the Lancelot Knightmare Frame, and is acknowledged to be one of the greatest pilots in the world. Even outside it though, Suzaku has honed his body to almost jaw dropping levels of badassery. He has survived point blank pistol fire to the chest and was able to get up and pilot a Knightmare not even an hour later. His reflexes have allowed him to dodge automatic weapons fire, and on one occasion he was able to dodge an artillery shell fired straight at him in a confined space. He has leapt upwards of thirty feet into the air and is able to hit excessively small targets with basic thrown weaponry. In short, this guy makes Captain America look like he's still Steve Rodgers.
Perhaps his one weakness is that he does not question authority. Suzaku believes that as a soldier, it is not his place to question his superiors, and once given an order he will try to fulfill it as best he can. He believes that by doing the best he can, he can rise to a position where he can be giving the orders, and give ones that benefit all people.
A final point of note is that Suzaku has a Geass command in him. During a battle in which Suzaku planned to sacrifice his life in order to kill Zero, Lelouch gave him the command: LIVE. This command has stuck, and it activates whenever Suzaku contemplates giving up or thinks he is going to die. His mind becomes overwhelmed with the desire to live and he will do his best to escape danger. While this does make him fight harder then ever, it also makes him disregard any strategy save surviving, and will cause him to disregard his superiors and those around him as he tries to fulfill the Geass.
Kallen Kozuki:
Part Britannian part Japanese, Kallen is a revolutionary at heart. She is disgusted with the Britannian people and wants nothing more then a free Japan. As such, she has locked onto Zero as the best hope for that and is one of his most fervent followers. As a Knightmare pilot, she is basically the Black Knight's answer to Suzaku, with her custom Knightmare being able to match his Lancelot. Her kill count is one of the highest in the series thanks to her ruthless attitude on the field of battle (though she is a decent human being off it… as long as you're not Britannian). Without a Knightmare, her skills are more pedestrian, though she has demonstrated skills such as infiltration of a medium-class secure building, seduction (which she absolutely hates doing), escape car driving, and bomb rigging. While she is not much of a strategist, she is very creative on the battlefield, and can generally get what Zero wants accomplished done.
Rolo Lamperouge:
An assassin raised by the Geass Directorate, Rolo was put in charge of watching over Lelouch in order to kill him if the memories implanted by Emperor Charles were broken. He is not actually Lelouch's brother, but still feels that the love Lelouch had for him when he THOUGHT Rolo was his brother was real. As such, he has chosen to defect from Britannia, which has only ever used him as a weapon to destroy, and joined Lelouch, hoping to earn his 'brothers' love again now that Lelouch knows who he really is. He would gladly kill anyone for Lelouch if he thought they were a threat to him, and would even more gladly give up his own life to save him. A talented Knightmare pilot, Rolo is able to increase his body count on the battlefield through the use of his Geass, which makes all others stand still while he mows them down, while to them it seems as though he teleports.
Jeremiah Gottwald:
Jeremiah Gottwald is a Britannian Purist that has always sought to serve the empire. This stems from a sense of failure at preventing the destruction of Lady Marianne's body and the loss of her children. His body was heavily damaged in a battle with C.C., but he has been remade as a Cyborg with a Geass canceler in his eye. Upon discovering that Zero, his long time enemy, was actually Lelouch, son of Marianne, he immediately switched sides, determined to make up for his past failure by serving her son. Though he may not care for the Japanese, he does care for Lelouch, seeing him as his ward, and will do whatever it takes to keep him alive, and see his goals fulfilled like a good soldier would. As such, he has turned his considerable skill as a general and Knightmare pilot against the Britannians, and uses his Geass Canceler to allow Lelouch to circumvent the one-time order rule.
Charles zi Britannia:
The Emperor of Britannia, Charles holds absolute power in his dominion. No one would dare question his majesties words or actions, his reputation so fierce that he rarely ever has to use his Geass to get his way (in fact, we only ever know of ONE time in the whole series when he uses it… though he musth have used it more, because he is shown to be a master of it). While getting on in years, the Emperor is still a physical imposing figure. While he is savvy in the realms of politics, science, and strategy, he prefers to let others do the work for him, focusing only on his final goal: The Ragnarok Connection. Despite having lots, and lots, and lots of children, Charles really doesn't care much for any of them. He had no problem making one of his daughters a blind cripple for years, and doesn't shed a tear when several of them are killed in the wars he starts. He even promotes aggression between his children, allowing only the most intelligent, powerful, or cunning to rise to power in his court.He cares, at least somewhat, for his brother V.V. and his consort/wife Marianne, but still takes advantage of their feelings for him to further his own ends. While a truly terrible human being, the Emperor is the face and driving force of the Empire. Should he die, the Empire would descend into chaos as the various children of the Empire rally their forces and attempt to seize control.
The Four Holy Swords & Kyoshiro Tohdoh: Kyoshiro Tohdoh is the head of the Black Knights' military operations. He is a chequered former general and an extremely talented fighter. He earned the nickname Tohdoh of Miracles for his singular defeat of the otherwise unstoppable Holy Britannian Empire during the invasion of Japan, remarkably managing this feat without the use of Knightmare Frames. This event would later be known as the Miracle of Itsukushima. He was a childhood instructor to Suzaku Kururugi, and is one of the few Japanese people who understands his ideals. Tohdoh is often seen bearing a katana at his side. Like Kaname, he remains faithful to Zero following his capture during the Black Rebellion, reasoning that Zero must have had a good reason not to inform his troops about his plans. He leads the group knonw as the Four Holy Swords. They are elite soldiesr who specialize in using their Knightmares in unison with one another, allowing them to pull off spectacular feats, and leaving others amazed at their teamwork.
Sayoko Shinozaki: Dressing and acting like an ordinary maid, Sayoko is actually a highly trained bodyguard for Lelouch. She is capable of impressive physical feats such as leaping high into the air, and fighting off trained soldiers with nothing more then a kunai knife. She also carries several smoke bombs on her.
Knights of the Round: The Knights of the Round is a unit of twelve elite soldiers under the direct command of the Emperor of Britannia, each holding a rank from one to twelve. They operate outside the normal command structure of the Britannian Military, and take orders only from the Emperor himself. Knights of the Round are treated as nobility within the Empire. Their ranks don't seem to have any particular bearing on their skill level or dominance over other Knights. The one exception is that the 'Knight of One' may request governance of any colonial area of his choosing from the Emperor. Only eight of the twelve have been revealed, among which is Suzaku, the Knight of Seven.
Nunnally vi Britannia: Lelouch's biological sister, Nunnally means the world to her brother. Blind and cripple, Nunnally is easily captured or harmed. She is currently imprisoned by the Britannians. Lelouch does not know where she is, but she means so much to him that if he thought she was involved or in danger, he would do his best to change his plans to keep her safe. In the past, he has even abandoned his men to try and save her. After more then a year apart, and becoming more jaded with time, it is unknown if Lelouch would do such a thing again.
Schneizel el Britannia:
The second smartest general on the planet, second only to Lelouch. Schneizel's mind is a labyrinth of plans and plots. He is constantly up to date on politics, sciences, and weapons. He often pours great amounts of money into new sciences and research, hoping to produce the next great weapon that will secure Britannia's spot as the greatest empire in the world. While he acknowledges the power of Geass, he does not desire of one himself, preferring more reliable methods of warfare. However, Schneizel is not without honor. Before a battle he will always give his enemy the chance to surrender, and treats his prisoners of war decently. Survivor of engagements with him are stabilized with Britannian medicine, before being sent back to their home camps. When faced with an alliance, he will address the leaders of the alliance individually, giving them a chance to, as he puts it, what 'is right for THEIR people', without feeling pressured by their fellow leaders.
His ultimate goal is to conquer as much of the world as he can, and use the resources gained to build the ultimate weapon, which only he will control. With this weapon he will basically hold the world hostage. They will either play by the rules of the Empire, and enjoy the fruits of it, or they can resist and die. It is, in this way, he believes he will ensure world peace.
Cornelia li Britannia:
A Viceroy of the Empire, Cornelia is a general by trade and a soldier at heart. She cares little for the political machinations of her siblings, knowing only enough about law and politics to allow her to fight decently on that particular stage of war. Typically though, she is fine stating her goal and allowing more bookish types to find a way to achieve it. Cornelia would much rather confront her enemy on the field of battle. While her Knightmare frame is not as advanced as those used by Suzaku or Lelouch, she has more often then not matched them in combat through sheer skill and ballsy attitude. She is particularly fond of getting up close and personal and destroying enemies with her lance. While she does believe in her superiority over the numbers, this is more because she believes superiority comes from strength of arms. If the numbers could match them in combat, they would not be inferior. Those that can match her as both a general and a combatant can be called her equal.
Marianne vi Britannia:
Mother of Lelouch and Nunnally and wife/consort of Charles, Marianne exists only in spirt or inhabiting the body of those around her thanks to her Geass. She claims to love her children very much, and wants what is best for them… but she also left her children alone for years in a war torn country and wants to help her husband initiate the Ragnarok connection, so she is definitely sending some mixed signals.
V.V. :
Charles' older brother, V.V. is a Code-User, which is why he still looks like a ten year old child despite being in his sixties. He does seem to sometimes shift into the mentality of a ten year old, often saying "Oh yeah?" in a taunting, childish manner. Brilliant scientifically, V.V. is responsible for much of the study behind Geass, even leading the Geass Directorate in its study. While not physically imposing at all, he is able to pilot advanced Knightmares in times of emergency. However, he cares little for other human beings, seeking only the advancement of the plan he and his brother set out to enact. He seems to relish his immortality, taking great amusement in the expressions of others when he revives from seemingly lethal wounds.The only person he would even consider giving up his code for is Charles.
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