http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/code_geass_r2small.jpg
[[caption-width:336:The cast of Code Geass R2--[[MagnificentBastard Lelouch]] in the center; clockwise from bottom left: [[ActionGirl Kallen]], [[MysteriousWaif C.C.]], [[IncurableCoughOfDeath Xing-ke]], [[IllGirl Nunnally]], [[BunnyEarsLawyer Gino]], [[WhitePrince Suzaku]], [[EmotionlessGirl Anya]], [[TykeBomb Rolo]].]]

->''"If the king doesn't lead, how can he expect his subordinates to follow?"''
->''"It wasn't me who was wrong. It was the world!"''
->''"The only ones who should kill are those who are prepared to be killed!"''
-->--Three of Lelouch's mottos.

Full title ''Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion'', ''Code Geass'' is an anime that aired from 2006-2008. Set in an AlternateHistory where Britain won the American Revolution only for Napoleon to conquer the British Isles, causing the royalty to flee to the American continent and establish the Holy Britannian Empire, the world's only superpower and the proverbial half-ton gorilla, which is ruled by a {{Darwinist}} Emperor (who happens to be a [[LargeAndInCharge slightly-less-than-proverbial half-ton]] [[EverythingIsBetterWithMonkeys gorilla]] himself). In 2010 of the Imperial Calendar, Britannia invades Japan in order to secure an [[GreenRocks important mineral resource]]. Thanks to their HumongousMecha, the invasion is over in less than a month, and Japan is stripped of everything - including its name, leaving them with the new designation "Area 11". Seven years later, the story begins, centering on two friends who first met shortly before the war. After a chance meeting, each of them falls into an incredible power that gives them the chance to achieve their goals.

Our protagonist is Lelouch Lamperouge, a Britannian student who encounters the MysteriousWaif C.C. (pronounced as "C Two"). They make a deal which results in him gaining an EvilEye which allows him to [[CompellingVoice issue absolute orders]]. With this power and [[TheChessmaster his incredible intelligence]], Lelouch [[JumpedAtTheCall jumps at the call]] and takes on the identity of the masked [[strike: [[VillainProtagonist villain]]]] [[strike: [[AntiHero anti-hero]]]] [[strike: [[WellIntentionedExtremist terrorist]]]] [[strike: [[RebelLeader freedom fighter]]]] [[strike: [[MoralEventHorizon murderer]]]] [[strike: [[DarkMessiah savior]]]] [[strike:[[VForVendetta V]] [[CaptainErsatz clone]]]] [[strike:[[MobileSuitGundam Char]] {{Expy}}]] [[strike: {{Batman}}]] [[strike: [[OverlyLongGag washer-dryer combo]]]] man [[MyHeroZero Zero]] and leads Japan's resistance groups in a war to destroy Britannia in the name of justice.

His friend Suzaku Kururugi is the son of Japan's last Prime Minister, who joined up with Britannia with the intent of reforming the corrupt nation from within. Unfortunately, as a "Number", he's little more than a mask-wearing [[{{Mooks}} Mook]]... until he [[FallingIntoTheCockpit accidentally becomes the pilot]] of the SuperPrototype Lancelot, which in turn allows him to meet a fellow WideEyedIdealist, the RebelliousPrincess Euphemia, who shares many of his beliefs.

The major conflict in the series comes not simply from the war between Britannia and Japan, but the clash of ideals between the two friends. Lelouch and Suzaku's war isn't just a traditional war, but a conflict of opposites: brains versus brawn, [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism cynicism versus idealism]], and LawfulEvil vs ChaoticGood. Note that deciding who is which [[YourMileageMayVary depends entirely on your perspective]].

''Code Geass'' began airing in October 2006 and immediately became a runaway success, spawning a merchandising juggernaut and winning many industry awards. The brainchild of ''{{Planetes}}'' creators Goro Taniguchi and Ichiro Okouchi, ''Geass'' brings their usual style and flair for the dramatic to the RealRobot genre. The series also received a good bit of early word-of-mouth thanks to the decision to hire {{CLAMP}} as character designers. ''Geass'' plays with several [[ArchetypalCharacter character archetypes]] and [[PlayingWithATrope tropes]]; for example, the show turns the traditional RealRobot protagonist archetype into TheRival, while making its hero a WellIntentionedExtremist in the vein of [[MobileSuitGundam Char Aznable]].

The series is also noteworthy for producing an incredible amount of AllThereInTheManual, including RadioDrama-like Sound Episodes, Picture Dramas, and DVD-exclusive short stories that help flesh out the show's universe and expand on its characters. Also included are four AlternateContinuity manga:
* ''Lelouch of the Rebellion'' is the most faithful to the anime, but removes the HumongousMecha and most of the military action in favor of more comedy and Shojou elements.
* ''Suzaku of the Counterattack'' skews more Shonen, focusing on Suzaku rather than Lelouch and turning the Lancelot into a powersuit so he can act like a KamenRider.
* ''[[{{ptitle13h830gh}} Nightmare of Nunnally]]'', a vast departure from the normal ''CodeGeass'', focuses on Lelouch's IllGirl sister Nunnally, who becomes a LittleMissBadass in an [[NeonGenesisEvangelion Evangelion]]esque mecha and battles similarly-powered girls. Oh, and Lelouch returns later on, channeling [[GGundam Master Asia]]. [[spoiler: He also ends up more or less [[SpotlightStealingSquad stealing the show]] from Nunnally.]]
* ''Strange Tales of the Bakamatsu'' is a UniversalAdaptorCast story, placing the characters in the Bakamatsu era of Japanese history, making Lelouch the head of TheShinsengumi while secretly opposing the Meiji reforms brought on by Britannia (here standing in for Admiral Perry).

''CodeGeass'' has also produced three video games to date: a self-titled {{RPG}} for the Nintendo DS that mostly follows the first season, a VisualNovel called ''Lost Colors'', and a board/party game, also for the DS, focusing on the second season.

The sequel series, ''Code Geass R2'', aired on Japanese television from April to September 2008; all that can be said from a neutral standpoint is that it generated possibly the biggest BrokenBase in recent history. Both series and the first three manga are licensed in America by Bandai Entertainment, with both series running more or [[ScrewedByTheNetwork less]] concurrently on AdultSwim. In late December 2008, the Sunrise anime studio indicated its intention of continuing the franchise in the future but no specifics were described.

This series has [[NightmareFuel/CodeGeass Nightmare Fuel]] and [[FetishFuel/CodeGeass Fetish Fuel]]. It also has both [[CrowningMoment/CodeGeass Crowning Moment of Awesome]] and [[Narm/CodeGeass Narm]] pages, and it's a testament to the show's utter over-the-topness (and possibly its BrokenBase) that in many cases these are ''one and the same''. It's also a testament to the show's sheer over-the-topness that it's the first show to get [[Memes/CodeGeass its own Memetic Mutation page]].
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To all future editors, '''Please Please Please Please''' add tropes related to the characters to the [[Characters/CodeGeass Code Geass Character Sheet]], '''not here in the main page.'''

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!!''CodeGeass'' provides examples of:

* AbsurdlyPowerfulStudentCouncil: Milly twice mobilizes the entire student body to a specific task with nothing but a PA announcement.
** [[StudentCouncilPresident Milly]] being part of the noble family Ashford (as in Ashford Academy) does give at least some reasoning behind it.
** Not to mention the popularity of Milly and the Vice President Lelouch.
** And the fact that she promised a kiss from a student council member, and all the student council members are {{Bishonen}} and {{Bishoujo}}.
** Then again, her last act as student council president was to organize an event where a person snatching another's ''hat'' would designate those two as an official couple...and not, apparently, just for the duration of the game.
* AerithAndBob: In this anime, characters with names like Jeremiah and Shirley play alongside characters with names like Lelouch and Viletta.
* AirborneAircraftCarrier: The ''Avalon'', the Emperor's ''Great Britannia'', the ''Ikaruga'' (which is ''submersible'' as well), and several other flying airships which are either passenger transports or cargo ships.
* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: Besides the obvious "Lelouch is the AntiHero/villain" and "Suzaku is the AntiVillain/hero", there are those who believe [[MagneticHero Zero]] is the hero of the story and that [[WellIntentionedExtremist Lelouch]] is the villain. [[FridgeLogic Despite them being the same person]]. [[TakeOurWordForIt It makes more sense in context]] [[BetterThanItSounds than it sounds]]. Suzaku in this setup... [[GreyAndGrayMorality is somewhere in the middle]]. [[MindScrew Or nowhere]].
* AlternateHistory: And it can get pretty out there. For example, the American Revolution failed because ''Ben Franklin'' sided with Great Britain and Napoleon conquered Europe, resulting in Britannia rebuilding its empire on the other side of the Atlantic.
* AnimeFirst
* {{Anvilicious}}: Racism, racism, racism, racism, racism.
* AnyoneCanDie: And how.
* ArcWords: A minor example invoked by Zero, who spouts something about "orange" while threatening a crowded area with an (empty) capsule of poison gas just to screw with everyone. For about two episodes various characters wonder what it could possibly mean before giving up and making it a derogatory nickname for Jeremiah.
* AssimilationPlot: [[spoiler:What the Ragnarok Connection, the Emperor's and Marianne's ultimate plan, aimed to achieve. It's pretty similar to ''NeonGenesisEvangelion''[='s=] Instrumentality, but with a different set of symbols.]]
* AuthorAppeal: Someone on the staff may have some kind of bondage fetish as imprisoned characters in various types of bondage wear appear several times during both series.
* AwesomeMcCoolname: Several. Relates to AerithAndBob.
* BadassCrew: The Knights of the Round.
* BannedInChina: A) Portraying the Chinese as manipulative eunuchs, B) exemplifying the dignity of conquered peoples going hand-in-hand with striking back against the government, and C) having Tibet as an independent nation (reference is made to [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geneva_Conventions the Tibet Convention]]). It's a B.I.C. Triple Play!
* BeyondTheImpossible: The universe exists purely to screw over Lelouch in increasingly unlikely circumstances.
** Which makes it all the more incredible when he manages to succeed despite this, which he does the majority of the time.
* {{BFS}}: Both Bismark Waldstein and his Knightmare carry one.
* BigDamnHeroes: When Lelouch finally reaches the end of his rope, runs out of cards, put into checkmate, is completely, totally, and utterly FUCKED... this happens.
** Also a very [[TvTropesWikiDrinkingGame egregious]] example in ''Nightmare of Nunally'', where [[spoiler:Nunally is to be burned for witchcraft and Euphemia and Suzaku burst in, with a [[HotBlooded "YES MY LORD!"]] to boot.]]
*** [[http://www.onemanga.com/Code_Geass_-_Nightmare_of_Nunnally/18/18/ It has to be seen to be believed]].
* BigScrewedUpFamily: Look no further than the Britannian Royalty.
* {{Bishounen}}: The character designs were by CLAMP, so no surprises here. Schneizel, Lelouch, Suzaku, Rolo, etc.
* {{Bishoujo}}: All of the female characters are very beautiful.
* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: In the end, Lelouch achieves his ultimate goal, [[EarnYourHappyEnding making the world a better place for all his friends and loved ones]]... [[HeroicSacrifice at the cost of his own life]]. [[OrIsIt Or maybe that's just what]] [[XanatosRoulette he wants you to think]].]]
* BlackKnight: The Black Knights, duh.
* BloodSplatteredWeddingDress: Not really a wedding one, but blood splattered, alright.
* BookEnds: [[spoiler:"One should not kill unless they are ready to be killed themselves!"]]
* BreatherEpisode: Episode 12 of R2, filled with pure fanservice and almost no main plot advancement whatsoever, except for the mandatory cliffhanger in the end.
* BrickJoke: Remember when Tamaki was harassing Zero about giving him an official position in the Black Knights during R2? Well, it takes a few episodes of waiting and a sharp eye during the UNF ratification ceremony, but we finally find out what position he got: [[spoiler: Internal Cleaning Supporter. Yup, he's a glorified janitor.]]
* BrokenBase: By the end of the series, the pro-Lelouch vs. anti-Lelouch halves of the fandom were so divided that, in spite of the end revealing that [[spoiler: everything Lelouch did was to bring about a genuine peace people chose for themselves, as well as democracy, freedom, and happiness for all his friends at the cost of the world hating his memory forever]], one side was still acting like [[spoiler:he was worse than forty Hitlers. [[MemeticMutation That's as many as four tens. And that's terrible.]]]]
** For more information, please look at the discussion page. In particular, do not mention episode 25 of R2.
* BrotherSisterIncest: Lelouch is just a little too fond of Nunnally. Then of course there's the whole thing with Euphemia. There's even one seen where it appears that she's naked and just wearing Zero's cloak. What could that possibly mean?
** For the latter, it means that her clothes were drying out (she evidently swam to shore) and Lelouch lent her the cape instead of having her walk around naked.
*** ... Maybe Lelouch really ''is'' evil.
** For the latter, also one has to take into account, the last thing he says to her when he killed her, was "Goodbye, Euphie! You were probably my first love!" or something like that.
** Lulu isn't the only one with weird subtext. Schneizel has been spotted flirting with Cornelia.
** How about Cornelia to Euphemia?
** Bear in mind that this ''is'' the Brittanian royal family we're talking about here, and incest has been historically pretty common among European royalty.
* CassandraTruth: Lelouch's confession to Suzaku in R2 17 at Kururugi Shrine.
* CatchPhrase
** "Yes, my Lord!" or "Yes, your Highness." (spoken in English by the Japanese cast)
** "Lelouch vi Britannia commands you..."
** "With all your strength!"
** "All tasks at hand have been cleared."
** "Congratulations!" or "Too bad, but..."
** "'''LOYALTY!!!'''"
* ChainsawGood: Mao comes up with a hilariously disturbing solution on how to "ship C.C to Australia".... *''nervous laugh''*. Also, the Four Holy Swords' Knightmares have chainsaw ''[[KatanasAreJustBetter katanas]]''.
** "[[NarmCharm I'll make you compact!]]"
* ChessMotifs: Zero's uniform and a dozen different things. The list goes on and on.
* AChildShallLeadThem: Jiang Luhua, the Tianzi, who is 13 years old.
** A lesser example is Kaguya Sumeragi, head of the influential Sumeragi House, High Chairman of the UFN and Japan's representative on said council despite being vaguely 14 or thereabout.
** And Nunnally, who [[spoiler: rules Britannia]]... and ''just'' turned 15.
* CliffHanger: Almost every episode manages this with varying levels of intensity. Then the first season ''finale'' ends with a cliffhanger that makes you want to kill something with a hammer. The second season did a hell of a job at it as well, including [[spoiler: an OrIsIt in the series finale's epilogue]].
* CoincidentalBroadcast: The Black Knights catching the hoteljacking incident on the news in episode 8 of the first season.
* CompellingVoice: Lelouch's geass.
* CompleteMonster: In-series example - [[spoiler: Lelouch wanted [[ZeroPercentApprovalRating everyone to hate him so much]], that [[XanatosFuneral his death would bring world peace]]]]
** Another example is Luciano Bradley, a PsychoForHire who's only motive for joining the Knights of Ten was so he could have a legitimate reason to kill people.
* ConspicuousCG: No, not the mecha, those are hand-drawn. However, during Kallen and Suzaku's final battle, there's a 30 second clip in which the surrounding scenery seems to be made up of cel-shaded 3D graphics.
* ContemplateOurNavels: In the very last episode, everyone goes through the "Why we fight" speech. And I mean '''everyone'''. And they all do it at the same time.
* CriticalResearchFailure: Schneizel doesn't know it's illegal to move your King into check in {{Chess}}. (One of the subbers in that episode's translator's note used that as a springboard to psychoanaylse Schneizel. Ironic, now that Lelouch did that too later on. PS Did you really get "Well thats what's he's like in bed!" from that?)
** Or he does and was just doing it to see how Zero would react. The point of the move was to see if Zero would take a victory offered rather than earning it.
* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jlzdv5z5Xjc Nightmare]], and [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzaLJ0i52UY Madder Sky]].
** The OPs are famous, too. Especially the first.
* TheDanza: Kento '''Sugiyama''' is voiced by [[NoriakiSugiyama Noriaki]] '''[[NoriakiSugiyama Sugiyama]]''', Inoue is voiced by [[KikukoInoue Kikuko]] '''[[KikukoInoue Inoue]]''' and Nagisa '''Chiba''' is voiced by [[SaekoChiba Saeko]] '''[[SaekoChiba Chiba]]'''.
* DarkSkinnedBlonde: Rakshata
* DeathIsDramatic: and HOW!
* DecoyGetaway: C.C. sometimes dresses as Zero to aid Lelouch's plans/give him plausible deniability, and in the second season [[spoiler: Sayoko does the opposite, disguising herself as ''Lelouch'']]. In the end, [[spoiler: Suzaku kills Lelouch [[ICannotSelfTerminate at Lelouch's own request]] and takes up the Zero identity.]]
* DefeatMeansFriendship: Subverted with [[spoiler:Schneizel. After Lelouch finally beats him in the second-to-last episode, he uses a Geass to make Schneizel serve him (or more accurately to "serve Zero", which becomes important later on).]]
* DeflectorShields: First introduced on the Lancelot's arm gauntlets, then shown on a large scale with the Avalon.
* DelayedExplosion
* DiabolusExMachina: Sometimes, you'd be forgiven for thinking Lelouch's main opponent was called Murphy.
* [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu Did You Just Make Cthulhu Your Butler?]]: [[spoiler: Lelouch Geasses ''God''...or the collective human consciousness also known as such, to be more accurate, in order to kill his immortal father. He did at least ask nicely, though.]]
* DieForOurShip: One of the characters in question, [[spoiler: Shirley]], actually does.
** Don't forget [[spoiler:Rolo, the one who killed Shirley, who pulled a HeroicSacrifice to save Lelouch]].
* DitzyGenius: Lloyd
* DoNotAdjustYourSet: Zero is fond of this. Charles pulls this off once as well, because he's a dick.
* DontTellMama: Variation: Lelouch tries to keep his alter ego secret from his sister.
* DownerEnding: Pretty much everything goes to hell for everyone at the end of season one. A lot of individual episodes in R2 do this as well, especially when the series reminds you that AnyoneCanDie.
* EarnYourHappyEnding: To specify, the cost is [[spoiler:the main character's life]].
* EarWorm: "JIBUN WOOOOOO!" (etc.)
* TheEmpire: Britannia.
* EngineeredPublicConfession: [[spoiler: The Chinese Eunuchs should REALLY have considered the possibility that their conversation with Zero could be recorded when they gleefully mouthed off about how "the people are ants" and that the much-beloved child empress is "just a puppet who can easily be replaced." HilarityEnsues as the '''entire''' Chinese Federation [[OhCrap '''simultaneously''' revolts in anger.]]]]
** [[spoiler:In episode 19, Lelouch has it turned right back around on him by Schneizel, who sets the Black Knights against Zero with evidence including one of these.]]
*** [[spoiler:Only Schneizel's was a bit more selective with the recorded dialogue from said meeting, as it omitted Suzaku noting that Lelouch wasn't being truthful. But then Schneizel always loved taking liberties with the truth.]]
* EnthusiasmVersusStoicism
* EpisodeTitleCard
* EsotericHappyEnding: Depending on how cynical the audience wants to be, the damage to Japan and the world at large paints a rather pessimistic picture of the future when all is said and done. There's also a clear contrast between the tragedy of [[spoiler:Lelouch's death]] and the happiness that follows it, which may be hard to swallow.
* EverythingsBetterWithSpinning: [[MemeticMutation Spinzaku]] and [[MemeticMutation the LULUCOPTER]]. Not to mention half the rest of the cast as well, plus it seems to be fairly common for [[HumongousMecha knightmare frames]] to spin and twirl as they fight.
* EvilBrit: Aside from a few sympathetic named characters, most Britannians are portrayed as evil or at least uncaring.
** Given that Britannia is really America (and don't even control Britain the island), this seems more like a case of [[YanksWithTanks warmongering Yanks]].
*** Geography is of little relevance. The Revolutionary War was lost, and Britannia is ruled by a monarchy more absolute than anything that has ever existed in Britain. Culturally, Britannia has little in common with the USA, and politically, virtually nothing. Maybe it's just me, but I wouldn't describe Britannia as a metaphor for the US, just because it happens to occupy the same landmass.
**** Hell they use "United States" as a metaphor for freedom with both the 'United States of Japan", and the "United States of China".
*** Amusingly regarding the evil Brits thing, this Troper noticed that in the English dub, the only character with anything even remotely resembling a British accent seems to be... Lloyd. He isn't even evil!
* ExecutiveMeddling: The original plans for R2 were changed when it was announced that the series would be moved to an earlier, prime time slot. Fans believe that this mainly affected the first half of R2, for the purposes of re-introducing the show to a new audience instead of picking up right after the first season's cliffhanger like the staff had intended. As a general rule, how much a fan thinks was changed is inversely proportionate to said fan's opinion of R2's quality. Those who see R2 as "Code Trainwreck" tend to think ''everything'' from the original plans got scrapped.
**It's known that the TimeSkip itself was a result of ExecutiveMeddling. Other elements that are commonly suspected or assumed to fall under this include introducing the character of Rolo and removing aspects of C.C.'s and Suzaku's backgrounds without a full explanation.
* {{Expy}}: Anyone else notice that Suzaku looks and fights like Syaoran from ''TsubasaReservoirChronicle''?
** Considering [[{{Clamp}} the same people]] did the character designs for both, it's not terribly surprising.
** At a quick glance this troper still confuses Lelouch with TRC Kamui, sometimes. Especially in the CLAMP artwork.
* FaceDeathWithDignity
* TheFederation: The United Federation of Nations, created to rival Britannia.
* FakeBoss: [[spoiler: Lelouch manages to overthrow Charles and halt Instrumentality five episodes before the end of the series. Schneizel steps up to the plate to reveal himself the true antagonist.]]
* FakeMemories [[spoiler:The Emperor gives these to Lelouch with ''his'' geass, during the TimeSkip. He's did it to Nunnally as well, which caused her blindness]].
* FanDumb: Unfortunately, every popular anime has these. Just take a good look at the various communities. While certainly moderated well, heaven forbid if you get into ShipToShipCombat or characterization/plot interpretation territory.
* FanNickname: Many. For example we have Spinzaku, Pizza Butt, and Emperor Wakamoto.
** Also, fans have a tendency to nickname a character done by JunFukuyama or JohnnyYongBosch into something related to Lelouch or Zero.
* FanService: Every female character is subjected to this. ''Especially'' Kallen.
** Several of the male characters have their moments too: Suzaku's and Gino's Knightmare Frame-pilot outfits are really tight. Lelouch has at least one shower and shirtless scene.
* FantasticDrug: Refrain
* FetishFuel / FetishRetardant: Bondage outfits are worn by several characters during R2.
* FightOffTheKryptonite
* FinalSpeech: [[spoiler:Rolo.]]
* ForgottenFallenFriend: An AvertedTrope because, while some of the reactions to fallen people are overly short, none of them are really forgotten.
* ForYourOwnGood: [[spoiler: Charles and Marianne justify their actions throughout the series as being this, but Lelouch (correctly) doesn't buy it for a second.]]
* FridgeBrilliance: One of the minor headaches of the first season was the lack of an explanation for why C.C. decided to abandon an AxCrazy Mao. Though this is never explicitly brought up in the second season, the reason why Geass powers are handed out is revealed and thus provides a viable explanation: [[spoiler: she cared about Mao too much and fled to avoid the temptation to [[WhoWantsToLiveForever curse him with immortality.]]]]
** There's generally a lot of FridgeBrilliance in this show. See the main page for details.
* FridgeLogic: [[spoiler: Suzaku's "Live" Geass order forces him to try to stay alive at all costs. Given what we know about it so far, doesn't that mean he'll have to try to obtain C.C.'s immortality eventually at any cost? ]]
** Well, you obviously know nothing about Suzaku's "live" Geass. Majorly because, first off, it only activates when he's either given up on living or is in mortal peril. Secondly, as [[spoiler:Shirley]] shows, the command cannot save someone from dying. So by the time he'd get to the point where his old age would activate it, he'd be far too old to do anything about it. Thirdly, he doesn't even know about the existence of the Code anyways, so he wouldn't know that he ''could'' take C.C.'s immortality. And finally, I would hope not, simply because it'd turn into Suzaku of the Counterattack, and no one wants that.
*** Speak for yourself! ThisTroper is a big fan of Suzuaku of the Counterattack!
** To be fair, [[spoiler:Lelouch had already used his Geass on Shirley]], following the confrontation with Mao so it isn't entirely clear whether or not [[spoiler:Shirley would have been able to live through the Geass alone had she not been subject to it beforehand]]. Suzaku's Geass kept him safe from Schneizel's Hadron Cannon and allowed for him to defeat the [[spoiler:Knight of One]], both of which required preternatural awareness and reflexes. Who's to say [[spoiler:Shirley wouldn't have been able to perform some emergency first aid and save herself]] had Lelouch's Geass worked?
*** With [[spoiler:Shirley]], the Geass did take affect, because Jeremiah erased the last one. However, [[spoiler:she had a hole in her chest]] and what the Geass did was speed up her heart. Cue [[spoiler:Shirley bleeding out twice as fast]]. There was nothing that could be done by willpower alone. Suzaku's Geass saved him from Schneizel's Hadron Cannon because he got in his Knightmare and ran like hell. Nothing supernatural there. In the [[spoiler:battle with Bismarck]], it was just like taking steroids; his performance boosted and he pulled a Rock Lee.
** If the Celts beat back the Roman invasion, why do they come to call themselves Britannia, the Latin name for Britain? That's like America defeating Germany then changing its name to Ameri''k''a. Not exactly the most obvious of outcomes.
* FunWithAcronyms: F.L.E.I.J.A. The "J" doesn't appear to stand for anything, and is just there to make the pronunciation approximate "Freya".
* [[GainaxBounce Gainaxing]]: Less than what you'd usually expect, for a series with plenty of fanservice, but it still happens a couple of times in both seasons.
* GiantRobotHandsSaveLives: Suzaku catching a falling woman in his Knightmare Frame.
** And Kallen catching Zero.
*** Played with a bit - the woman hadn't been falling for too long, and Suzaku boosted up to her height, then began to fall to catch her without much injury. She and her child would have probably been bruised though. Same with Kallen, since Zero was blown out of a ship, not falling.
* GoGoEnslavement: When Kallen is captured she is tied to a table for no apparent reason. Later on she gets the standard Britannian prisoner garb (which is in fact rather similar to C.C.'s) and then a fancy dress, though she probably got to put the latter on in private.
* GoryDiscretionShot: Used when Lelouch kills his half-brother and whenever he employs his Geass to order mass suicides.
* GratuitousEnglish: "Yes, my lord", "momeland", "fottage", "perpetraeor", and don't forget '''"ALL [[strike:HEIL]] HAIL BRITANNIA!!"'''.
* GreenRocks: Sakuradite, a power source which makes much of the technology work, and prompted Britannia's invasion of Japan.
* GreyAndGrayMorality: The conflict between Lelouch and Suzaku (and associates) initially seems to be this: both Lelouch and Suzaku are basically good people trying to do the right thing, and both are willing to resort to dubious measures. As the story progresses, however, the conflict becomes more BlackAndGreyMorality, though exactly which side is which depends on the audience's point of view.
* GrowingTheBeard: Despite some mixed reactions in some circles to the events of episode 22, most generally agree that it's when the series really found its legs narratively, and it clearly received an increased production and animation budget around this time, extending to season two.
* HarmfulToMinors: Lelouch and Nunnally witnessed their mother's murder at ages 9 and 6, respectively (though it's true all things are not as they appear....).
* HeroicRROD: [[spoiler: Rolo Lamperouge. It ends up causing his death.]]
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Rolo "I am not a tool" Lamperouge manages this as a CrowningMomentOfAwesome]].
** [[spoiler:Also, Lelouch himself in the last episode]].
* HeWhoFightsMonsters: Zero and the Black Knights have arguably committed many of the same acts they originally decried, a fact that does not get past some members. This is showing up in increasing levels on both sides throughout the show's progression.
* HeyItsThatVoice: Sometimes it's hard to take the English dub's Lelouch seriously when he sounds like a malevolent [[TheMelancholyOfHaruhiSuzumiya Koizumi]], who coincidentally is also a LargeHam that has ObfuscatingStupidity.
** Also difficult to take seriously when Lelouch takes the stage right after IdiotHero [[{{Bleach}} Ichigo Kurosaki]] is done getting his can kicked around (on AdultSwim, anyway).
** Closing your eyes while listening to Lelouch's speech makes it creepy to imagine [[TalesoftheAbyss Guy Cecil]] or [[DotHack Kuhn]] saying those words.
*** '''[[LargeHam BECAUSE I'M THE]] [[PlayingAgainstType GODDAMNNED]] [[JohnnyYongBosch JYB!]]'''
** Rolo is [[NeonGenesisEvangelion Shinji]] [[SpikeSpencer Ikari]].
** Nunnally is [[LuckyStar Kanata Izumi]].
** Liam O'Brian uses the same voice for Lloyd as he did for [[TalesOfTheAbyss Dist the Rose]]. Must be his [[strike:FlamboyantGay]] MadScientist voice.
** Kaguya Sumeragi is [[HigurashiNoNakuKoroNi Satoko Hojo]].
** Five words: '''[[{{Disgaea}} Emperor Charles, Defender of Earth!]]'''
*** Others who haven't played Disgaea might know him as [[{{Xenosaga}} Commander Margulis]].
** Suzaku could probably get away with making a great speech about [[TengenToppaGurrenLagann drills]] if he wanted to.
*** He could also [[Ben10AlienForce transform]] right?
** Hello, I'm [[EnsembleDarkhorse Jeremiah Gottwald]], but you can call me [[MemeticBadass Orange]]. Now that you know that I sound like CrispinFreeman, '''''[[MemeticMutation TAKE THIS! THE STORM OF MY LOYALTY!]]'''''
*** So would [[InuYasha Sessho]][[KenNarita maru]].
** [[OdinSphere Gwendolyn]] wants you to know what this badass mother can do!
** I can tell you this much, despite [[FutariWaPrettyCure Honoka]] handing Lelouch his Geass powers, at least she's better at using Knightmare Frames than piloting [[ZetaGundam Mobile Armors]].
** And don't forget our Empress Tianzi. If she wants it, she could have sent [[{{KamenRiderDenO}} four crazy Oni]] and a time-travelling KamenRider to help in the rebellion. And punch anyone hard.
** Xingke should have used [[HikaruMidorikawa Wing]] [[GundamWing Zero]].
* HesJustHiding: [[spoiler:What roughly half of the fandom rabidly believes actually happened to Lelouch in the end, considering the seemingly deliberately ambiguous nature of the final scene, as well as their interpretation of different scenes throughout both seasons, which from this perspective provides a lot of evidence in order to support the theory. Jossed, though.]]
* HoYay: MemeticMutation aside, {{CLAMP}} ''only'' did the character designs. And yet many in the show's fanbase love to dig into this trope, as there are certainly enough opportunities to do so.
** To start with, Lelouch and Suzaku are rather... obsessed with each other in what's more properly described as FoeYay to be accurate.
** Then there's Schneizel and his absurdly feminine and outright Yaoi Fangirl teasing assistant Kanon who shows up in R2.
** Kaguya, who makes fans invoke LesYay towards any woman she speaks to, but especially the Tianzi.
** And then there's Kallen and C.C., who seemed to have an almost LovelyAngels dynamic early in R2.
** Gino and Milly invoke this with how touchy feely they are with their respective friends (Suzaku, Shirley). Shirley even describes Milly (somewhat correctly) as a DirtyOldMan on the inside.
** Big {{Badass}} Cornelia tends to be much more sweet touchy-touchy with her younger sister [[FriendToAllLivingThings Euphemia]].
** Rolo. Just Rolo.
** CLAMP has continued to provide fuel for this through their [[http://www.animepaper.net/gallery/scans/Code-Geass/item212388/ artbooks]]. And it sure doesn't help matters that their Code Geass illustration are highly reminiscent of their X illustrations, which are just crammed full of Ho Yay!
* HufflepuffHouse: The EU, as well as most members of the UFN much to the annoyance of some fans.
** To be fair, the UFN's military arm IS the Black Knights, so I don't see how that makes them useless.
*** It's talking about how the entire armed force is basically just China and Japan. The lack of importance of the rest of the country is especially egregious when you consider that the Japan of Code Geass is not only conquered, but has lost a significant amount of it's population. It's basically the equivalent of having Sudan boss around the other countries in the U.N.
* HumongousMecha: Worth mentioning again because of how barely this trope applies. At 4m tall, the Knightmare Frames are some of the smallest mecha in fiction, tying ArmoredTrooperVOTOMS's machines.
* IAmSpartacus: [[spoiler:Episode 8 of ''R2'' has a XanatosGambit that involves a crowd of '''one million people''' dressing like Zero]].
* IDidWhatIHadToDo: Lelouch whilst squaring off with [[spoiler:his father. Followed up by "Everybody lies to survive! No one is blameless!"]] Silly Lelouch...
* IdiotPlot: Some argue that Schneizel's plan in the later period of R2 amounted to this, somewhat understandably since it did [[spoiler:require that the leadership of the Black Knights accept the word of their own enemy rather than giving Zero a chance to offer his own explanation]]. Others have noted that, untrustworthy source though he may be, Schneizel was in fact completely telling them the truth, so calling them "idiots" is a bit harsh. [[spoiler:Particularly since Ohgi rushes in to back Schneizel up halfway through the debriefing.]]
** Schneizel completely telling the truth? To paraphrase the words of Suzaku from part of Schneizel's recording of the meeting between Suzaku himself and Lelouch that was skipped, that is a lie. In addition to cutting out that part which would have revealed that Lelouch lied in his admission to Geassing Euphie on purpose, Schneizel obfuscated the part that Lelouch not warning about FLEIJA was a setup on part of Schneizel and Kanon, the two having Lelouch arrested and making it look like Suzaku lured him, thus making him sound like he couldn't be trusted when he warned Lelouch about FLEIJA. (Not to mention that there was no former precedent of a weapon of mass destruction.) [[spoiler:And don't get me started on Ohgi and Villetta, who had until just earlier been working for Britannia, and quite possibly knew of Lelouch's Geass limits as she had been working to keep surveillance for him over a year, so she had quite possibly been keeping tabs on them.]] That they had been so easily trusting the words of a standing, and formidably manipulative Britannian prince as well as a Britannian agent over those of an ex-Britannian prince who it should have been assumed might rebelling for some reason, while instead balking at the latter for his status, makes them seem like hypocrites.
* ILoveYouBecauseICantControlYou: what turns Mao into a {{Yandere}} for C.C.
** Although there's also the fact that he, you know... doesn't ''have'' to hear her every thought, unlike with [[BlessedWithSuck just about everyone else]]. If you like Lelouch X CC, some of this trope possibly figures into that as well.
* ImpossiblyCoolClothes: So very, very much. Just look at the gravity-defying Zero outfit.
* InformedAbility: Lelouch's skill at playing chess, the game, as opposed to his TheChessmaster status.
** The Knights of the Round are described as the best mecha pilots in Britannia. Two are killed in seconds (LITERALLY) and except for Suzaku they pretty much get their asses handed to them in every match.
** Also Tohdoh's military skill. Battles led directly by him do not go so well. However, he does justify the apparent disparity by saying that his reputation is largely hype. Xingke at least makes good on the hype surrounding him.
* InSpiteOfANail: Despite the fact that WordOfGod has an extensive explanation for how the the universe of the series diverged from our own, this isn't too apparent when watching it, as so many features (like shopping malls, news stations, etc.) match the real world, not to mention the fact that the Japanese resistance group uses the "red sun" flag, giving the obvious impression that it is a remnant of ''this'' world's Japan. And of course, outside of Britannia, pretty much every country has its usual name. Although it's hinted that the "official" history of Britannia is mostly or entirely made up...
** It is.
* IronicEcho: Not an exact echo of a quote, but it was certainly ironic that [[spoiler:the long-blind but now sighted Nunnally should end up begging Lelouch to open his eyes]].
** That whole scene where [[spoiler:Nunnally is screaming in despair for the dead Lelouch while the world chants "all hail Zero" is incredibly poetic in its irony]].
* InvisibleAdvertising: On AdultSwim, the show began with very little promotion: Being so continuity driven, it was hard to pick up new viewers.
* ItGetsEasier: Lelouch and Suzaku
* {{Jossed}}: WordOfGod has confirmed that [[spoiler:Lelouch is dead]].
** As detailed on one of the other pages, it ''really'' depends upon how you interpret it. Which is fitting. For instance, I could say [[spoiler:I have died. But I could mean that I am no longer the person I was. "That man" is no longer alive.]] Though that could just be grasping at straws.
* KangarooCourt: For Suzaku after he's scapegoated for Clovis' murder. The [[spoiler:Black Knights' mutiny against Lelouch could also count]].
* LargeHam: Lelouch, Charles, and Jeremiah (after being possibly brain damaged and [[spoiler:cyborg'd]], at which point he runs with it and never stops).
**It's even {{Lampshaded}} in the anime. One of the soon to be Black Knights says about Zero, "I didn't know he was such a ham."
* LawfulStupid: Suzaku, big time.
* LensmanArmsRace: The main HumongousMecha of the series are steadily shifting from {{Real Robot}}s to [[SuperRobot Supers]] in terms of their weaponry or equipment upgrades, as new technologies have been introduced and distributed among the warring factions, ''a single year'' after the end of the first season.
* LetThemDieHappy: [[spoiler: Before she died, Euphemia asked Suzaku if the people were happy with her creation of the SAZ. Needless to say, he didn't tell her that she killed them all while under the Geass's control.]]
**[[spoiler:Rolo perishes in Episode 19 being reassured by Lelouch that they are truly brothers. Lelouch then goes on to bury Rolo with his own hands.]]
* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters
* LoveItOrHateIt: R2 is starting to rival ''NeonGenesisEvangelion'' in how large the divide is, made worse by the fact that both sides are quite extreme -- just compare the CrowningMomentOfAwesome page with the Narm page.
** A significant testament to this is the fact that quite a few scenes are on ''both'' the CrowningMomentOfAwesome and WallBanger pages.
* MagnificentBastard: Don't be surprised if this trope is called "The Lelouch" a year from now.
* ManlyTears: Suzaku during the GrandFinale. Jeremiah does it, too.
* MayDecemberRomance: Implied between [[{{Lolicon}} Tianzi & Xingke]] and Anya & Jeremiah. Averted between Kaguya & Lelouch.
** Kaguya and Lelouch would only have had about three or four years of age difference, though. This troper failed to see any signs between Anya and Jeremiah, in any case.
* MeaningfulName: Almost every Britannian Knightmare Frame has a name that references Arthurian legend (though Arthur himself is... a stray cat that Suzaku adopted). Furthermore, "Lelouch" is the French word for "suspicious" which literally means something like "shifty eyed".
** Actually, if I'm to believe my French to English dictionary, Louch(e) is the French word for suspicious, with Loucher being a verb meaning, "to be suspicious looking". ''La Louche'' means "the ladle". Take that as you will.
** [[TheFourGods Suzaku and his late father, Genbu.]] Also, Nina Einstien [[spoiler: invents the FLEIJA warhead, which is basically a nuke.]] And since when is Schneizel a British name? [[spoiler: Kind of fits the 'evil German' stereotype that he's revealed to be a ruthless killer.]]
*** This troper would like to call DidNotDoTheResearch on the Nina thing. Albert Einstein was a pacifist who ''never'' directly involved himself in the creation of nuclear weapons; his only contributions were his theories and writing a letter about the project to Roosevelt.
*** This german troper has never heard the name Schneizel in her entire life.
*** His name has "sch" in it, it resembles the word schnitzel and he's blonder than blond. Most people will think of him as German, if for no other reason ([[spoiler:insert [[{{Monster}} Johan Liebert]] comparison]]) than stereotypes.
*** This troper would like to point out that the Real Life British Royal family is german. They changed their name to Windsor during WW1, but it used to be Hapsburg.
* {{Meido}}: Sayoko.
* {{Melodrama}}
* MementoMacGuffin: Suzaku's pocket watch.
* MemeticBadass: Rivalz and Clovis, thanks to a series of SoBadItsGood fanfics on a certain imageboard.
** Spinzaku, er, Suzaku Kururugi can fight on part with ChuckNorris!
** Jeremiah Gottwald a.k.a. Orange-kun brings you a '''FUCKING STORM OF LOYALTY'''!
* MemeticMutation: ''"Pizza Hut supports the rebellion!"''. Also lately, Suzaku's ''hurricane kick'' is [[strike:slowly]] quickly becoming one (see "spinzaku").
** '''LOYALTY!!!'''
**[[Memes/CodeGeass And many more.]]
* MemoryGambit: [[spoiler:Lelouch, in episode 16.]]
* MidairRepair: Plus upgrade. [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotAwesome Using missiles.]]
* MildlyMilitary
* MillionToOneChance: [[spoiler: In ''R2'' episode 24, Nina creates an anti-FLEIJA device that has an extremely slim margin of success, requiring key data to be input 19 seconds before detonation and only having a 0.04-second window of opportunity even if everything goes right. Lelouch and Suzaku manage to pull it off - mostly through strategy. Lelouch is a genius and so can input within 19 seconds, and Suzaku uses his "live" Geass, which forces him to fire the FLEIJA Eliminator with perfect timing.]]
* MindRape: Mao's treatment of Shirley and C.C's distraction of Suzaku. The first was [[MoralEventHorizon unforgivable]], the second accidental: C.C. didn't control what he saw. Then there's [[spoiler: the Emperor implanting Lelouch's fake memories]], which bears a very uncomfortable resemblance to an actual rape scene, since [[spoiler: Lelouch]] is literally being held to the floor by [[spoiler: Suzaku]] while he screams, thrashes, and begs [[spoiler: his father]] to stop. By episode 21 of R2, [[spoiler: it is revealed that Charles had also done the same by using his Geass on Nunnally to cover-up Marianne's murder.]]
* MostCommonSuperpower: Almost every important female character.
* MoralEventHorizon: Have hours of fun with your friends debating at which of the many possible points did Lelouch cross it ([[BrokenBase if he even did at all]]).
* MoreDakka: Did you ''see'' the payload on Cornelia's scavenged Frame in episode 14?
* MoreThanMindControl: Schneizel to Nina. Schneizel to [[spoiler: Nunnally]]. Pretty much Schneizel to everyone. Lelouch manages some moments of his own, too.
** Mao's treatment of Shirley seems to count as this as well. It doesn't work completely, though.
* MundaneUtility: The AbsurdlyPowerfulStudentCouncil in Ashford pulls out an old HumongousMecha to... [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotAwesome make a giant pizza]]. Though on [[ProductPlacement second thought]], that could very well have been an intended feature in the original design.
* {{Mukokuseki}}: This only really causes problems because Japanese people and European people are in focus at the same time.
* TheMutiny: R2, episode 19. [[spoiler:The Black Knights mutiny against Zero/Lelouch]].
* MyRevengeIsMercy
* MythArc
* {{Narm}}: So many that it got [[Narm/CodeGeass its own page]] (an anime first!)
* NightOfTheLivingMooks: [[spoiler:Charles uses his Geass power "The Dead" to turn skilled soldiers into the nearly unkillable undead Knights of the Round]] in NightmareOfNunnally
* NotQuiteDead: Used only a bit (once in the first season, 2-3 times in the latter half of the second season). But nonetheless it has become somewhat of a [[MemeticMutation meme]], so much that someone made a small comic about [[spoiler: Euphemia coming back from the dead after the end of the series]].
** Those are the most blatant cases but the count could easily be increased, depending on what definition you use. Season 1: C.C. (a bunch of times, but it was expected after the first), Suzaku (in episode 1), [[spoiler: Viletta (arguable, when shot by Shirley) and Mao]]. Season 2: [[spoiler: Viletta and Ohgi (Ohgi was wounded by kunai and then both of them jumped off a cliff into a shallow river full of rocks; neither is even scratched with [[IGotBetter no explanation provided]]), Nunnally and Sayoko (arguable, if you don't buy the decoy shuttle explanation), Orange (arguable, returned after sinking into the ocean), Cornelia (arguable at the end of season 1, definitely in season 2), Guilford (with no explanation too), Suzaku (briefly believed to be dead during the final episode of R2; never visibly shown to exit the Lancelot Albion before its final explosion, so how the hell did he get out is left unexplained)]]. That's at least nine potential instances.
* NoodleIncident: Whatever happened at Aomori with Kallen and C.C. Slightly un-noodled by a postcard in the Zero Requiem DVD.
* NoodlePeople: Most of the characters, due to the CLAMP character designs. In fact, the TropeNamer via FanNickname.
* NothingIsTheSameAnymore: The last four episodes.
* NuclearWeaponsTaboo: Sakuradite is explosive enough that for most of the series it stands in for any kind of uranium or plutonium-based weapons. However, it's shown as early as Season 1 that Nina is researching nuclear fission. [[spoiler: And the research pays off--a prototype nuke is finished (but ends up failing) in the season 1 finale, and R2 episode 18 finally depicts it being used, killing millions of innocent people.]]
* OddlyNamedSequel: ''Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2''
** WordOfGod says it stands for "Reconstruction" and "Revolution", the two major phases in the show.
* OneDegreeOfSeparation: Just how many main characters had connections to each other ''before'' the story started?
* OneHundredAndEight: The number of Emperor's wives and the number of dates with school girls Sayoko sets up for Lelouch.
* OrIsIt: [[spoiler:In the final episode, it's revealed that Lelouch's "Zero Requiem" XanatosGambit revolves around his own HeroicSacrifice, playing the part of the evil Emperor, taking over the world, and dying at the hands of Suzaku (who assumes his Zero identity). But then in the very last scene, it's hinted that maybe Lelouch isn't dead after all, despite [[NoOneCouldSurviveThat being impaled with a sword]] in full view of thousands of witnesses while the whole thing was being broadcast live on international television. Then again, C.C. did survive a bullet to the head in the first episode.]]
** Fans are definitely divided over this, and is now possible only if they want to ignore WordOfGod.
* OnTheNext
* OurHeroIsDead: [[spoiler:Ends with Lelouch dying in order to bring about a world without war. The show's creator [[WordOfGod later confirms]] that he did die, his death being the price he paid for making a better world.]]
* OuterLimitsTwist: Arguably, [[spoiler:the death of Euphemia and the events leading up to it, since the whole tragedy happens due to a series of MillionToOneChance plot contrivances caused by several characters saying/doing the worst possible thing at the worst possible time]].
* OutsideManInsideMan: Poor Suzaku and Lelouch.
* PietaPlagiarism: C.C in the first OP.
* PimpedOutDress
* PlayingAgainstType: JohnnyYongBosch is more often known for straight-up action heroes, not [[TheChessmaster chessmasters]] like Lelouch. JamiesonPrice on the other hand, often does BadAss or TheChessmaster, but Diethard's more of a SmugSnake.
* PlotArmor: Suzaku for most of the series. Arguably abused episodes 23 and 24 of R2.
** Somewhat justified [[spoiler:after Lelouch gives Suzaku the command "live", literally forcing Suzaku to pull improbable stunts provided the result is his own survival]].
* PowerPerversionPotential: Considering his gigantic unwanted harem and his mind control eye, Lelouch could get a lot of use out of this. And in the Visual Novel's [=PS2=]-only Blue Moon Path, the protagonist Rai DOES. On anyone from Nina and Kaguya to Suzaku, and even Lelouch himself I might add.
* PowerIncontinence: Played straight down to having AppliedPhlebotinum to allieviate it, or try to. [[spoiler:Mao's headphones don't seem to help much at all. Lelouch's contact lens works perfectly, but he acquires it... too late.]]
* PrinceCharmless
* PsychicAssistedSuicide: Lelouch uses his Geass to do this at ''least'' three times. The first of which is at the end of the very first episode.
* PsychicStatic: Attempted but failed.
* PsychoForHire: Luciano Bradley.
* PsychoLesbian: Nina... just Nina.
* PraetorianGuard: The Knights of Rounds.
* ProductPlacement: Pizza Hut and, less [[MemeticMutation memetically]], the Japanese ISP BIGLOBE.
** Wouldn't it make more sense for them to use [[IncrediblyLamePun NetZero]]?
* RageAgainstTheHeavens: The ultimate aim of [[spoiler: the Emperor and V.V. is to kill the gods, [[GodIsEvil calling them a threat to humanity]]. That's what the Sword of Akasha is for]].
** [[spoiler: The "gods" essentially being free will. Talk about taking a metaphor too far.]]
* RedHerring: Lelouch sends Rolo, [[spoiler: a psychopathic assassin, on a ''[[IdiotBall rescue mission]]'' to save Nunally. As might be guessed, Rolo has every intention of killing her, even thinking about it, but he never manages to reach her.]]
* RedOniBlueOni: Suzaku and Lelouch.
* RedemptionEqualsDeath: You know who I'm talking about.
* RefugeInAudacity: Lelouch's plans, reputation, and leadership of the Black Knights all seem to ''thrive'' on this... which is why he is a MagnificentBastard.
* ReincarnationRomance: Invoked by [[spoiler: Shirley]] in her LastWords. Whether her hopes are valid or not is left up to the viewer to decide.
* TheRemnant: The last prime minister of Japan is treated somewhat like this trope...
* LaResistance: The Black Knights.
* RivalScienceTeams: Lloyd & Cecile vs. Rakshata
* RocketPunch: Kallen's new and improved Guren can fire its radiation wave arm at the enemy, while still connected to the Guren through a cable.
* RuleOfCool: This applies whenever Lelouch uses geass to make miracles. Suzaku is often the embodiment of this.
* SarcasticClapping: Mao... just Mao.
* SchoolFestival: All of episode 21 is dedicated to the annual school festival; about half of R2 episode 5 is as well.
* SchoolUniformsAreTheNewBlack: Lelouch wears either his school uniform or his "superheroic" Zero outfit. [[spoiler: In R2 he dumps both after becoming the Emperor.]]
** Amusingly, the boy's uniforms at Ashford Academy ''are'' black.
* ScrewedByTheNetwork: As of September 2008, AdultSwim moved ''CodeGeass'' to late Saturday/early Sunday at 5 AM EST while it was still in its initial run.
** Now it's at 2 AM EST starting November 2008, its a little better.
** Depending on which fan theory you believe about how much the less extreme timeslot change in Japan caused R2 to be NOT AS PLANNED, it could count too.
* SeasonalRot: R2, particularly the later episodes, may or may not be, depending on [[BrokenBase who you ask]]. [[InternetBackdraft You're better off if you don't]].
* ShoutOut: In ''R2'' episode 5, C.C. cosplays as [[MahouSenseiNegima Chachamaru]] and Shirley as [[SuzumiyaHaruhi Mikuru]].
** Kallen's HotBlooded fighting style, [[GGundam suspiciously Shining Finger-like]] attack, and Black Knights hairstyle are a fairly obvious shout-out to Domon Kasshu. To the point that [[MemeticMutation fans insist that she's somehow Domon's daughter]].
** To mention shout out [[http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e120/Rondart/vlcsnap-386385-1.jpg without mentioning this]] is just wrong (this is from Gundam, by the way).
** Nunnally's Mark Nemo in the manga looks pretty similar to Eva Unit-01. It also appears to bleed when parts get chopped off.
** Also from the ''Nightmare of Nunnally'', Zero shows up in Saitama and goes [[GGundam Master Asia]] on everyone. [[http://img46.onemanga.com/mangas/00002282/000137892/19.jpg Seriously.]]
*** Broken link. Could someone who knows which page that is post a working one?
** Am I the only one who noticed that Tohdoh's mech in R2 is named [[{{Bleach}} Zangetsu]]?
**Also, Lelouch himself bears several parallels with [[{{Dune}} Leto Atreides II]].
* ShowerOfAngst
* ShutUpHannibal: In ''R1'', Suzaku does this to Lelouch. In ''R2'', [[spoiler:Lelouch to Emperor Charles and even more spoilery, Marianne]].
** In R1 Episode 16. Lelouch to Mao ("NEVER SPEAK AGAIN!")
*** Heh, ShutUpHannibal in more ways than one!
* SlowClap: At Suzaku's knighting.
* SmartPeoplePlayChess: Lelouch is introduced by having him win an unwinnable chess game. He's the second smartest person in the entire world of the series.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: From this very wiki, Ohgi/Ougi. Also, the variations on Tohdoh.
* StatusQuoIsGod: The blatant aversion of this trope is one of the shows biggest selling points.
* SpannerInTheWorks: Lelouch's love for Nunnally has crumbled his plan thrice. First during the Black Rebellion, second during Pacific Aerial Assault, third when [[spoiler: she's apparently killed in the Second Battle of Tokyo]].
** In general, his love for his friends serves as such a trope, as it usually causes him to do irrational actions that will cost him. The aftermath of [[spoiler:Shirley's death]] led to his assaulting the Geass Directorate, which led to questioning from other members of the Black Knights who are beginning to suspect his actions.
* SphereOfDestruction: What happens when you set off F.L.E.I.J.A.
* SuperEmpowering
* SuperHappyFunTropeOfDoom: FLEIJA - a nuclear bomb...named for the Norse goddess of love and beauty.
* SuperheroesWearCapes: Lelouch as part of his hero identity.
* SuperpowerLottery: The Geass powers obtained by a contract vary in their usefulness. In NightmareOfNunnally, [[spoiler:Marianne]] happens to get just the right power while on the brink of death, [[spoiler:transferring her soul into Anya's body]]].
* SurprisinglyGoodEnglish: The textbooks, news articles, magazines, etc. Makes sense since it takes place in a Japan under British rule.
* SympatheticPOV: Consider that if we didn't see things primarily from Lelouch's POV, Zero could be labeled as a rather ruthless AntiVillain with [[VillainWithGoodPublicity good publicity]] among the Elevens who later turns into [[spoiler:a murderous ManipulativeBastard who may very well ruin things just as they could be getting better.]] Amusingly, it's reversed in the case of Suzaku; Lelouch sees him as an annoying [[WideEyedIdealist idealist]] who [[BigDamnHeroes barges in and ruins things just when he is about to get results]], but he later [[spoiler:becomes a ruthless [[AntiHero anti hero/]][[AntiVillain villain]] with good publicity with ''the Britannians''.]]
* TakeAThirdOption: There's Lelouch's viewpoint, Suzaku's viewpoint, and [[spoiler:both of them agreeing on Zero Requiem.]]
* TearJerker: Many, but especially the GrandFinale. See the [[TearJerker/CodeGeass related page]].
** [[spoiler: Shirley's death. The sight of Lelouch desperately using the Geass and begging her not to die is one of the saddest scenes in the series. Naturally, it comes one episode after their RelationshipUpgrade and was the culmination of 37 episodes of WillTheyOrWontThey.]]
* TearsOfRemorse
* TechnicolorEyes: Violet eyes seem to be a somewhat common Britannian trait as Lelouch, Rolo, and the appropriately named Vi(o)letta all have them; C.C. has EyesOfGold to go with her green hair and AntiVillain Suzaku has honest green eyes.
* TenchiSolution: Kaguya certainly seems to like the idea...
* ThePowerOfLove: Episode 11 of R2. Lelouch, after consulting Shirley, delivers an epic, over the top declaration that the power of people's love will change the world. The English title is even called "Power of Passion".
* TheScrappy: Too many to count and it changes almost on a per-episode basis. In particular, Nina, Suzaku, and Rolo.
* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: Due to the pacing problems in R2, several interesting plot lines were either dealt with too quickly or outright dismissed a few episodes after being brought up. The worst is probably the subplot involving [[spoiler:Marianne's death. She's revealed to be inside Anya and is killed in the very next episode, even though her murder had been one of Lelouch's main motivations since the very beginning of the first season. What's more, Empress Marianne herself was part of [[XanatosRoulette an arguably "evil" plan]] and [[KnightTemplarParent abandoned her children to build a new world for them]], which flies in the face of her previous portrayal as [[PuritySue admirable and near-perfect]]]]. This really should have been better explained.
** In Nightmare of Nunnally, it is better explained when it is revealed that [[spoiler:Marianne actually disagreed with Charles' Instrumentality plan, and managed to convince him to back off of it. Unfortunately, when Anya killed her, she lost faith in uniting the world through trust, and when she managed to transfer her soul to Anya's, resulting in a part of it going to Eden Vital, she discovered a critical clue to making Charles' dream a reality]].
* TheWoobie: So many. Oh, so many...!
* ThirtyXanatosPileup: Episode 20 of R2, what with [[spoiler: the Emperor activating the Sword of Akasha, Schneizel starting his bid for the throne, and Lelouch gunning to take down the Emperor]]. It actually gets simpler after that.
* TheThreeFacesOfEve: C.C., Kaguya and Kallen are a rather curious example. See the main entry.
* ThisIsADrill: Luciano Bradley's Percival. [[BloodKnight He does terrible things with it]].
* TimeSkip: The first seasons and second season are separated by a gap of one year. Then it happens two more times in one-month and two-month periods.
* TotallyRadical: "You fellas know full well what this badass mother can do!"
* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Pizza for CC; to a lesser extent, perhaps also pudding for Lloyd.
* TransformingMecha: ''R2'' introduces the Tristan (robot-to-fighter jet) and the Shinkirō (robot-to-''submersible'' fighter jet).
* TraumaCongaLine: The universe of ''Code Geass'' LOVES to kick you when you are already down and crying.
* TrueArtIsAngsty: The story's cripplingly depressing at times but it's still one of the most popular anime in Japan and/or the world.
* TryNotToDie: Among other times, Lelouch to C.C. in the first season finale, after [[spoiler:she kisses him]]. Her response is [[HealingFactor "Hey, remember who you're talking to"]].
* UnpleasableFanbase: This series has one of the more whiny, fickle fandoms ThisTroper has seen lately.
* UnwantedHarem: Lelouch is insanely popular with the girls at Ashford Academy; it gets even worse in ''R2'', when Sayoko, in the process of [[spoiler: running around disguised as Lelouch]], manages to set him up with OneHundredAndEight dates within the span of 24 hours. No, really.
* UnwillingSuspension
* UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans: Lelouch, Schneizel, Charles and [[spoiler:Marianne]] all try to create their various ideas of a perfect world.
* VisionaryVillain
* VisualInnuendo: A disturbing one with Mao and his chainsaw.
* WaveMotionGun: Hadron Cannons and the upgraded radiation wave in R2.
* WeCouldHaveAvoidedAllThis: PoorCommunicationKills taken UpToEleven.
* WhamEpisode: Episode 22 takes the [[spoiler:NiceJobBreakingItHero]] trope and elevates it to a whole new level when [[spoiler:Lelouch accidentally Geasses his ''sister'' into ''killing all the Japenese'']].
** Starting with episode 13, R2 whams pretty much every [[strike:other]] episode.
* WhoWantsToLiveForever: [[spoiler:C.C.'s "one wish" that Lelouch was originally obliged to grant her by their contract was to finally die, which would make Lelouch bear the curse of immortality in her place]].
* WorldOfHam: This series is one of the reasons the trope exists. How CAN one not be a {{LARGE HAM}} in a world where even the [[SceneryPorn SCEN]][[SceneryGorn ERY]] is {{CHEWING THE SCENERY}}?. And the MUSIC. And the {{HUMONGOUS MECHA}}. And the laws of physics: the only law is the [[MurphysLaw LAW OF MURPHY]]. It is MANDATORY to be hammy in such circumstances! Anything more subtle, given the circumtances, would be {{DULL SURPRISE}}!!!
* XanatosGambit: Lelouch and Schneizel are experts at it.
* XanatosRoulette: Ditto.
* XanatosFuneral: [[spoiler: Lelouch]]. And how.
* [[XanatosPlannedThisIndex Xanatos Planned This Anime]]: It's not QUITE at DeathNote level, but it comes REALLY close. Of course it's a lot more [[MemeticMutation Fabulous]] than DeathNote.
* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Red for Kallen, pink for Euphemia, pink/purple for Cornelia, bright green for C.C., teal for Kento, blue for Inoue, silver-blue for Villetta... It's a pretty common trait regardless of race.
** Characters with Britanian blood have a wide spectrum of hair colors, but, as far as we can tell, most Japanese and Chinese characters have brown or black hair.
*** Interestingly, Mao and the Tianzi (Chinese) both have silvery-white hair. No one in any other ethnicity seems to.
* YouShouldKnowThisAlready: [[spoiler: Lelouch dies. Probably.]]
** Lelouch is Zero. No joke, someone who only saw the first two episodes actually yelled at me for spoiling that.
*** More of a spoiler in Nightmare of Nunnally, when it isn't explicitly stated until a fair ways through the plot.
* YouKillItYouBoughtIt: How the various immortals are created.
* ZeroPercentApprovalRating: Britannia to anyone who isn't Britannian. [[spoiler: Toward the end of the series, Lelouch gets even the Britannians to disapprove, resulting in world unity when he's assassinated.]]
** After seeing the finale, I think it's clear [[spoiler: Lelouch]] was gunning for this trope.

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