Because Soul Chess is so expansive it now has to have separate pages for its character index.
On this page you can find the three main characters of Soul Chess. Lelouch is the driving protagonist with Ichigo showing up later and supporting him. After the Farewell Ichigo arc, which ends with Ichigo going to college, Cornelia stands in the spotlight. They continue to share the spotlight after each of their respective arcs. For information on Lelouch go here. For information on Ichigo go here. For information on Cornelia go here
Common Qualities Between the Protagonists:
- Empowered Badass Normal: They are already badass from the respective series, then they all took multiple levels in Badass.
- Fighter, Mage, Thief: Ichigo Kurosaki, Lelouch Lamperouge, and Cornelia li Britannia respectively.
- Hero Antagonist: All three play this role to at least one other in the Ichigo vs Britannia arc. Cornelia plays it to Ichigo trying to crush Japan. Ichigo also plays it to Cornelia preventing her from rescuing Lelouch and Nunnally. And Lelouch, though not in the confrontation himself, plays it to Ichigo as well seeing as he is limiting his power since Britannia must win against Japan in order for Zero Requiem to occur.
Lelouch Lamperouge: Chief Defense Attorney and Captain of Squad 10,
He's died and gone to the afterlife, but his journey has only just begun. The driving protagonist of the series, Lelouch starts out in Rukongai and becomes a Soul Reaper, but he slowly but surely ascends to greater levels. Lelouch's rise in ranks take him from low down positions in Squad's 10, 2 and 12 before moving back to Squad 10 and then transferring to Squad 6 and then Squad 13. He is then later promoted to 3rd seat and Deputy Research Department Head of Squad 12 before going back to Squad 10 to become its Vice-Captain and later the Captain itself, which is where he currently stands. Lelouch's greatest enemy and the man he hates the most is Aizen. Aizen has caused both directly and indirectly The death of Lelouch's first captain, Mari Akari and her successor Yuna Homura, of whom Lelouch loved, but never told her, and the banishment of Kisuke Urahara, Yoruichi Shihoin, Soifon, Tessai Tsukabishi and Isshin Kurosaki. Lelouch, to fight Aizen, has notably gathered quite the bit of huge support around him over the years and eventually their confrontation finally comes to pass. Lelouch is victorious only to expose himself and be put on trial for his crimes as Zero. He is let go on good faith not to make a Face–Heel Turn against the Soul Society. An important thing to note is that Lelouch is misplaced in time. He deals with this grudgingly and eventually relives his past where he encounters all the mistakes he made. But his life has been getting better for the most part. He is married to Susanna and things seem fine. Then Kasumi shows up. He later marries Shirley too and becomes a father. Lelouch's Zanpakuto is called Eien Tamashi and his Bankai is called Zero no Seishin no Eien Tamashi- Adaptational Badass: Physically of course. Mentally he is pretty much the king. In his home series Lelouch couldn't run down a hallway without losing his breath. While he's still something of a Glass Cannon here, he is a far cry from what he once was. For better reference compare Lelouch in chapter 4 to what he becomes much later.draconichero: 'Tis what happens when you mix Shonen with Seinen.
- A Father to His Men: After some character development, Lelouch decides to walk this path for real. Thanks to spending more a 100 years in Soul Society, he has finally come to be more closer and friendlier to those serving under him and is willing to risk his life to fight and protect them if he must unlike how during when he was alive, he kept his distance from Kallen and the Black Knights in which it leads to his downfall to despair.
- Angst? What Angst?: After knowing about his past, this confuses the hell out of Aizen, who can't work out why Lelouch hasn't completely broken down. It did help him break down, he was just THAT good at hiding it from Aizen due to his past.
- Arch-Enemy: Aizen. Lelouch explicitly refers to him as such numerous times. Aizen was responsible for so much strife in his life that you get the feeling that Lelouch sending his allies away during the Final Battle so he can fight Aizen one-on-one was less about the dangers of the Hogyoku that merged with him (which was a legitimate concern) and more about Lelouch finally having the power to settle his grudge with Aizen once and for all and wanting no one else to interfere.
- Armor-Piercing Question: Poses three, rapid fire, to Orihime.Lelouch: So tell me will killing me bring Ichigo back? Will killing me solve all your problems? In the long run, will killing me make you feel better?
- Arrested for Heroism: After revealing himself as Zero to the entire Gotei despite the fact that he had just killed Aizen. One notable distinction is that he ALSO planned for this result.
- Attending Your Own Funeral: Or rather CRASHING your own funeral!.
- Authority Equals Asskicking: In chapter 34 Lelouch becomes a captain.
- Awesomeness by Analysis: How good is he at this? In fighting Aizen when sealing his senses, he was able to give him a difficult fight by thinking EXACTLY what Aizen would do.
- Back from the Dead: The Hogyoku allowed him to return to life after an entire dimension collapsed with him still in it.
- Badass Creed: As Zero.Zero: I am the Black Void. I am the Mind of Steel. I am the Just Phantom. With my own two hands I shall purge the corruption of this world with the light of redemption and divinity. I am Zero!
- Word of God says this was inspired by another masked individual that Zero closely resembles.
- Which takes this full-circle, as the character in question had his vocal patterns modelled after Zero's.
- Batman Gambit: From the Fall of Talbumosuke Arc he employs several of these
- He has Yamamoto go Bankai creating an intense amount of heat in a frigid atmosphere that gets blown in Hitsugaya’s direction allowing Hitsugaya to Limit Break
- He also uses Yamamoto and Urahara to fight Talbumosuke in his toughest form until it runs out of juice so that Lelouch and Yuna can pick up the pieces. He combines this with his other gambit to get Gin to come to his side and in what could a brilliant Call-Back to when he had Mao focus all of his attention on him, ignoring Suzaku, Talbumosuke focuses all of his attention on Lelouch and doesn’t, for a second, notice Gin until it’s too late.
- His entire ploy against Aizen during the Aizen's Revenge arc is one of these.
- Berserk Button: Go ahead, harm Nemu or any of the other individuals he cares about. I dare you.
- Do not mock his fallen captain Yuna. Although she's not so fallen anymore.
- Also don't make light of some of his bigger screw ups. You can tell that the only reason he doesn't lash out at Yoruichi is because she's ignorant of the incident, but the Death Glare says it all.
- Never declare that he isn't so different from Aizen. Lelouch regrets his mistakes, tries to make Soul Society better, treats his squad and Soul Society as a whole like a family, and still has morals; Aizen doesn't.
- Better as Friends: How his relationship with Yuna ends. She later realises and admits that she was never truly in love with him after all (though more than just Sex for Solace).]]
- Beware the Nice Ones: Yeah, despite his dark tendencies, and how close he is considered as a Villain Protagonist once was when he was alive, he has shown that he is a pretty cool and decent guy to hang around with...when he's not busy scheming his next plan of course. Remember one thing: do not make him your enemy and don't ever hurt those close to him because you will regret you ever messed with him in the first place. Just ask Szayel, Mayuri, or Misana.
- Big Damn Heroes: He saves Nunnally from the FLEIJA explosion.
- Boring, but Practical: Lelouch is rather fond of Kyokko, which turns things invisible and undetectable.
- Brass Balls: He interrupts and yells back to Yamamoto to get his point across about Quincies.
- Break Her Heart to Save Her: Does this to Nemu because he doesn't want her or anyone else wrapped up in his schemes and feeling sorry for him when he goes up against Aizen for he feels he will have to sacrifice a lot to do so.
- Brother–Sister Incest: Despite badly denying it earlier Lelouch admits when CC tells him that Marianne wanted Nunnally to bear his child that Lelouch wouldn’t be bothered by the prospect if he wasn’t forced on Nunnally. Yes, this is the royal family so in-breeding isn’t so uncommon, but let’s all agree with Eien Tamashi how squicky it is.
- It would seem that when he Is affected by Kasumi's Lotus-Eater Machine that even Nunnally and Cornelia are part of his harem; presumably Euphie's with Suzaku..
- By the Power of Grayskull!: 'Rally And Motivate, Eien Tamashi' and 'Bankai: Zero no Seishin no Eien Tamashi'.
- Combat Pragmatist
- Chick Magnet: It seems that even after he dies, his charm with the ladies is still going on very strong. However...
- Cloud Cuckoolander: While drunk. Omake chapters 82.97 and 90.67 provide perfect examples.
- Clueless Chick-Magnet: He can't always tell when it's true love. Lelouch knows he has a certain effect on women, he just has a hard time telling when it’s actual love. His Zanpakuto has called him clueless whenever this trope came into effect. Take note that he does dismiss what he recognizes as mere infatuation.
- Create Your Own Villain: Lelouch turned Talbumosuke into the nightmare that he is because he killed his family and Aizen. It also the main reason why he averts his usual Evil Gloating against him after his death.
- Cry into Chest: Lelouch becomes the comforting shoulder for a lot of characters.
- Dark Is Not Evil: His Zanpakuto's power.
- Defiant to the End: Stares down Kokuto with unwavering vigor despite the situation being hopeless. Kokuto even lampshades this trope.
- De-power: In chapter 180, he, after chapters of foreshadowing, finally loses his Geass powers.
- Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?: Yes he did. In chapter 48, Lelouch does the impossible and actually kills Aizen.
- Disney Death: Pulls a Heroic Sacrifice to stop Aizen from destroying the Royal Dimension but somehow got better.
- According to Word of God, Lelouch was brought back through the use of the Hogyoku and Susanna and Shirley's want for him to live.
- Never Tell Me the Odds!: Says this word for word when he's trying to turn CC into a substitute soul reaper.
- Draco in Leather Pants: In-universe example as he is this to Susanna. Word of God officially states that he can do no wrong in her eyes. It’s very evident in chapter 99 when Lelouch shoots Susanna in the stomach with Hado 4: Byakurai and she still insists on following him, not even caring that he just attacked her.
- Easily Forgiven: Subverted. After defeating Aizen Yamamoto has Lelouch arrested for his actions as Zero and in order to investigate his geass. This of course was all a part of Lelouch's plan as The Atoner. What he didn't expect though was an unanimous decision for an acquittal. Though several of them would have second thoughts later when they see Zero Requiem live.
- Evil Gloating: Does this during his battles with Maki Ichinose, hollow Nnoitora and after He kills Aizen. Surprisingly averted after he defeats Talbumosuke especially after looking in his locket. He himself noted that he drove him to become what he is and is one of his biggest regrets, and he personally hopes that in the next life that he and Mia are reunited and happy together.
- Fake Defector: Apparently defects to the side of the Zanpakuto during the Reapers and Heralds arc. He is helping Byakuya.
- First-Name Basis: This trope's effect is most profound in regards to his relationship with Yuna. In fact she is the only one who has an obvious or implied interest in him that doesn't use any honorifics when referring to him when compared to Nemu's Lelouch-sama, Susanna's Lelouch-dono, and Isane's Lelouch-kun. Rangiku will sometimes refer to Lelouch as her captain. Momo consistently refers to him as Lamperouge-sensei. Kukaku is simply informal with everyone.
- Flashback to Catchphrase: "Leaders must always be willing to take action. If a general is not there fighting beside his troops, or any leader alongside his or her men and women, how can the soldiers expect to follow." Cornelia was the one who brought up his "if the king doesn't go into battle his men won't follow" ideal.
- Foregone Conclusion: Chapter 17 reveals that the temporally displaced Lelouch will eventually confront his hollow self while protecting Kallen. Since this has yet to happen, and since if the events of Code Geass were to change it would cause Soul Reaper Lelouch to cease to exist, we know that Zero Requiem MUST happen. Captain Lelouch, knowing the tragedies that would take place, cannot do anything to prevent it from happening again, the series cannot end and Captain Lelouch cannot die until this occurs.
- Go-Karting with Bowser: Despite the fact that he and Aizen are engaged in a game of Xanatos Speed Chess spanning across several decades they can still play a friendly game of chess.
- Guile Hero with some experience as a scientist.
- Approaches Manipulative Bastard when he fakes a Face–Heel Turn and a god complex just to get Soul King to show up personally during his final battle with Aizen.
- Happily Married: To Susanna. They're even trying to make up for the Convenient Miscarriage, though they haven't succeeded yet.
- They've succeeded in the final chapter. A baby girl.
- He's since married Shirley too.
- Heroic BSoD: Has one when he finds out that he's been sent to the past and again when Yuna dies.
- Has it again when he finds out Susanna is pregnant with his child.
- In reaction to the joint revelation of Ichigo’s death and the fact that Cornelia did in fact try to save him, making him ask for time off from work.
- Has a minor one later when Orihime pointing a gun at him in a state of mental instability mirrors that of when Shirley did it
- Has another one later when Kallen reveals to him what he did as his hollow identity of Zero. This drives Lelouch to atone for this. Thankfully Yuna literally slaps him of it.
- Has yet another one when Aizen tricks him into stabbing CC. Comes complete with Thousand-Yard Stare.
- Hero Protagonist <—> The Protagonist: Switches between these roles depending on his current position in the story and his gambits in play. He will NEVER go back to being a Villain Protagonist, sure he may have a few What the Hell, Hero? moments here and there but will NEVER go back to being one.
- He's Back!: After fifteen years of shunning everyone and seemingly preparing to take on Aizen all on his own, he jumps back into play with a single coded message from Urahara.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Not in the way you think though. Lelouch has a technique in Bankai that involves invoking this trope on his opponents by crushing them with their own spiritual pressure.
- Improbable Weapon User: Subverted. Lelouch's Zanpakuto's release form gives him a cape, but it's not used for combat.
- In the Name of the Moon: See his Badass Creed above.
- Kick the Dog: Taking out Tekubi-kiri Tamashi (Nemu's Zanpakuto). And then it was subverted like crazy.
- Legacy Character: When Lelouch restores one of his lost memories from a past life, he discovers that neither his current afterlife nor his previous human life were the first times a revolutionary called Zero existed. Of course, this is also somewhat of a subversion because those previous Zeros were also him, in a way.
- Let's Get Dangerous!: Whips out a level 90 hado in order to protect Momo and his other students in her class from hollows.
- Let Them Die Happy: Makes sure of this for Mari.
- Like Brother and Sister: Him and Nemu. Though that doesn't mean much given his history.
- Loophole Abuse: According to Kukaku and Soifon he has a knack for finding them.
- Mind Rape: His Zanpakuto's Kokoro Hassai ability.
- My Greatest Failure: Besides all of the things he regrets from when he was alive there's also now the unavoidable deaths of Mari and ESPECIALLY Yuna.
- My Greatest Second Chance: After successfully reviving Yuna, their relationship became this until Lelouch married Susanna.
- Near-Rape Experience: Or a very similar equivalent on Momo while sleep deprived planning the downfall of Central Forty-Six. With some help from Momo, he stops himself before it became this trope.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Lelouch has caused the collapse of the Shihoin family, allowed the more dangerous Talbumosuke to take over the Espada in place of Aizen, allowing Kaien to live gave birth to Mia, killed off Nnoitora early allowing Nel to stay on the Espada, attacked Lilynette with Mind Rape prompting Starrk to attack with full force, His killing of Aizen also killed off Gin's reason to Heel–Face Turn, and Talbumosuke is using Lelouch's Sorting Algorithm of Hollows for his own purposes.
- Sending Aizen to hell gave the man natural togabito resistance to Soul Reaper attacks, making it easier for Aizen to rapestomp Soul Society.
- Making the Soul Society a better place to live? Congratulations Lelouch, you just made it possible for the strongest Togabito to execute her ultimate plan.
- Not Allowed to Grow Up: Lelouch won't age until he reaches the time he died. As a result, several characters he knew as children end up looking as old as him (Gin, Rangiku) if not older (Byakuya).
- Official Couple: With Susanna as of Chapter 136. Later gets upgraded to One True Threesome with Shirley.
- Out-Gambitted: In the first fight against Talbumosuke. It helps his enemy in that Lelouch is unaware of how he thinks and originally was not much of a threat.
- You would be forgiven for thinking Lelouch had taken a level in dumbass during the Battle of Karakura Arc. It's not his fault, he has no knowledge of Talbumosuke's potential. How was he supposed to know Talbumosuke could wipe out the Visoreds in a single move?
- It's like we always say, once things start looking good for Lelouch it starts blowing up in his face.
- You would be forgiven for thinking Lelouch had taken a level in dumbass during the Battle of Karakura Arc. It's not his fault, he has no knowledge of Talbumosuke's potential. How was he supposed to know Talbumosuke could wipe out the Visoreds in a single move?
- Pet the Dog: Gives Renji an uplifting speech so that he understands that he’s not useless or weak despite the rough time he’s been going through lately.
- Frequently Lelouch will play this trope almost literally regarding the petting part with Momo substitute for a dog.
- Playing Hard to Get: Towards Rangiku, not that it's intentional all the time. It's ultimately subverted in chapter 61 though.
- Properly Paranoid: with regards to Aizen regarding his intentions towards Urahara.
- Relationship Upgrade: Lelouch has had sex with Nemu, Susanna and Rangiku. Judging by the fact that we haven't reached Code Geass canon yet, it's not over for Lelouch in relationships yet. The middle got pregnant with his kid, but lost it. The former was his girlfriend until Lelouch brutally broke up with her, but now they're back together.
- After successfully bringing back Yuna Homura, he plans to start a Noble House and marries Nemu, Susanna, Isane, and Yuna.
- Then it gets subverted with the deconstruction of the clan and as of Chapter 136 it gets further subverted.
- After successfully bringing back Yuna Homura, he plans to start a Noble House and marries Nemu, Susanna, Isane, and Yuna.
- Rousing Speech: If Lelouch isn't known for his Gambits, he is known for his Oratorical Rousing Speeches.
- Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: What Lelouch's motivation in planning to bring down Central Forty-Six after overthrowing Hitsugaya's authority as Captain on account of MISDEMEANORS.
- Screw the Rules, I Make Them!: What Lelouch is doing with the House of Lamperouge as its founder.
- Subverted. The clan's been deconstructed.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: At the end of the Aizen's Revenge arc, during Aizen's Villainous Breakdown, Lelouch calmly walks away from the area and says nothing.
- Secret-Keeper: Unohana shares her past with him as a sign of her trust in him especially since she knows his past.
- Set Right What Once Went Wrong: Averted. After learning that he was sent to Soul Society in a Temporal Paradox, Lelouch thought that maybe he can change the major tragic events of what went wrong in his life since technically the tragic events that happened in his past life didn't happened yet, but he then later learns that changing the tragic events yet to come in Code Geass canon will make his Soul Reaper self to cease to exist and so, he begrudgingly decides to not interfere with the events that will follow in order to keep his existance, much to his displeasure of hearing.
- Sex for Solace: Lelouch has had the opportunity of being on both sides of this trope. In chapter 49 Susanna lays down with him to heal his soul and in chapter 61 he is helping Rangiku heal hers.
- Shipper on Deck: For Byakuya/Hisana, Ichigo/Orihime, and despite sleeping with her Gin/Rangiku.
- Shmuck Bait: Lelouch has a safe in his office that's easy to open and another that opening it in a conventional manner triggers an alarm.
- Start of Darkness: Lelouch initially starts on The Atoner path. It is Mari's death that makes Lelouch slink back into old habits.
- Stealth Mentor: In the Reapers and Heralds arc towards Ichigo as per his role as a Fake Defector.
- Strange Minds Think Alike: After defeating Maki Ichinose, Lelouch picks up his skull and recites a line from Hamlet. Talbumosuke recites this same line after defeating Baraggan.
- Story-Breaker Power: Chapter 124 shows just how his Geass can be this and why constant justification is needed to keep Lelouch from using it. Weaponizing Driven to Suicide really does make for boring resolutions.
- Surrounded by Idiots: Sometimes comes across as the only one in the story who can plan worth shit.
- Guess it's a kind of Fridge Brilliance, when you consider how incompetent the Gotei 13 can often be in canon
- Tempting Fate: Lelouch closes chapter 30 by musing to his zanpakuto about how things are definitely looking up for him. One would think he'd know his luck doesn't work that way by now.
- As one reviewer put it: Things are looking up for Lelouch. Something very bad is about to happen.
- Lampshaded by Eien Tamashi in chapter 33.
- And essentially confirmed by the events of chapter 34.
- In chapter 53 he says that he hopes to avoid attracting attention from the female student body. He gets about two steps before getting swarmed.
- The Atoner: Lelouch initially started out wanting to follow the path of atonement but decides to set it aside after Mari's death in favor of doing whatever it takes to bring down Aizen and Talbumosuke. There are hints that he may return to the path of atonement once when we return to the Code Geass timeline and one thing is for sure, it will take a lot for him to make up for what he has done for all of the innocent people who suffered under his actions, especially for Euphie and Shirley.
- The Clan: Has plans to start a Noble House to help cope with his extensive love life.
- Unfortunately, due to what Lelouch has risked during his time as a Fake Defector, it sadly doesn't come to fruition.
- It does eventually, just under different circumstances; with his blood relatives coming to Soul Society, he's started again under the Atrumiers. Euphie and Clovis have joined, as has Shirley, and marries her too, Senna and Clovis pulling some strings to make it happen. He's even forgiven Marrianne's past misdeeds (she's since moved onto the Royal Guard.) and now CC is a 'permanent guest'. Though Rolo is a complete No-no!
- During his personal Wish-Fulfillment, in which he rules the world, he gets an even larger one; Susanna (who's having a baby girl), Shirley, Momo, Nemu, Naomi, CC, Isane & Rangiku. There may be more.
- The Only One I Trust: He is this to Byakuya in regards to needing a partner in regards to taking down Muramasa. Make of that what you will.
- As of 179, it's no longer the case; Byakuya himself says so. And he's not the only one.
- Third Time's The Charm: Lelouch fights Aizen three times in the story. He loses the first two times each after putting up a significant fight, but still defeats Aizen anyway via other means (Geass, having Rita revive Yamamoto). The third and final time, Lelouch has merged with the Hogyoku and is finally able to defeat Aizen in one-on-one battle.
- This Is Something He's Got to Do Himself: Ultimately the reason why Marianne accepts Lelouch's decision to face Aizen alone for the Final Battle. Lelouch's destiny was set in stone the moment he decided to stand against Aizen, and she knows that even though she is his mother, she cannot shield him from his fate.
- Through His Stomach: A bit of a sucker for fine dining; he and Yuna tease each other about it during Kaien and Miyako's wedding, he's a regular at the restauraunt owned by Byakuya, which is where he took Su on their date when he asked her to marry him., and is as with Code Geass canon is still a pretty good cook himself, even though he doesn't do much of it these days.
- Took a Level in Badass: In stages:
- To begin with, his stamina was a sbad as when he was alive. That didn't really improve for years. He did stand out as a kido adept from an early point though.
- His time in 2nd Division did some good for his Shunpo and to a lesser degree his hand-to-hand and physical endurance. It was during this time that he learned his Zanpakuto's name.
- Not long after Yuna's death, he took the first steps towards Bankai against Ichinose.
- By the time of Renji and co going to the human world for Konso training, he was capable of Hado #90
- As Leiutenant of 10th Division, he finally acheives Bankai agianst Nnoitra. He eventually becomes Captain.
- His Geass has evolved into Mastery as a result of the Reapers and Heralds arc, though it doesn't come to full fruition till the Fullbringers arc.
- As of Chapter 160, Captain Lelouch fully mastered his Bankai. His core form is Yusei Ocho no Zero: Sekai Seikei Yoroi (Ascendant Dynasty of Zero: World Shaping Armor).
- In the final battle, he merges with the Hyogoku and can fight Aizen's superpowered form as an equal, the only one who can (sans Soul King).
- Troll: Lelouch lets Aizen obtain the Hogyoku, beat him in a straight up fight and make his retreat. And then Lelouch grabs Yoruichi's flying device flies up to Aizen and '''GEASSES HIM TO KILL HIMSELF'''.
- He does it AGAIN in the Aizen's Revenge arc. First he begins by attacking Aizen's gigantic ego to the point where Aizen loses his cool and then it turns out that Lelouch was just a distraction while his allies deplete Aizen's allies and so he can temporarily bring back Yamamoto with Rita's help and ultimately bring about Aizen's downfall. When Lelouch wants something to go right. He makes it go right.
- Walking Shirtless Scene: More like hanging by his wrists almost buck naked scene. Chapter 110 has him doing this in hell.
- Weak, but Skilled: Lelouch is NOT someone who can fight in the front-lines but is more than capable to defending himself. Just ask Aizen.
- We Can Rule Together: Gives this option to Ichigo when he reveals to be working for Muramasa. He is a Fake Defector so he WANTS Ichigo to refuse.
- We Have Reserves: Does this with the Visoreds. Too bad they're all taken down before they can do anything.
- What the Hell, Hero?: He gets a big one in chapter 30 for burning and slaughtering the Atrumier family. Not that they didn't deserve it, well not ALL of the members.
- Flat out stated word for word, minus the hero portion, by Ichigo to him in chapter 98 when he slaps Susanna and reveals himself to be on Muramasa’s side.
- And again in chapter 104 from Ichigo about even after he reveals his true intentions
- Gets one from Ichigo for not tipping him off about the war with Britannia. Ichigo understands, much unlike Ginjo, that Lelouch couldn’t interfere directly.
- When Orihime is yelling in your face and holding you at gunpoint you did more than just fuck up, you royally fucked up.
- gets another one from Cornelia for all the stuff he did in Code Geass Canon. He good and well deserves it.
- Chapter 179 is an entire CHAPTER of this on Zero Requiem and the events that led up to it.
- In 202 Yuna gives him one for trying to set himself up for Heroic Sacrifice so he can atone for what he did as Zero. Better as Friends indeed.
- Flat out stated word for word, minus the hero portion, by Ichigo to him in chapter 98 when he slaps Susanna and reveals himself to be on Muramasa’s side.
- Xanatos Speed Chess: A known master of it.
- Yank the Dog's Chain: Several times. With Yuna though she came back, Susanna.
- You Are Not Alone: Lelouch is slowly starting to grasp this concept, no matter how much of a pain it can be.
- You Can Hear Me?: After saving Nunnally from the FLEIJA explosion that supposedly kills her in the anime this is his reaction when it turns out Nunnally has spiritual power. As she's blind, she can't exact see him, but she can still hear and feel him.
- Your Head Asplode: If Lelouch uses Kokoro Hassai on a particularly weak enemy or an enemy with no mental resistance this is the result instead.
Ichigo Kurosaki
The Hero Protagonist of Bleach now a Supporting Protagonist in the fic. Ichigo doesn't hit the series for a few arcs, but he's still relatively the same orange haired Jerk with a Heart of Gold fans remember. Married to Orihime and father to Masaki.- Armor-Piercing Question: Gave one to Kasumi. "Do you have a death wish?" Her answer? An anguished and resounding YES!
- Badass Normal: While rescuing Orihime from being raped by a group of thugs.
- Berserk Button: Apparently even adult Ichigo can be put into an Unstoppable Rage if you tell him you killed his mother.
- Boxing Lessons for Superman: Lelouch trained him to make more effective use of his power. Rita taught him how to control his reiatsu so that he never wastes any. The results are staggering!
- Bring My Brown Pants: In chapter 110, Ichigo and Kasumi are blocked off by this monster with three tentacles for a body. Each tentacle is about two to three times the size of Ichigo and Kasumi. It turns out that those are just the eyelashes. Ichigo is scared out of his mind when he sees how big the creature actually is.
- Brought Down to Badass: Ichigo’s Zanpakuto becomes completely sealed up for his own safety during the Reapers and Heralds arc. Consider who we're talking about, it’s this trope rather than the other one
- Bullying a Dragon: Subverted. Ichigo tells Allon to attack him with his strongest punch. Allon obliges, but Ichigo blocks it with minimal effort.
- By the Power of Grayskull!: 'Protect, Zangetsu', 'Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu', 'Sho! Ten! Tensa Zangetsu Saigo no Gaikan'
- Dead All Along: Ever since regaining his powers after Hisana shatters his Soul Chain and Urahara puts him through Training from Hell he’s been this according to Kendra.
- Even without her saying it this should really come across as Fridge Logic to a degree
- Drama-Preserving Handicap: Lampshaded. Ichigo would have curbstomped Cornilia's Army on the FIRST DAY without this.
- Easily Forgiven: Sort of. He doesn’t get reprimanded for what his hollow did due to the clause that he had no control over himself at all, though the SS still could punish him, but with Ginjo soon coming into the picture they’ll know whether or not he’s worth keeping around.
- Failure Is the Only Option: Despite all the precautions and preparations to prevent his inner demon from emerging, it would emerge in the Demon Within arc.
- His battle against Japan since Britannia must win in order to keep time flowing normally.
- Faking the Dead: Done surprisingly well and kept it up for nine years.
- Fighter, Mage, Thief: The Fighter.
- Get A Hold Of Yourself Man: Does this for Kenpachi due to his Heroic BSoD.
- Good Cop/Bad Cop: Bad to Nagisa Chiba’s good cop.
- Heroic BSoD: Suffers a major one when he becomes aware of the damage done to his surroundings, beneath his notice, by Tsukishima and Keigo. He actually starts crying. Yoruichi comforts him.
- Heroic Willpower: Weaponized during [[spoiler: the climax for Yamamoto's battle with Hollow Ichigo.
- He's Back!: Gets downed in chapter 150 by Cornelia and thought to be dead, back stronger than ever 30 chapters later.
- I Am Not Left-Handed: He didn’t go all out against Kasumi because he still believes there’s good in her. Aizen on the other hand gets the full brunt of the results of Ichigo’s recent training.
- I Gave My Word: Why he never leaves Rita’s employ until fired as the Mysterious Hooded Soul Reaper not even to let his friends know he’s alive.
- Implacable Man: Sort of. With his Training from Hell, courtesy of Lelouch, Ichigo can now manually regenerate his Mana Meter, which means Ichigo can constantly fight with full reiatsu if he focuses. Wounds will still take their full course though.
- It's Personal: :Unlike in canon, his battle with Aizen is now of a personal nature since Aizen created grand fisher, who killed Ichigo's mother.
- Leave Him to Me!: Says this to Lelouch with regards to fighting Allon that he doesn’t want any help.
- Mythology Gag: His Bankai’s core form bears a striking resemblance to his form he acquired after training in the Dangai Precipice World in canon, rather a mix between it and the Final Getsuga Tensho.
- Morton's Fork: By fighting against Britannia, Ichigo also fights against everything Lelouch has done. If Ichigo loses, Britannia takes over Japan. If Ichigo wins, then time unravels and Lelouch never becomes a Soul Reaper. There is no Third Option.
- Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Ichigo has the nickname “Soul Reaper” amongst the gang system throughout Karakura Town.
- Never Found the Body: Making it possible that his supposed death is not quite so. It’s also possible that Orihime is just delusional.
- this turns out to be just another trolling of the author. He’s FINE folks.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: While he and his friends managed to eliminate some of the Espada, this is exactly what Talbumosuke wanted. He had more to gain this way.
- Ichigo really screws the pooch for Eleventh Prince Lelouch vi Britannia by preventing Cornelia from getting to him in time to rescue him.
- Passing the Torch: Double Subverted. Ichigo wonders if Karakura Town will be all right from thugs and bandits, “his turf” as he calls it, without him to lay down the law upon leaving for college. One scene change later Karin is kicking it old school to some students about to do horrible things to Yuzu.
- Put on a Bus: His role in the storyline is mainly finished until he gets to fight Britannia.
- Until he comes back for the final arc fresh and new after supposedly being dead.
- Relationship Upgrade: He and Orihime are dating as of chapter 69.
- In chapter 74, they have sex.
- In chapter 149, they get engaged, and by 182 are married.
- "Reason You Suck" Speech: Delivers an oh so satisfying one to Takeno during his Villainous Breakdown
- Sand In My Eyes: What he says more or less upon Lelouch’s reunion with Mari
- Split-Personality Takeover: Hollow Ichigo possesses Ichigo’s body for the last chapter of the Demon Within arc
- Story-Breaker Power: His Resurreccion as shown to us by his inner hollow. Ichigo, nobly, wants nothing to do with it because it would devoid what makes him human.
- Supporting Protagonist: To Lelouch.
- Taken for Granite: He’s turned to stone by Lelouch due to his massive power
- Tell Me About My Father: Says this to Lelouch when he discovers Isshin's true nature much earlier than in canon.
- Tempting Fate: Ichigo tells Rukia during the Demon Within arc that he’ll come back safe and sound. this is not what happened.
- Thanks for the Mammary: Ichigo accidentaly grabs Kukaku's breast when trying to get her phone, which has a picture of him and Isane cuddling. Kukaku, naturally, flips out.
- The Last Dance: He goes up against the remnants of Britannian army trying to take Karakura Town by himself aiming to turn the tide of the war. He refuses to give into the army. He is ultimately gunned down by Cornelia, though later turns out that he survived.
- Took a Level in Badass: Compare canon Ichigo with the current version.
- As Soifon is his schoolteacher and former instructor, his hand-to-hand skills are probably a lot sharper than canon, in addition to being stronger when in human form.
- After successfully rescuing Orihime from Hueco Mundo, Lelouch takes the lull in battle to drill into a much more intelligent and skillful fighter.
- His Hollow , when he uses resureccion, can fight on an even keel with Unohana, and when it uses it's head can push Yamamoto to the limit. He willingly discards it though.
- After his disappearance, with Rita’s help, he took his training with Lelouch to another level, learned how to control his power (and how to seal his zanpakuto), unlocked his core form, and can stand on par with (make that beat) the likes of Aizen and three captains (Yuna, Stefan and Kenpachi) simultaneously.
- Too Powerful to Live: Subverted. He is sealed away by Lelouch, but he comes back to normal as good ol’ normal Ichigo again. As normal as a teenage boy with the ability to move at supersonic speeds and carry a bigass sword and fire sword beams can be.
- Directly invoked in his battle for Karakura Town.
- Also the out-of-story reason why Ichigo abandons his Hollow powers; at his full potential he'd be more powerful than everyone else by a large margain, thus ruining the drama. Only Aizen's final form would anything like a challenge, as Aizen's Bankai got trounced by Ichigo towards the end even without Hollow powers.
- Training from Hell: Rita gives him a literal example of this.
- Unskilled, but Strong: Though training with Lelouch fixed the Unskilled part.
- On the other hand This fits his half-hollow berserk form to a T. It's lampshaded by Unohana when she realizes how predictable and tiring his No, I Am Behind You tactic becomes.
- Unrequited Love: To Nagisa Chiba in their university days, and later in the police. She falls for him, but despite not being as close as they once were, he's still with Orihime. Besides, she annoys him a bit too much for him to consider her more than a colleague.
- Walking Shirtless Scene: Has one while acting as Kamina for a cosplay project.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Gets one of these from Tatsuki for Not telling anyone he was still alive despite his reasoning and justification.
- With Great Power Comes Great Insanity: His theorized Resurreccion, but only while he takes its form
Cornelia li Britannia
General-in-chief of Britannia's military, but due to the Temporal Paradox she isn't shown to be there until the end of chapter 153. Cornelia's own arc is dedicated to showing how she goes from young and happy military academy student to scowling, ruthless General-in-chief by the Code Geass timeline. Cornelia's intelligence is considered second only to Schneizel and Lelouch. She is shown to be dedicated to not just Euphie, but Lelouch and Nunnally as well. She is also incredibly fond of Lelouch's mother Marianne vi Britannia as Euphie had told Lelouch that Cornelia spent many fruitless hours investigating the circumstances surrounding Marianne's death which finally happened at the end of the Rise of the Royal Soldier arc. Cornelia also has spiritual power enough to see spirits and Soul Reapers shown as early as age 10. Cornelia's arc is also considered the author's own version of Cornelia's backstory. [[spoiler:And he has even said that he has his own other version of how things would play out if she had no spiritual power at all that still keeps most of the backstory intact.- Attempted Rape: Attempted by the Inked Alliance by holding Euphie as a hostage. BIG MISTAKE!
- Berserk Button: Do not touch Euphie. Don’t touch Lelouch or Nunnally either. She will fuck you up.
- Incidentally she cares about Euphie the most.
- Do NOT mock her idol Marianne. Though it’s possible she only attacked Guinevere given her current condition
- Draconichero’s standpoint is that Cornelia would simply get angry if someone mocked Marianne, but her state of affairs set her off.
- Big Brother Is Watching: Though Cornelia is oblivious to it and technically it’s her ''younger'' brother watching her. Lelouch is basically watching her every move intrigued by the fact that she can see spirits.
- Confirmed in ch 152 and Cornelia prefers men over women with a fanatic preference towards Marianne.
- Big Sister Instinct: Cornelia instinctively pulls poor little Nunnally into her embrace, when she is crying her eyes out over Lelouch’s death caused by Zero Requiem.
- Bottomless Magazines: Justified given she's using spiritual power to supply it, which is reminiscent of Dante.
- Breakout Character: Cornelia was not one of the most important or mainstream characters in Code Geass, but since she is an Ensemble Dark Horse to the author he is using her to avoid having to do a Time Skip between Ichigo going off to college and Zero Requiem.
- Break the Cutie: This is happening to Cornelia over and over and over again to the point of slowly hitting Sanity Slippage. The only thing holding her together is Euphie and we all know how that turns out. It drives her to near suicide which then has Cornelia stay alive only to clear Euphie's name and eliminate Zero, which in turn causes her to find Nunnally and live for her. Nonette dies along the way, but Cornelia seems like she's slowly getting better, but she'll never be the same.
- Broken Bird: See Tragic Heroine below and then look at canon Cornelia.
- Broken Pedestal: She looked up to Schneizel until he tries to use the Nukes to rule the masses and obtain Godhood.
- Bring My Brown Pants: We get to see first hand exactly why Cornelia is so terrified of Nonette.
- Brother–Sister Incest: Cornelia’s Lotus-Eater Machine fantasy has her as empress of Britannia and Lelouch and Schneizel as Emperors. While it’s a wonderful Call-Back to chapter 73, and they are only half-siblings, it’s still very squicky regardless.
- Child Soldiers: Cornelia joined the military academy at age 9, the same age when Marianne HERSELF joined the military academy.
- Cursed with Awesome: Cornelia doesn’t like using her spiritual abilities and would prefer to fight with just her raw strength and abilities. Her mentality comes across as if what would happen if Batman gained superpowers.
- This changes during her downward spiral when she becomes the Witch of Britannia and calls what she has a curse and refuses to use them except when it came to getting revenge on Anerdas for kidnapping Euphie.
- More recently, at Nonette's dying request, she has ultimately embraced her spiritual side.
- Did you just punch out Ichigo?/ Hero Killer: She kills Ichigo. No seriously.
- Subverted. Ichigo’s alive and kicking...though she still did win that bout no doubt about that.
- Disproportionate Retribution: She kills Albert Q. Anerdas the leader of the Inked Alliance rather than taking him into custody for no other reason than the fact that he had his men kidnap Euphie.
- Drowning My Sorrows: Towards the end of ch 146, Cornelia intends to get herself so plastered that she locks herself in the wine cellar. Justified in that Marianne has her temporarily laid off, she had to put her horse out to pasture and The Big Bad got a reduced sentence so she killed him and pushed him into the water.
- Failure Knight: To Marianne, Lelouch, Nunnally, and Euphie.
- Fighter, Mage, Thief: The Thief via ranged combat and reliance on her Flash Step.
- Flashback to Catchphrase: "Leaders must always be willing to take action. If a general is not there fighting beside his troops, or any leader alongside his or her men and women, how can the soldiers expect to follow?" This saying later became part of Lelouch's ideal.
- Flash Step: By chapter 141 Cornelia has mastered "Bringer Light".
- Foreshadowing: That moment in chapter 58 where it's revealed that when Cornelia was 10 years old, she can actually see spirits? Oh yeah, it won't be mentioned again and it won't be important to her character development, that's for sure.
- Get A Hold Of Yourself Man: She gives Lelouch one of these speeches after he suffers a Heroic BSoD when Aizen tricks him into stabbing CC.
- Gosh Darn It to Heck!: Justified in the usage of this trope in chapter 58 because she's only 10 years old.
- Hand Cannon: Her iconic shotgun as she has the ability to fire it with one hand mostly due to the fact that she has spiritual power and that it is also her fullbring.
- Heroic BSoD: Cornelia gets hit HARD by Marianne’s death. Any description beyond that cannot be summarized properly.
- Euphie’s tragic death brings her nearly to suicide.
- She’s again nearly brought to suicidal tendencies with Nonette’s death. What stops her from doing so is a coincidental meeting with Nunnally and Captain Lelouch.
- Euphie’s tragic death brings her nearly to suicide.
- I Need a Freaking Drink: Cornelia takes a very generous helping of cream brandy after her failure at Narita. The only reason it doesn't cross further down is not only because she says the line almost word for word, but she only takes the one drink and the effect and reasoning falls more towards this trope than locking herself in the wine cellar
- Ironic Echo: Inverted. Chronologically, Cornelia is the first to use the “Old news, what of it?” line, and to her father no less. this is in regards to her suspended investigation into the Inked Alliance
- I See Dead People: Cornelia has spiritual power enough to see wholes, hollows and Soul Reapers. This along with the Temporal Paradox is the reason why Captain Lelouch wants to avoid seeing her pre-Zero Requiem.
- Knight Templar Big Sister
- Laughing Mad: Upon earning the title of Witch of Britannia during a huge killing spree.
- Little Miss Badass: Before she grew up to just plain Action Girl.
- Murder Is the Best Solution: Considering how ruthless she is, it's no surprise that this is her first option to fighting terrorism and when the legal system won't punish a high traitor so she kills Evans herself.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Her reaction after being a little too gleeful in shooting up terrorists and winds up getting a lot of Britannian citizens killed.
- No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: She gives one to Guinevere for mocking Marianne, but Schneizel does his best to restrain her and stops her from ultimately killing her sister.
- One Woman Army
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Cornelia is always collected and composed even in some of the most dire situations, so when she starts to lose that during her speech in ch 152, the public was shocked.
- Parting-Words Regret: The last thing she says to Euphie, before the SAZ massacre, is that she won’t be there to comfort her when she fails.
- Properly Paranoid: During the battle for New Zealand, the moment something goes wrong, Cornelia immediately thinks hollows are responsible. She lampshades the use of this trope before she finds out she’s right.
- Real Women Never Wear Dresses: Straight up mocks Guinevere on this one.
- Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Her confrontation with General-in-chief Albert Q. Anerdas.
- Sanity Slippage: A Foregone Conclusion of how off her rocker she goes at the end of R1 when Euphie dies, but even as far back as Narita and even further back than that it's obvious that Cornelia is a Broken Bird.
- Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: Her investigation into the terrorist group the Inked Alliance is suspended. Despite this Cornelia decides to continue her investigation in secret.
- Later that same chapter she kills Evans even knowing that she’s breaking the law in doing so, but knows that no one will ever find his body or finger her as the one that pulled the trigger.
- Secret Test of Character: Poses one to her men while she’s a First Lieutenant by having them do menial housework until they confront her over it to which she explains that they should not be afraid to seek out corruption for it might be lurking within their own ranks. She proclaims that she will never steer them wrong as this was a way to teach them that lesson. Considering her men wind up eventually showing Undying Loyalty to her later it's a lesson well learned.
- Single Woman Seeks Good Man: How she wants her love life to go. There’s still a girl/woman inside Cornelia despite her harsh exterior.
- Shell-Shocked Veteran: She was out of combat for around a year due to her Ax-Crazy Blood Knight tendencies.
- Start of Darkness: The supposed death of Lelouch and Nunnally killed the idealist in Cornelia.
- Take a Third Option: Played with. Rita tells Cornelia that she’ll either become a guide for spirits or a beast of war. Cornelia states a path she’d rather follow instead. we already know her future and it’s obvious she’s two out of the three, and she’s already been acting as the other up to this point.
- Talking Is a Free Action: Also someone who averts this which is prominent during her recent hollow battle in Chapter 144.
- The Captain -> Majorly Awesome -> Colonel Badass -> Four-Star Badass: Upgrades to the second one at the end of ch 141 and is the former during the Falkland Rebellion. Upgrades yet again in ch 145, and again in 152.
- The Gunslinger: Her only way to defeat Hollows outside having her weapons covered in Sakuradite.
- The Knights Who Say "Squee!": Cornelia gushes over Marianne the way Soifon does over Yoruichi.
- Fulfilled in the final battle; she's Marriane's wingman.
- Took a Level in Badass: Pretty much her whole coming of age story. Culminates with her getting Fullbring and eventually becoming Knight Of One.
- Took a Level in Jerkass: Apparently so seeing how she was such a sweet girl at age 10 even Lelouch is surprised when he found out in Chapter 84.
- Took a Level in Kindness: And then after Zero Requiem she gets a little better. At the very least she drops her hatred for Japan and shows a little more compassion than usual.
- Tragic Heroine: Oh man, where to start? May as well summarize: Cornelia starts off as a plucky youth who decides to join the military at a young age. She is pretty good at being one. She looks up to her idol Empress Marianne vi Britannia and wants nothing more than to be like her when she grows up. However, tragedy strikes again and again causing Cornelia to fall into despair. She tries to save what's left of what she cares for (Lelouch and Nunnally) only to be denied and do battle with Ichigo Kurosaki. Despite her victory over the soul reaper, Cornelia fails to save Lelouch and Nunnally. She loses her reason to smile and continues to fight for Britannia. She struggles to keep her sanity afloat until it finally catches up with her. After recovering yet again from the Despair Event Horizon, Cornelia picks herself up and manages to put an end to the ruthless Inked Alliance, the people who killed Marianne, but surprise they were framed. She is her people's hero, but with no step closer to getting vengeance for Marianne. And that's not even covering what comes next. Cornelia, our hearts go out to you.
- Visual Pun: Cornelia rides a black-haired horse, which can be interpreted as a symbol of her meta status as a character.