At last researching the headquarters of The Blade of Marmora, the Paladins meet with their prospective allies.
- Adaptational Badass: The final portion of the chapter indicates that Nunnally will inherit Keith's role as a member of the Blade of Marmora.
- Adaptational Explanation: The reason why the initiation test to the Blade of Marmora is a Sheathe Your Sword test is given an explanation that wasn't present in canon - it's to break the candidate away from the Victory or Death mindset most Galra have, so that any potential recruits will Know When to Fold 'Em.
- A Day in the Limelight: The chapter's big focus is on Nunnally and her growth as a character.
- Deconstructed Character Archetype: The chapter deconstructs the Determinator by making it very clear that sometimes, there are fights you just cannot win, and that you need to realize that and admit defeat. This is the ethos espoused by the Blade of Marmora, and is in fact part of their initiation test you only pass if you Sheathe Your Sword.
- Determinator: Nunnally proves to be this, refusing to back down during the Blade of Marmora initiation test even in the face of unbeatable odds. Ironically, it's only when she does give in that she passes the test - the entire point of the test is that sometimes, there are battles you can't win, and it's okay to admit defeat.
- The Load: Invoked by Nunnally, feeling like this, no matter what her brother or others say, is what makes her so desperate to join the Blades and prove herself more than a useless burden.
- Royal Rapier: Nunnally's Luxite Blade takes the form of a rapier.
- Sheathe Your Sword: The point of the Blade of Marmora's initiation test is that some fights cannot be won, and that it is okay to surrender. Only when Nunnally admits defeat is she said to have passed.
- Spotting the Thread: Kallen is about to break into the Blade of Marmora base to rescue Lelouch and Nunnally (having seen the later fighting the Blades while Lelouch watched) until Aka tells her to take a second look, resulting in Kallen seeing that Lelouch is uncomfortable but not intervening and realizing that all this is happening for a reason.
- Wham Episode: Not only do the Paladins finally make contact and ally with the Blade of Marmora, but Nunnally ends up joining the latter group.
