Fanfic / Soul Chess

"Aizen. You may have defeated Urahara-san, but now you face an opponent who will trip you up at every turn, stop you at every juncture and counter your every move. You now face an opponent who can play by your rules and settings. From now on you face me."

— Lelouch Lamperouge

Soul Chess Is a Bleach/Code Geass fanfiction about what happens to Lelouch after the Zero Requiem. It starts with Lelouch waking up in the rukongai, and follows him during his rise through the ranks.

The story is noted for staying very true to character, even considering how many the source material brings. Lelouch, Aizen, Yoruichi, Urahara, and everyone else are all completely in character.

Also important is something extremely rare in any crossover: things don't change right away. The story starts sometime a little before the turn back the pendulum arc, and major changes don't happen for several chapters. This is partially because the overall spread of events was designed to allow for inconsistencies, and partially because Lelouch starts out at a fairly low rank, and stays that way for a while. His rise through the ranks is steady and believable.

The character page is now up and running smoothly. Tropes that were associated with characters have been moved to the their appropriate places from the main page.

The series has officially ended and details of a potential Sequel Hook are found here.

As of October 15th 2015, the writer decided to scrap the idea of a sequel and released a bonus 209th chapter that acts as a Sequel Hook of sorts, but rather than a direct sequel, it seems draconichero is aiming for a Spiritual Successor instead that will be a Massive Multiplayer Crossover. The series will be called Flawless Soul Society and not only will it star Lelouch, but also Selvaria Bles, Kamina, Kikyo, Itachi, Teresa of the Faint Smile, Chiffon Fairchild, and Sergeant Avery Junior Johnson. Apparently, Johnson, Teresa and Selvaria are going to act as a trio of The Mentor for Kikyo, Kamina, Itachi, Chiffon, Lelouch and a presently unnamed character from the Fate series. Why? Because they have to stop another character from the Fate series who was set loose from the Greater Grail and into the Soul Society. Other than that, there isn't much else to say at present, though it is confirmed that the series isn't scheduled for release until August 2017 so draconichero can work on other projects.

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This Fanfiction contains examples of:

Tropes A to G

• Absurdly Sharp Blade: Hisana's Bankai's ultimate form can cut through Starrk's cero and also through Hallibel and Grimmjow's hierro enough to hack off their arms.
  • Ashido's Iaido counts too.
• Achilles' Heel: The Togabito that attack the world of the living have their masks as this. Lelouch is quick to abuse this.
• Actor Allusion: Multiple people have commented that Lelouch and Ichigo sound very similar, including themselves.
  • As an alias to get her and Ichigo through Seireitei, Kukaku calls Ichigo Koizumi Nero.
  • Lelouch also notes the similarity to the voices of Rukia and Euphemia. Though he doesn't use Euphy's name.
    • Strangely enough, it's very coincidental that in chapter 59 that Rukia did a small voice cameo as Yoko for Ichigo and Shinji's special reenactment of their favorite series.
  • Keigo goes into town wearing the same clothes as Suzaku Kururugi in episode 5 and winds up crashing into a potential love interest
    • On that same vein Keigo and Ichigo meet, supposedly, alone to discuss what’s really going on and the first thing out of Keigo’s mouth is no more games and no more lies
  • Shinji strangely noted how Tatsuki and Yoruichi sound eerily alike.
  • An in-universe example. After role-playing as Kamina for a school project Ichigo winds up later spouting lines from the character throughout the series including Kamina's "believe in the you that believes in yourself" speech to Kenpachi of all people.
• Adaptation Expansion: Sort of. While many of the canon scenes of Code Geass canon are not shown because the author says he hates repeating what is already stated, scenes with new information or stuff that is shown happening “in the background” serves as a means to create exciting twists for the revisit to the Code Geass world without changing a thing.
• Adaptation Personality Change:
  • Cornelia is portrayed as a plucky youth who suffers and suffers until she sees the world for what it is. This is instead of her being all iron from day one, Cornelia here is shown to have grown into how she's shown in canon. According to draconichero Cornelia's backstory was based from the simple facts that she adored Marianne and actually left the empire in the second season just to clear Euphemia's name. He said that before that Cornelia was nothing more to him than just another cool villain. And the rest is history.
  • Inoue is really a mentally troubled Inoue Orihime using a false alias to work with the Black Knights to look for Ichigo.
  • Marianne actually loves her children, did not approve of Charles’ war with Japan and shares in Lelouch’s crazy-preparedness and backup planning, showing those fancy genetics, and, unlike Charles, was prepared for a backup plan in case the Ragnarok Connection failed. She believes in the end result Charles was trying to bring about, but did not share his motivations. She believed the Ragnarok Connection would save the world from itself. Her parents also died when she was little, creating a Freudian Excuse and showing that CC was her Only Friend for a time. Someone like this would certainly think mankind needed to be saved from itself. When she tells Lelouch she put up a facade in front of him and Nunnally she wasn't kidding.
• All Just a Dream: At the start of chapter 24 this was presented as a possibility for all the chapters up to this point. It was a Secret Test of Character presented by Eien Tamashi to Lelouch to see if he would rather reclaim his old life or is enjoying living in the Soul Society.
  • the omake of chapter 82 is this.
• All There in the Manual: The author has a lot of extra information offscreen, and, as of chapter 33, has offered to send alternate endings to his poll about Lelouch's love life when people ask for them.
  • The Newsletters contain this sort of information.
• Alternate Universe: The entire series is sort of one given that the Code Geass and Bleach universes are mingled so a lot of the things that happened in Soul Society history are different and explained via the Butterfly Effect.
  • This of course doesn't mean anything regarding certain canon events for both series and especially Code Geass. See For Want Of A Nail and Set Right What Once Went Wrong for more information.
  • The end of chapter 178 Shows the beginning of What Could Have Been if Lelouch had not grown bitter for being abandoned and called Cornelia to come take him home.
  • The Stinger chapter released long after the series ended (and serves as a framing device for the Spiritual Successor) lampshades it, even managing to poke fun at a few things listed in the Hilarious in Hindsight section on the YMMV page.
• Alternate Universe Sasakibe Chojiro is Awesome: There is an omake with this title that turns the Flat Character Sasakibe Chojiro into a complete badass that borderlines Gary Stu territory. Of course it's all just Kenpachi's dream. Unless, considering Lelouch explains, while drunk, that the omake is how he things Baraggan's fraccion died and why there is a bust of Sasakibe in the 11th Division
• And Knowing Is Half the Battle: Played with in Lelouch's fight with Maki. After Maki figures out Lelouch's fighting style, Lelouch reminds him that knowing is only half the battle.
• Anyone Can Die: Let's see: Mari, Nnoitora, Miyako, AIZEN, Szayel, Zommari, Baraggan and all his Fraccion, and that is BEFORE the Battle of Karakura Town arc. Mia and Yuna used to be on this list but the former is now officially revived with Cirucci's Fusion Dance sacrifice and the latter via Reincarnation reversal thanks largely to Mayuri. Even the Plot Armor of OFFICIAL Characters would not protect them.
  • Word of God has explicitly stated that this trope is applicable to the Battle of Karakura Town Arc in large contrast to canon. So far, Ikkaku, Nanao and Shuhei are among the Soul Society casualties. The First Half is over but expect it to rise in the Second Half.
  • The Second Half just finished with the final tally adding up to be: Komamura, Hiyori, Love, Hachi, Spargga, Kira, Mia, Ulquiorra, Ciela, and Talbumosuke. It's subverted for Yammy who is actually killed, but he is now haunting Grimmjow as Ghost Yammy. Which may have been the point.
  • The ONLY Soul Society casualty in the Reapers and Heralds arc? Yamamoto's Vice-Captain Chojiro Sasakibe. It wasn't even by battle, he was Mercy Killed by Yolanda due to a devastating fever.
  • As of Aizen's Revenge so far: Captain-Commander Yamamoto Shigekuni Genryusai, Ryou, Sentaro, and Yosei are dead.
    • Before most of the actual fighting begins Mayuri snuffs it as well.
    • After the fighting is all over Shinji, Rose and Izuru die in the carnage. This almost happened to Lisa.
  • In chapter 149 Yoshino goes out too.
  • Presumably Ichigo at the end of chapter 150.
    • Subverted in ch 176.
  • As of 174 Don Kanonji and Guinevere are devoured by Zero.
  • In 175 Ohgi, Viletta, Guilford's Ghost, and Nina are all devoured by Zero. Nunnally, Rivalz and Cornelia make a narrow escape.
  • Chapter 204 brings us the deaths of Yhwach, Kensei and Stefan. Kenpachi barely gets a subversion.
  • Subverted for CC who is Impaled with Extreme Prejudice by Lelouch who thought she was Aizen. However, to save her life, Lelouch turns her a Substitute Soul Reaper.
    • It later becomes a downplayed Double Subversion since while she is still alive the CC we all love and know is possibly gone forever since she lost her memory.
  • Subverted for Lelouch. The Hogyoku and Susanna and Shirley’s love helped bring him back.
• Apologetic Attacker: Hisana and Byakuya do this when fighting each other, of course.
  • Lelouch and Byakuya both use this trope in chapter 99 while attacking Susanna and Hisana respectively
• Applied Phlebotinum: The anti-hellfire
• Arc Words: If I don't try, there's no chance, but if I try, even if the odds are stacked against me, there's still a chance.
• Arch-Enemy: There's a chain, in fact.
  • Hoshima Treva and Akari Mari. Treva was the one responsible for turning Aizen into what he is today. Mari, who originally had Aizen in her division and cared for him to some degree, suspected as much and started investigating him. Unfortunately, Treva caught on and engineered her death by sending a Vasto Lorde after Lelouch's squad while they were on a mission. This leads too...
  • Hoshima Treva and Homura Yuna. Yuna was Mari's lover, and spent years chasing down Treva to avenge her death, only stopping her search to take Mari's place as captain of the 10th Division. Treva eventually deals a fatal blow to Yuna, only for Lelouch to kill him soon after. All this ends in...
  • Aizen Sosuke and Lamperouge Lelouch. They even refer to each other as such. Aizen, like in canon, sought a rival to match him — however, instead of Ichigo (who, while still of interest of Aizen, was designated as the "back-up hero"), Aizen chose Lelouch. What Lelouch lacked in his physical abilities he made up in his intellect. Aizen believed that if he could outstrategize Lelouch, then nothing would be able stop him. Lelouch had no problem obliging him, despising Aizen for helping engineering the deaths of Mari (who Lelouch saw as a mother-figure) and Yuna (who he had romantic feelings for) and the banishment of several of his friends (Urahara, Yoruichi, Soifon, the Visored, etc.). It is only fitting that the final battle of the story be between them.
• Artistic License: Comes with the territory of Bleach being an ongoing series. Some canon facts don't line up. Having come so far the author now writes off any inconsistencies between this and Bleach as the Butterfly Effect. Anything that falls under this category doesn't need to be listed here.
  • A rare instance was the decision to give Cornelia and Nunnally spiritual power. It has certainly had an impact on Cornelia's Character Development and backstory. One can only wonder what it means for Nunnally.
  • Also utilized for Soifon's Bankai. The author deliberately changed her original Bankai to this alternate original creation, but gave solid reasoning for it.
• Ascended Meme: The author decided to use the line that Jikan Kami Talbumosuke's Zanpakuto makes Kyoka Suigetsu look like a parlor trick as part of the in-universe dialogue.
  • This gets inverted when Yhwach refers to Jikan Kami itself as a parlor trick.
• Ass Shove: Rangiku does this to Haineko with a stick. The idea was to make Haineko orgasm so she would lose her strength and return to Rangiku.
• Assassin Outclassin': Happens to Yosei and Yolanda a lot.
• Asshole Victim: Talbumosuke wants revenge for the death of his family and servants and Aizen also bites the dust, but no one sheds a tear for them and quite frankly, no one will miss them.
  • Anyone in hell is basically this whenever they suffer.
    • Unless they're a knucklehead whose karma meters didn't even out as Ikkaku explains.
  • As of chapter 127 Mayuri is this.
• Asskicking Leads to Leadership: The ranking system in Hell. #2 and #3 are Aizen and Talbumosuke respectively, Orin is ranked #20 and he wiped the floor with ICHIGO, and Kasumi? She is NUMBER ONE!
• Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever: Kasumi and Ichigo come across this monster with three tentacles for a body. It turns out that those are just the eyelashes. Then the room starts shaking and the whole monster emerges. Ichigo feels like he wants to ball up and cry because what do you do when something that big wants to kill you?
  • Answer: Let Kasumi handle it.
• Attempted Rape: On Orihime by Needles and his group. Ichigo arrives just in time
  • Chi Kamisori on Vera
• Author Appeal: There is a lot of Les Yay implications, plus 2 confirmed relationships; Mari x Yuna and Yoruichi x Soifon.
  • Also, zanpakuto have a much greater tendency to change the clothing and outward appearance of soul reapers than in Bleach.
  • Have you also noticed that a lot of characters get wings when they power up?
  • Or that a lot of characters have red eyes?
• Author Filibuster: The author's admiration for Lelouch is well known; he lists him as his favourite animanga character after all. In this, it seems the story goes out of its way to try and make a lot of the cast be like him, with liberal helpings of Dark and Troubled Past, Despair Event Horizon, and so on to try and explain the change. While not up to Terumi's standards, for instance, Lelouch's belief that the world is full of lies does come become kind of evangelical, particularly with regards to Momo, who laps it up. The characters themselves seem glad that they went through this, as they feel stronger for it, and considering the results (Momo's Bankai, for instance) it's probably well-founded, though while obviously intended to sound badass, the way it's said can come across as kind of Narmy, which is appropriate given it's Lelouch, who is pretty famous among fans for his fabulously narmy facial expressions. This does come at the cost of individuality though, as some of the character's defining features have been lost as a result of the change.
• Asskicking Leads to Leadership: Being able to repeatedly defeat fellow sinners stronger than you is grounds for promotion.
• Awesome, but Impractical:
  • Unohana's core form; to activate, she needs to lose all 5 of her Bankai's hydra heads and have her sword snapped. The heads are all regenerators. Plus the fact that you'd have to be a top 5 togabito to warrant its use, which raises the question of her surviving long enough to activate in the first place. She does, but it's still a problem.
  • Yuna's too; power that give Aizen pause for thought (Her reiatsu can no longer be sensed in core form, like what Aizen and Ichigo do during their canon battle in Karakura Town, but to a lesser extent), but it only lasts 3 minutes, and afterwards she's useless for maybe the next 2 months while she rebuilds her strength.
  • Shunsui's Bankai; he's affected by it too, and he can't use it with large groups of allies around unless they all know a) what it does and b) that he's going to use it.
  • Ukitake too; given his health issues he can't really handle it at maximum.
  • Kenpachi gaining Shikai; it takes forever to reach his maximum power.
• Awesomeness by Analysis: Lelouch not only has a habit figuring out hundreds, if not thousands, of reasons for someone doing something, he also figured out Metastacia's capabilities before it ever appeared. In fact, this trope is the very basis of Lelouch's Sorting Algorithm Of Hollows.
  • Aided by his knowledge of Isshin, Stefan is able to figure out most of Ichigo's bankai abilities and specializations just by looking at it.
  • Both Uryu and Talbumosuke can use this quite easily.
  • Lelouch was able to analyze and learn the technique for opening a garganta, meaning he can now freely enter Hueco Mundo.
  • With sheer brainpower and character analysis, Lelouch was able to avoid all of Aizen's attacks until Yamamoto could return from Hell and kick his ass.
• Babies Ever After: Ichigo and Orihime have Masaki, Lelouch and Susanna have Cynthia, Byakuya and Hisana have Kyo and Isao, Ikkaku and Shisato have Keichi (though Yumichika ends up being the dad figure due to Ikkaku getting killed), Talbumisuke and Mia have Kasumi, Nelliel and Grimmjow have Talisandra, Fenrique and Arietta.
• Badass Boast: The page quote, which comes from the end of the Prelude arc.
  • How about this one near the end of Eye Of The Storm:
  Lelouch: "It's a perfect plan, but you made one mistake. And that mistake was that you crossed paths with me. From the very moment you sent Urahara Kisuke to be banished I have worked to trip you at every turn, stop you at every juncture and counter your every move. I played by your rules and settings, simply because I had no problem in doing so. You always wanted a rival Aizen. Well here I am!"
  • Uryu vs Shawlong. "I will kill you before you land a single blow on me." Bonus points for actually doing it.
  • Shinji: I won't need more than five minutes.
• Batman Gambit: Uryu trys one against Kyoraku during their drinking game, based off of his personal knowledge of Chad. Too bad Kyoraku was immune to the poison Uryu used and thus the gambit fails.
• Betty and Veronica: In chapter 107 Kendra becomes the Veronica to Orihime's Betty with regards to Ichigo. It’s subverted at the end of the chapter where Ichigo pulls the Just Friends line on Kendra, seemingly not knowing that she thought of him in that way, and tells Orihime that she’s his girl]]
• Big Damn Heroes: Happens quite often in hopeless situations. If a character isn't about to pull a Heroic Second Wind or unleash their Finishing Move this is what's about to happen in a bleak situation.
• Big Damn Kiss: Lots of them, mostly involving Lelouch, although there is one between Yoruichi and Soi Fon.
  • The Almost Kiss between Ichigo and Orihime in canon is turned into this in chapter 60
• Big Eater: Susanna normally isn't one of these, which is why Rangiku is confused when she eats so much of Orihime's cooking.
  • The reason for this is because she's pregnant
• Big "WHAT?!": Ichigo and Keigo’s reaction to the fact that Mizuiro managed to have a lengthy phone conversation with Vera.
• Blatant Lies: Lelouch does not have a sister complex!
  • He also planned for Unohana to be his "secret weapon". It's obvious from the way he's saying it he just doesn't want to invoke her wrath.
• Book Ends: Several instances at the end of Ichigo's story arc. There's the fact that Ichigo mentors the new representative of Karakura Town like how Rukia trained him. The new Soul Reaper, Atrumier Senna, not the one from the movie, becomes the 20th seat of Squad 10, which is Lelouch's initial position and the last person to say goodbye to Ichigo as he heads off to college is Rukia.
• Brass Balls: Lampshaded in the narration about Needles having to have some kind of balls to show his face anywhere near Ichigo after what happened last time.
• Breaking the Fourth Wall: Kukaku and her Zanpakuto spirit have a go at this in regards to Symbol Swearing.
• Break the Cutie: Mia wants to do this to Orihime, but is stopped before she can.
• Brick Joke: In chapter 73, Renji says he hasn’t forgiven Kaien for the card game incident, and then at the end of the chapter there’s the omake.
  • In chapter 18, Lelouch mentions he has a safe to which using the combo lock or the keypad initiates the alarm sequence. Eighty chapters later both Susanna and Yuna try opening said safe and both are chased out of his office.
  • An example that crosses over from out of universe to the inside. At the start of chapter 104, the author suggests to the readers to have the 1812 Overture handy. As one can expect, towards the end of the chapter, there is stuff blowing up like fireworks on the 4th of July.
  • A meta-example. The Memetic Mutation of people pretending to be Tite Kubo start their statements with “So there I was being Kubo” often ending with “I love my life”. In chapter 120, during a flashback, Kukaku drops the line “So there I was being me” only for Kendra, at the end of the flashback, to throw in “I love my job”.
  • The true form of the Soul King is said to drive a man insane. It’s Fluttershy. That explains everything.
    • This also means that the First Ever Soul Reaper Feluca Tetelra Sharaimyn has a Meaningful Name and that she and the Soul King are one in the same. The author used a similar naming gag in his Tales of Bleach trilogy so that's how you can tell it was on purpose.
    • Alternatively Fluttershy is just another one of the Soul King's avatars, which turns this into another trope entirely.
  • Chapter 200 has the funniest example TO DATE. First, the author starts the chapter with the omake, which is already funny in and of itself, but then, in the actual chapter proceeds to tie into the drunken rambling of Ichigo and Rukia.
• Bridal Carry: Ichigo on Orihime in chapter 74.
  • Lelouch on Susanna in chapter 99.
• Bullying a Dragon: With a little bit of Do Not Taunt Cthulhu thrown in for good measure. Kaibun, Shuren and Kokuto are all guilty of doing this to poor Ichigo who, because of his hollow becomes strong enough to wipe the floor with all of them.
• Bunny-Ears Lawyer: One must question the Soul King on allowing Lelouch's proposal to revolutionize the Soul Society using Orihime as a judge
  • Or he could be a Magnificent Bastard and figured Lelouch's plan would succeed and somehow benefits from the complete alteration of the Soul Society's legal system.
• Call-Back: In chapter 6 Isshin states "This here ladies man is staying single". Lelouch mentions this again in chapter 34 where upon Isshin gets banished and says that he'll open up a med clinic and settle down. Isshin hangs a lampshade on Lelouch's memory considering this is more than a century in-universe after the comment was made.
  • In one of the earlier chapters one of the captains say that Unohana with her braid thrown back and undone is a sign that she's serious. She does exactly this while fighting Ichigo's out of control hollow form. As it turns out, this is true IN CANON.
  • Ichigo mentions Kukaku’s driving skills to his father when Isshin gives Ichigo the keys to the family car and tells him not to wreck it.
    • Later that same chapter Karin seems to be infatuated with Lelouch. His Zanpakuto comments that she already made a paedophilia joke, which she did all the way back in chapter 14
  • Lelouch makes a comparison to how long it will take Aizen to figure out how he’s deceiving Kyoka Suigetsu by saying his grandkids will have tombstones by that time.
  • Cornelia does her Shout-Out to Dirty Harry a second time.
  • Cornelia sings her lullaby she sang to Euphie in chapter 141 to Nunnally in chapter 173.
• Call-Forward:
  • Due to the Temporal Paradox there are several seen in ch 145 regarding Eleventh Prince Lelouch vi Britannia and his time in the Soul Society. Including:
    • Being told he's best suited for R&D Lelouch becomes 3rd seat of squad 12
    • Being told he might invent something he hasn't before sorting algorithim of hollows.
    • Being told that sometimes you have to do what benefits you in order to keep things in order. ahem!
• Captain Obvious: Yammy to Ulquiorra about his hierro.
  • Yuna is called upon being this during the Reapers and Heralds arc by Gin.
• Cassandra Truth: Lelouch flat out told Yoruichi what Aizen was planning to do. She'll probably believe him next time.
  • Everyone is now completely aware of Aizen's objectives. Not that it matters anymore because Lelouch geassed him into suicide.
• Catapult Nightmare: Lelouch is subject to this every time he has a really bad dream.
  • Talbumosuke too, but only in an omake.
• Cerebus Rollercoaster: Was lighthearted then it got dark, then it got less dark with the Winter War, and then it got really dark with the Reapers and Heralds arc and now it seems to be back to being light for a little while. Then it got REALLY DARK! And somehow that got better. With the shift into Cornelia's arc, the series takes a heavy DROP into the cynical Seinen territory of Code Geass and doesn't appear to be getting better any time soon. Yet even that is not set in stone!
• Chekhov's Boomerang: In chapter 72 Chizuru throws a fake rock onto an ice rink to force Ichigo and Orihime apart and fails miserbly to do so. The second half of the now broken rock is tripped over later in the chapter by Susanna and she stumbles into Lelouch’s arms.
• Chekhov's Gun: That flying device that Yoruichi had? Yeah, Lelouch uses it to kill Aizen.
  • The author's notes of chapter 58 reveal that besides Cornelia, one of another of Lelouch's siblings is spiritually aware Nunnally. In the same author's notes, there are supposedly several more instances of this trope within the chapter itself.
    • The ghost girl Hana Yomura being Yuna's reincarnation
  • An example of a double subversion. In chapter 71 Talbumosuke is given a warning about the danger of giving Gantenbainne Segunda Etapa. During the battle we’re given no answer as to why that warning is given, but when we cut back to Hueco Mundo, Talbumosuke remembers the warning and lampshades the fact that he didn’t see anything resembling its use.
  • Remember that hollow mask Lelouch finds in Yuna’s wall safe all the way back in chapter 20. In chapter 89 It turns out this was a prototype Visored mask similar to what Talbumosuke uses. However, it was designed for a one-time effect use, but in exchange for a lot more power. Lelouch uses this special mask against Talbumosuke.
  • In chapter 107 there’s a mention of Keigo’s prized guitar. In 116 It becomes his fullbring
• Chekhov's Gunman: Natsumi Taka, a character only briefly seen in the series back in chapter 16, is reused as the character who gives Ginjo his Soul Reaper powers, but is dead by the time this is mentioned.
• Chess Motifs: It's a Code Geass fanfic. Duh.
• Christmas Episode: The aptly named ch 72 Lelouch's White Chirstmas
• Circles of Hell
• Colour-Coded Characters: Zero and the Phantoms of Justice.
• Combat Pragmatist: According to Mia, most arrancar have a similar philosophy.
• Comically Missing the Point:
  • Rukia says that she'll replace Byakuya's flowers when her rabbit eats them, before Hisana calls her on this.
  • Or this dialogue:
  Eien Tamashi: Pick one, or, if you prefer, make a harem. Just make it so I'm not sweltering because a girl you like set off your reproductive organs.
  Lelouch: I didn't think Zanpakuto could be affected by temperature.
  Eien Tamashi: You're missing the point!
  • Yoruichi during her Naked First Impression to Ichigo with Lelocuh present:
  Yoruichi (to Lelouch): What's thins? Like what you see? Well at least you're not acting like Byakuya-bo. When I first revealed this to him the first thing out of his mouth was—
  Ichigo: GAH WOULD YOU PLEASE PUT SOME CLOTHES ON?!
  Yoruichi: Wow that was exactly it and you weren't even there, Ichigo.
  Lelouch: I think you're kind of missing the point there Yoruichi.
• Composite Character: Word of God states that this was the intention for Eien Tamashi, although she comes across as more of a red-haired CC.
• Conservation of Ninjutsu: Ichigo vs Brittania arc, Brittania wins however, it was very costly because of this. Ichigo and his True Companions which consists of only seven people altogether in the very beginning took down over three thousand soldiers. AT ONE-FIFTH THEIR TOTAL POWER!
• Continuity Nod: Just like in Bleach, Kenpachi defeats a bankai Kiganjo in a single hit, and Izuru's haiku are an instant hit.
  • In chapter 73’s omake Kaien and Renji go indoors to watch Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, which is apparently popular in-universe
  • In chapter 53, Hisana tells Lelouch that if the Head Captain wanted his input he'd ask for it directly. In chapter 70, Yamamoto asks Lelouch to Lead the battle against Talbumosuke as the tactician.
  • The Soul King mentions receiving a letter from Hikifune written by Lelouch as many will remember Lelouch had her deliver in the Lelouch and the Law arc.
• Crack Fic: Many an omake are like this.
• Creator Cameo: Both the omake writer and the author appear in the 100th chapter omake. Sort of
• Creator In-Joke: The 100th chapter omake has Revy and Rock in the beginning complaining about being forgotten about in homage to a collaboration between the omake writer and the author: Lagoon of the dead.
• Curb-Stomp Battle: Happens every now and then. Some are done well others...not so much
• Darkest Hour: Chapter 123. Aizen WON, Seireitei is conquered, Captain-Commander Yamamoto is DEAD, and Unohana is captured by the enemy.
• Death Is Cheap: Tearfully dconstructed in chapter 163. Tatsuki yells at Lelouch for not telling her about the SAZ Massacre because her parents are caught up in it. Susanna tries to comfort her and Tatsuki goes on a fit about just because she knows she can reach them and that they're in Soul Society doesn't change how much it hurts to lose someone you love. That said, things must be hell for poor Orihime regarding Ichigo.
• Defeat Means Friendship: Like in Bleach, there are elements of it in the story, but it's rarely played completely straight.
• Defictionalization: Both Kasumi and Eien Tamashi have tumblr blogs. Why only them? Because they can break the fourth wall.
• Department of Redundancy Department: In chapter 33, while two characters are getting it on, the author says that one would possessively possess the other.
• Demoted to Extra: Unfortunately happens to most of the good guys; if your name isn't Lelouch, Ichigo, Unohana or Rita, then expect this to happen to you. A pity...
• Deus ex Machina: Kukaku suddenly has a Capsule Corp style car when the group needs transportation.
  • In an omake Revy is used as this.
  • You could argue a case for the use of Lelouch's Bankai core form in chapter 160
• Did We Just Have Tea with Cthulhu?: Rita and Kasumi sit back and relax for a week on a ceasefire with Rita eating sorbet and Kasumi having a glass of cider while they celebrate Kasumi's 2000th year of being #1. And this is despite the fact that Kasumi explicitly hates Rita for something she did to her, but knows that Rita is her only key to salvation.
• Distant Finale: Five years after Aizen’s final defeat
• Does This Remind You of Anything?: Lelouch thinks that he's invincible because he saw himself as a captain. Word of God says that it's a parallel to teenagers who think that they're bullet-proof, and completely immune to addiction of any kind.
  • In chapter 53, Hisana lampshades the following conversation
  Rangiku: Are you sure it's a good idea to stick it in bare like that?
  Renji: Only if you don't have a glove
  • It Makes Sense in Context since they're trying to get Kon's pill out of his plush body and Renji doesn't have on of those special skull symbol gloves, which is the glove he's referring to.
  • In chapter 64, while having his reiatsu absorbed by Mia
  Kaien: Wh-what is this that I'm feeling? I have nothing, but contempt for this woman...but...my body...it's reacting to her. She's…she sucking me dry.
  • On September 11th 2001 atb, A pair of hijacked planes hit a pair of towers in Britannian Yorkshire, a plane is shot down by anti-air cannons about to hit Pendragon (The plane that hit the pentagon) and one crashed in the middle of the Jamison Province (Flight 93 that crashed in Pennsylvania).
  • Mari has six months before she has to be reincarnated and will forever say farewell to Yuna. So she’s decided she’s just going to live her life to the fullest. It’s like a cancer patient.
• Doomed Hometown: Karakura Town. To make this worse, it HAD to be destroyed for stabilizing the timeline. Thankfully there are some rebuilding projects on the way.
• Doorstopper: At over one million words at the time of writing, this definitely qualifies.
• Downer Ending: Not the whole fic, but the Rise of the Royal Soldier arc ends with Marianne’s Death.
  • Ichigo vs Britannia arc ends with Karakura Town destroyed, Ichigo presumed dead, Cornelia's failure to protect Lelouch and Nunnally, and Captain Lelouch breaking down after seeing Ichigo's Substitute Badge. There were no true winners, only losers.
  • Subverted at the very end. Lelouch goes from Disney Death via Heroic Sacrifice to being alive and well, which would've had the fanfic ending on the bitterest of a Bittersweet Ending.
• Driven to Suicide: Several Togabito because Lelouch and the others mention Rita and she’s supposed to be a myth. And they’re the good guys.
  Shinji: We are bastards.
• Duel to the Death: Lelouch and Aizen's third and final fight in the last arc, after Lelouch merges with the Hogyoku and sends his comrades away so he and Aizen can finish things once and for all.
• Dungeon Bypass: The second circle of hell is a fighting arena where, those who want to test their skill, or explore the lower regions, must fight for their lives. Upon the reveal that Kokuto is the 187th strongest, the other fighters give up before the match starts.
• Early-Bird Cameo: Ikumi Unagiya appears in chapter 72 while the Arrancar dilemma is still the main plot line.
  • In chapter 147 Nagisa Chiba shows up 7 years before she would be seen as a member of the Four Holy Swords spoiler tagged due to the Temporal Paradox
• Earn Your Happy Ending: Chapter 50, although the story isn't quite over yet. In fact it's not even a THIRD over at that point.
  • The entire fic ends up ending on this note. It was foreshadowed by something Euphemia said in chapter 158.
• Elemental Rock-Paper-Scissors: Used in the battle against Zurik and there is exposition gone into it since it normally doesn’t apply to Soul Reapers.
• Enemy Mine: Zero becomes this after Aizen fakes his death, before the big reveal.
  • Yhwach and the Vandenreich assist the Soul Society against Kasumi’s Hell on Earth, though more accurately, the Vandenreich and the arrancar are cooperating, which is noted by Yhwach’s conversation with Nelliel about an invasion into Hueco Mundo.
• Enforced Method Acting: Ichigo and Shinji used ACTUAL weapons during their reenactment of the Kamina/Viral showdown in chapter 59.
• Equivalent Exchange: A meta example. Bringing Tatsuki into the action was, according to Word of God, at Uryu's expense, and can be seen in that many of his fights have gone to her.
  • Kaien and Hisana also seem to be taking a lot of Renji's fights. And of course, multiple zanpakuto will take away from one attribute in favor of another.
• Even Evil Has Standards: See Let's Fight Like Gentlemen below
• Executive Meddling: A meta-example. The author and the writer of the omakes are not the same person and sometimes the author edits the omake to suit his fancy, much to the omake writer's chagrin.
• Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap!: When prompted by Hisana, Gin starts to state what Muramasa’s next move is. The use of this trope comes when he realizes that it’s the liberation of Kenpachi’s Zanpakuto.
  • Tsukishima’s reaction when asked whose dumb idea it was to have all of his brainwashed victims stand outside where Lelouch could geass them. The responsibility falls on Urahara which makes Tsukishima realize Urahara is a Fake Defector.
• Expy: Chapter 124 gives us one of Albert Wesker.
• Family-Unfriendly Death: Seen a few times most notably with the Fullbringers.
• Fanservice: Exaggerated in Mia's case, seen throughout the series in the form of Lemons and heavily lampshaded and mocked in the Halloween Omake.
  • Seen all throughout the Beach Episode.
• Fan Disservice: Going straight from Lelouch and Nemu getting it on to a flashback of Mayuri having a hollow rape Nemu.
  • Chi Kamisori molesting Vera in chapter 101. Girl on girl might be hot and all but the scene just has a side order of Nightmare Fuel with its order.
  • Omaeda in a speedo. Thankfully it doesn’t actually happen and the idea is only mentioned (by Gin). It still makes the protagonists in desperate need of Brain Bleach.
  • If you get aroused by Kasumi's rape something is wrong with you.
• Fetish: Apparently, Lelouch likes having a sex slave, although that really shouldn't be a surprise, considering how he acts on a regular basis.
  • Apparently Rangiku and Haineko go both have an anal fetish. Go figure.
• Fix Fic: Hisana and Kaien are saved from their Doomed by Canon status and Soifon goes with Yoruichi to be banished.
• Flat "What": Ichigo's reaction to Kaien kidnapping Rukia.
• Foreshadowing: In chapter 3 Lelouch says that some squad three memebers are known for being cold hearted and cruel. In chapter 9 it's revealed that their captain, Hoshima Treva, is Evil All Along
  • All throughout the first 16 chapters Lelouch has a recurring nightmare about him being a hollow and attacking Kallen this leads up to the revelation in chapter 17 that Lelouch was once a hollow of Vasto Lordes level. See Temporal Paradox below for more details
  • In chapter 23 Lelouch mentions that he can almost see his zanpakuto's smile. At the end of the chapter she actually materializes.
    • In that same chapter it's mentioned early on that Kiganjo's predecessor's Vice-captain battled Kiganjo because he didn't like the way Kiganjo ran things. Later Maki takes up arms in Kiganjo's honor to fight Zaraki, though Lelouch gets in his way.
  • In chapter 28 Lelouch gives Vera a wristband. This is explained in chapter 29.
  • Chapter 31, Lelouch mentions that he might need a stand in for extended missions. Guess what happens soon after?
  • Chapter 39 has Kaien telling Hisana that she wouldn't be so calm if it were her family in danger. To be fair, though, more or less everyone who watches Bleach saw what happens next coming a mile off.
    • Hisana also tells Kaien that his pride and honor will get him killed. Come time for the rematch with Ichigo, they almost do.
  • Kaien and Byakuya talk about how Hisana would be furious if she found out that Byakuya wasn't doing anything to help Rukia, and Byakuya says that she wouldn't do anything rash. Come the end of the chapter, she releases her bankai.
  • When Susanna gets sick after battle, Rangiku writes it off. When she eats Orihime's cooking, she teases her about it. Then we find out that Susanna is pregnant. Oh, yeah.
  • In chapter 76 Momo says it will take teamwork pragmatic tactics and lots and lots of explosions to defeat Hallibel’s fraccion. Cue the fireworks in ch 78.
  • Tatsuki losing control of her powers and going mental on friends and foe alike foreshadowed Ichigo doing the same thing.
  • In chapter 22 Lelouch mentions, offhandedly, that he believes that a clean slate for a reincarnated soul has fragments that can never truly be lost. Skip ahead to chapter 85 when this becomes a plot point.
  • Not only does Unohana throw out her hair behind her to show her signs of being serious in combat, but in chapter 94 it’s explained why she does it. Unohana used to have her hair cascade down all the time. This was when she was an Ax-Crazy Blood Knight. By throwing her hair back she is reliving those moments.
  • In chapter 74 it's narrated that Shisato and Ikkaku's supposed hookup would stay where it occurred for now. Cue The Reveal in chapter 94 that Shisato is pregnant with Ikkaku's child.
  • In chapter 73 it's mentioned that Lelouch might respond to the call of vigilantism again and at the during the Lelouch and the Law arc he tells Byakuya he'd always help him out in anyway he could if he needed it. in chapter 99 it's revealed that Lelouch and Byakuya are working together against Muramasa, while pretending to betray the Soul Society.
  • Ichigo's comment in chapter 106 when Isshin is going to an overseas trip for a medical conference for a week pretty much said it all.
  Ichigo: "Dad, nothing's going to happen relax. You're acting like Britannia's going to invade the country or creatures from the depths of hell are going to rise up and attack us."
  • In chapter 123 Rita brings out a soul that has been unwilling to be reincarnated and uses it to some degree. In 124 that soul appears and Shinji recognizes her. This is all leading up to The Reveal that the soul in question is the consciousness of Mari who has been brought Back from the Dead temporarily in order to kick some butt.
  • In chapter 72, it is stated that Lelouch felt he might once again answer the call of vigilantism. Fast forward then to the Reapers and Heralds arc.
  • The Demon Within arc itself is foreshadowed and built up to over the three arcs that come before it.
  • In chapter 144, Dolores, Cornelia’s Mom, mentions that she’s incredibly stressed and feeling incredibly weak lately. The very next chapter she contracts a terminal disease and dies.
  • At the start of the same chapter Meredith tells Cornelia that she may not be able to stop the Inked Alliance from kidnapping Euphie. Guess what happens towards the end of the chapter?
  • In chapter 157 Susanna has to sneak into Lelouch’s room the living one and play the role of a mysterious woman captain Lelouch says he remembers spoke to him on a night he couldn’t get any sleep. Essentially this stabilizes the time stream. Fast forward to chapter 170 when Lelouch himself does something similar by [[spoiler:rescuing Nunnally from FLEIJA, creating the illusion that she died in the explosion.
• For Want Of A Nail: Inverted. The series basically inserts Lelouch into Bleach 126 years ago. Major changes have happened to The Stations of the Canon of Bleach as a result. Of course...
  • In Spite of a Nail: That doesn't mean anything worth a damn for The Code Geass universe due to the Temporal Paradox. Makes it blatantly impossible to Set Right What Once Went Wrong.
• From Bad to Worse: If you think that it would get easier AFTER the Battle of Karakura Town arcs, THINK AGAIN! The author seems to be enjoying telling the readers that this trope is in effect during the Reapers and Heralds arc. Ever since chapter 95 hit things went to hell fast and haven’t gotten better since. To clarify:
  • Zangetsu is Muramasa’s dragon as Ichigo failed to recover him
  • Byakuya and Lelouch two of the most brilliant minds in the Soul Society went missing.
  • Yamamoto’s whereabouts are unknown
  • Kenpachi’s Zanpakuto was set loose and then Kenpachi LOST the battle.
  • Lelouch reveals that he’s in perfectly good health and then reveals that he’s working for Muramasa, as a Fake Defector but still...
  • Unohana's Zanpakuto is set loose.
  • Ichigo is taken under Eien Tamashi's control and Ryujin Jakka is set loose
  • A lot of readers have already begun crying Doomy Dooms of Doom because of this. As has Gin in-universe. It’s really becoming a case of Only the Author Can Save Them Now
    • And he DOES in a way that doesn't come across as Deus ex Machina or an Author's Saving Throw as the whole thing was one big Gambit Roulette by, as it should come to no ones surprise, Lelouch
  • See Darkest Hour above.
  • chapter 188: Kasumi's plan succeeds, resulting in Hell merging with the living world, and the veils that prevent the living from seeing the dead fall. The Togabito run riot and the protective sentinels have been Taken for Granite, and Lelouch has to convince a world that still remembers and hates him to trust him.
• Fusion Dance: Mia and Cirucci were fused together to revive Mia
• Genre Shift: The series turns into a Courtroom Drama for an entire arc.
  • Starting with Cornelia's Rise of the Royal Soldier arc the series goes from the high fantasy of Bleach to the sci-fi of Code Geass. Also the author said that the series is going to become darker as the series shifts into the more cynical territory of a seinen series. See Cerebus Rollercoaster above for more details.
• Go-Karting with Bowser: In an omake Unohana since Yamamoto is dead and Juhabach play a game of Jeporady for the sake of the Soul Society. Grimmjow also attends since he was recruited/kidnapped to play along. If Juhabach wins he calls it revenge. he is beaten by one measly point.
• Gory Discretion Shot: In a Take Out Word For It fashion with Hisana's comical No-Holds-Barred Beatdown of Her Zanpakuto
  • A less than humorous example is the beating Yachiru received from her Zanpakuto. Considering she's just a child it's probably better that way.
• Gratuitous Japanese: The author, in addition to using some general honorifics, will throw in a small phrase here and there. He also uses a translator for Zanpakuto names (which can have the unfortunate side effect of phonetic japanese, i.e. english words with a japanese accent.)
  • When dealing with the Phantoms and their introduction, the author purposefully increases the Gratuitous Japanese usage dramatically, to increase the Super Sentai feel.
• Gratuitous Spanish

Tropes H to M

• Hand Wave: A pretty bad one; If Yuna was never really in love with Lelouch like she said long after they decided they were Better as Friends, then how did they perform Synergy strike back when they fought against Tally-chan, something only Byakuya and Hisana have also been seen doing? Especially when such a bond was stated to be a requirement. Surely, having had several decades to sort out her feelings for him even before the fight with Hoshima, she'd know if she truly loved him or not. The simple 'You're not the same guy I fell in love with' she told him back when they broke up was fine as it was.
• Hard Work Hardly Works: Averted for Lelouch who had to build himself up from the bottom over the course of 144 years
  • subverted for Ichigo, who doesn’t have to work as hard, which is backed by his "growth potential".
  • Played somewhat straight for Aizen who was born with his strength, Talbumosuke who can reach his maximum potential using a Bankai ability and Kasumi who Mega Manned her way to the top.
  • Completely averted for Rita who is the most powerful Soul Reaper alive and is easily the most dutifully trained.
• Have I Mentioned I Am Heterosexual Today?: A meta-example in a humorous way in one of the newsletters here involving the author, Deadpool and Eien Tamashi.
• Hell on Earth: Kasumi's Plan B explained simply.
• Heroic Second Wind: Usually the first thing to bail the heroes out of a bleak situation. If it's not this Big Damn Heroes or a new Finishing Move tends to get the job done.
• Homage: Word of God continuously says that Hollow Ichigo’s rampage and Yamamoto’s subsequent fight with him is in direct correlation to Doomsday Vs the Justice League followed by Superman’s brutal battle with him.
• Hoist by His Own Petard: Tatsuki does this to a togabito in chapter 124.
  • Lelouch wins the final battle against Aizen thanks to the Hogyoku.
• How We Got Here: Chapter 120 starts with Rangiku cornered as she’s prosecuting a trial and then flashbacks to show the incident that happened to bring her to this point.
• Idiot Ball:
  • Lelouch could have just Geassed Aizen into admiting what he did, and knew it, but chose not to. That said, he does have some very solid reasoning for it. Fixed as of chapter 48. Lelouch Geassed Aizen into suicide.
  • Despite running into Kurosaki Ichigo and Fon Shaolin, Rukia can't seem to figure out that there are people she knows in this town.
• I Have Your Wife: Though Yuna isn't Lelouch's wife and actually his captain it's the same effect played by Hoshima.
  • A few chapters later Lelouch pulls this on Gin by taking Rangiku. Once again no marriage, but the effect is still the same.
• I Knew It!: Many fans speculated that Lelouch's bankai would look like his Zero suit They were right.
  • Others speculated that Kasumi was The Number One Togabito. They were also right.
• Immortality Begins at Twenty: Kendra states that this is usually the case for most Soul Reapers, though there are some cases where it hits earlier or later.
  • You mean like Yamamoto and Yachiru and Hitsugaya.
• Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy: Lampshaded and given justification in chapter 138 when terrorists can’t hit Cornelia or Nonette worth crap.
• Innocent Innuendo: In omake chapter 7.76 Lelouch is listening in on what he thinks is Yuna and Mari having sex, but Mari is just giving Yuna a massage.
  • Ironically, right after this they actually do start making love
• Innocently Insensitive: Yoruichi’s quip about Lelouch keeping his geass from being permanently active because he doesn’t want it going off by mistake was rather inappropriate given Code Geass Canon. In her defense though, it’s not like she knows the truth.
• In Spite of a Nail: A Code Geass historical example. In spite of the changes in history 9/11 still happens.
• Irony:
  • Rukia openly trashes Lelouches fashion sense when he reveals the uniforms for their group, despite the fact that her... "artistic abilities" are a bit of a Running Gag.
  • Tatsuki takes time in the middle of battle to mock her opponent and point out that talking is not a free action.
  • Aizen mocks Shinji for not watching him more closely... and then makes the exact same mistake with Lelouch.
  • When Byakuya sides with her against Hisana, Rukia is taken by surprise.
  • One man who took all of the world's hatred is about to become its savior when literally all hell breaks loose.
• It's Personal:
  • Fuels several of the fights in the Aizen's Revenge arc.
  • By the time Lelouch and Aizen finally fight in the Eye of the Storm arc, the tension and personal hatred (on Lelouch's end) between them had been building for over one hundred years. Their second fight in the Aizen's Revenge arc is less personal for Lelouch, but in exchange has become even more personal for Aizen. The third and final fight, all bets are off and it becomes a Duel to the Death.
• I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: In chapter 61, Gin states that if he doesn't make it, he wants Lelouch to take care of Rangiku.
  • Tatsuki almost states this word for word to Ichigo when she finds out that he and Orihime are a couple.
• Kryptonite Is Everywhere: Only in Japan though, Sakuradite has a property that can harm spirits such as hollows and shinigami.
• Leaning on the Fourth Wall: When they encounter Zaraki, Kukaku says that Ichigo will die in less than six minutes. In that episode of bleach, the episode ends six minutes later.
• Let's Fight Like Gentlemen: Because Ichigo is Isshin's son, Kaien invokes this when fighting him.
  • Guns and murder are banned in the honor code of the gang system in Karakura Town and the towns in the same county.
• Let Us Never Speak of This Again: The women shinigami’s association’s reaction to finding most of the men watching My Little Pony Friendship is Magic.
• Library Of Infinite Knowledge
• Loophole Abuse: Played with. Ordinarily, Lelouch would have been executed by the Central 46 for his actions, but since they're dead, Old Man Genocide has the desicion-making power, and he decided to reinstate Lelouch.
  • Ichigo is allowed to speak his mind during the trial in the Lelouch and the Law arc because he is neither a Gotei member or a Rukongai civilian. it also helps that his girlfriend is the judge.
• Lotus-Eater Machine: In the Wish Fulfillment arc. It's Kasumi's plan A
  • No-Sell: Only Stefan, Rukia, Hisana, Hitsugaya, Yachiru, Gin, Ukitake, Euphie, Soifon, Orihime, Susanna, Shirley, Yoruichi, Nozomi and May are unaffected by the machine because, despite how their lives could be they are all very happy the way they currently are.
  • Year Inside, Hour Outside: Those affected by the dreams control the flow of time within them. For example, Vera's shot forward several decades and things are still flowing at a normal pace outside her dream realm.
• Love Dodecahedron: As if it wasn't bad enough with Lelouch, now it seems that Tatsuki might be entering the competition for Ichigo.
  • Seems to be more like a triangle in Ichigo's case since Rukia is engaged to Kaien.
    • As of ch 136 both of these have been resolved.
• Make Sure He's Dead: Yamamoto in regards to Aizen.
  Stefan: *cuts Aizen's head off* He's dead.
• Male Gaze: Yoruichi's role as the Shameless Fanservice Girl has Lelouch unabashedely staring at her, as well as telling Ichigo to lighten up.
  • Kaien gets distracted by Mia's breasts when they fight for the 3rd time.
    • Mia in general attracts this from the male readers, or rather is intended to. The author even snaps at the readers in the author's notes to stop fantasizing about it.
• Marry Them All: Lelouch starts a clan and marries Nemu, Susanna, Isane, and Yuna.
  • Subverted as of chapter 105 and furthermore in 136; Susanna wins.
  • Played straighter as of 181 when he marries Shirley too.
• Mass "Oh, Crap!": The reaction of the Espada in the omake where it’s revealed in a dream that Kenpachi obtained Bankai.
• Mood Whiplash: Chapter 49 keeps switching from drama to comedy and back again. Justified in that most of the chapter takes place in Lelouch's jail cell.
  • The main point of the Omake of Chapter 68.
• More Deadly Than the Male: Loly and Menoly's two hybrid pets fall under this category. It's the female version that is stronger according to Loly.
  • Also in regards to Hueco Mundo's new management ever since Talbumosuke died. Grimmjow is King and Nelliel is Queen. Three guesses who wears the pants in that relationship.
• Mundane Made Awesome:
  • Keigo is the first person ever to beat the video game Demons and Devils. If he wasn't surrounded by awesomeness, it would have made a much bigger impression.
  • Lelouch's court battle. lampshaded by the author.
  • Cornelia's horse race against Guinevere for similar reasons to Keigo beating Demons and Devils.
• Murder Is the Best Solution: Lelouch's thoughts on the Atrumier family. Turns out not so much. This was the main reason for Talbumosuke's Start of Darkness, Lelouch later has regrets for this incident and also summed up that they were in the crossfire on taking down Aizen.
• Mythology Gag: Hoshima mocks the size of Yunas Bankai, saying that it's far too small. Ironically the iconic scene this is taken from does not happen in this fic and instead Ichigo fights Stefan as Byakuya makes his Heel–Face Turn to the rescue side earlier after battling Hisana as she fights him instead of Renji
  • Yolanda dual wields two research department made pistols that were modeled off of the weapons Soul Reapers used to use to purify hollows, but were scrapped in favor of the Zanpakuto. It’s a reference to the fact that Kubo originally intended to have the Soul Reapers use guns in the series, but switched them for the Zanpakuto.
  • A pretty dark one in chapter 114. Hollow Ichigo forces Unohana down and fires a cero upon her at point blank. Unohana gives him the same line Ulquiorra gave to him “How very hollow-like”.
  • Yoruichi says to Ichigo that her bosom is his pillow when he begins to break down and cry because Tsukishima brainwashed his friends
    • Orihime later uses this line to comfort Kallen when Naoto dies. Although there it doubles as a Call-Back since she was the one it was originally said to.
  • The events of chapter 159 show that Kallen wrenching refrain out of someone's hands has happened before.
  • Chapter 206 wouldn’t be the first time Aizen has been Impaled with Extreme Prejudice only for our heroes to find out it’s not really him. For extra insult to injury the person who was actually stabbed was also stabbed by someone who cares about them deeply.

Tropes N to S

• Names to Run Away from Really Fast: The more intelligent espada have so far refused to go anywhere near Kisuke and Lelouch, with good reason.
• Never Found the Body: The one thing that is considered proof that Ichigo may still be alive. Now it is proven that Ichigo is alive.
• Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: One of the reasons Lelouch went back in time is that Aizen destroyed the cleaner.
  • Averted, actually, since Aizen's dead. Word of God says that it was actually Orihime who made it possible when she stopped the cleaner from killing the Nakama on their way to soul society.
• No Fourth Wall: In the chapter 83 omake you would think everyone's name was Deadpool
• No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Mayuri isn't a lucky guy, in this fic.
  • Zommari received one of these from Hisana for harming Rukia
  • Ichigo breaks out into this when he finds Needles and his goons attempting to rape Orihime.
  • Nelliel to Pheobe, for harming her children.
• No Infantile Amnesia: Completely averted. Lelouch is unaware, or rather was never aware, of a certain incident of his infancy that Cornelia experienced with him when she was ten only for her memory to be wiped.
• Noodle Implements: Apparently Ichigo and Shinji are going to do something for their project with a cleaver, a blue wig and Sakanade
  • Turns out their project was a reenactment of Kamina and Viral's first fight, with their own alternate ending.
• Noodle Incident: We never hear about exactly what Yoruichi did do make Byakuya hate her so much, (although anatomy lessons are mentioned.)
  • It's now a Brick Joke. When Yoruichi gives Ichigo her Naked First Impression, she mentions that Byakuya gave her the exact same response.
  • Apparently Kukaku has a whole bunch of these on Renji and can get them on just about anyone.
  • One can only imagine what kind of trouble Isshin stirred up at the 1997 national medical convention considering Ichigo told him to keep his hands off the nurses at the one he starts to go to at the beginning of the Different Bonds arc. Considering this is Isshin...
  • Kendra mentions she needed to swap her Gikongan with Urahara. This trope’s use is implied as to the reason why she switched it.
• No Plans, No Prototype, No Backup: A meta example. According the author he writes every chapter with only a vague idea of what he wants to do and other than the one word document used to actually write the chapter he doesn't have any drafts or copies of the chapter at the time of writing unless he had a scene planned out in advance and even then there's only one copy of that particular scene.
• Not Again: The reaction from several fans whenever there's a yuricentric omake.
• Nothing Is Scarier: Actually the title of one of the omakes and it is properly named since Kenpachi is stated to have learned Bankai and his Zanpakuto spirit looks like Chuck Norris. All of the Espada, Talbumosuke and Gin start freaking out. It turns out though that It was All Just a Dream of Talbumosuke’s, but then Mr. Popo shows up. The other one.
• Not Quite Dead: Double subverted. Yuna lives just long enough to say goodbye.
• "Not So Different" Remark: Lelouch compares Suzaku to Byakuya at times.
• Official Couple: By the end: Grimmjow/Nelliel as the King and Queen of Hueco Mundo. Mia/Talbumosuke Together in Death. Kaien/Rukia as the two are now married, same for Byakuya/Hisana. Ichigo/Orihime is solidified as of ch 135. Yuroichi and Soifon have been together for years. In 136, Lelouch marries Susanna and later Shirley. Also Toshiro/Momo, Suzaku/Euphemia, Jushiro/Kiyone and Gin/Rangiku.
• Offscreen Moment of Awesome: Kendra, Stefan, Yosei, Naomi and Yolanda all handing the Bounts their asses in between the events of chapters 110 and 111.
• Oh, Crap!: Ikkaku flips out when Shisato abandons him to Yachiru.
  • Cornelia's face in chapter 58 when she realizes her infantile brother Lelouch is missing.
• One-Steve Limit: You have to be specific when talking about Lelouch because due to his status as a Fish out of Temporal Water you could be talking about the Captain of Squad 10 or the Eleventh Prince or the post-mortem 99th Emperor of Britannia, until he becomes known simply as Zero. See below.
  • As of 173 there are now two Zeroes. Suzaku, who carries on Lelouch's legacy, and Zero, who is the 99th Emperor, Lelouch vi Britannia, as a hollow.
• The Only One Allowed to Defeat You: In the final arc, Lelouch correctly deduces that Aizen will not allow him to die until he can cast the finishing blow himself. When Lelouch merges with the Hogyoku, allowing him to finally stand against Aizen in one-on-one combat as an equal and sends his comrades away to take on his rival by himself, Aizen only remarks that things are as they should be.
• Only Sane Man: Lelouch among the reinforcements.
• Pass the Popcorn: Kukaku acts like this for most of Ichigo's fight with Kaien.
  • During the Within Zero's Shadow arc and Pursuit of the Truth arc members of the Gotei 13 are acting like this regarding the live stream for Lelouch's history. Complete with actual popcorn.
• Phantom Thief: Practically all of the phantoms of justice are like this, rather the organization as a whole is. Except they don't steal. they just torture nobles, make friends with the Rukongai, and slay hollows the Soul Society can't get to.
• Physical God: Spirit King in his various forms, Aizen after the power-up, Lelouch w/Hogyoku, and Rita in Core Form has the might of one.
• Power Creep, Power Seep: Averted. Normally you’d think that Giant mechas would be no match for a bunch of college graduates with power enough to slay Eldritch Abominations, but the author manages to tweak it so that this doesn’t happen. with disastrous results.
• Pre-Asskicking One-Liner: Dropped to amplify the Rule of Cool.
• Precision F-Strike: Get dropped when softer language just won't cut it or the character is particularly known for foul language
• Pre-Mortem One-Liner: See Pre-Asskicking One-Liner above
• Prison Rape: A threat that Kendra and Yosei often employ when interrogating a suspect in a way that makes one reminiscent of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
• Properly Paranoid: As can be expected, Lelouch fits this to a T. Subverted with Aizen, who, despite being suspicious, hasn't acted directly against Lelouch yet.
  • Fixed. Aizen tried to get Tousen to kill Lelouch. Guess he decided not to take any chances.
  • Ichigo in chapter 69 when Tatsuki tells him that Orihime went off on her own before class starts he immediately assumes something bad will happen to Orihime and goes after her. It’s a good thing he did
• Pun: In the beginning of the chapter 66 author's notes he mentions that Because Nel is in the Espada and therefore unable to travel with Ichigo he calls the new ending to Ichigo's fight with Grimmjow For Want of a Nel.
• Rank Scales with Asskicking: With the exception of Lelouch, Hisana is the highest rank Soul Reaper of the reinforcements sent to Karakura Town on the field of battle against the assault to kidnap Orihime. Her Bankai's ultimate ability has her wipe out all of the fraccion on the battlefield with a single attack from her final Bankai mode.
• Rape as Comedy: Rangiku preparing to shove a stick up Haineko is used as this.
• Rape as Drama: Mayuri had a hollow impregnate Nemu.
  • seen again in chapter 69 when Needles and his goons attempt to do this to Orihime. Thankfully Ichigo put a stop to it.
• Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil: Mind Rape in this case, but it's the same thing. Starrk notes that he can tolerate watching Lilynette be overpowered or injured, but this trope is another story entirely.
  • Ichigo seems to go a lot more mental than usual when he stops Needles and his goons from raping Orihime.
• Real Life Writes the Plot: In universe. Due to how what is going through Ichigo's life at this point, he and Shinji greatly divert from the canon fight scene of Kamina/Viral and put their own spin on the fight and by adding REAL weapons into their acting and it could be seen as a continuation of Ichigo's real life training as a Visored.
  • draconichero20 says that some of what happens to him in real life winds up being reflected in the series, not that we’d know either way.
• Reality Is Unrealistic: Lampshaded by Lelouch after its use in chapter 84 with regards to the Medieval period.
• Really 700 Years Old: As of chapter 35, Lelouch is 134 years old. He still looks just like an 18-year-old. Currently, it is around 17 years before the Code Geass storyline begins, meaning one decade later, Britannia invades, DESTROYS KARAKURA TOWN, and conquers Japan.
• Real Men Watch My Little Pony: The omake in chapter 72.
• Real-Person Fic: Discussed in the ch 107 omake about Yoruichi and Soifon’s relationship, though it’s merely a comparison drawn between their relationship and Konoka and Setsuna
• Red Shirt Army: A whole bunch of characters come out during the Aizen’s Revenge arc to buy Byakuya enough time so he can escape to live to fight another day.
  • During the Permanent Sinner arc this is taken up to eleven world wide.
• Reference Overdosed: There are A LOT of entries for the Shout-Out trope
• Reset Button: One is used to reseparate the worlds after Kasumi creates a Hell on Earth. Deconstructed to an extent in that it does little more than separate the worlds, the impact the Hell on Earth had on the planet is described as going to linger for generations to come.
• Rule of Funny: The omakes.
• Running Gag: Kukaku once asked Lelouch if getting himself hospitalized was going to become a routine. As of chapter 32 it has happened 3 times.
  • Eien Tamashi always says "clueless" when Lelouch gets confused about why women always act strange around him. When she says this in regards to Isane, he instantly understands.
  • In chapter 74 Eien Tamashi is apparently notes how Izuru, Shuhei, Renji and Ukitake singing would ellict screaming from a lot of fangirls.
  • Ichigo mistaking Spanish terms for different types of food
  • Kukaku throws a party after every major victory and Kaien groans because he knows there is going to be property damage and chaos, most likely because the expenses are going to come out of his pocket.
  • Whenever Rukia makes monetary a bet with Kaien and/or Renji she always wins.
• Sadistic Choice: Lelouch presents a hypothetical one to Nemu to test her loyalty.
  • Just like the original series, Orihime is presented one to go to Hueco Mundo.
• Samus Is a Girl: Kasumi the hot as hell Togabito that helped Ichigo turns out to be The Number One Togabito whose gender is ambiguous as no one knew it.
• Serial Escalation / Lensman Arms Race: The heights of power the characters exhibit gets more and more extreme as the story progresses; to paraphrase Bleach fandom, by the end, everyone is a "Bankai-whore" or equivalent, and has to pull new tricks just to stay ahead of the game.
• Sex Is Violence: One of the Omakes has Unohana mentioning that she would have to beat the shit out of Zaraki before she could do anything.
• Sidetracked by the Analogy: Rita in ch 125
  Rita: You give a man and you feed him for a day. You teach a man to fish and you'll feed him for a lifetime. Unless of course he sucks at fishing even after he's learned.
• Ship Sinking: Ichi Ruki fans better turn away because as of chapter 54, it officially sinks! Rukia is engaged to Kaien.
  Ichigo: Wow. That's really something. I never knew. I'm happy for you Rukia. You two are good for each other.
  Rukia: Better than you and I would do together at any rate.
  Ichigo: Yeah that's for sure.
  • All Lelouch related ships are sunk simultaneously in chapter 136. Lelouch marries Susanna. Except for Shirley.
• Ship Tease: The author is still keeping us in suspense with Lelouch's love life. Ichigo seems to have been cemented with Orihime
  • Never seen more blatant than with Vera and Mizuiro.
  • There's also Yoshino and Uryu
  • And the Fullbringer arc gives us Keigo and Riruka
  • More recently, implications of Clovis and Senna (No not that one), though Lelouch isn't holding his breath .
• Shmuck Bait: Patros and his crew fell for it hook, line, and sinker.
• Shoot the Bullet: Uryu and Yolanda in chapter 42. Quite Literally with Uryu.
• Shout-Out: Now has its own page Soul Chess
• Shown Their Work: The author does this a lot, even going so far as to explain what would have happened had Lelouch not been involved.
• Single Tear: Despite not thinking he could, Lelouch does this when he realizes how much Susanna cares for him.
• Something Only They Would Say: A recurring theme with Ichigo’s out of control full hollow form in getting him to recognize the person talking to him. After that the person is registered in his mind permanently.
  • Yamamoto knows that something is up with Ichigo during the demon within arc because he is referred to by his proper title rather than the less than respectful “gii-san”.
• Sorting Algorithm of Evil: Treva Hoshina -> Aizen -> Talbumosuke -> Muramasa -> Shirosaki -> Ginjo -> AIZEN -> ZERO -> KASUMI -> Aizen AGAIN!
• Spanner in the Works: Once again things blow up in Lelouch’s face as it turns out Hollow Ichigo is sentient when he goes on his rampage. Lelouch didn’t think he would be.
• Stable Time Loop: Justified.
• Storming the Castle: The Grand Finale
  • Six Man Band: The cast gets split into teams for the assault as follows. Leader and lancer listed first, the rest are support.
    • 1: Lelouch, Momo, Toshiro, Nemu, Kallen, Suzaku.
    • 2: Ichigo, Rukia, Uryu, Chad, Tatsuki, Keigo.
    • 3: Unohana, Vera, Shunsui, Jushiro, Isane, Kiyone.
    • 4: Stefan, Kendra, Yolanda, Naomi, Rebetuka, Ashido.
    • 5: Yuna, Susanna, Byakuya, Hisana, Kaien, Rangiku.
    • 6: Rita, Shutara, Osho (Ichibei), Nimaiya, Tenjiro, Arietta.
    • 7: Kasumi, Senna, Renji, Harribel, Tosen, Gin.
    • 8: Yoruichi, Sui-Feng, Urahara, Tessai, Nozomi, Riruka.
    • 9: Kensei, Mashiro, Lisa, Mila-Rose, Appaci, Sun-Sung.
    • 10: Talbumosuke, Mia, Starrk, Lilynette, Nelliel, Grimmjow.
    • 11: Kenpachi, Yachiru, Yumichika, Shisato, Fenrique, Tallisandra.
    • 12: Marianne, Cornelia, Hikifune, Rurichiyo, May, Kukaku.
    • 13: Yhwach, Hashwalth, Bambietta, As, Glasses Quincy, Ryuken.
• Story Arc: Word of God has split the story into Character arcs within arcs.
  • Lelouch's Story Arc: Chapters 1-9 are the Awakening Arc. 10-14 is the Prelude to the Chess Game. Chapters 15-20 make up the Lelouch and Yuna arc, followed by the Rise of the Black King, chapters 21-28. Most recently, we have chapters 29-34, which make up the Phantoms of Justice arc.
  • Ichigo's Story Arc: Chapters 35-39 are the Prelude to the Final Game. Chapters 40-48 is the Eye of the Storm, a call back to the authors notes in chapter 35. Chapters 49-50 are the Free Lelouch arc, 51-60 are the Visored arc, 61-67 is the Rescue Orihime arc, 68-74 is the Training arc, and 75-82 is the Battle for Karakura Town arc. Next is the Yuna Returns arc, at Chapters 83-85, Chapters 86-90 is the Fall of Talbumosuke arc (both are spoiled for good reasons), Chapters 91-93 is the Lelouch and the Law arc, and Chapters 94-105 is the Reapers and Heralds arc, Chapters 106-110 is the Different Bonds arc, Chapters 111-115 is the Demon Within arc, Chapters 116-119 is the Fullbringer arc, Chapter 120 is a Take That! to the Reigai arc, Chapters 121-132 is Aizen's Revenge arc, and Chapters 133-137 is the Farewell Ichigo arc. Chapters 147-150 contain the Ichigo vs Britannia arc and is also part of Cornelia's Story Arc. And it may very well be Ichigo's last story arc considering the ending.
  • Cornelia's Story Arc: Chapter 58 is a prelude for this arc and directly invoked during Lelouch's Flash Backs in 72 + 73, it officially begins with the Rise of the Royal Soldier arc from Chapter 138-146 and has continued with the Ichigo vs Britannia arc, also part of Ichigo's Story Arc, which is made up by chapters 147-150. Chapters 151-153 begins the Witch of Britannia arc.
  • Union Story Arc: which starts at ch 154 and kicks off with the Within Zero's Shadow arc. It's the arc that is a revisit to R1 of Code Geass made possible by the Temporal Paradox. It ends with ch 164. Chapter 165 is the Pursuit of the Truth arc. It's basically the R2 to accompany Within Zero Shadow arc's R1. It ends on chapter 172. Chapter 173 starts the Double Zero arc and it ends on chapter 180.
  • Final Story Arc: This is going to have 3 arcs within it the first of which is named the Wish Fulfillment arc and goes from chapter 181 to 185. The second one is called Permanent sinner and runs from chapter 186-195 and subsequently Kasumi's Dark and Troubled Past. From there on to the end is the very last arc of the entire series the True Chessmaster arc.
• Strong Family Resemblance: Ichigo and Tatsuki notice how Rukia and Hisana look almost identical, and of course everyone still comments on how uncanny the resemblance is between Ichigo and Kaien.
  • Koga notes how much Byakuya looks like his father.
• Stuff Blowing Up: In chapter 104 Eien Tamashi makes the trees in a forest explode in groups using her Epidemic Viral Bomb technique.
• Suicidal Overconfidence: Twice in the same chapter, both against Hitsugaya. The first is by a group of thugs who think he's just a child trying to play hero and the second is a group of menos, fully aware of his status.
• Super Mode: Stefan's, Hisana's, Unohana's, Yamamoto's, Lelouch's, Hitsugaya's, Ichigo's and Yuna's Bankais all have this. Byakuya's Senkei is classed as one too.
  • subverted; Aizen explicitly states he doesn't have the same, but uses something else entirely, and Rita had it in the past, but has been denied use of it by Soul King.
  • All the Espada have Segunda Etapa, and Starrk has recently unlocked Tercera Etapa.

Tropes T to Z

• Take That!: One at the Captain Amagai Filler arc in chapter 85.
  • Once again the author rages against the source material. This time towards the scene in the Zanpakuto Rebellion arc (Episode 232) after Rukia blasts herself and Sode no Shirayuki. The scene makes it seem like Sode no Shirayuki is about to make a Heel–Face Turn when Muramasa intervenes. In Soul Chess because Muramasa is occupied with watching Ichigo fight, Sode no Shirayuki is able to go to Rukia’s aid and it produces one of the more Heartwarming moments in the fic.
  • A massive one to Tite Kubo during the 100th chapter omake.
  • Another one at the Bounts. All of them except for Yoshino who is spared are killed off-screen.
  • Chapter 120 is one for the Reigai arc.
• Talking Is a Free Action: The author never misses an opportunity to subvert, justify or avert the use of this trope. This could be seen as a Take That! for how often this happens in Bleach.
• Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: Yuna and Kensei aren't exactly happy to be working alongside Gin. Both would rather have his head rolling at their feet.
• Temporal Paradox: Lelouch actually starts over a century before his death, having become a Vasto Lorde hollow after the Zero Requiem and being slain... by his Captain self. Oy.
• The Baby Trap: Averted by Susanna, who doesn't want to do this to Lelouch. Zig-zagged, because it works anyway.
  • And now the baby is gone
  • Not anymore, it ain't.
• The Cameo: Many in the omakes including Jason, Ghost Rider, Freddie Mercury, Michael Jackson, Billy Idol, Stephen Hawking and even Mr. Popo.
  • In the 100th chapter omake Tite Kubo, Stephenie Meyer, J. R. R. Tolkien, J. K. Rowling, Terry Pratchett and all of the main ponies make an appearance. Deadpool and Pinkie Pie are the hosts.
    • Rock and Revy make an appearance in that same omake at the very beginning
  • In the special Christmas omake Naruto appears.
  • Kamina and Luffy in another one.
  • In yet another, Grandpa Gohan, Edward Newgate, Master Makarov and several other Old Men from popular series join Yamamoto for a game of Poker (apparently an annual fixture).
• The Chessmaster /Xanatos Speed Chess: The largest part of the story so far is Lelouch and Aizen trying to outwit each other. In the end, Lelouch wins, both times.
  • By the end, it's a five way thing between Lelouch, Aizen, Rita, Kasumi and Soul King; Rita wins.
• The Fourth Wall Will Not Protect You: After stepping out of hell, Kasumi is jubilant. She then proceeds to absorb power from everywhere and cause a giant explosion. And then she turns towards the reader and winks. Then she hijacks the author’s notes and tells the reader and we find out that the author has also succumb to the Lotus-Eater Machine. And then she asks the reader what their greatest desire is, even saying that perhaps everything after the end of the chapter is simply our will and her permission. She then states that because of this we will never again be able to tell what is reality or fantasy ever again.
  • He got better after 24 hours if one reads his DeviantArt account during the time the chapter was put up. It was pure Nightmare Fuel for his readers though.
• The Password Is Always "Swordfish": An access code of Kirio Hikifune’s is this trope.
• The Power of Friendship: Ichigo tells Kaien that this is how he'll save Rukia.
• The Power of Rock: Used in an omake where , Freddie Mercury, Michael Jackson, and Billy Idol all help Ichigo defeat Talbumosuke. The whole thing is a drunken plot of Lelouch’s.
• There Are No Therapists: Well, not since the budget cuts.
• There Is No Kill Like Overkill: Uryu used Licht Regen... on Shawlong.
  • Lelouch's defeats Szayel by restraining him with Bakudo Kido, GEASSING HIM TO "NEVER MOVE AGAIN", and finally Mind Rapes him till his HEAD EXPLODES!
• The Reveal: An omake reveals that the true form of the Soul King is Fluttershy. No wonder seeing the true form makes people insane.
  • In this story? The Soul King is completely responsible for the entire story. The Fifth Chessmaster IS the Soul King.
• The Stations of the Canon: Zigzagged all over the beginning and the Bleach arcs, deconstructed (much to Lelouch's chagrin) in the Code Geass arcs, and returned to Zigzagged for the Final arc.
• The Worf Barrage: Lelouch tries everything he can think of to take down Nnoitora. It doesn't work. Coupled with Worf Had the Flu since he had the Gentai Rein. That is until Lelouch discovered his bankai, then it became a Curb-Stomp Battle.
• The Worf Effect: Gets used regularly, though that's to be expected.
• This Cannot Be!: Frequented in use by the villains or anyone losing a battle.
• Their First Time:
  • T For all the virginity losing scenes in this (among other Lemons and Limes!), no one seems to need any proir experience to enjoy it to the fullest and act like they've been doing it for years: -
  • Nemu first: Yes, her first time was non-consesual (thanks to dad siccing a Hollow on her), but for what is only her 2nd time she seems to know what she's doing very well; possibly because she's been reading porno mags and the like for so long, she's quite used to 'soloing'...
  • That 2nd time was Lelouch's first, and we all know he doesn't do the above, so he has no excuse yet he lasts longer than you'd expect for a formerly Chaste Hero.
  • Susanna: while Lelouch suspects what she gets up to behind closed doors, we never get to read it, and it's clear she's a newby during the jail scene. And then Stefan walks in. Awkward...
  • Isane's the same, although there's always what Unohana's been doing to her if the rumour mill can be believed....
  • Yuna: we all know she and Mari were together (that early omake, anyone?), but Yuna states quite clearly in her diary that she's never been with a man before; admittedly, there isn't as much detail with that one as the others (possibly coz Lelouch/Isane happens earlier that chapter), but the impication is business as usual.
  • Ichigo and Orihime: Yes, it hurt her, but again, you'd think they'd take a few attempts before they got it right.
  • Ditto Toshiro/Momo.
  • Suzaku and Euphemia, right up to the moment Cornelia walks in.
  • Subverted with Tally and Mia: Theirs is good, yet they're the bad guys; same technically applies to Nel and Grimmjow.
  • Mia utters this almost word for word when Kaien gets his second wind during their third battle.
  • In one battle against Baraggan Talbumosuke mocks the use of this trope
  Talbumosuke: See this is why you would never make a good leader. Uttering lines like that is just begging to be killed.
• Throw the Dog a Bone: After all of the abuse, Keigo finally gets to spend some time with Ichigo.
• Title Drop: In chapter 98, Lelouch claims to be playing a game of Soul Chess.
• Too Dumb to Live: Jirobo Ikkanzaka, natch.
  • Yammy is an expy of Team Four Star's Nappa.
  • The Hollow in Chapter 144 pointed out that destroying his head kills him, Cornelia even calls this out.
• Too Many Cooks Spoil The Broth: Discussed by both Aizen and Zurik.
• Trailers Always Spoil: Chapter 41 is titled Ichigo vs Kaien: The Rematch. This is a dead giveaway that Kaien is alive.
  • Though that PALES in comparison to the names of the recent arcs, Yuna Returns and the Fall of Talbumosuke.
  • It’s subverted in chapter 120. The new arc is called the Aizen’s Revenge arc, but it is revealed at the end of the first chapter, which has almost nothing to do with the arc, but is considered a prequel chapter by the author and ends with Togabito Aizen killing Togabito Kageroza and Aizen making the decision to fight Rita Ginunga
  • Biggest offender so far? Chapter 176, Kurosaki Ichigo, The Great Revival.
• Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny: The entire fic started with a question as to who was the better Chessmaster, Aizen or Lelouch. Lelouch wins, both at the end of Eye of the Storm and Aizen's Revenge arcs, though there is the possibility of yet another rematch. The final arc forgoes a lot of the strategizing and ends with a super-powered Duel to the Death between them.
• Underestimating Badassery: While he did try to have Lelouch killed at one point because he was a threat, Aizen never made another attempt after Lelouch survived the initial one because he wanted a rival and never realized how dangerous Lelouch actually was to him. He was too concerned with Zero at the time, never realizing they were one and the same. End result? Lelouch unravels all his plans and then Geasses him into suicide.
• Unwanted Assistance: In-universe, Lelouch fully intends get punished for his actions as Zero and goes as far to geassing Ichigo and talking down Momo to stop from trying to bust him free.
• Very Definitely Final Dungeon: Considering that we're in the final arc now and chapter 202 has the tagline "Point of No Return", may I present to: Aizen's Castle.
• Victoria's Secret Compartment: Nemu has smuggling machines from the R&D department with hyperspace capsules in her cleavage.
  • This also seems to be where Kukaku keeps her pipe.
  • And Yoruichi her Zanpakuto
• Vigilante Execution: What Cornelia does to Marshall Evans and Albert Q. Anerdas. However, in the latter's case there was a hint of It's Personal and not even letting him get convicted. It's still against protocol for a military woman regardless. Though being a royal it's probably easy for her to shoo it under the rug.
• Vitriolic Best Buds: Lelouch and his Zanpakuto Eien Tamashi are easily this. The amount of times they aren’t bickering can be counted on one hand.
• Was It All a Lie?: Yuna asks this of Lelouch after he betrays her, and the Soul Society, to Muramasa. What she doesn’t know is that Lelouch is a Fake Defector and is only acting like an asshole to keep his cover safe.
• We Could Have Avoided All This: The entire Ichigo vs Britannia arc. This get acknowledged by Ichigo and Cornelia when he rescues and transports her to the ruined Karakura Town.
• Wham Episode: Chapter 48, the finale to the Eye of the Storm arc. Look at the below trope.
  • Chapter 58: Oh a Slice of Life chapter involving Cornelia. Bor-ring! Well maybe I'll just skip this chapter and...wait she can see ghosts?
  • Ikkaku’s dead? No...no Ikkaku can’t die. He’ll be fine right? Get up, laugh it off, get a head butt or two and drink with Iba-san? DAMN YOU TALBUMOSUKE!
  • At the end of chapter 77, Urahara releases his Bankai
    • That’s nothing at the end of chapter 81, Unohana goes up against the Berserk Rage form of Ichigo that punched out Ulquiorra’s Segunda Etapa in canon
  • Chapter 98, full throttle. Lelouch makes a triumphant return in the midst of all the chaos during the Reapers and Heralds arc and Susanna is so happy to see him she runs towards him to give him a big hug. And then he back hand slaps her to the ground. Lelouch what happened to being the hero? WHAT HAPPENED?
  • Chapter 99, Oh, sorry about the previous comment Lelouch, it is easy to forget (NOT!) that you can make a very convincing villain when you need to be, and Unohana's Zanpakuto IS MATERIALIZED?!
  • Chapter 100: Byakuya has to murder his children
  • Subverted in Chapter 115: In order to end Shirosaki's rampage in Soul Society, Lelouch has to seal Kurosaki Ichigo away with the spike he used. It was so convincing that Orihime was told that Kurosaki Ichigo is gone. The subversion came in when Kurosaki Ichigo was revived and Shirosaki left.
  • Keigo joins Xcution
  • Chapter 120 is mainly a Take That! to the Reigai arc and it ends with Aizen's return.
  • Okay all of these previous examples pale in comparison to this one. In chapter 123 Yamamoto dies and Unohana is defeated. Cue Atomic F-Bomb and Oh, Crap! reactions from the fandom.
  • No, NOW all of the previous examples pale in comparison to this one. Chapter 150: Wh-what? Ichigo’s dead? No. No, that can’t be right. He’s The Hero. He’s NOT ALLOWED TO DIE! Damn you draconichero! Is no character SACRED?
    • Even worse is that his holding out against Britannia prevents Cornelia from saving Lelouch and Nunnally and acts as the basis for Cornelia’s, and other members of the royal family, hatred against the numbers.
  • Orihime using refrain. Your jaw just drops when you see what losing Ichigo and Japan and everything else on top of that brings her to. Just...damn.
  • There’s a part in chapter 160 in a flashback where Inoue takes a shotgun and takes a shotgun and shoots a Britannian slaver and his guests when the resistance crashes the party. Keep in mind that Naomi and Orihime are the same person.
  • How Nunnally really survived the FLEIJA explosion. Lelouch, the soul reaper one, is responsible for saving her life. The Nunnally explained as being with Sayoko was an automaton meant to look and sound like her.
  • Chapter 176 is an example of a GOOD Wham Episode. Why? The Mysterious Hooded Soul Reaper is ICHIGO KUROSAKI!
  • See The Fourth Wall Will Not Protect You above.
  • Kasumi's entire freaking backstory. When she said she suffered more than Ichigo could possibly imagine she really meant it. The Made a Sex Slave portions and her betrayals really are the selling point. The author kept mentioning that it was bad. Very little imagined it could be this bad.
  • The Permanent Sinner arc should be called the Serial Escalation arc. Here is what is brought up so far: The above mentioned Dark and Troubled Past, Kasumi creating Hell on Earth, The ENTIRE PLANET is fighting back and reinforcements coming from Hueco Mundo AND the VANDENREICH. WHAT'S NEXT?
  • How about Talbumosuke dropping the Undying Loyalty to Aizen and, in top Papa Wolf form, fights him for harming his daughter, Kasumi. Some heavy Character Development just went down.
• Wham Line: From chapter 14 Soifon (to Yoruichi): "I'm coming with you". At that point canon just went out the window.
  • And then of course we get this reveal from chapter 17. CC (to Lelouch): "Have we met before?". This troper stared at his computer screen for a few minutes after that one.
  • Aizen! Kill yourself! (Note that he learned from his mistake with Mao).
  • I am espada number 7, Mia Arruerie.
  • Susanna: "I'm pregnant and it's your child Lelouch-dono!"
    • "The fetus died."
  • “Shisato? Where’d you go? Are you still there?”
  • The word “Bankai” becomes this when declared by Urahara and Yamamoto.
    • and Unohana
  • “Just engraving into my mind the woman who forced me to lose my powers a second time”. Said by Isshin and followed up with a Flat "What" from Kaien.
  • From Kendra to Ichigo that he’s Dead All Along or rather, ever since he came back from being Brought Down to Normal back in chapter 39
  • Kasumi’s Badass Boast in chapter 110 revealing that she is The most powerful Togabito.
  • Lelouch saying that in order to preserve his spot in time he will sacrifice Ichigo Kurosaki.
  • He (Ichigo) would not rise to fight Britannia again.
  • CC to Inoue: Would you form a contract with me?
  • Kasumi’s anguished YES to Ichigo's question of Do you have a death wish?
  • Talbumosuke's line to Kasumi, "What kind of father would I be if I didn't protect my only daughter?"
  • Several from Aizen in chapter 204. He just keeps dropping them as if he had them all planned Oh wait. In the process he stomps on several Berserk Buttons
• What the Hell, Hero?: The Phantoms almost abandon Lelouch over the purge, but he talks his way out of it.
  • Hisana delivers this to Lelouch along with her slap.
  • Ichigo chews out Lelouch for not helping him rescue Orihime
    • He does the same thing to Soifon later that same chapter.
    • Ironically for him Both of them showed up anyway during the rescue to bail him out
• When All You Have Is a Hammer…: Kukaku's plan to help her and Ichigo land safely.
• Who's on First?: Done in the Yu-Gi-Oh! omake
  Renji: I'm just going to go ahead and summon Something.
  Kaien: Okay, what is it?.
  Renji: It's Something.
  Kaien: I get that, but what is it?
  Renji: Something.
  Kaien: Look the card has a name, right?
  Renji: Yes.
  Kaien: And the name of the card is…
  Renji: Something.
  Kaien: *frustrated* No, you know what? Forget it. Let's just play.
• Willfully Weak: The Espada in the Battle of Karakura arc. According to Ulquiorra and Kira, Talbumosuke wants the Espada to remain in Resurreccion. If they find themselves hard pressed they should flee. Word of God has confirmed this, saying that this is part of a grand scheme of Talbumosuke’s to gather information on the enemy in battle and then go in with an actual plan with his army at full strength.
• Woolseyism: In-universe example. Aparently Star Wars is now known, because of Britannian influence as "Galactic Conquest"
• Worf Had the Flu: Yoruichi and Soifon would normally be able to handle Zaraki without their zanpakuto, but they had just fought Kendra and Stefan.
  • There's a case of this in the Ichigo vs Britannia arc and a very big case of it at that. The only reason Britannia is able to stand up to Ichigo and his friends is because Sakuradite is the polar opposite of the all repelling Sekisekki and Ichigo and his nakama were weakened to 1/5 their power.
• Wrong Genre Savvy: Kukaku trys to sneak past most of Seireitei, which might have worked, had she not been paired with one of the two main characters.
• Xanatos Gambit: Either Soul Society leaves the Phantoms alone, and they handle corruption, or they take a hint and handle it themselves. While the Phantoms have officialy disbanded, their goal was already achieved, and Soul Society is now dealing with the corruption themselves.
  • Aizen pits Kaien against Ichigo, ensuring that at least one of them will be taken out of the picture in time for his plan.
  • Lelouch is trying to set one in motion that will end in Aizen's death, but considering his track record when it comes to the endgame...
    • ...went exactly as how he predicted; Aizen is dead and Lelouch is arrested for revealing himself as Zero.
  • Talbumosuke sends Gantenbinne equipped with Segunda Etapa to the world of the living. Whether Gantenbinne lives or dies Talbumosuke wins because he will obtain all of Gantenbinne’s battle data.
• Ye Olde Butcherede Englishe: Seen in chapter 84 when Lelouch uses a machine to reawaken a memory from a past life of his in the medieval ages.
• You Are Number 6: Hell assigns all of its denizens numbers as identification in order of strength
• You Can't Fight Fate: The author has a literary gag where he will name several things that the characters can do to derail canon, but so far, none of them have happened.
  • It's subverted one time: when Susanna makes the choice to ask Lelouch if he'll be hers.
• You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Subverted. Talbumosuke says that Yammy will only become this once he is actually dead.
  • Subverted again for Mia. Despite the fact that Kaien killed her. Talbumosuke plans to revive her because she is near perfection in his mind.
• You Need to Get Laid: Eien Tamashi certainly thinks so of Lelouch.
  • It finally happens in chapter 33.
• Younger Than They Look: Played with. To avoid giving Karin ideas that she should get married to Isshin, Hisana says she's only 30 years old. While physically she could possibly pass for that age we know she is so much older
• You Remind Me of X: When Keshiba asks Lelouch why Lelouch made him the orange phantom, Lelouch says that he reminds him of someone that he used to call by that name.
  • Happened again when Lelouch first meets Orihime in chapter 56 and telling her how much she reminds him of Shirley so much that it left him in sadness before asking her to act as Shirley temporarily in order for Lelouch to have temporary peace before meeting Shirley again in 17 years time.

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