In the war-torn world of the popular mecha anime Code Geass, death awaits around every corner. Imperialistic nations crush their people under their dominant rule and their violence breeds tragedy. Protagonist Lelouch vi Britannia intends to destroy the Holy Britannian Empire, and after he receives a Geass from the witch CC, he finally seems to have a real chance.
But his quest and his rebellion don’t come without a price. Before creation, there must come destruction, and countless people are killed throughout Lelouch’s journey. From murderers to innocents, no one is safe, though some deaths are certainly sadder than others.
10 Dorothea Ernst And Monica Kruszewski Die In Mere Seconds
The Knights of Rounds appear in Season 2 of the anime as the Empire’s fiercest and strongest warriors, working directly under Emperor Charles. After Lelouch kills his father and takes over the throne, they refuse to serve a man they see as a murderous usurper. Under the command of the Knight of One, Bismarck Waldstein, they rally against Lelouch.
The Knight of Zero, Suzaku Kururugi, is sent to intercept in the Lancelot Albion. Gino Weinberg is the only Rounds who survives Suzaku’s attack. Dorothea Ernst and Monica Kruszewski die in mere seconds, which is particularly upsetting for fans who may have been familiar with the characters from the manga.
9 Andreas Darlton Dies Moments After He Recovers From Lelouch’s Geass
Britannia has many flaws, but if there’s one thing about the Empire that is admirable, it’s the fact that its soldiers display genuine loyalty towards their leaders. The Rounds aren’t an isolated example of this. Cornelia li Britannia’s men are just as devoted to her, if not more so. Even so, Lelouch’s Absolute Obedience Geass is still more powerful.
Cornelia’s most trusted general, Andreas Darlton, is placed under Lelouch’s command after the SAZ mosque, and he attacks her from behind just as she overpowers Lelouch in combat. He snaps out of his trance and realizes what he is doing, but it is too late. Lelouch promptly kills him with the Gawain’s Hadron Cannon.
8 CC Dies Innumerable Times throughout Her Long Life
Lelouch’s accomplice CC may be immortal, but that doesn’t mean she can’t die. On the contrary, throughout her long life, she is killed in many different ways, many of them absolutely brutal. She is stabbed, shot, and even burned at the stake.
On one notable occasion, she commits suicide and is crushed by oceanic pressure while taking down Jeremiah Gottwald. Her code does allow her to return, but that doesn’t make her pain any less genuine.
7 Kosetsu Urabe Dies To Protect Japan’s Last Hope
One of the members of the Four Holy Swords that directly serve Kyoshiro Tohdoh, Kosetsu Urabe evades capture after the first Black Rebellion. Alongside Kallen and CC, he participates in the mission to track down Lelouch and return his memories of being Zero.
When they are intercepted by Rolo Haliburton in the Vincent, things go quickly downhill because of Rolo’s Geass. Urabe chooses to sacrifice himself to save Zero. His death is all the more touching and significant because he knows Zero’s true identity—that of a Britannian student—but still believes him to be Japan’s last hope.
6 Shin Hyuga Shaing And His Knight Die Together In A Shockingly Tragic Scene
The antagonist of the Akito the Exiled OVA, the Honorary Britannian Shin Hyuga Shaing is so obsessed with death he receives a Geass that can be used to kill. Believing life is actually a curse, he even attempts to kill his own brother Akito. He almost succeeds, but his rampage is finally stopped by his own knight and the woman who loves him, Jean Rowe. Despite being completely dedicated to him, she intervenes when Shin is about to kill Akito.
She is fatally stabbed and shoots him in return. The two die in each other’s arms, with Shin finally understanding his mistakes and apologizing for his actions. It’s a shockingly tragic scene, made even sadder by the fact that Shin and Akito reconcile moments before he takes his last breath.
5 The FLEIJA Obliterates Millions Of People On More Than One Occasion
While many tragic deaths in the anime are individual, there are some instances where the devastation is so extreme, it amounts to genocide. While cases like the SAZ massacre and the destruction of the Shinjuku ghetto are notable, they are only the beginning. In season 2 of the anime, Nina Einstein invents the FLEIJA missile.
Its power is first displayed in the second assault on Tokyo when Suzaku is pushed by his Live command to fire it. Thirty-five million people are killed. Schneizel el Britannia later uses it to destroy Pendragon, utterly obliterating the Britannian capital and killing every citizen there, including numerous members of the Britannian royal family.
4 Rolo Sacrifices Himself To Save Lelouch From The Black Knights
An assassin from the Geass Order sent to keep an eye on the amnesiac Lelouch, Rolo changes sides due to Lelouch’s clever manipulations. Lelouch makes him believe he values their bond as brothers, even if it relied on false memories implanted by his father Charles. This backfires badly, as Rolo’s misguided loyalty makes him kill Lelouch’s friend, Shirley Fenette.
Lelouch plans to discard Rolo as a tool once he no longer has any use for him. After believing Nunnally is dead, he angrily confronts Rolo about it. But in the end, when the Black Knights betrayed Lelouch, it is Rolo who saves him. He willingly chooses to give his life for his false brother, who, despite having used him, gave him human emotion. It’s an incredibly sad moment, and even Lelouch mourns Rolo’s death.
3 Shirley Pays With Her Life For Her Loyalty To Lelouch
As one of Lelouch’s school friends, Shirley Fenette often seems out of place in his life as Zero. But that doesn’t stop her from being loyal to him. When his actions lead to her father’s death, she ends up protecting him from Viletta Nu instead of killing him.
Her mind is erased twice, but her love for Lelouch is so strong that after she recovers her memories, she is just as dedicated to helping him. This is what seals her fate. Perceiving her as a threat to Lelouch, Rolo stabs her in the abdomen. She dies in Lelouch’s arms, despite his desperate attempts to keep her alive.
2 Euphemia’s Tragic Death Changes The Course Of Lelouch’s Destiny
A truly kind and gentle soul, Lelouch’s half-sister Euphemia is dedicated to providing the people of Area 11 with safe heaven in the Special Administrative Zone of Japan. The plan serves Britannia well in the long run and damages much of the Black Knights’ support base. Lelouch decides to use Geass on her to make her shoot him, and in this way, sabotage the SAZ. She persuades him to join her instead.
But Lelouch’s Geass goes out of control, and an ill-timed joke makes him order her to the Japanese mosque. She attempts to fight the horrifying command but in the end, loses the battle. As the Britannians unleash devastation on the innocent Japanese, Lelouch shoots her, acknowledging that there is no other way forward. She dies after a heart-wrenching conversation with Suzaku, and her fate changes the course of Lelouch’s destiny.
1 Lelouch Chooses To Become A Martyr Through The Zero Requiem
The only ones who should kill, are those who are prepared to be killed. These words mark Lelouch’s character arc and foreshadow his fate. Determined to atone for his crimes, Lelouch becomes the Demon Emperor, the enemy of the world. Having faked his death, Suzaku takes on the mantle of Zero, a knight of justice.
The scene of Lelouch’s death at Suzaku’s hands shocked every single viewer, and their disbelief quickly turned into tears that echoed the desperate sobs of Lelouch’s sister Nunnally. While the Zero Requiem may have been a poor political decision, Lelouch’s tragic fate creates one of the most iconic and saddest endings in anime history. He was brought back in the movie Lelouch of the Re;surrectionbut some fans remain convinced it was actually an unfortunate creative choice.
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