Despite Code Geass airing back in the Fall of 2006, Lelouch Lamperouge is still considered one of the smartest characters in anime to date. Following the assassination of his mother, which he suspects to have been orchestrated by a member of the Britannian Imperial Family, Lelouch embarks on a relentless path of vengeance toward the empire, vowing to find who was responsible for his mother's death.

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Lelouch possesses an ability called Geass; a power that allows him to command absolute obedience to whomever he wishes as long as they look into his eyes. He is known throughout the story for his tremendous wit and great tactical awareness, constantly getting the better of his adversaries despite possessing lesser firepower in many encounters. Out of all Lelouch’s practical decisions, these stand out as the most strategic.

10 Establishing the Order of the Black Knights

order of the black knights

At a point in the series, Lelouch realizes that he will need an army of his own to go against the Britannian empire. Having already assembled a small group of followers, he sees an opportunity to gain an even larger following when a renegade group of the Japan Liberation Front takes control of a hotel while holding its occupants hostage.

Taking advantage of the presence of the current Princess of Britannia among the hostages, Lelouch manipulates the Britannian army into permitting him to handle the situation. He swiftly disposes of the terrorists and broadcasts his success all over Area 11, displaying his competence and prompting Elevens all over the area to join his cause.

9 Recruiting Taizo Kirihara

Taizo Kirihara

Shortly after its formation, being a sole organization with the goal of overpowering a large empire, the Black Knights unsurprisingly find themselves in dire financial straits. Upon receiving an invitation from the Kyoto House, Lelouch sees an opportunity to turn the group's financial situation around.

The Kyoto House acted as an extension of Britannia. However, behind the scenes, it assisted Japanese resistance groups all over Area 11. Utilizing his connections with the group's leader Taizo Kirihara from when he was a child, Lelouch chooses to unmask himself before him, skipping the need for negotiation and acquiring a reliable source of funding.

8 Landslide at Narita

Landslide at Narita

Deciding to take advantage of another clash between the Britannian army and the Japanese Liberation Front, Lelouch leads the Black Knights to Narita. The Britannian army, determined to wipe out all that is left of the front, also sends the bulk of their forces and some of their most promising generals stationed in Area 11 to the battlefield.

The battle takes place on steep terrain, with the headquarters of the front positioned inside a mountain. Taking into account the nature of the environment, Lelouch directs the Black Knights to place electrodes in specific areas around the mountain. Upon activation, the electrodes caused a massive landslide, leading to the decimation of a majority of the Britannian forces and giving the Black Knights the upper hand as they decided to enter the battle.

7 Collapsing the Babel Tower

 the Babel Tower saga

Soon after regaining his memory following the failed Black Rebellion, Lelouch was thrown into the midst of battle, as the Britannian army and the remaining members of the Black Knights face off in the Babel Tower.

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After only just being restored to his position as the leader of the Black Knights, Lelouch begins to issue instructions to the present members. He tricks the enemy into thinking they had occupied the tower's upper floors and covered all but one of the exits. Making them believe all they had to do was corner the Knights at the entrance, Lelouch then detonates a bomb that destroys the upper floors. The rubble simultaneously takes care of the enemy troops stationed outside the entrance.

6 Lelouch Rescues the Black Knights

the black knights

With the majority of members of the Black Knights currently in captivity, Gilbert GP Guilford challenges Zero to a duel and threatens to publicly execute the prisoners if he doesn't appear at the execution ground. The execution is set to occur in front of the Chinese Federation Consulate, an area not under Britannian jurisdiction that also hosts the remaining members of the Order of the Black Knights.

Considering that the duel is set to take place on movable terrain, Lelouch uses his Geass on a worker in charge of operating the platform. Soon after the fight begins, the platform on which the duel is taking place begins to tilt. It is then revealed that the instruction given to the worker was to tip the platform in a way that pushes Zero, along with everyone present, into the territory of the Consulate. With this single action, the Britannian army can no longer take action against Zero or the now former captives.

5 Kidnapping the Tianzi

lelouch kidnaps the tianzi

During a political marriage between the Tianzi and the First Prince of the Britannian Imperial Family, Lelouch infiltrates the wedding venue and kidnaps the Tianzi. The Tianzi is one of the most important political figures in the Chinese Federation, though the real power and authority belong to the High Eunuchs.

In an attempt to retrieve the Tianzi, the High Eunuchs and a faction of the Britannian army under corner the Black Knights at the Mausoleum of Eighty-Eight Emperors. After deducing that the retrieval of the Tianzi may be too difficult, the High Eunuchs agree to kill her instead, openly admitting their intentions to replace her since the Tianzi is just a puppet figure. Lelouch cleverly records their admission and broadcasts the footage all over the Federation, instigating riots and causing Britannia to reconsider its involvement with them, enabling the Black Knights to ally with the Federation's new leaders.

4 Zero Demands Exile

zero

Soon after she is appointed as the Viceroy of Area 11, Nunnally declares her intention to reinstate the Special Administrative Zone of Japan. The Elevens initially reject the idea, as Euphemia's cruel betrayal remains fresh in their memories. This leads Nunnally's entourage, with Suzaku at the helm, to contact Zero for assistance in getting the Elevens on board.

Zero agrees on the condition that only he be exiled from Area 11, allowing him to walk away from Britannia with all his crimes overlooked. Suzaku begrudgingly agrees, and they carry on with the opening ceremony with over a million Elevens in attendance. Towards the end of the ceremony, Zero's exile is announced, and every Eleven present disguises themselves as Zero. This was Lelouch's plan to free all Elevens from the empire, giving them the freedom to once again establish themselves properly as Japanese citizens.

3 Order Against Euphemia

euphemia under geass

Though his initial blunder caused the massacre of over two hundred thousand Britannians on Euphemia's orders, Lelouch's swift yet tearful decision to kill the Princess afterward served him well.

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Lelouch is visibly distraught when he sees the carnage he has caused. However, despite his immense regret, he publicly claims that the massacre was planned from the start and orders the members of the Black Knights to kill Euphemia. This decision preserved his standing among his comrades and served as a starting point for what would become the biggest rebellion Japan had staged against Britannia since its defeat.

2 Becoming the Emperor

emperor lelouch

One month after Lelouch's victory over Charles, he abandons his persona as Zero and decides to take the place of his father, who formerly occupied the throne of Britannia. After successfully infiltrating a gathering of Britannian royalty, Lelouch uses his Geass to make them acknowledge him as the new emperor of Britannia.

Ushering in a new era with him as the driving force. His ultimate goal, however, is the Zero Requiem, a fact that makes this one of the most important steps he takes in the story.

1 The Zero Requiem

lelouch death

With how the world was structured thus far, Lelouch realized the chain of hate would never be broken. Rebellions would continue, and wars would rage on for eternity. So to break the chain of hate, he decided to become the center at which all the frustration in the world was directed; the throne of the tyrannical Britannian Empire. He planned to have Suzaku, disguised as Zero, publicly take his life in a staged assassination.

This would end the chain of hatred and lead the world to focus on more important matters that don't involve fighting, ushering in a new era of peace. The plan goes smoothly, and the death of Lelouch is broadcast all around the globe. This plan, also known as the Zero Requiem, was Lelouch's final act in the story. It was his way of atoning for sins while also providing a future worth living in for his sister and his friends, working just as he intended.

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