The Man Behind the Mask: How Lelouch Led With the King | Code Geass Analysis

[@Anonymous-ys9gl]

In chess, a pawn gets promoted to queen/knight, but in code Geass the king (schneizel) gets demoted into a pawn

[@LELOUCH710]

bros actually a genius

[@skell6134]

​@@LELOUCH710And once King isnt King anymore,its a Checkmate))

[@PedroFerreira-ne3jv]

Really cool stuff, but I can’t resist the joke that even this is another moment where they don’t know how chess works lmfao(alongside the 0 vs schneizel first chess match)

[@ky2223]

I think everyone agrees lol

[@home5893]

No hate, appreciate. 🙏🏽👋🏽

[@eattoast6378]

The fact that he's constantly playing every single one us, the entire series. The black knights, the empire, his friends, the people of Japan, he Chinese. Literally no one but c.c, and kururugi towards the end, ever knows the whole truth. Even the viewers are constantly forced to either empathize with or condemn every action, every mistake, every single one of the constant readjustments to the plan Lelouch is forced to make. And it's NEVER black and white. The biggest mind fuck of the show was how insanely humble Lelouch had to be towards the end. To keep people in the dark about the Princess Massacre incident, rather than saving face and having his closest friends understand that it wasn't what he wanted. Setting himself up as the villain of the entire world, burning every loving bridge and friendship, and ultimately sacrificing himself and his empire for the good of the entire human race. The perfect culmination of lelouch's original plan and everything he stood for from the very beginning. That's some fucking next level writing.

[@junghoonlim1580]

Kellen Ruppee I know it’s an amazing story and journey and I hope the authors bring him back... :)

[@imbangmaynn5705]

Did he have to die simply because to unite the world under one enemy? One great enemy that can only be defeated if all nations stand together? Then when he's finally dead the world can then become united?

[@magnusanderson6681]

@@imbangmaynn5705 I've been thinking about this and I think so. If he had tried to use his power as emperor to slowly give power to the people and the EU, or to do it all at once, there could be no way that everyone agreed. The nobles would still look down on commoners, and the elevens would still hate other britainians. Only by giving every single person the same foe could they be most united in the end.

[@imbangmaynn5705]

@@magnusanderson6681 yeah thought the same too

[@ministerofbeans2879]

420th like

[@nerovarana---]

"Lelouch the demon has sold his soul for humanity's salvation." No truer words have ever been said.

[@manubishe]

Sounds like a story from 2000 years ago

[@thewatcherinthecloud]

Unlike Charles' or Schneizel's plans which led to a terminal end, Lelouch probably realized that evil and hatred could not remain on a single point for long. By keeping Zero, Suzaku, his best friend, alive, he punishes him with the task of policing the world and remaining a symbol of justice for the time evil spreads in the world again. The foresight Lelouch had, knowing that someone needed to continue in defending justice, shows how Lelouch thought thoroughly of the entire plan beforehand.

[@felixgutierrez993]

So is he really evil? Yes...and No? He made world peace by becoming everything the world hated and died for it.

[@thewatcherinthecloud]

@@felixgutierrez993 what defines good and evil? is it the action, the motive, or the consequence? is good and evil defined by God? or do we humans just say things are good and evil by our experiences? what is your standard for saying what is good or evil?

[@felixgutierrez993]

@@thewatcherinthecloud Clearly LaLouch's was what outcome by any means so do you think his actions justifies his means? I believe you have to show the world what it is....and he clearly demonstrated that and back the bad guy to create world peace he back a symbol people can visually saw

[@erenjager3786]

One of the best Pizza Hut ads

[@kmations4049]

truly

[@amilleniumand554]

Didn't know the cruel and calculating Eren Yeager liked pizza. Get laid with Mikasa.

[@erenjager3786]

@@amilleniumand554 I already did when we were still living in the same house she called me oneeeeeeeeeeeechan

[@gendid1396]

No the best

[@FlorianFlorian573]

My mind expanded when I saw it

[@chariocexvii3805]

Code Geass is so underrated and underappreciated these days.

[@KatoBeyond]

I'm trying to fix that. -Zero

[@hybridh9702]

are you kidding so many anime fans think it's amazing... ugh. it's so overrated. the majority of the show is just happenstance nonsense. lelouch is like literally pulling solutions from thin air all the time. i don't think there is one twist in the whole thing that's grounded in previous plot. it appears a lot smarter than it is if you actually think about it which fools most people. so i think it's overrated

[@ptaramson1553]

@@hybridh9702 are u stupid? Code geass is fucking amazing

[@rishankgupta6455]

no not really

[@Cinemaheals]

Ben Hardman wait so why are you here exactly? 🤔

[@karan.kk.h]

My favourite part in the whole anime is when rolo says he knows (wishful thinking) lelouch was lying about hating him because all lelouch ever does is lie, than lelouch says he is right and confirms the ‘all lelouch does is lie’ part. I loved this part because in telling rolo he didn’t truly hate him because all he does is lie, that is a lie in itself. This is a great twist they put to the ‘evrything I say is a lie’ paradox. Plus the emotion they put into that scene is just outstanding Edit: guys I know he actually did care for rolo, I’m just commenting on the paradox

[@stevenbruno7710]

I can’t even watch that part of the episode without just feeling upset about Rolo

[@DaDonroy101]

I cried at that part

[@junghoonlim1580]

Rolo is my fav character

[@DaDonroy101]

Junghoon Lim his not my fav but saddest death for sure

[@navia810]

rolo a real bro

[@zeneggs101]

I feel like Code Geass probably confused us all the first time we watched it. In any sort of fiction or story, the protagonist is usually the one who is in the right. If not, then it's obvious they are villainous. However, this was a completely different case. I remember when I had first had the realization that Lelouch might not be the good guy. But it was hard to tell who was the "hero" of the story. This just makes Code Geass that mush better, because it does have you question who is right. Heck, I still can't tell which side is. Great video, btw. I really enjoyed your I put on the series. :)

[@KatoBeyond]

This show completely went over my head the first time I watched it, and I still loved it.

[@WraithReaper09]

That's one of the big differences between Japanese Anime and Western Cartoons, the Grays between the Back and White.

[@jaxusr235]

WraithReaper09 Some anime is just as black and white as Western cartoons and the Western cartoons can have shades of gray. It all depends on the writing, not it’s place of origin.

[@aagh8714]

@@WraithReaper09 but almost all of both are like that folk

[@elijahlee3610]

@Conrad Kujur DC cartoon stories? The DCAU and DCEU all have generic black and white villians. In comics it gets morally gray at times but most of the times you still know who is good and who is bad. Anime tends to just have better "villians"

[@mascarponies]

I GOT A CHESS AD FOR THIS VIDEO LOL

[@starplaysgames3130]

same

[@shady_chin921]

Wtf same

[@RunicRhino22]

welp, time to get gud

[@firstname9845]

same

[@Nisi1]

2. Ke2!! Lelouch would approve

[@F2p7YshCn9]

What I love about Lelouch's masks is that each one of them has a person attached to it, someone that loves said face. The big brother has Nunnaly, the student has Shirley, Zero has Kallen, even his "true face" has C.C. The only exception is the mask of the Emperor, the demon that is hate incarnate and thus unlovable.

[@kabulput]

*cough cough Jeremiah Orange-kun

[@gabbyparis4388]

I dont understand please explain😭😭😭i want to know more of this show

[@kabulput]

@@gabbyparis4388 watch it then

[@gabbyparis4388]

@@kabulput thank you so much. I fully understand it now

[@HarmonyEdge]

I'd say Suzaku is the person attached to the emperor face, as he is at his side when Lulu became emperor, share the same dream of achieving peace(world and japan respectively) told CC to be Lulu's shield as he was the sword, and the only one trusted with killing Lulu and be mantled as Zero.

[@Asdayasman]

"MOM GOT SHOT, SHE'S DEAD!" "How dead?" "Dead enough to make Nunally go blind." "That's pretty dead." "I'll say! I didn't even know that was physically possible."

[@RoydeanEU]

nah I looked this up people die all the time from being shot.

[@Darkdayzz]

@@RoydeanEU What episode what that from... I miss CodeMent

[@RoydeanEU]

@@Darkdayzz Episode 7

[@jose0252]

Why are you buying cloths at the soup store!??

[@RoydeanEU]

@Lord Zamasu so what? its close enough its called paraphrasing im sure mine is a bit off too.

[@thegardenofesim1174]

This is truly a masterpiece Your analysis on lelouch was spot on Time to rewatch the series for a 20th time

[@Zero-sm9cy]

hell yeah

[@NarutoGuitar2011]

I feel so identified, idk how many time are now, but I think I have watched the series at least 6 times now

[@thekebab1655]

Leonardo Valencia im at 2.5 ,i rewatch it but i forgot where i was and abandoned

[@monkeygenerator6394]

Same lol

[@JsJdv]

It was honestly the best analysis I've watched of Code Geass. Too bad I had too dislike because he's black, but it's a good video nonetheless.

[@lincolnbeckett8791]

As a massive Code Geass fan, I very much appreciate this video being made. The amount of detail that went into analysing the first few minets of this video alone is amazing.

[@oliverz4133]

1k likes and no comments, Nani?

[@NovaBushido]

I don't wanna seem like a fan boy but... I've watched Code Geass 30 times since 2008, my favourite anime, there's so much depth and plot in this anime. Can't wait for it to come back.

[@shrella]

Nova Bushido can’t wait for May 5th

[@charlotteturner6575]

I've watched it all millions of times I draw leoluch all the time and listen to the openings sometimes so I guess you could call me obsessed 😂

[@quelldieu7263]

@@charlotteturner6575 if lelouch is real and alive u would be his stalker XD

[@hybridh9702]

the plot is kinda shallow... :S it just revolves around a bunch of school kids and a revolution based on a kid who's a bit smart in a world full of complete retards. i don't know how anyone can take this anime seriously. it's 90% nonsense. every situation is completely fabricated and lelouch's out is also completely fabricated within the situation. there's no real set ups or a strong concept with rules to manipulate to make it smart. it's just random idea after random idea held together by a completely fantasy world that could be anything. it's like giving someone a impossible maths puzzle you've made up and then the answer being nothing to do with the maths puzzle and you thinking you out witted the person. it's just nonsense parading as smart.

[@immaguitar3640]

@@hybridh9702 Literally nothing you just stated correlates with anything that happened in the series whatsoever. What the fuck are you on about mate?

[@liu7]

Code Geass is up to this day, one of the only animes that genuinely and sincerely made me cry. It directly portrays and confronts atrocities, tragedies and poses existential questions about life and happiness that made me re-evaluate my own purpose in life. Most tragic characters were Shirley and Euphemia imo. They were sincerely innocent bystanders that unwillingly got involved and died because they interfered with something greater than themselves.

[@demigod5598]

Lol I felt nothing for both those characters tbh I’m gonna be real with you code geass’s character are not that fleshed out well at least the ones that died but Shirly I found annoying and in the way of the main character completing his goal Euphemia didn’t care for her also but when Le Louch died I was sad that was the inly time I was I sad watching the show

[@blahthebiste7924]

Euphemia was just a tragedy, an accident that proves to us all that the show is not going to go the way we think it is. Shirley makes me cry every time, because of Lelouch's reaction, how he KNOWS that she's just an innocent girl who loves him, and tries so hard to save her, but can't

[@rorokun_1666]

Rolo’s final moments made me cry

[@Yuu92296]

*Y'ALL MISTAKEN, TABLE KUN DEFINITELY HAS THE SADDEST STORY*

[@umartahir9889]

@@rorokun_1666 same here😪

[@skell6134]

Nunnaly's cry as soon as she understood what Lelouch did... carved a hole inside my soul and i dont think that anything can heal it up...

[@TheLordofMetroids]

This has ALMOST nothing to do with this video, but is a thought I had regarding the brilliant writing of Code Geass. Schnizel (and Nonnoly's) endgame is the Damocles, a weapon that can bring doom to anyone, anywhere in the world. It is a clear reference to the Sword of Damocles, a term usually used to represent oncoming, foreboding doom, but the actual parable the sword is from has an even deeper parallel to Code Geass. The parable features a tyrannical king named Dyonisus, who lives a lavish life, and an opposing lord named Damocles. Damocles was remarking about how the king has an easy life and how he must be at piece, the tyrant responded by asking of the lord would like to enjoy his life for a moment. Damocles was seated in a lavish seat, with the best foods brought to him, and the most beautiful servants assigned to see to his every whim. However, as Damocles was enjoying himself he noticed an oddity, the king had suspended a sharp sword over Damocles head, suspended by only a single thread of horsehair. The joy turned to ash in Damocles mouth as he was set with worry for the blade. He asked to be excused, saying he no longer wished to be so fortunate. When the king asked Damocles about this, he remarked, “there can be no happiness for one who is under constant apprehensions.” Now this relates to Code Geass in a very literal sense, Scnizel and Nonnoly wish to bring paradise on the world with Damocles, but the very name reveals that even if it is successful, no one would ever be happy with their solution.

[@danielramsey6141]

Damn, that's very interesting.

[@quelldieu7263]

yeah replying 1yr later lol

[@zagreus1249]

Bryan Wegner WOW

[@yurifier9649]

Nunally bruv sorry for 8 reply

[@lunablossom5241]

daaamn, thats so fucking cool

[@CodeMaeDae]

When I first saw this 28 min long video randomly pop up, I thought I wouldn't finish it. I figured there wouldn't be enough content to fill the window. This ended up being a high quality breakdown with good narration, editing, background music and scene selection. The anime companies should directly fund content creators like you guys because it enhances their product. Something like this would drum up interest for the Code Geass Recap movies and Season 3.

[@libraalibaba]

I felt the same way but I just can't see them following this up no matter how hard they try.

[@MusantoSus]

@@libraalibaba when is the next movie code geass: resurrection coming out

[@libraalibaba]

@@MusantoSus I've only heard rumors I don't really know.

[@takatotakasui8307]

Lost Boi Musa It came out last month.

[@aeirya1686]

exactly. i TRUELY loved the way he analyzed it. can't remember enjoying any video this much. just the way i see fit for code geass.

[@taythree5549]

I have rewatched Code Geass over 13 times and it took me this long to realize that, zero's mask makes him look like the king in chess, it was one of those "in plain sight" things that I never really thought about lol

[@mechajay3358]

_Create the Mask, Become the Mask_ *ALL HAIL LELOUCH!*

[@jirachi-wishmaker9242]

All Hail Lelouch!!!

[@eiboeck88]

Zieg zeon xD

[@watcherofmemelords7967]

ALL HAIL THE EMPEROR!!!

[@memorizinguniverse4247]

All hail Lelouch

[@Aryan-rx9rl]

ALL HAIL LELOUCH!

[@Johannnnnnnnnnnnn]

Wait Its all chess

[@KatoBeyond]

Always has been.

[@Votaru]

Always has been.

[@zama1899]

Always has been

[@base7]

Always has been.

[@brayden7098]

Always has been.

[@SorenS_]

Holy shit dude, I can't believe they weaved something as arbitrary-seeming as a random chess game (commonly a throwaway plot gimmick in animes to represent a battle of intellect) into the plot to depict the underlying tendencies and mentalities of the key characters of the story in such a sublime way that even manifests itself in the climax of the show. Made me realize that watching this anime twice wasn't enough; seriously, thank you for this insightful analysis video. Just made Code Geass from a top 2 anime into a clear favorite for me.

[@KatoBeyond]

For the record, I've seen this show over a dozen times and many of the observations made in this video didn't occur to me until my most recent rewatch. The show has that much to analyze.

[@DariusVladimirAuditore]

Lelouch is the embodiment of Machiavelli's Prince.

[@serahdhshahrbd1213]

Vladimir Mihnea this is old but I just read that book and it’s pretty true except he was feared and hated

[@serahdhshahrbd1213]

Dubious cheese it’s pretty boring if you’re not actually interested by it

[@elkronnie6500]

Not quite. Just because Lelouch was willing to use contemptible means to achieve peace, not every method would have worked for Lelouch. Broken Suzaku is a better embodiment of Machiavelli's Prince than Lelouch...but Suzaku is only D1.

[@Adil_Turysbek_TVRC]

There is a man named Oberstein in LOTGH, i would also call him as the embodiment of Machiavelli's Prince.

[@Dokja0]

@@Adil_Turysbek_TVRC Yes..I would agree..

[@mweri00]

When he said that rewatching code geass again lead to more discoveries, I felt that. That's one of the reason why I can't get tired of rewatching it. I just can't stop crying on how heroic he is.

[@DrJones0801]

People are gonna hate me for this, but I feel like Lelouch was just an all around better version of Yagami Light.

[@mommyslilstinker]

Dr. Jones yup

[@Lumi3dd]

They're barely even comparable, imo. Lelouch has far more depth.

[@Adil_Turysbek_TVRC]

Yagami Light was a simple school boy that went crazy after he got mystical power. Lelouch vi britannia was a great politician, war strategist, revolutionist,emperor....

[@yooman6339]

Light is a selfish teenager with a God complex and a deturped sense of justice who lost to his own giant ego. Lelouch is a revolutionary man who sacrificed himself for the greater good and, therefore, won even in death. You can't compare these two.

[@robotripshit]

light eventually lost his sense of humanity with his power. lelouch had the ability to do the same thing, but he ended up sacrificing everything while reaching his goal, unlike light.

[@culiusjaesar]

" I'll destroy the world , and build it anew "... Favorite line from lelouch

[@flowcalox6255]

AND THIS IS WHY I F*CKING LOVE CODE GEASS!!!

[@thomasraudenbush2074]

The way you framed Lelouche's final sacrifice made him seem to me like some sort of Christ-like figure. A single individual who took on the evils of the world and allowed himself to die to resolve that evil. It's truly a tragic yet heroic end to any great character such as Lelouche.

[@xkiruo]

Code Geass is my favourite anime of all time. I got incredibly excited when I saw the title of this video. You did a great job on this analysis, by the way! Keep it up!

[@xkiruo]

Well, here I am again. On Lelouch’s birthday. This might become a yearly thing and I do not regret it at all.

[@humbletreestump8134]

"The demon sold his soul for humanities salvation."

[@hunterpalemoon3436]

to too a sacrifice the need but they heated that it was need.

[@KnekoKcat]

@@hunterpalemoon3436 Sorry, what?

[@hunterpalemoon3436]

@@KnekoKcat what i mean is that the ones in on the plan know it needs to be done but they hate it. they also know that to have pace Lelouch needs to die for it to work also a Thanatos Gambit is exactly what you need to do

[@KnekoKcat]

@@hunterpalemoon3436 I didn't get any of that from your original... sentence?

[@hunterpalemoon3436]

@@KnekoKcat sorry i was almost asleep at the time

[@Szirako1]

1:38 Suzaku soups in

[@wormgirl9520]

Soupzaku

[@realestSuniaster]

@@wormgirl9520 you don't have the right to make me laugh this hard 😂😂😂😂😂

[@dontaivios]

I appreciate this video so much. I had to go back a couple times in the vid so I can hear points again. I love this series because Lelouch rarely explains why he does something to people so close to him. He has conviction rarely seen anywhere. His conviction also grows to be unselfish and beneficial to everyone. Such a thing is remarkable and unforgettable.

[@mayasandoval8224]

when Lelouch goes and visits Suzaku to save his sister then Lelouch gets captured he thinks that Suzaku sets him and then you see the scene when lelouch is crying saying that he can only rely on himself that really hit my heart because you can see the lelouch is still human and he valued his friendship with his first-ever friend that truely cared about his before just seeing how lelouch lost all hope and he thought he could only rely on himself and portrayed himself as the bad guy, in the end, suzaku and lelouch truly have such a great friendship they could literally take over the world together

[@holschermarc]

The first time i watched Code Geass i swore to never watch it again because it broke my heart at so many places, but than it got on Netflix and i watched just the first episode for fun .... and ended up binging the whole show again. Once u see Lelouch casting his Geass on u in the Opening it forces u to watch the entire show. Code Geass broke my heart, it broke my soul but not my love for such an amazing show!

[@xwacha6987]

what about the ending where C.C talks to herself, or so we think, and then she ends up saying "what do you think, Lelouch?"

[@KatoBeyond]

She can communicate with people through C's World, like Marianne. If Lelouch died, she'd still be able to talk to him.

[@vorcent_jax]

@@KatoBeyond what do you think about code geass movie: lelouch resurrection?

[@KatoBeyond]

I made a video about that movie titled "The Future of Code Geass". Seems like there were a few inaccuracies in my understanding of events, but it still represents my thoughts well enough.

[@turtleonthesun45]

In the original Japanese ending it shows lelouch's face

[@WorldsWorstJinx]

@@turtleonthesun45 sauce? Cause I've never seen it in the sub

[@OnajTamo]

'The road to hell is paved with good intentions...' But what many people don't know is the constinuation of this sentence, to reach heaven... 'the road to heaven is paved with miles of murky hell.'

[@buckyboy3711]

I honestly felt bad for Lelouch each and every time I rewatched the whole series since he had to suffer so much and he had to bear so many sins just so Nunnaly's wish can come true..

[@XxxTohot4youxxX]

I don't think Lelouch was ever happy until he started making change so I don't feel bad for him. It brought him joy to achieve without that he himself said he was dead.

[@PhulaTrox]

Watched this so many times already (via the livestream). Zero, this has, by far, got to be your best video yet. The editing was excellent (props to Hoodie), I adored the chess analyses, both of the game boards and particularly of the final battle, a ton, and you've went deeper into some of my favourite aspects of _Code_ _Geass,_ and made me love those aspects, and consequently the series as a whole, much much more.

[@alexanderishere6205]

PhulaTrox me to

[@tymanjam2906]

Honestly one of the greatest analysis I've ever seen in my entire life

[@vestrauce5790]

I recommend skipping this Video until you watch the Anime it's in my opinion so worth not spoiling this work of Art.

[@diskeyes]

The anime is one of the only one that actually kept me going “WTF” every episode

[@ADYoffline]

So producers suddenly forgot how to play chess at lelouch vs schneizel chess scene :D

[@nicholaswilson1851]

Ahmet Deniz Yilmaz I always thought it was weird how they say you need to actually capture the king instead of just cornering him

[@santiagoperez2094]

@@nicholaswilson1851 its an alternative universe to start with so... meh

[@ramonyanez89]

@@nicholaswilson1851 It's my interpretation that in the context of the Anime/Manga universe the King pieces were substitutes for the person. In the casino R2 chess match taking the king leads to Lelouch recovering his identity. The stand-in for Britannia thought himself in charge of his corner of the world but it all came toppling down. When he and Schneizel are playing Chess and Szhneizel makes a move that is illegal there is a statement in that: If Lelouch tries to argue that Schneizel should play by the rules then Schneizel can counter that Lelouch has never done so and so why must his opponents. If Lelouch forfeits the game because it is unfair he is giving up, showing he isn't willing to take his fights to the end. By making bold and illegal moves with the king Lelouch is stating that he will take his power and do with it what it takes to achieve his ends.

[@adamblakeslee5301]

Strictly speaking, Schneizel's move might not be illegal.Chess actually began in the 500s and has gone through a number of revisions since then. I'm not entirely sure if moving the King into Check is actually illegal according to official rules so much as considered poor sportsmanship to the point of being taboo. Under normal circumstances, the move would be entirely redundant to offering a draw.

[@alexwitteried3893]

@@adamblakeslee5301 it's legit illegal

[@gabrieldeoliveira8304]

During the final battle between Lelouch and Schnitzel, their maneuvers were referred to be like they’re playing chess. It just proves how amazing this series is.

[@klaasfaak4039]

This video blew my mind and made me respect and love the show even more. I hope this video reaches above 100K views because it deserves it.

[@quisqueyanguy120]

Hell yeah!

[@itsnotwhatyouthinkicanexpl2810]

Lots of people already agree on me with this, but I'll say it anyway. *CC IS BEST GIRL*

[@blakeunderwood1075]

Lmaooooo

[@anoob785]

*CC IS A MALE AND AMD GOING TO KILL MYSELF*

[@coconutgun1590]

Ever heard about LeLoUcH’S mOm?

[@brianthesaint5115]

Mans is spitting facts

[@digitoxsynth1905]

Hey, why not have a harem, hmm? CC, Shirley, and Kallen together with Lelouche. But Shirley and Lelouche has really passed.

[@archaiclasagna6208]

That analyses of code geass was the best analyses of anything I've ever heard, 27 minutes and it didn't get boring at any point in time. Props to you dude, you deserve it.

[@matthewsan8201]

I've been a fan of Code Geass for years now and I always love stumbling upon youtube channels that share my love and appreciation for this masterpiece of a series. Thank you for your videos.

[@ZBoy-rc8zf]

I almost started crying around 12:00-13:59 when u discuss nunnallys mask

[@KatoBeyond]

It's a very emotional sentiment.

[@devoringdemonsoulq9086]

@@KatoBeyond it was a beautiful dialogue line

[@toreheggem2366]

I just realized, the chess game from the first episode also lines up with the final battle between Lelouch and Schneizel. He begins moving the king into a potentially dangerous place, if he moved the king wrong (made mistakes in the calculations and such), the knight would be able to take him out or at least threaten his life(The Fleija hitting him or them having to abort the plan) This creates an opening for the rook to protect the queen (Allows Suzaku to enter the Damocles and help protect Lelouch) allowing the queen to take the white king (Allowing Lelouch to use his Geass on Schneizel.) Of course, there is also the queening by white being the black knights taking the Avalon and such. Whether they planned it to work like that from the start or they got the idea later that is brilliant.

[@MichaelOyewole]

I was actually quite shocked when you made that link between Schniezel attacking first to a chess match when he and Lelouch had their final battle. Completely went over my head how it all comes full circle in the end.

[@sloth8866]

He utilized his gifts beautifully, till the end. Manipulating the entire world, even if it meant ending his own life.

[@GameToony]

I rarely ever finish videos like these as they usually ramble on and make flimsy points that don't mean much, but your video was extremely well researched and explained, and structured in a way that made all the information easy to digest. Code Geass is my favourite show by far and got me into chess which is a hobby I have been actively involved in for a few years now, and you served all aspects of the show very well and the chess analysis was top notch. Great video man :)

[@aleksander300]

Nunally. Be careful what you wish for. You might just get it.

[@ZBoy-rc8zf]

Great Analysis ALL HAIL LELOUCH

[@mahdiparnianpour8721]

right

[@Dai10zin]

Surprisingly accurate analysis of Lelouch and his actions. So many "fans" don't get a lot of what you laid out here. Great video.

[@mrana2424]

OMG take the pretentiousness down a notch

[@hotamadeus2726]

Man, everytime I see interaction of Lelouch with CC I feel empty inside. Such a beautiful and tragic relationship. I ship.

[@sashashadowhive6128]

I cry every time I think of how tragic lelouche's story actually is... But damn this breakdown of lelouch is AMAZING!!!! Very good job there!

[@chaoticzer0688]

There’s so many layers to Lelouch’s character and I love how you were able to get through pretty much all of them in one video. I’ve had people try to tell me that he doesn’t care about people and simply views them as pawns for his endgame which simply isn’t true. His actions and facial expressions often reflect that when Lelouch has to keep his “mask” on while someone he genuinely cares about is in pain and there’s nothing he can do about it, it puts him in distress and as the viewer we can see how much it hurts him. The women he loves in his life reflect this too, Nonnaly, Shirley, C2, Yuffie, and Kallen were all important to him in different ways. Yuffie being the one to actually convince him that there was another way to achieve his goal before his Geass acted up, Nonnaly being literally the core drive for everything even till the end, C2 being the person to not only give him the power to make his dream a reality but also keep his head on straight while giving him advice that not only affected his relationship with her, but also Shirley and Kallen whom he showed romantic interest in. Shirley was his first love and through both him erasing her memories and then her eventual death taught Lelouch the importance of C2’s statement about “keeping the ones you love most as far away as you can” which eventually affected his relationship with Kallen who loved him and he didn’t want to possibly loose her and so shoved those feelings down underneath his masks. Would like a video about Lelouch’s relationships with the women in his life cause there’s a lot of interesting points that can be used there to further show the points made in this video.

[@Ostentatiousnessness]

It’s the mark of a great story that people can keep analysing and finding new meanings and layers to everything

[@savaliyajay7303]

It is a great and beautiful quote

[@xelovir42]

This video was absolutely amazing. I’m sure it must be the best analysis I’ve ever seen about Code Geass. Making such a video that goes into such deep details that even I never spotted after watching the anime for a dozen times must have been quite an effort. I’m really thankful for the great job you did here. Code Geass was already my favorite anime of all time, but you’ve managed to make me appreciate it even more (I don’t know how that is even possible). Awesome work! Thank you!

[@xelovir42]

Also the chess analysis gave me an orgasm.

[@KatoBeyond]

Always down to help another CG fan nut. Thanks for watching, and for the kind comment!

[@lynxoflight72]

thanks ... now i love the anime even more ... shit...

[@jayku1624]

Never seen it but i tried to get into it

[@ppatel2039]

@@jayku1624 CODE GEASS!!!! ahh..a masterpiece, An anime like this rarely comes in a generation.... Best anime ever watched till now, And I'm not able to find another like this one.... only this ANIME is able to surpass DEATH NOTE. Reasons to watch CODE GEASS :- 1.MC with god like complex like LIGHT and 🧠 2. only 50 episodes (+1 Movie after the series) 3. BEST ANIME ENDING ever In history🔥🔥 4. best character development for both Protagonist and Antagonist⤴️⤴️ ~ BUT It's sad😔 when people just skip it after seeing First 2-3 episodes and telling that it's not like DEATH NOTE😑.... man, this anime needs 7-8 episodes for plot-build up and then BOOM💥💥 the whole storyline goes on another level and the 2nd Season is too intense that it would hold you to your chair. And also according to MY ANIME LIST, Lelouch (protagonist) is people's most favorite character followed by L (DEATH NOTE) ~ I must recommend you to watch CODE GEASS, a Japanese Masterpiece ever made.... ~ ⚠️WARNING⚠️: avoid spoiler at any cost for you full experience, Don't even search any Name of any character.... it will ruin your experience ~ My last words are that CODE GEASS is a Masterpiece that are made Once in A Generation ~ also new project is announced by the maker of this series titled as CODE GEASS: Z OF THE RECAPTURE

[@jayku1624]

@@ppatel2039 ive already watched it now and i can def say it was fkin amazing

[@fernandodiaztornero2]

Boy, that was amazing, a lot of comments have already stated this but it's something that cannot be left out, even if it's obvious. The quality of your videos are other level, keep uploading and I'm sure you'll be above the million subs in no time!

[@janejvmmsvictoria5857]

I've watched this show bloody 28 times, it's my favourite one ever. The final scene, when Nunally holds a dying Lelouch on her arms, realizes what the Zero Requiem is and cries and tells she loves him. Bloody hell, that breaks me every single time.

[@KatoBeyond]

Code Geass really is the best anime ever.

[@koustav24das]

20:36 the only moment Schenizel showed frustration. such a great character.

[@Lupinemancer87]

Code Geass = Pure, undeluted Badassery!

[@felixgutierrez993]

TFS lol

[@priyankachoudhury2965]

Extremely superior work... For the first time am I so satisfied in subscribing to a channel. I've come here after watching Code Geass for the first time and your analysis answered a lot of my questions. Thank you so much. These days, I never miss watching your analysis after I complete a series.

[@ChaunchoCYM]

Holy crap, I was just listening to this while driving home and I will need to come back and finish this video sooner rather than later. Your analysis within just a few mins gave me a whole new appreciation for the series' first ep

[@jjthan8772]

This was just amazing. Thank you so much! Just finished the series and it was nice understanding a few of the small details I missed. Keep up the great work!

[@FantasyJared]

This was a really solid video! I just finished Code Geass for the first time yesterday with a friend, and I gotta say, it's my new favorite anime. Keep up the great videos! I've already seen a few of yours, and your editing style combined with your impressive elaboration skills make the content very enjoyable to watch. Also, all hail Lelouch.

[@KatoBeyond]

All hail Lelouch! I answer the call. Anyway, thanks! You're not all that toxic, Jared.

[@akemi-de-lol]

All Hail Lelouch!

[@דמכי11]

Great video

[@whereta3097]

Code geass was the second anime I ever watched and I recently just rewatched it like last week. I didn’t want to deal with the emotional toll, but I did it and your analysis helped me understand and respect this masterpiece even more. It shouldnt be long now before the movie comes out!

[@TheRichmaster24]

I'm definitely going to have to pay more attention to the details next time I watch this

[@fvanessagan]

Code Geass gave you this sort of sensation in your chest when you are watching it. This anime is just too heartbreaking and made us confused how are we suppose to react. I didn’t cry, nor laugh, I just feel this hard feeling in my chest that I can’t explain. This story is too ironic.

[@kdsanime4507]

Thank you for still making Code Geass content, a very well thought out and sincere video at tht. Even though the hype for Code Geass has kind of died out, people like you make my day when I see passionate videos like this.

[@alexanerose4820]

I just hope Lelouch realizes how wrong he was when the new season comes out. People like Lelouch (or at least what Lelouch believes in humanity) are the people who dig the path to the better world.... if it exists. People like Schniezel on the other hand are the ones whokeep teh world running. That world we know for sure exists. This video was amazing I hope you keep it up, moreso when the next season comes out.

[@KatoBeyond]

That is a pretty interesting distinction between Lelouch and Schneizel.

[@vanesslifeygo]

Code Geass is THE rewatchable show.

[@MemoryPhaseStudios]

This analysis is AMAZING. I love it and I am now fully happy for subscribing for more awesome content from this channel.

[@yaboioshawott]

Honestly after watching this, I only appreciate Code Geass even more than I originally had before. And now I can’t wait for season 3.

[@AhmadSammy]

Ok, your great man theory video is not the greatest video on youtube anymore, this now is

[@AhmadSammy]

The only problem i can find with it is using dubbed scenes

[@KatoBeyond]

Call me a filthy American, but I like the English dub for Code Geass. Lelouch's VA does a good job. Also, we're glad you enjoyed the video.

[@stanime3065]

i'm a sub over dub guy myself But this Code Geass i actually think the Dub was great.

[@watcherofmemelords7967]

@@KatoBeyond dub step mai doods!

[@jamsheeddevotee7588]

can we all appreciate how good the english voice actors for Suzaku and Lelouch are?

[@shouvikdey8701]

Great analysis

[@claymorris4271]

This is fantastic! Just finish the CG for the first time and can easily say top 3 at very least maybe even top 1. Truly a masterful work.

[@marcusgotosleep4853]

There's comments 20 hours old, and it's telling me the video was uploaded 14 minutes ago

[@KatoBeyond]

Magic.

[@NervylHraje]

:*

[@thuropendragon7498]

Its the power of Jibun Wo.

[@Lillymu961]

Great video! I loved the analysis!!! Code Geass is my favorite anime and Lelouch is my favorite anime character of all time, so this video made me so happy. I loved the emphasis you placed on how chess ties into the narrative and the differences between Schneizel and Lelouch's mindsets and strategies. :D

[@KatoBeyond]

Hey thanks, we're glad you enjoyed the video. I definitely thought the Chess themes were the most interesting thing to discuss. -Zero

[@Lillymu961]

You're very welcome! Keep up the great work!!!

[@shrilekhkapse203]

The Most intriguing main character I have seen

[@castergil3537]

Glad to see someone giving this show the credit it deserves.

[@fl4ming_r4ven]

I'll be honest, I first got interested with Code Geass because of the Mecha, but I stayed for the characters. I never thought I'd become such a fan of this type of thing. I usually hate tragic heroes because they make me sad, I just want them to be happy. But seeing Lelouch smile ever so faintly just before the end... I wept silent tears, because the only thing I believe the most, is that such a tragic hero should feel even the slightest bit of happiness, even if they are moments from death. Because then, in my eyes, everything is worth it. All the suffering, all the pain wrought not just upon them, but the ones they care about, worth it in the end. Even if it's a bitter end. To be honest, I'm going to keep an eye out for more of these types of anime, because now I'm a fan of bittersweet endings.

[@BIG_AL2006]

Just finished code geass now I’m dead inside

[@KatoBeyond]

Just watch it again, that's what I do

[@zod548]

@@KatoBeyond what’s your educational background? That’s if you’re ok relaying that info

[@TheYellowFlyingFish]

Just wanna say your Code Geass vids (and others too lol) are amazing, and unlike any other on youtube. As a huge CG fan I love to watch how deep your analysis of the show goes. Its fascinating!

[@klaasfaak4039]

Glad to see this video still going strong.

[@timmirisuke1522]

the best analysis so far. great job!!

[@YoshiKirishima]

AMAZING. VIDEO. HOLY SHIT!!! Didn't realize all that thought put into the first chess game! I'm also glad that you defended (though briefly) the infamous chess scene. It irks me that people really think the creators don't know how to play chess just because of the illegal move Schneizel made with his King. I didn't realize all those parallels about the chess games, their personalities, the final battle, etc. Really like your analysis of the final battle! I need to rewatch Code Geass soon but it really makes me appreciate it even more. How you said that in chess it's usually a better tactic to respond with a more dangerous threat than to try to defend is also true for RTS games like Starcraft. I like how it was organized into clear parts. Great video that sums up Code Geass pretty well!

[@darthcalanil5333]

This is one of the best CG psychoanalysis videos ever! You just got a new sub my good man^^

[@chariocexvii3805]

Glad to see this video gaining a lot more views. Easly one of the greatest Code Geass videos on KZbin.

[@aaronthompson8052]

That was a great video bro!!

[@Nobody-tw8xw]

When the protagonist has to be the antagonist for a peaceful world.

[@lahola40]

How many times I have watched this analysis? I just love these small brilliant details!

[@KatoBeyond]

Thank you, comments like these encourage us to keep going.

[@takatotakasui8307]

I've also rewatched this more than I care to admit

[@Rantalanta]

Gotta say i just love your videos on code geass. The great man theory was the one that made me subscribe and you havent dissapointed since

[@danielh.8602]

Most underrated channel on KZbin, I loved this so much.

[@3thousandbirds]

insanely in-depth analysis. thanks

[@ajimit8669]

his sacrifice at the end of the series is when real man cried.

[@zpmao77]

The addition of background music really elevates this analysis (Compared to your previous analysis without bgm).