Known as one of the most popular anime of the early 2000s, Code Geass chronicles the journey of protagonist Lelouch vi Britannia as he seeks vengeance against his tyrannical father, Charles. But toppling an imperialistic nation isn’t easy, and even Lelouch’s superpower, Geass, isn’t quite enough. To fulfill his self-appointed task, Lelouch relies on his numerous allies.
From personal friends and love interests to his subordinates, the Black Knights, Lelouch’s allies often make the difference between failure and success. Sadly, Lelouch isn’t always on good terms with the people who are supposed to be on his side, and that is what most often leads to his plans going awry.
10 Nunnally Anchors His Conscience And His Humanity
Lelouch’s sister Nunnally may not be physically strong, but she makes a huge difference in Lelouch’s life. His desire to protect Nunnally keeps him from completely losing himself to vengeance, though he comes close a few times. In fact, in the first season, her role is unimpressive for her as an individual, as she is mainly his motivation and occasionally a liability.
But Nunnally displays the true levels of her strength during the second season when she manages to overcome the Geass cast on her by her father. Even if she is disabled, she proves she won't let that stand in her way. It’s a shame that, at the same time, she becomes Lelouch’s enemy instead of his ally.
9 Kaguya Sumeragi Is Zero’s Biggest Fan From The Very Beginning
Despite being fairly young, Kaguya Sumeragi displays an incredible level of political acumen and understanding from her very first appearance. One of the last members of the Six Houses of Kyoto, she supports Zero ever since his debut. She is ranked as one of the most intelligent Black Knights, and she is a strong figure in international diplomacy, becoming the representative of the United States of Japan in the UFN.
In the anime, she isn’t present in the original betrayal of the Black Knights, though she later falls in line with the others. In the manga, she is actually the ringleader of the incident, something that doesn’t quite match the perceived loyalty of the character.
8 Rakshata Chawla Brings Engineering Expertise To The Black Knights
Indian scientist Rakshata Chawla joins the Black Knights after her nation chooses to provide the organization with support. Rakshata makes a huge difference in Lelouch’s efforts to build a powerful group. The intelligent woman brings with her invaluable engineering expertise that manifests in the creation of powerful technology.
Kallen Kozuki’s famous knightmare, the Guren, is her invention, as is Zero’s Shinkiro, and the Gefjun disturber that shuts down the Tokyo Settlement in Season 2. Without Rakshata’s genius, the Black Knights certainly wouldn’t have gotten far.
7 Kyoshiro Tohdoh More Than Earns His Fearsome Reputation As A Fighter
Originally part of the Japanese Liberation Front, Kyoshiro Tohdoh is the sole Japanese officer who squeezes a victory out of the Britannians during Japan’s invasion. This achievement goes down in history as "The Miracle of Itsukushima." He joins the Black Knights after Lelouch topples the JLF, killing its leader, General Katase. Tohdoh’s relationship with Zero is rather shaky, particularly after the failure of the First Black Rebellion.
Even so, throughout Lelouch’s time as the leader of the Black Knights, Tohdoh is one of his strongest fighters, a highly-skilled commander and strategist. Sadly, he is among those who choose to betray Lelouch, influenced by Schneizel’s references to Geass and to General Katase’s death.
6 Sayoko Shinozaki Is Much More Than A Maid
Originally appearing as Lelouch and Nunnally’s maid, Sayoko Shinozaki is recruited into the Black Knights without Lelouch’s direct knowledge. Her skill set is later revealed to be incredibly impressive, as she is the 37th Successor of the Shinozaki School of Martial Arts. She can even fight on the same level as Suzaku.
Sayoko is incredibly loyal to the vi Britannias. In fact, she is the only Japanese person other than Suzaku who remains with Lelouch to the very end, assisting him in his Zero Requiem plan. She pretends to betray him by releasing the hostages on the Avalon, which later allows her to be unassociated with the actions of the Demon Emperor.
5 Rolo’s Geass Makes Him An Invaluable If Dangerous Ally
In Season 2 of the anime, Lelouch is originally under a powerful memory Geass, placed by Charles. Geass order member Rolo Haliburton is entrusted with the task of keeping an eye on him while pretending to be Lelouch’s sibling. Despite looking harmless, Rolo is actually quite dangerous, his Geass allowing him to paralyze anyone within a certain range, thus making him a highly efficient assassin.
Lelouch manipulates him into believing their brotherly bond is real. This has the unexpected side-effect of making Rolo kill Shirley Fenette, but also ends up inadvertently saving Lelouch’s life. It is through Rolo’s sacrifice that Lelouch survives the Black Knights' betrayal.
4 Jeremiah Gottwald’s Loyalty Makes Him An Unexpected Fan-Favorite
Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald starts out as a bigoted Britannian officer memorable for his participation in Suzaku’s near-execution. Lelouch earns Jeremiah’s enmity after using his Geass on him and making him look like a traitor. Jeremiah loses his position in the army and is later defeated in battle by Kallen. At the end of Season 1, he is apparently brought down by C.C. in a suicidal attack.
He makes a return in the second season, where he becomes a stalwart ally. Originally a guard of the vi Britannias in his youth, he is incredibly loyal to Lelouch. In fact, the sheer extent of his devotion to his leader has reached such levels that it has both turned him into a meme and made him an unexpected fan-favorite character.
3 Kallen Kozuki Is Zero’s Most Trusted Knight And Protector
Easily the strongest of the Black Knights, Kallen Kozuki is Zero’s Red Ace and protector. Her piloting skill is only rivaled by her genuine loyalty to Zero and to Japan. She saves Lelouch’s life on more than one occasion, and her Guren is often the only thing that can hold off Suzaku Kururugi’s Lancelot.
Kallen is incredibly disappointed when she learns the truth about Zero’s identity but eventually comes to care about Lelouch too. She attempts to defend him against the Black Knights’ betrayal. Seeking to protect her, Lelouch deliberately alienates her, but her feelings for Lelouch remain powerful even in the wake of his death.
2 Suzaku Kururugi Is Lelouch’s Rival But Also His Knight Of Zero
Lelouch’s worst enemy in Code Geass is also his closest friend and ally. Having met the vi Britannias as a child, Suzaku Kururugi strikes a close friendship with Lelouch and Nunnally. His decision to assassinate his father seems at least in part caused by his desire to protect them. Sadly, when the two are reunited, they seem destined to be at odds. Suzaku’s insistence to solve things peacefully clashes with Lelouch’s revolutionary mindset. After Lelouch kills his sister and Suzaku’s love interest, Euphemia, this rivalry escalates into genuine enmity. But both young men have a change of heart after the F.L.E.I.J.A. explosion in Tokyo and the confrontation with Charles zi Britannia.
They team up to build a better future, putting together Lelouch’s suicidal scheme, the Zero Requiem. Throughout this time, Suzaku is Lelouch’s Knight of Zero and strongest fighter, his determination and proficiency in piloting even allowing him to defeat the Knight of One. Suzaku and Lelouch prove there’s nothing they can’t do together, even stopping a F.L.E.I.J.A. missile as a team. Suzaku later takes on the role of Zero himself, after assassinating Lelouch at his request.
1 C.C. Provides Him With Geass And Brings Him Back To Life
The witch C.C. changes Lelouch’s life by giving him the superpower Geass. While she does so for her own selfish purposes, she remains a stalwart source of support for much of the anime. It is later revealed that she has a secret connection with Lelouch’s parents, information that could have very well changed the course of the rebellion. Lelouch doesn’t seem to blame her for her betrayal.
C.C. proves that Lelouch makes the right choice when she chooses to support him throughout his Requiem, even if it means her own desire to die will remain unfulfilled. In the fourth movie, Lelouch of the Re;surrection, C.C. goes to great pains to bring Lelouch back to life, and she eventually succeeds.