Age: 62 (first season), 63 (second season)
Date of Birth: August 4, 1955 a.t.b. (Leo)
Blood Type: AB
Nationality: Britannian
Height: 197 cm (6'6")
Weight: 108 kg (238 lbs)
Occupation: Emperor
Allegiance: Holy Britannian Empire
Position: 98th Emperor of Britannia
Charles Zi Britannia (シャルル・ジ・ブリタニア, Sharuru Ji Buritania), known as Charles di Britannia in the English subbed), is the 98th emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire, the father of Lelouch vi Britannia (and many others) and V.V.'s twin brother. He had a Geass power that allowed him to suppress and alter the memories of those he achieved eye contact with but lost this power in exchange for V.V.'s Code which granted him immortality. He served as the main antagonist in both of the series.
Charles is a cold and intelligent man who firmly holds views such as social Darwinism, believing that only the strongest are worthy of rising in society. His philosophy is not reserved solely for his adversaries, however, as he treated Lelouch harshly after the death of Marianne, offering no sympathy to his then-adolescent son. He is also deeply cynical, having no confidence in people's good and believing that humanity's natural course is struggle and conflict.
He has no moral scruples in how he deals with his enemies. His rise to power saw numerous political rivals and their allies killed, and even as Emperor, Britannia continued to engage in a global conflict with its adversaries. Ultimately, he cares little for the casualties of Britannian military conflicts, be they enemy combatants, innocent civilians, or even Britannian soldiers.
However, his views and ideology seem to have stemmed from his traumatic upbringing. As a child, he often witnessed his family kill each other in pursuit of the throne. Thus he naturally came to understand that without power, one cannot survive. However, he wishes for the world to be gentler; indeed, he even tells Lelouch, during their final confrontation, that the Ragnarok Connection will ensure the peaceful world that Nunnally wants.
Character Background:
Charles had at least 108 consorts. He installed most or all of his children into significant positions throughout the empire to see their actual abilities. Charles saw his children as extensions of the collective consciousness rather than human beings and showed little concern for their well-being. He plotted to destroy the collective conscious, thus uniting humanity as a single mind.
A large part of Britannia's expansion has occurred under Charles. He publicly supports social inequality as well as competition to promote progress. Ironically, Charles planned to make all of humanity equal and truthful by destroying "God," the collective consciousness of society and thus uniting every living being as one mind that was incapable of deceit.
In the seventh episode of Code Geass R2, he reiterated that traditional morals of not murdering, deceiving, stealing, and remaining faithful to one's spouse are counter-progressive lies made by the weak to defend themselves and that this is Britannia's duty to show the world. Above all else, he hated deceit, seeing it as the root of all evil brought about by trauma during his childhood. Members of the imperial family lied and murdered for the right to succeed the throne.
First Season:
Charles appeared only occasionally in the first season. In a flashback, a ten-year-old Lelouch questioned why he did not try to protect Marianne. Enraged by this, Charles disowned Lelouch and then sent Lelouch and Nunnally to Japan as political hostages.
Most of his appearances in the first series were brief, though they show that he knew of Lelouch's actions, particularly his use of Geass.
Charles was delighted that Lelouch had (although unintentionally) manipulated his half-sister Euphemia into causing such chaos and bloodshed, saying that Lelouch was now worthy of being called his son.
Second Season:
In a flashback, Lelouch is brought to Charles by Suzaku Kururugi. The Emperor granted his request because of his willingness to sacrifice his friendship with Lelouch to save the world.
He then used his previously unknown Geass power to rewrite Lelouch's memory and suppress his Geass, which he also did to the students of Ashford Academy. Charles decided to make further use of Lelouch by contributing to Europe's annexation until his return at Ashford.
Charles trusted Suzaku enough to lead him to the Sword of Akasha, which hardly anyone else had ever seen. C.C. suggested that V.V. was the one who gave Charles his Geass, though the specific nature of their Code was to destroy the gods.
Charles initially possessed a fully matured Geass power but gave it up in exchange for immortality when Lelouch and the Black Knights attacked the Geass Directorate.
During the Second Battle of Tokyo, Charles arrived in Area 11 himself, much to the shock of Lelouch, and entered the Sword of Akasha through the Thought Elevator at Kamine Island. Once inside, Charles was confronted by Lelouch once again, and soon after, Marianne, C.C., and Suzaku all arrived. During the time, Charles finally told Lelouch the truth of the events regarding his mother's death and all that had occurred, including his real reason for sending him and Nunnally to Japan as hostages. He and Marianne then explained their one true goal and began to initiate the Ragnarök Connection.
However, despite finally being told everything, Lelouch rejected his parents and all they believe. Lelouch saw Charles' ultimate goal as nothing more than creating stagnation that would doom humanity rather than save it and turned the gods against Charles, destroying him and Marianne.
Just before his death, Charles warned Lelouch that Schneizel's world would be the one that awaits him on the outside.
Geass:
Charles' Geass in the anime allowed him to alter an individual's memories at will freely, seal the Geass of others and physical senses such as sight. However, there are ways to break or weaken these seals as contact with Immortal or sheer willpower. However, the latter may have only been possible thanks to his death. He can use his power more than once on a person. Interestingly, Charles' Geass Sigils appear in both eyes, a display of his experience with Geass.
Code of Immortality:
Charles had gained a Code of immortality after taking it from his brother V.V., causing him to lose his Geass. After attaining immortality, his Code mark was placed on his right hand. Like C.C., Charles is immortal, unable to die, age, get sick, or be permanently wounded, is self-sustained, and his mind and soul were as eternal as his biological body. Any injuries he suffers immediately heal. Immune to all harm, nor can he die of any natural causes.
His existence and soul were completely independent of even the concept of reality, making him not bound to the subjects of life, death, and manipulations. As shown with his immunity to Geass.
