Shirley Fenette

Shirley Fenette, 17 years old (18 at R2), is a secondary protagonist in the Code Geass series. She is voiced by Fumiko Orikasa (Japanese) and by Amy Kincaid (English).

Character Outline
Shirley is a cheery and upbeat student at Ashford Academy and a member of its student council. She is also in the school's swimming club. Shirley goes out of her way to make others feel accepted, evident in her attempt to make friends with Suzaku Kururugi when he is first entered into Ashford Academy, despite most of the student body seeing him as a possibly dangerous Eleven. She even once invited Suzaku to go on a trip with her, which Suzaku declined because of military duties but was grateful for anyway. Shirley has a crush on Lelouch vi Britannia, though she disapproves of his gambling habits. As she is too shy to admit this, she often becomes jealous when Lelouch seems to show interest in other girls or vice versa, in particular Kallen Kozuki, with whom Lelouch has a number of misinterpreted encounters. Shirley's love for Lelouch is explained when she confronts Kallen in what she misunderstands as a romance between the two. Kallen dismisses Shirley's suspicions as false, and leaves a frustrated Shirley to Suzaku as he steps in. Shirley explains to Suzaku that she had developed feelings for Lelouch, after he calmly diffused a tense situation involving a car accident without speaking a word or seeking recognition afterward.

First season
Shirley has a major role in the middle of the first season after the Order of the Black Knights, led by Lelouch's alter ego Zero, indirectly causes the death of her father, Joseph Fenette, during the Battle of Narita. A depressed Shirley finally kisses him, and is shortly thereafter confronted by Villetta Nu, who proceeds to suggest to Shirley that Lelouch may be involved with the Black Knights. As Shirley attempts to learn for herself if this is true, Villetta covertly follows her. Shirley tracks Lelouch to a battle between the Britannian forces and the Black Knights, wherein an unconscious Zero falls out of his Knightmare Frame. She retrieves Lelouch's gun, intending to avenge her father, only for Zero's helmet to fall off, revealing his identity. Shirley hesitates, and Villetta steps in to arrest Lelouch and have him executed, Shirley then shoots Villetta to protect Lelouch. Lelouch awakens to find his gun missing and his helmet removed, as well as a blood splatter indicating that at least two people saw his face, one of which he is certain is Shirley, having seen her shortly before being knocked unconscious. In the aftermath of the battle, Shirley becomes even more distraught. She tries to write a letter about her feelings on the situation, only to throw it aside. Mao, a mind-reading Geass user, plays on her insecurities to convince her to kill Lelouch. While nearly successful, her first shot misses and causes Lelouch to trip, making him drop a number of photographs he had taken from her room. This reminds her of her feelings for Lelouch, and she refuses to kill him. After C.C. prevents Mao from killing both Lelouch and Shirley, Shirley collapses into Lelouch's arms. Seeing that Shirley is torn between her feelings for him, guilt from "killing" Villetta, and the events surrounding her father's death, Lelouch uses his Geass to order Shirley to forget all the memories that are tormenting her. During and after using his Geass on Shirley, Lelouch expresses regret for having to do so, and even makes the notion that he might have loved Shirley. After having her memories of Lelouch erased, Shirley regards Lelouch as a stranger in her life, only to find out that the two have been going to classes together for some time. Lelouch merely claims they had a fight to dismiss her confusing behavior. Later on, Shirley finds the half-finished letter she had written before losing her memories, which identifies Lelouch as Zero. Naturally, she is confused, since she clearly wrote it but doesn't remember doing so. She tries to confront Lelouch about it, but he is occupied by formation of the Special Administrative Zone of Japan and the riots that ensue following it.

Second season
In the second season, Shirley, along with the rest of Ashford's Student Council, have had their memories rewritten by the Emperor to accept Rolo Lamperouge as Lelouch's younger sibling in place of Nunnally. Shirley's affection for Lelouch has returned and her knowledge of Zero seems to have been erased. Lelouch turns to her for advice how to break up a couple in love in episode 11, as he is in need of a way to convince Empress Tianzi to marry a Japanese person as a political gesture to develop an alliance between the Black Knights and the Chinese Federation. Her answer about the power of love convinces him to instead encourage Tianzi to follow her heart. Shortly thereafter, she runs into Sayoko Shinozaki, who is impersonating Lelouch. To keep her from discovering a secret room around a nearby corner, Sayoko kisses her, which a confused Lelouch has to deal with the following day.



Afterwards, she learns that Lelouch (actually the disguised Sayoko) has been acting as a playboy and setting up dates with several girls at school. She becomes mad at him for this, but they eventually make up during the Cupid's Day event promoted by Milly Ashford. After the festival, she is exposed to Jeremiah Gottwald's Geass Canceler, restoring the memories which both Lelouch and the Emperor had erased. After coming to terms with it, she comes to understand Lelouch's motivations and forgives him after realizing that he is alone in his quest. She resolves to support him as the one true thing in his life, but runs into Rolo; when she mentions that she wants to help Lelouch reunite with Nunnally, he mortally wounds her with a gunshot to her upper abdomen. When Lelouch finds her, she is lying in a pool of her own blood. She confesses her feelings to Lelouch and reveals that even knowing he killed her father and had memories erased of him twice, she kept falling in love with him over and over again. In a desperate attempt, Lelouch commands her to live, but due to the blood loss, she dies in his arms. Rolo reveals thereafter that he had indeed killed her but lies, stating that she had intent to kill Lelouch. Knowing this to be a lie Lelouch commends him for his act, actually planning on avenging Shirley's murder. Her death was officially ruled as a suicide by a coroner. As a result, Lelouch blames the existence of Geass for Shirley's death. He changes his original plan to use the Geass Directorate against his father and instead chooses to erase the very memory of Geass by destroying the Order and killing every member. Her death left another impact on Lelouch where he would not allow anyone to get close to him in fear of suffering the same fate as evident when he lied to Kallen who, like Shirley, had fallen in love with him and expressed desire to follow him to death.

Trivia

 * Her birthdate is 07/09.