Ganymede




 * Series: unknown
 * Height: unknown
 * Weight: unknown
 * Weapons: none
 * Equipment/Installment:
 * Landspinner propulsion system

Developed during the third generation of Knightmare Frames, the Ganymede is the brainchild of the rising Ashford Foundation. Created shortly before the development of the Yggdrasil drive, the Ganymede is powered by a large external battery, limiting its range and operation time.

In spite its failings, the Ganymede forms the basis of practically every Knightmare Frame constructed thereafter. This is due to the effectiveness of the basic design, along with its skilled test pilot, Marianne Lamperouge. Her incredible abilities earned her the nickname "Marianne the Flash", and she would later become one of the many wives of the Emperor of Britannia. When Marianne was assassinated, the loss of its major benefactor and former test pilot caused the Ashford Foundation to dissolve, leading to rumors that the assassination was carried out specifically to curb the rising corporation's power.

At least one Ganymede (possibly the same unit used by Marianne) is retained by the Ashford family at the academy it operates in the conquered Japan, renamed as Area 11. This Ganymede is brought out of storage once a year for an exhibition at the school festival, where it's piloted by Marianne's son, Lelouch. In 2017 a.t.b., Lelouch cedes his role as the Ganymede's annual pilot to his childhood friend, Suzaku Kururugi, so he can make a giant pizza, only to have it ruined when the press catches sight of Princess Euphemia and distracts Suzaku. At the end of the first season, Nina Einstein fits the Ganymede with a Sakuradite-enhanced nuclear bomb, perhaps an early version of the F.L.E.I.J.A., which Nina would later go on to construct for use by the Britannian military. The bomb, however, fails to explode. The eventual fate of the Ganymede is unknown. In the second season, the Ganymede is presumably no longer at Ashford Academy, as the school now uses an MR-1. During a discussion, Milly stated that Nina was attempting to "complete" the Ganymede.