Charles zi Britannia

Charles zi Britannia, born on October 15, 1955 a.t.b. (63 years old) is the 98th emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire, Lelouch vi Britannia's father and V.V.'s twin brother. He himself has the Geass ability to suppress memories and create false ones through eye contact but he lost it for the exchange of immortality. He is voiced by Norio Wakamoto (Japanese), and by Michael McConnohie (English). Overall, he is the series' central antagonist.

Character outline
Charles is a very big man, towering over just about every other character in the series. He appears to be considerably muscular, and well built. He has long, white hair, styled in Renaissance style curls. His hair was more of a light brown coloration when he was younger. He has violet eyes, and a angular features.

Through polygamy, Charles zi Britannia has 108 empress consorts (most of them he's married to by proxy). He installs his children in important positions throughout the Empire to see their true abilities. As Charles sees his children as extensions of the collective unconscious rather than as human beings, he shows little concern for their well-being as well as physical and mental health, prioritizing their well-being according to their perceived importance in The Ragnarok Connection, Charles's plan to enforce social equality through killing the collective unconscious and uniting humanity as a single mind. Despite his complete, and visible lack of concern for the majority of his children, Charles has shown some care for a select few, specifically Lelouch and Nunnally.

Though publically a strong proponent of Social Darwinism, (he publicly supports inequality and calls for competition and fighting, so as to create progress, even proclaiming the death of his son, Clovis la Britannia, as a demonstration of Britannia's unswerving commitment to progress) this outward persona is largely a front to mask his true goal: To make everyone equal and truthful by murdering "God," or C's world; the collective unconscious of humanity; uniting every living being as one mind, incapable of deceit. In the seventh episode of the second season, he reiterates both his public and private viewpoints by saying that the traditional morals of not murdering, not deceiving others, not stealing, and remaining faithful are lies used by the weak to defend themselves, and that survival of the fittest is the only truth, which he considers Britannia's duty to show the world. Despite openly supporting warfare, he views it as an ineffective tool compared to diplomacy and bargaining. Above all else, Charles hates deceit, viewing it as the root of all the wrongdoings in the world. This was apparently brought about by trauma during his early childhood, wherein members of the the Imperial family deceived and murdered each other for the right to succeed the Britannian throne.

First season
Charles' appearances in the first season are minimal. In a flashback, Lelouch questions why the Emperor did not try to protect his mother, Marianne. Irritated and considering his son to be nothing without him, the Emperor sends both Lelouch and his sister, Nunnally, to Japan as political hostages.

He makes a number of short appearances throughout the season, displaying apparent knowledge of Lelouch's activities, particularly in relation to his Geass usage. He also claims to be speaking to Clovis after his death.

Second season
In another flashback in the second season, Lelouch is brought before the Emperor by Suzaku Kururugi. Suzaku requests a position within the Knights of the Round as a reward for capturing him, which the Emperor grants because he is impressed with Suzaku's willingness to sacrifice his friendship with Lelouch to begin his quest to change Britannia from within. He then uses his previously unknown Geass ability to rewrite Lelouch's memories and suppress his Geass power. He does the same to the students of Ashford Academy.

Because Suzaku is the only one of the Knight of Rounds who knows of Zero's identity and Geass, the Emperor trusts him enough to lead him to The Sword of Akasha, a temple above the clouds and skies designed as a weapon against the gods. C.C. suggests that V.V. is the one who granted Charles his Geass, though the specific nature of their alliance and contract is to destroy the gods. He is actually Charles's twin brother, whose aging has stopped at an early age due to his Code.

The Emperor initially possessed a Geass power given to him by V.V. which allows him to suppress memories and create false ones through eye contact. It can also suppress the Geass power of the target, even if it is permanently active. During Lelouch's assault on the Geass Directorate, he takes on V.V.'s Code, exchanging his Geass for immortality. He now intends to unlease Ragnarök through all the Thought Elevators on the planet.

During the ceremony of the UFN and the preperations to liberate Japan from Britannia, Charles appears to Zero and the Black Knights declaring that the E.U. has finally collapsed and that the victor shall take control of the entire world, since the world is literally divided between the Holy Britannian Empire and the UFN. During the second battle of Tokyo, Charles is seen aboard his flagship approaching the coastline of Japan, much to the shock of Lelouch. Bartley's earlier suspicions are partly correct, as the Emperor plans to use the Thought Elevators (using the one in Kamine Island) in conjunction with the Sword of Akasha (damaged by Lelouch) to unleash Ragnarök. This is done with the Sword of Akasha, a weapon designed to kill "the gods", which in Code Geass is the collective unconsciousness for all of mankind. Lelouch sees this goal to be nothing more than stagnation that would doom mankind rather than save it, disrupts this plan by turning the the gods on his father, resulting in his and Marianne's destruction. Just before his death, Charles warns Lelouch that Schneizel's world will be the one that awaits him.

Geass
The Emperor of Britannia possesses the ability to freely alter an individual's memories at will; he may also seal the ability of another Geass user, as well as physical abilities such as eyesight. Geass sigils light up in both eyes when he uses it. The influence of this ability may be cancelled by C.C. This was given to him by V.V. During Lelouch's assault on the Geass Directorate, he takes on V.V.'s Code, exchanging his Geass for immortality. The Code mark is situated on his right palm.

Nightmare of Nunnally Geass
The Emperor of Britannia possesses the geass known as "the dead rise.", which he unconsciously used after he and his parents were assassinated, which as the name applies resurrected him and granted him immortality. This ability also extends to Knightmare Frame, which have been regenerated after being destroyed. He later used his ability to resurrect the older generation of the Knights of the Round to serve as his own personal army to protect Kaminejima while he and Marianne initiated Ragnarök.

Quotes

 * "All men ... are NOT created equal! Some are born swifter afoot, some with greater beauty, some are born into poverty and others born sick and feeble. Both in birth and upbringing, in sheer scope of ability every human is inherently different; Yes that is why people discriminate against one another, which is why there is struggle, competition and the unfaltering march of progress. Inequality is not wrong, equality is. What of the E.U. which made equality a right? Rabble politics by a popularity contest. The Chinese Federation with its equal distribution of wealth? A nation of lazy dullards. But not our beloved Britannia, we fight, we compete, evolution is continuous. Britannia alone moves forward, advancing steadily into the future, even the death of my son Clovis, demonstrates Britannia unswerving commitment to progress. we will fight on, we shall struggle, compete, plunder and dominate and in the end the future shall be ours. ALL HAIL BRITANNIA!!!!!"
 * "War has historically been an action favored by idiots." -S2E12