Kallen Kōzuki

Kallen Stadtfeld (カレン・シュタットフェルト, Karen Shutattoferuto?) is a fictional character of the Sunrise anime series, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion. Her birth name is Kallen Kōzuki (紅月カレン, Kōzuki Karen?). Ami Koshimizu won "Best Actress in supporting role" for her role as Kallen at the first Seiyu Awards in 2007. Kallen was also awarded 8th place in the 29th Anime Grand Prix.

Character outline
Kallen is a Britannian-Eleven girl, who believes herself to be a Japanese person at heart and prefers to be known by her birth name. Her father is Britannian and her mother is an Eleven; her father comes from a prestigious Britannian family, which Kallen benefits from. She attends the Ashford Academy, where she is a member of its student council and is one of its most outstanding students. Her brother, Naoto Kōzuki (紅月ナオト, Kōzuki Naoto), with whom she had a deep connection, was a former leader of the resistance organization before his death.

Both Kallen's stepmother, a Britannian, and biological mother live with her in the same house, but her biological mother is employed as a maid and is often mistreated by both her stepmother and Kallen herself. After her biological mother is injured and later imprisoned for falling prey to the Refrain drug (which lets people think they're reliving the past), Kallen changes her views and decides to fight against the Britannian Empire not only for her brother, but to fulfill her new wish for a world in which she can live happily with her biological mother.

This aspect of her character contrasts the frail-girl image she uses as a public front.Kallen leads a double life as a normal Britannian student and as a member of a guerrilla resistance group against Britannia, which is later reformed into the Order of the Black Knights by Lelouch Lamperouge. When she is in school, Kallen portrays herself as a weak-bodied high school student who obeys all of the formalities. However, her personality changes in to a very strong-willed and forceful one when she acts as a resistance fighter.

As a running gag, Kallen ends up nude or immodestly dressed in front of other people on numerous occasions. Lelouch sees her naked after she pulls back a shower curtain in surprise in the third episode, Suzaku sees her bathing under a waterfall when they are stranded on Kaminejima Island, she is forced to dress as a Playboy Bunny at the start of the second season, and she walks in on a meeting between C.C. and the Chinese ambassadors wearing only a towel when attempting to complain about the previous situation to C.C.

In an interview reported by the anime magazine Newtype USA, seiyu Ami Koshimizu talked about the difficulty of voicing Kallen because of the double life that her character led. Certain aspects of Kallen's character such as her girlish naivete and competitiveness made it easy for the voice actress to relate, even to the point of admitting that in some ways they act very much the same.

First season
Kallen appears early in the first episode, driving a truck with C.C.'s capsule. After Lelouch gains possession of his Geass from C.C., he takes possession of an enemy Sutherland and helps Kallen to escape the other Knightmare Frames chasing her. He further directs the remaining resistance forces, granting them a decisive advantage until Suzaku Kururugi uses his Lancelot to disable their mechs. She sacrifices her mech to allow Lelouch to escape, despite not knowing who he really is.

After this incident, Lelouch's unfamiliarity with his Geass causes him to reveal knowledge of the Shinjiku incident to Kallen, leading her to suspect him of being their unknown benefactor. Lelouch tricks her by playing a recorded message of himself on the telephone, drawing her suspicions off him by pretending to be the mysterious Zero. With the formation of the Black Knights and Zero's increasing number of victories over the Britannian forces, Kallen comes to greatly admire him, evident in her ecstatic reaction to her appointment as head of his personal guard. She even tries to assassinate Suzaku Kururugi after learning that he is the pilot of the Lancelot, believing it would benefit Zero's goal. The trust seems to be mutual, as Lelouch offers to reveal his identity to her when he notices her curiosity, though she declines.

After losing her Glasgow in a battle with the police, Zero gives Kallen the newly-developed Guren Mk-II to replace it. With its powerful radiation-emitting arm and speed matching that of Suzaku's Lancelot, Kallen becomes one of the Black Knights' most talented pilots, often facing off against Suzaku and usually proving an even match for him.

At the end of the first season, Kallen reveals her identity to the students of Ashford Acdemy when the Black Knights occupy it as their base of operations, convincing the student council that they will not be harmed. When Lelouch abandons the battle to rescue his sister, Kallen follows him. She witnesses his confrontation with Suzaku and learns about his true identity and his Geass power. She flees in shock rather than help Lelouch deal with Suzaku.

Second season
One year later, Kallen is still part of the Black Knights. Along with C.C., she is the only member who knows his identity and secret power. After C.C. awakens Lelouch's suppressed memories, Kallen confronts him, wanting to know if her faith in Zero is motivated by her own beliefs or a result of Lelouch's Geass manipulating her. Lelouch insists that her loyalty is her own decision. She seems to accept this, and still supports Zero, even though she prefers to see Lelouch and Zero as separate entities. She also desires to be in his inner circle as C.C. is, so that she won't be left in the dark about his plans; C.C. teases her about this occasionally.

During the operation to kidnap Nunnally vi Britannia as she is being transported to Area 11, Kallen receives an upgrade for the Guren Mk-II, giving it flight capabilities and an upgraded radiation arm. With it she is able to destroy Gilbert G.P. Guilford's Vincent and the remaining two Glaston Knights flanking him, then incapacitate Gino and Anya's Knightmare Frames with a wide-range burst. Her battle with Suzaku is cut short when the airship carrying Nunnally crashes into the sea.

After this incident, Lelouch becomes depressed over Nunnally's involvement, since he can't bring himself to go against her wishes. When he nearly resorts to taking Refrain, Kallen steps in and talks him out of it. Still somewhat depressed, he tries to kiss her, but she backs out at the last moment and slaps him, insisting that he bears the responsibility for realizing the dream he gave the Japanese people. After Lelouch regains his composure and tricks the Britannians into exiling the Black Knights, she asks him why he came back. Instead of answering, he asks her to come back to Ashford Academy once their mission is finished, but is interrupted by C.C. before he can explain why.

During the Black Knights attempted kidnapping of Empress Tianzi, Kallen is captured by Li Xingke in his Shenhu, having taken her Guren into battle without replacing its energy filler. Lelouch swears that he'll rescue her, though Diethard Reid suggests abandoning her as a casualty of war. After the High Eunuchs turn to Schneizel el Britannia for military support, she is turned over to Suzaku along with the Guren. She is sent back to a prison in Area 11, and subsequently transferred into a more comfortable solitary cell by Nunnally. She is even given a dress to wear. Suzaku approaches her after Shirley's death, intending to use the drug Refrain to find out if Lelouch has become Zero once again, but cannot bring himself to do it because he refuses to stoop to Lelouch's level. In retaliation, she beats him severely during their next meeting when Suzaku tries to apologize.

During the second battle of Tokyo, Kallen is rescued from captivity and returned to the Guren (complete with a pilot suit brought by Sayoko). Using the new Guren, she decimates the Britannian forces. Luciano and the Valkyrie squadron are killed, as are an untold number of support units. She then fights Suzaku, easily breaking through his defenses and bringing him to the brink of death. In doing so, however, she activates his Geass command, forcing him to survive by firing the F.L.E.I.J.A. bomb. She dodges it and the bomb hits the government building, destroying a fair portion of the Tokyo Settlement.

After Kallen returns to the Black Knights and Zero's identity is revealed, she tries to defend him. When the others won't listen, she asks what she means to him, expressing a willingness to die then and there as long as it's with him. To keep her alive, Lelouch lies and calls her a tool, but then whispers that she should live within earshot. She unsuccessfully tries to get the Black Knights to wait after their first attempt to kill Zero fails thanks to Rolo, and is left standing on the hanger floor when Rolo uses his Geass to escape with Lelouch. After Lelouch's escape, Kallen tries to protest how Ohgi and the others have discarded Zero so readily despite all that he has done for them, but they refuse to listen, still angered at the idea that they were merely being used as pawns. As the Black Knights move to assist with stopping the rebellion within the Emperor's forces, Kallen thinks to herself that Lelouch needs to live, as she cannot move on before getting an answer to her question. When Lelouch is crowned Emperor, Kallen and the rest of the Black Knights are visibly stunned.

Following Lelouch's declaration that Britannia will join the UFN, Kallen escorts him to the meeting, giving orders to the Black Knights beforehand to gun her down if she appears to be under the influence of Geass. Lelouch gets her to take the long route, giving them the chance to speak in private. Kallen recounts their history, then asks Lelouch what he intends to gain by becoming Emperor, as well as what she means to him. Lelouch remains silent, so she kisses him. When he doesn't react, she bids him farewell. Lelouch does the same once she can no longer hear him. When Lelouch takes the UFN leaders hostage, Kallen insists that she'll take Lelouch down personally, as she possesses the only Knightmare capable of fighting Suzaku's Lancelot Albion. However, Xingke orders her not to fight, fearing for the safety of the hostages.

After the Black Knights side with Schneizel, Kallen is stationed in the front lines. She breaks away from the main line to try and reach Lelouch, but is called back. When Lelouch detonates the Mt. Fuji sakuradite mines, Kallen and Tamaki shield the crippled Ikaruga from being destroyed by its crash landing. Kallen breaks into the Avalon and attempts to kill Lelouch, with tears in her eyes as she does so, but is stopped by C.C. Kallen defeats C.C. and, with the help of Gino, proceeds to the Damocles for a final confrontation with Suzaku.

Their duel ends in a draw, with Gino rescuing her before she could fall from Damocles. After the battle, she is taken along with many others who rebelled against Lelouch to execution, and then witnesses Lelouch's death by Suzaku in the disguise of Zero. While others think it to be Suzaku, Kallen stoutly proclaims that it was Zero. 2 months after the events, Kallen is seen to be living with her biological mother at a Japanese town. She still attends Ashford Academy, but has thrown away her frail cover, signified by her going to school with her true hairstyle.

Abilities
Kallen is a skilled Knightmare Frame pilot, rivaling the abilities of even the Knights of Rounds. She is acknowledged as the best pilot of the Black Knights by enemies and allies alike. Her codename, "Q-1," references, in algebraic chess notation, the Queen piece, the most powerful piece in chess. In Lelouch's assessment of the core members of the Black Knights, her "Combat Ability" score is 100 out of 100, matching that of Kyoshiro Tohdoh; she also has the highest possible "Loyalty" score of 100. With the radiation arm of her Guren Mk-II, Kallen can take down almost any Knightmare Frame in a single attack should they allow her to make physical contact, and later models also have numerous secondary attack modes for mid- and long-range combat. Her Knightmare Frame is also incredibly fast, allowing her to fight on the same level as some of the most advanced Knightmare Frames in the series. Outside of a Knightmare, Kallen displays superior fighting abilities, is highly resourceful, and she is apparently intelligent since her grades in school are top of the class despite frequent absences.