Diethard Ried

Diethard Ried (ディートハルト・リート, Dītoharuto Rīto), 31 years old (32 at R2), is a member of the Black Knights initially as the head of information, espionage, and public relations and following the restructure becomes Secretary of Media and Intelligence before finally defecting to Schneizel el Britannia.

Character Outline
A graduate of the Imperial Britannia Central University's Faculty of Law, Diethard is a former producer and member of the press staff at Hi-TV, a Britannian television station. Following the appearance of Zero and the announcement of his goals, Diethard joins the Black Knights, wishing to witness and document Zero's campaign to overthrow Britannia and rule the world. Like Kallen Kozuki, he shows fierce loyalty to Zero, whom he views as his source of inspiration.

Diethard has proven himself to be highly perceptive, easily picking up on the likely outcomes of Zero's plans. He recognizes immediately that Zero is responsible for the destruction of the Japan Liberation Front's tanker ship, a fact which Zero never made the organization aware of. When Kallen wonders if he can be trusted, Lelouch replies that Diethard is dedicated to making Zero a god, which makes him predictable and thus easy to control.

Despite possessing some knowledge of who Lelouch is and of his power, Diethard remains loyal. Only when Lelouch is exposed in front of the leaders of the Black Knights does he finally betray him. He claims that he would rather have watched Zero topple Britannia, but will settle for a hero's death instead.

First Season
Diethard first makes his appearance after the memorial speech made by Clovis la Britannia, having a conversation with Bartley Asprius. Afterwards, he is seen when Zero comes to rescue Suzaku from execution. Following that moment, he fell entraced with Zero and applied for a position in the Black Knights. He gave them information regarding the military operation in the Narita Mountains as well as in Port Yokosuka where the remaining JLF members were. After Zero rescued Tohdoh, Diethard was given the position, Head of Information, Espionage, and Public Relations for the Black Knights. He was the first one to suggest for an assassination of Suzaku Kururugi before he becomes a figurehead for the Elevens. Later on, he was able to convince Kallen to kill Suzaku in order to help Zero in his cause, but Kallen was stopped by Lelouch before she could. Diethard was seen during the Assault on Tokyo Settlement, after Lelouch left the Black Knights to fend for themselves unable to understand his current actions.

Second Season
Diethard reappears after Zero rescues the captured members of the Black Knights alongside Kaguya and Rakshata. He tells Sayoko to go ahead with the plans that they have already come up with.

After Zero and the Black Knights have been exiled, Zero turns his attention to the Chinese Federation. During their escape after they have captured Empress Tianzi, Kallen was captured by Xingke. Despite what Diethard advises to Zero to retreat, he still decides to go for it. But, after his failed attempt they retreat to the Mausoleum of the Eighty-Eight Emperors. Using the media, the Black Knights were able to get the citizens of the Chinese Federation to revolt against the government and the High Eunuchs.

When Schniezel reveals to the core members of the Black Knights, initially Diethard was the one who defended and refuted everything that Schneizel said. But, after the other members agree, he soon follows. As he witnesses the betrayal, he tells Zero that he would have rather have watched him topple Britannia, but then states that show is permantly canceled now.

Afterwards, he defects to Schneizel, deciding that Schneizel and his plans are more interesting than Zero's. When Schneizel is fooled by Lelouch and made a slave to his will, he flies into a rage, shooting a Geassed officer dead and holding Lelouch at gunpoint, calling him Zero and proclaiming that he shouldn't be alive and that his plan is finished, before Schneizel shoots him. In his dying moments, Diethard asks Lelouch to use his Geass on him, to which Lelouch responds that Diethard isn't worthy of it.

Quotes

 * " ... The first time I ever saw you was the night you rescued Kururugi, and I trembled, it was like a new era had taken form and appeared before me. I wish to document you Zero, as you build your organization and topple over the empire then take this world for your own. I wish to be there documenting history as it's created, nothing has ever made my heart dance more."
 * " It makes perfect sense, he wanted to cripple his enemy's defenses using the Liberation Front as a living trap! He's excellent material this Zero, He's chaos incarnate! More, show me more of your genius, let your ego engulf the world!