Knightmare Frame

The Knightmare Frames are humanoid war machines (mecha) developed by the Holy Empire of Britannia. Unveiled during the invasion of Japan, the Knightmare Frames are almost exclusively used in place of the practically obsolete main battle tanks. The name "Knightmare Frame" is a play on the word "nightmare" and a knight's mare.

The Knightmare Frames achieve dominance in combat through the use of 'Landspinners', self-propelled roller skates attached to the ankles of the machines which allowst them to achieve high mobility and speeds on most terrain. Sophisticated 'Factsphere' open sensor cameras on the head or torso gather visual data. The Knightmare Frames are powered by the Yggdrasil Drive, a fictional energy source. Later models also incorporate Sakuradite, a superconductive material. Typical Knightmare Frame armament includes handheld rifles and shoulder or wrist-mounted rocket anchors called Slash Hakens. Knightmare Frames are piloted from a cockpit set in the protruding 'hump back' in the unit. The cockpit is a self-contained control center which can be ejected in case of emergency.

History
The creation of Knightmare Frames is roughly divided in four Ages, which mark the birth of a new kind of weapon platform and its evolution into a full-fledged combat system.[1]

First Age: Infancy
The beginnings of the Knightmare Frame came from the creation of 'emergency survival cockpits' for conventional vehicles. Equipped with rocket engines to fly the crew away from the wreck, the contraptions were soon equipped with artificial legs to allow greater mobility. Limited room inside said vehicles restricted the number of legs to two. Though not a weapon in any sense of the word, the 'walking cockpits' provided the base form for their successors.

Second Age: Turning Point
Several years later, the creation of several common Knightmare Frame technologies, such as the Factspheres and Landspinners, lead to the funding for Knightmare Frame prototypes. However, the new technologies performed erratically, and the research was outsourced to military-based robotics projects and social-oriented programs. The former was assigned to a Britannian Army Special Division, the 'Special Dispatch Guidance System Division', while the latter went in the hands of a private group, the Ashford Foundation. The foundation implemented technologies related to training and education, enabling the entire Knightmare Frame program to make progress fluidly.

The bipedal weapon was nicknamed 'Knightmare' by the Army but its non-offensive equipment was referred to as 'Frame' by civilians. The union of those two terms gave birth to the name 'Knightmare Frame'.

Third Age: Archetype
With the results gained from the two separate programs, Knightmare Frames were developed in combat-effective platforms. Use of Sakuradite became paramount in making the Knightmare Frames perform to expectations, resulting in the mineral's value increasing greatly, turning it into resource as important as fossil fuel in international politics.

The Third Age also marked the creation of the Ganymede prototype, manufactured and designed by the Ashford Foundation. Its test pilot, Marianne, quickly became famous and was granted knighthood, before eventually getting married to the Britannian Emperor. However, the company suffered great loss when Marianne was assassinated. The Ashford Foundation eventually retired from its business and its employees were disbanded. The truth on the Empress' death was never truly elucidated but rumors suggest that her downfall was caused by a political feud meant to keep the rising Ashford Foundation in check.

Fourth Age: Implementation
The Fourth Age saw the introduction of the RPI-11 Glasgow, the first mass-production weapons platform. Its abilities allowed the Britannian Empire to easily dominate Japan during the invasion in 2010 A.T.B. The Glasgow moved on to become the baseline unit for the Britannian Army, though it is eventually made obsolete. Some Glasgow units are still used by the Knightpolice for law enforcement, and other countries have used it as a base in the creation of their own Knightmare Frames.

Fifth Age: Evolution
Following the success of the Knightmare Frames against conventional weapons of war, attention was turned to creating Knightmare Frames intended to destroy similar weapons, including other Knightmare Frames. The Sutherland is the result of this. The Sutherland feature improvements to cockpit comfort and function, better mobility, and increased close-combat capabilities to emphasize its role as an anti-robot weapon. The Second Princess Cornelia and her bodyguards make use of the Gloucester, a Sutherland variant designed specifically to combat other Knightmare Frames, reflecting the Chinese Federation and the EU's development of their own Knightmare Frames.

Sixth Age: Missing and Continuation
The sixth age features almost no improvements in Knightmare Frame technology, earning it the moniker "Missing Generation". The creation of the Seventh Generation Lancelot marked the first significant innovation. Sakuradite is not only used in the Yggdrasil Drive, but is also scattered throughout the frame, increasing performance dramatically in all areas. This allows the Lancelot to effectively employ the MVS (Maser Vibration Sword) and electromagnetic shielding. In addition to the frame, Sakuradite is also used in the VARIS (Variable Ammunition Repulsion Impact Spitfire), with the intent of giving it the strength to survive a direct hit. This kind of rapid development completely defies the notion of general purpose and mass production units, resulting in the Lancelot being a unique machine.

Britannian models

 * Galahad
 * Gareth
 * Gawain
 * Glascow
 * Gloucester
 * Knight Police
 * Lancelot
 * Mordred
 * Percival
 * Portman
 * Siegfried
 * Sutherland
 * Tristan
 * Vincent
 * Ward

Order of the Black Knights Models

 * Akatsuki
 * Akatsuki Jikisanshiyō
 * Zangetsu
 * Burai
 * Burai Kai
 * Gekka
 * Guren
 * Shinkirō
 * Sutherland Sieg

Gun-Ru

 * Series: unknown
 * Height: 5.00m (approximate)
 * Weight: unknown
 * Weapons:
 * Machine Gun × 2
 * Cannon × 2
 * Equipment/Installment:
 * Landspinner propulsion system

In an attempt to match the effectiveness of Britannian Knightmare Frames, the Chinese Federation designed the Gun-Ru, a Knightmare both similar to and yet highly different from Britannian models.

Larger than its Britannian counterparts, the Gun-Ru's body is dome-shaped, with smaller legs and manipulators that fold into the body, giving it an almost frog-like appearance. The Gun-Ru's armament consists of a pair of machine guns and a pair of cannons, mounted on the shoulders of the main unit.

Though much weaker than Britannian Knightmares, the Gun-Ru is cheaper to produce, allowing the Chinese to rely upon the strength of numbers when using them. The Chinese Federation deploys many Gun-Ru's during its attempt to take over Kyushu, the southernmost island of Japan. Initially, even Suzaku Kururugi and his Z-01 Lancelot are overwhelmed by the sheer number of Gun-Ru sent after him, but the surprise intervention of Black Knight leader Zero in the Gawain turns the tables on the Chinese.

Shenhu

 * Series: unknown
 * Height: unknown
 * Weight: unknown
 * Weapons:
 * Wrist Slash Haken × 2
 * Baryon Cannon (天愕覇王重粒子砲, Tengaku Haoh Juuryushi Hou, lit. Heavenly frightening overlord heavy particle cannon) x1
 * Short sword × 1
 * Equipment/Installment:
 * Landspinner propulsion system
 * Integrated Float System

A Knightmare Frame model developed by Rakshata's team at the same time as the Guren Mk-II, the Shenhu (神虎, Shenhu? lit. "Divine Tiger") was given to the main forces of the Chinese Federation by the Maharaja. However, it was left in storage because piloting it was too physically demanding, and thus a suitable pilot could not be found. Li Xingke proves capable of piloting it, but even at forty percent power the task proves very stressful. The Shenhu has blue armor with red and gold parts, and its head unit has an intricate design with a red spike protruding from the top.

Having been built by the same team that developed the Black Knights' Knightmares, the Shenhu is equipped with the same type of Float System. Mounted in its torso is the powerful Baryon Cannon (天愕覇王重粒子砲, Tengaku Haoh Juuryushi Hou?, lit. Heavenly frightening overlord heavy particle cannon), a weapon similar to the Hadron Cannon; at forty percent power, it is able to match the full force of the Guren Flight-Enabled Version's improved radiant wave surger. Its main weapons are two dagger-shaped Slash Hakens mounted on its wrist. By wrapping or impaling an enemy with the Slash Hakens, the Shenhu can send a powerful electrical charge along the cable, instantly destroying the Knightmare on the receiving end. The Shenhu's wrist armor can also spin in place to turn the Slash Hakens into powerful flails which can double as shields. Finally, the Shenhu has a short sword stored near its shoulder.

Bamides

 * Series: unknown
 * Height: unknown
 * Weight: unknown
 * Weapons:
 * Long-Range Cannon × 1
 * Machine Gun × 2
 * Missile Launcher × 2
 * Equipment/Installment:
 * Landspinner propulsion system

The Bamides is a fourth generation Knightmare Frame mass-produced by the Middle Eastern Federation. It is equipped with treaded Landspinners, allowing for improved traction over the desert sands. Its main weapons include two packs of missile launchers on the shoulders that carry up to six missiles, two side-mounted machine guns, and a long-range cannon mounted directly below the head. Their design is highly unconventional as far as Knightmare Frames go; they have no limbs to speak of, and are shaped more like elongated tanks with separate treads and an elevated "shoulder" area. It is also much larger than a Sutherland or Gloucester, requiring a large crew to operate it. Its configuration gives it fairly good speed compared to more traditional Knightmares, but its size and lack of maneuverability make it a large, easy target.

Bamides units first appeared in the fifth episode, where they fought and nearly defeated a division of Britannians. They were destroyed in short order by a group of Gloucesters, lead by Princess Cornelia, who went on to blow up the base they were defending.

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. 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, Millay stated that Nina was attempting to "complete" the Ganymede.

MR-1

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

A basic non-combat Knightmare that can fold itself into a more compact form. A white-and-black MR-1 was used by the Order of the Black Knights in the rescue of Suzaku Kururugi during the first season. In the second season, a purple-and-yellow model is used by Ashford Academy instead of the Ganymede. During a festival honoring Knight of Seven Suzaku Kururugi, during which a second attempt was under way to make the world's largest pizza, the MR-1, intended to be piloted by Suzaku, is hijacked by Gino Weinberg. The pizza is again ruined when Lelouch activates the fire extinguishers to hide C.C.'s presence.

Panzer-Hummel

 * Series: unknown
 * Height: unknown
 * Weight: unknown
 * Weapons/Installment:
 * Machine Gun × 2
 * Cannon × 2
 * Slash Haken × 2 (スラッシュハーケン, Surasshuhāken?)
 * Equipment/Installment:
 * Landspinner propulsion system

The Panzer-Hummel is a mass-production model Knightmare Frame used by the member nations of the Euro Universe, introduced in the second season. The Panzer-Hummel possesses two cannons mounted on its arms, two machine guns, and two Slash Hakens mounted on the hips. They are less mobile than Sutherlands, and are most likely incapable of hand-to-hand combat, due to their lack of proper hands; however, their cannon-arms give them superior ranged combat abilities. "Panzer-Hummel" is German and means "armor bumblebee" or "tank bumblebee", depending on the translation of the word "Panzer", which may mean either.

This unit made its appearance in the third episode 3 of the second season, where a division of Panzer-Hummels almost decimated Britannian Forces to prevent an amphibious landing in continental Europe, until Suzaku and his Lancelot appeared and fought the entire group.

Aquila
Appearing in the Nintendo DS game, the Aquila is a seventh generation Knightmare Frame prototype. This unit possesses weapons that have been mostly optimized for mid-air combat. It is piloted by Pollux Rui Britannia.
 * Series: unknown
 * Height: unknown
 * Weight: unknown
 * Weapons:
 * Spear
 * Wing Blades
 * Wing Shot × 4
 * Equipment/Installment:
 * Integrated Float System

Equus

 * Series: unknown
 * Height: unknown
 * Weight: unknown
 * Weapons:
 * Hammer × 1
 * Hip Cannon × 2
 * Equipment/Installment:
 * Factsphere sensor

Appearing in the Nintendo DS game, the Equus is a seventh generation Knightmare Frame prototype. It has four legs and no Landspinners, giving a somewhat horse-like appearance. The Factsphere sensor is located on the head. It is piloted by Castor Rui Britannia.

Gekka Pre-Production Test Type

 * Series: Type-3F
 * Height: 4.45m
 * Weight: 7920kg
 * Weapons:
 * Slash Haken × 1 (スラッシュハーケン, Surasshuhāken?)
 * Fukushahadō × 1 (輻射波動, Fukushahadō × 1? lit. radiation surge)
 * Equipment/Installment:
 * Landspinner propulsion system

This prototype Gekka unit is the first and earlier unit developed by the Kyoto Group. This Knightmare has blue-colored armor with gray highlights. Its only weapons appears to be a Slash Haken and a early Fukushahadō on its left arm. The Fukushahadō, which only has three fingers, was later customized and upgraded to made it easier to use, which makes it a second-type Fukushahadō. The arm was later customized and used on the Guren Type-02 in the second season. This unit only appears in Code Geass: Lost Colors, piloted by the protagonist Rai if the player chooses the Order of the Black Knights route.

Lancelot Club

 * Series: Z-01
 * Height: 4.49m
 * Weight: 6890kg
 * Weapons:
 * Slash Haken × 2 (スラッシュハーケン, Surasshu Hāken?) (wired rocket anchors)
 * Twin MVS x1 / Lance-Type MVS (Maser Vibration Sword (メーザー バイブレーション ソード, Mēzā Baiburēshon Sōdo×2?))
 * VARIS × 1 (ヴァリス, Varisu?) (specialized particle rifle) (VARIS: Variable Ammunition Repulsion Impact Spitfire)


 * Equipment/Installment:
 * Blaze Luminous × 2
 * Factsphere sensor × 2 (on the shoulders)
 * Landspinner propulsion system
 * Optional Float System
 * Cockpit Ejection system

A prototype seventh generation Knightmare Frame built from spare parts for the Lancelot, the Lancelot Club, or simply the 'Club', features many of the same specifications as the original. In fact, the Club is in many ways a go-between the Lancelot and the mass-production Vincent, equipped with Lancelot's forearm mounted Blaze Luminous and Slash Hakens, but featuring the Vincent's dual MVS and shoulder mounted fact spheres. This unit only appears in Code Geass: Lost Colors, built specifically for and piloted by the protagonist Rai if the player chooses the Britannian military route.

Lancelot Enhanced

 * Series: Z-01
 * Height: 4.49m
 * Weight: 6890kg
 * Weapons:
 * Slash Haken × 4 (スラッシュハーケン, Surasshu Hāken?) (wired rocket anchors)
 * MVS × 2 (Maser Vibration Sword (メーザー バイブレーション ソード, Mēzā Baiburēshon Sōdo×2?))
 * VARIS × 1 (ヴァリス, Varisu?) (specialized particle rifle) (VARIS: Variable Ammunition Repulsion Impact Spitfire)
 * Hadron Blaster × 1 (ハドロンブラスター, Hadoron Burasutā?)
 * Equipment/Installment:
 * Blaze Luminous × 2
 * Haken Booster × 4
 * Factsphere sensor × 2
 * Landspinner propulsion system
 * Optional Float System

An upgraded version of the Lancelot, Suzaku Kururugi receives this upgraded Knightmare Frame in the Nintendo DS game. This is another enhanced seventh generation KMF for the Lancelot.

Mark Nemo

 * Series: none
 * Height: unknown
 * Weight: unknown
 * Weapons:
 * Blonde Knife × 6 (remote wired rocket anchors)
 * Katana × 1
 * Equipment/Installment: none

The Mark Nemo, which makes its first appearance in the Nightmare of Nunnally manga, is an advanced Knightmare Frame piloted by Nunnally Lamperouge. Unlike most Knightmare Frames, the Mark Nemo does not possess Landspinners; as a result, it can move more acrobatically, allowing it to jump and run in high places.

The main weapons of the Mark Nemo are six remote wired rocket anchors known as Blonde Knives. They are similar to Slash Hakens, except that they possesses sharp blades on the end that can penetrate any Knightmare Frame and can also drill rapidly on the ground. The Blonde Knives can also move remotely either in mid-air or underground, allowing them to target and destroy multiple Knightmare Frame. The Mark Nemo is also armed with a katana capable of cutting through nearly any obstacle. In the Lost Colors videogame, when Nunally is talking about her ideal Knightmare Frame, the Mark Nemo appears in the background.

Regalia

 * Series: unknown
 * Height: unknown
 * Weight: unknown
 * Weapons:
 * Lance × 1
 * Wing Blades
 * Wing Shot × 4
 * Hip Cannon × 2
 * Large Missile
 * Equipment/Installment:
 * Factsphere sensor
 * Integrated Float System

Appearing in the Nintendo DS game, the Regalia combines the features of the Aquila and Equus into a single unit. It is piloted by both Pollux Rui Britannia and Castor Rui Britannia.