Gilbert G.P. Guilford

Gilbert G.P. Guilford, 27 years old (28 at R2), is a slender, dark-haired, and bespectacled man. He is confidante and personal knight to the Second Princess Cornelia li Britannia, and leads the Glaston Knights after Andreas Darltons disappearance and death. His skill as a pilot and commander matches that of Kyoshiro Tohdoh. His devotion to Cornelia is unwavering, even after her disappearance at the end of the first season. He is voiced by Yoshiyuki Kono (Japanese), Roger C. Smith (English).

First season
Shortly after arriving with Princess Cornelia, Guilford informs Jeremiah Gottwald of his demotion. During the battle of Narita with the Japan Liberation Front, he squares off against Tohdoh's Burai Kai in his Gloucester. The aftermath of battle at Narita revealed that all the Burai Kai Knightmares had been destroyed, indicating that Tohdoh had been forced to abandon his fight or was otherwise defeated. Gilbert continues to serve Cornelia until she is injured in the Black Rebellion. During the rebellion, he and the Glaston Knights ultimately routed the Black Knights, capturing Tohdoh and many other leading members.

Second season
In the second season, Guilford is still waiting for Cornelia to return, as she disappeared after the Black Rebellion. After Governor-General Carares is killed, Guilford serves as temporary Governor-General to Area 11. When Zero returns, taking refuge in the Chinese Consulate, Guilford tries to goad him into a duel by staging a public execution of the captured Black Knights. Zero uses the compartmentalized floor plating to dump the entire contingent of Britannian Knightmares, as well as the prisoners, onto Chinese Federation soil, allowing the Black Knights to easily dispatch the confused Britannians. Two of the Glaston Knights are killed in the battle.

During the attack on Nunnally's transport as she is being taken to Area 11, Guilford unexpectedly arrives piloting the recent mass-production model Vincent accompanied by the remaining Glaston Knights. Though the units prove superior at first, largely due to their flight capacity whereas the Black Knights' Knightmares were confined to the ship, Kallen Stadtfeld turned the tables with her upgraded Guren Flight-Enabled Version, using its long range radiation blast to destroy two more of the Glaston Knights' Gloucesters and Guilford's Vincent, injuring him before he manages to eject. He is seen piloting another Vincent during the opening ceremony for the Special Administrative Zone of Japan, where he is angered by Suzaku Kururugi's refusal to order an attack on the crowd after they all dress as Zero to spurn Britannia. Prior to the second battle for Japan, Lelouch uses his Geass to make Guilford believe that he is actually Cornelia, turning Guilford to his side. Guilford sacrifices himself to push Lelouch (whom he still believes to be Cornelia) outside of the blast radius of the F.L.E.I.J.A. bomb, telling him to live on. In episode 24, Guilford is revealed to have survived, though at the time, he seems to require a crutch and wears dark sunglasses which cover his eyes. He is seen along side Cornelia in a photo of Villetta Nu's wedding.

Personality
Guilford is a staunch and unwaveringly loyal Knight to the first Princess Cornelia, with a ferocious dedication to her. He has personally risked his life on several occasions to protect that of his Princess'. Like Andreas, he does not appear to be particularly concerned with the rampant racism spreading in the Britannian army regarding Elevens, and treats Kururugi Suzaku with respect.

Guilford is quick-witted and intelligent, making swift use of protocol to step in for the good of his country in the absence of Cornelia, taking charge as steward of Area 11 following the death of its Governor. He is a first-rate Knightmare frame pilot, able to hold his own against enemies such as Tohdoh, and has proved himself superior to Lelouch in Knightmare warfare - Lelouch being unwilling to fight him fairly in a one-on-one scenario.

Guilford's love for his Princess was ultimately revealed to be greater than his loyalty to Britannia. When asked a contradictory question by Lelouch about "evil", Guilford simply noted that his justice lies with his Princess, and much later would be put under Geass to believe Lelouch was, in fact, Cornelia. He turned his back on Britannia in the aftermath, and would assist his "Princess" in fighting his homeland, even apparently giving his life to protect that of Lelouch's after the F.L.E.I.J.A warhead was fired.



Quotes

 * (To Cornelia): "Your highness you must survive; for princess Euphemia honor as well. Go now, because my lady I am the knight you choose to champion you, therefore I must be the one who stays and fights."

Trivia
Due to the aftereffects of the F.L.E.I.J.A. disrupting communications, and Guilford's knightmare being partially absorbed by it, most fans believed he was dead, believing that the reason communications cut out was due to the destruction of his knightmare frame.