
Charles zi Britannia is the main antagonist of the anime series Code Geass. He is the 98th emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire, the father of Lelouch vi Britannia (and many others) and V.V.'s twin brother. He had a Geass power that allows him to suppress and alter the memories of those he achieved eye contact with, but lost this power in exchange for V.V.'s code which granted him immortality.
Background[]
Charles appeared only occasionally in the first season. In a flashback, a ten-year-old Lelouch questioned why he did not try to protect Marianne. Enraged by this, Charles disowned Lelouch there and then, sending Lelouch and Nunnally to Japan as political hostages. Most of his appearances in the first series were brief, though show that he apparently knew of Lelouch's actions, particularly his use of Geass. In The Stolen Mask, he claimed to be speaking with Clovis even after his death at the Sword of Akasha. He was last shown during the Special Administrative Zone Massacre. Charles was shown to be overjoyed that Lelouch had (although unintentionally), manipulated his own half-sister Euphemia into causing such chaos and bloodshed, saying that Lelouch was now worthy of being called his son.
Personality[]
Charles is a cold and intelligent man who strongly holds views such as social Darwinism, believing that only the strongest are worthy of rising in society. His philosophy is not reserved solely for his adversaries, however, as he treated Lelouch harshly after the death of Marianne, offering no sympathy to his then-adolescent son. He is also deeply cynical, having no confidence in the good of people and believing that humanity's natural course is struggle and conflict.
He has no moral compunctions in how he deals with his enemies. His rise to power saw numerous political rivals and their allies killed, and even as Emperor, Britannia continued to engage in global conflict with its adversaries. Ultimately, he cares little for the casualties of Britannian military conflicts, be they enemy combatants, innocent civilians, or even Britannian soldiers.
However, his views and ideology seem to have stemmed from his traumatic upbringing. As a child, he often witnessed his family kill each other in pursuit of the throne, thus he naturally came to understand that without power, one cannot survive. However, he wishes for the world to be gentler; indeed he even tells Lelouch, during their final confrontation, that the Ragnarok Connection will ensure the gentle world that Nunnally wants.