Nunnally Lamperouge

Lore & Background

Throughout the conflict between Britannia and the Black Knights, Nunnally remained largely unaware that Lelouch was the masked revolutionary Zero. Her safety became his greatest obsession and weakness. However, her influence extended beyond protection; she represented the peace Lelouch sought to create. In the series' conclusion, prior to Lelouch's execution during the Zero Requiem, she learns the truth about his identity and fully understands his sacrificial plan. Following these events, she ascends to the throne as Empress, remaining blind and wheelchair-bound throughout the R2 TV finale; her recovery of sight and mobility is a plot point exclusive to the non-canon movie *Code Geass: Lelouch of the Re;surrection*.

In Their Own Story

The afternoon sun filtered through the stained glass of the palace chapel, casting colorful patterns on the stone floor. Nunnally sat quietly in her wheelchair, listening to the distant hum of the city outside. She no longer needed the chair for movement, yet she often returned here to remember the girl who once believed the world was too heavy to carry. A single wind chime tinkled softly from the garden window, a sound that reminded her of promises made and kept, even by those who could no longer speak them.

Reader's Guide

Nunnally begins as a fragile princess, crippled by grief after her mother’s assassination. Her gentle nature makes her moral compass for brother Lelouch, motivating his rebellion against Britannia. Though physically confined to a wheelchair for most of the series, her influence grows beyond physical limitations. She becomes symbolic figurehead for Black Knights, representing peace rather than conquest. Her bond with Suzaku Kururugi is complex, rooted in childhood friendship and shared tragedy. While she lacks combat skills, her emotional resilience anchors those around her during chaotic times. Her arc culminates in profound transformation following Zero Requiem. Having overcome psychological trauma, she regains ability to walk and assume leadership of Holy Britannian Empire. Unlike previous rulers, she seeks unity between nations. Nunnally’s journey is not one of combat, but endurance and love, proving true power lies in inspiring hope rather than wielding force. She embodies ideal Lelouch died to create: world where no one suffers like he did.

Did You Know?

• Nunnally was 87th in line of succession to the Britannian throne.
• Her blindness was actually induced by Charles' Geass, not psychological trauma, to protect her from V.V.
• She broke Charles' Geass with her own willpower during the final battle on the Damocles.
• A spin-off manga titled *Nightmare of Nunnally* depicts an alternate story where she receives a Geass and gains precognition.
• Nunnally ascended the throne as Empress of Britannia following Lelouch's death, with Suzaku (as Zero) and a Geass-compelled Schneizel by her side.

Origins and Exile

Born Nunnally vi Britannia on October 25, 2002 a.t.b., this character entered the world as the daughter of Emperor Charles zi Britannia and Marianne vi Britannia. Originally positioned eighty-seventh in line for the throne, her life was irrevocably altered when her mother was assassinated. During the attack, Nunnally sustained bullet wounds that left her paralyzed, while psychological trauma rendered her blind, a condition her brother Lelouch hoped might one day be reversed. Following a heated confrontation with their father regarding the murder, both siblings were exiled to Japan as political prisoners. They found temporary refuge at the Kururugi residence, where she first encountered Suzaku Kururugi. However, novels reveal that Nunnally privately struggled immensely with these drastic life changes, often throwing destructive tantrums when left alone. To survive the subsequent invasion of Japan by Britannia, Lelouch concealed their royal identities under the surname Lamperouge. They eventually sought protection from Marianne's former allies, the Ashford family, who provided them a campus residence equipped to accommodate her disabilities while she attended middle school.

Motivation and Early Conflict

Throughout the first season of *Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion*, Nunnally serves primarily as the emotional anchor driving Lelouch's rebellion against the Britannian Empire. Her existence motivates his quest to create a gentle world where she can live in peace, free from oppression. This protective instinct reaches its breaking point near the season's conclusion when V.V. kidnaps her. In a desperate attempt to save her, Lelouch abandons the Black Knights mid-battle, leaving his forces vulnerable against superior Britannian troops. This decision results in a decisive defeat for the rebellion and leads directly to Lelouch's capture by Suzaku en route to the rescue mission. Although he fails to retrieve her immediately, this event underscores the depth of his devotion. Her vulnerability highlights the high stakes of their hidden identities and sets the stage for the complex political maneuvers that define the series' narrative arc.

The Viceroy and Memory Erasure

In the second season, a shocking revelation occurs: everyone's memories of Nunnally have been erased, including Lelouch's own. For a time, Rolo Lamperouge is believed to be his younger brother instead. When memories are restored, Lelouch deduces that she is likely being held hostage by their father, the Emperor. Consequently, he maintains a facade of amnesia to protect her safety. Nunnally reappears as a Britannian princess and the new Viceroy of Area 11, unaware of Lelouch's identity as Zero but remembering him as her brother. She vows to honor Princess Euphemia's will by reinstating the Special Administrative Region in Japan, believing that change can be achieved through gentle means alongside Suzaku. Despite her position, she demonstrates keen insight; she notices Suzaku lying about Lelouch and confronts officials regarding the burdens of ghetto redevelopment on the local population, insisting on policy changes to alleviate suffering.

Survival and Breaking the Curse

During the second battle of Tokyo, Nunnally is seemingly killed alongside Sayoko when caught in the blast radius of a F.L.E.I.J.A. bomb fired by Suzaku under Geass compulsion. However, she survives by evacuating on a different ship and ends up aboard Schneizel's floating fortress, Damocles. Manipulated by Schneizel to oppose Lelouch as a rival claimant to the throne, Nunnally insists on personally launching warheads to atone for her brother's sins, horrified by how easily she can destroy his fleet. When Lelouch breaches the fortress, she drops the launch key and is thrown from her wheelchair. In this critical moment of vulnerability, she uses sheer willpower to break the Geass curse Charles had placed on her years ago, which was intended to protect her from V.V. but ultimately blinded her. As she returns to her chair, she opens her eyes for the first time in years, finally seeing her brother as he arrives.