Lelouch is dead at the end of R2, and really, really dead // Canon
I know that with the AU revival and the Code theorist afficionados, a lot of people still try to pretend Lelouch's survival was up to interpretation, but that's not the truth of the original anime, and since this blog is dedicated to the canon anime, I thought it might be wise to write an article about that with canon quote; There are some great article which have been written on the internet, but in a lof of cases, some informations were missing, so I gathered everything, added what missed and added a Link at the end for a great Reddit post which will also debunk the Code theory.
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First off, you have to know that before the airing of the final episode, Taniguchi asked the viewers to rewatch the first episode of the anime.
While we didn't knew why, it was actually because of Lelouch's very iconic line : "Only those who are prepared to be killed should kill."
'Continue' vol 42, (October 2008)
Ichiro Okouchi, "Lelouch dead!? Was it a good one or a bad one!?"
- Still, isn't it possible that defeating the wise ruler Schneizel, the person who was supposed to have brought order to the world, might lead to some [viewers] interpreting it as a Bad End?
Okouchi: That's true. There are probably a lot of people who think of it as a Bad End, a tragedy, considering the protagonist's, Lelouch's end as well. However, Lelouch says in the first episode: "Only those prepared to be shot are allowed to pull the trigger themselves." If you were to think of that as his pride, then I think his getting shot (killed) in the end was a logical end. Of course, I understand that not all of the viewers will accept this ending. There were people who wanted a happier ending, after all.
- Was there a dispute among the staff members regarding the ending?
Okouchi: No. It was decided fairly naturally. During the "Code Geass" script meetings, there are many cases in which there were a number of disputes, but there were barely any when it came to the scripts for (the previous series's) episode 25 and the final episode. I think everyone felt the same when it came to the end of the character that is Lelouch.
- Why were you so bold as to choose this ending when the viewers might see it as a Bad End?
Okouchi: Bold... yes, we were so bold as to chose this ending. Perhaps the show that is "Code Geass" ending up this way was decided the moment Director Taniguchi and I teamed up. I suppose you can call it our sense of aesthetics, or perhaps a part of our psychological makeup.
- I see. So Lelouch's decision was also your, Mr. Okouchi's, and Director Taniguchi's decision.
Okouchi: Which is why I think of both our and Lelouch's decision as Happy Ends. I believe that there will be better things in the tomorrow awaiting Nunnally, Kallen and the rest who have been left behind. And surely Lelouch, who was able to make this into a reality, can only be happy [about this].***
****(Once again, as Okouchi will confirm over and over in interviews and tweet you can find in this post, that Lelouch's death was Vlanned both by him and Taniguchi)
- Some unresolved mysteries still remain.
Okouchi: From the very beginning, [I/we] never planned on explaining everything. In fact, if you ask me, I think we might have overdone the explanations. While it's undeniable that Lelouch's story has ended with a full stop, the other characters' stories are still on-going, and it's not like the world [of Code Geass] itself has come to an end either. [I/we] didn't want to end it by closing it up for good."[1]
Animage 10 (Oct 2008), 11 (Nov 2008)
- Animage: The ending's outcome turned out as such, but do you think Lelouch was happy?
Okouchi: I think that this (work) was not a bad end, but a good end. This already appeared in Lelouch and C.C.'s conversation in Stage 7 of S1, but people who are 'just' living their lives are uninteresting. Lelouch saved his beloved sister and made the kind world that he envisioned, a reality. His life was not in vain. That's why, Lelouch was smiling in the end."
Okouchi: (...) That end is to Lelouch and to Suzaku both the punishment and the salvation at the same time. It's also connected to the words Lelouch said at the beginning: "Utte ii no wa utareru kakugo no aru yatsu dake da." The person who gave the punishment was punished themselves and if you want to get the salvation, give the salvation first. Of course it's also the same with Lelouch's decision to accepts the geass (wish), because he geassed many people, as he himself has said in the show. [He refers to the last episode when Lelouch says what the people of the world wish for]
- Animage: So you accept the end of the show?
Fukuyama: I think that before he reached that final scene, Lelouch had many possibilities to choose from. But he understood very well what he had done and had to pay the price for that. Suzaku chooses to live as Zero and was awarded the opportunity to pay for his sins by this choice. And Lelouch got his salvation by choosing not the happiness of living on but to sacrifice his own life to create the situation for the world to move forward. If you think about his character, I don't think he would still be himself, if he chose other end.
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On the subject of Interviews I'll add some of Taniguchi's words about the matter, cause the guy never ever implied that Lelouch could be alive (even though he seems to have forgotten Internet never lose it's memory, given how to tried to justify Resurrection)
--Was the final episode something you thought of from the very beginning?
Taniguchi: Yes. The ending was decided upon beforehand. Although it was eventually cut, I actually had [Okouchi] write a script for episode 1, one which began with the scene of Suzaku attempting to kill Lelouch. I'm talking about episode 1 of the previous series, not R2.
"Of course, I understand that not all of the viewers will accept this ending. There were people who wanted a happier ending, after all."
While I think of this as a good ending, I want to let the viewers think for themselves****
*** The argument about viewers choosing for themselves was NEVER ABOUT LELOUCH'S FATE, it was always about if the ending was a good or a happy ending; I was surprises to see it used over and over again since the revival AU because after the and of the show, despite this line being firtly mistranslated, as soon as the right translation came out, it seemed to settle things for good. But wrong informations always spread like wildfyre in the end.
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On Nunnally's visions when touching Lelouch's hand that would be a proof he has a Code :
Mook Animedia (28 January 2009, p.89-90)
Q: "How did Nunnally manage to realize Lelouch true intention, when she touched his hand at the end?" Staff member K: "The way Nunnally can tell that someone is lying, just like she was able to tell that Lohmeyer was lying to her, is that she can feel the hand of the person she is talking to is sweating or lightly trembling. It's nothing like Geass or some special ability like that." Staff member Y: "Yes. So, she simply came to conclusion [Lelouch was lying] by herself, because of this ability." Staff member K: "She is Marianne's daughter and Lelouch's little sister. Two months have passed since that defeat of Schneizel and for this two months she's been wondering constantly about what had happened, like "why it happened?" and so on. So when she touched Lelouch's hand at the end she felt that he is calm, she put the two and two together and realized the truth. Of course, we know that in anime, it's hard to explain things like that, but yeah, please accept it like this kind of "romantic"(*) idea" we had." [3]
(*) the word "roman" is used here. It means something one finds beautiful in general
My own Words : Basically she didn't saw the image that were flashed, those were only for us to understand that she understood, she just understood about his lie; no vision whatsoever (anyway those were really different from Code bearer vision so I never understood how such a far fatched argument could be used)
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C.C.'s Character profile :
Animage 10 (Oct 2008)
Floating text: "C.C. - Her wish was to die as a human, but after spending time with Lelouch, C.C. also wished for tomorrow. She made up her mind to ensure the tomorrow of the world that Lelouch had left."
C.C.'s profile on GeassNet
"..Knowing that Lelouch does not hate her for giving him the Geass, she is now able to show her true feelings. With the realization of "Zero Requiem", her time with Lelouch, who was able to forgive and accept her, came to an end, but the memories created with him has, without doubt, saved her from eternal loneliness."[1]
My own Words : If C.C. isn't with Lelouch, no cart driver theory is possible, this really leave no room to interpretation, her time with Lelouch came to an end, it's not her time with the demon emVeror, simply with Lelouch.
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Ichiro Okouchi Geass memories on Twitter :
"Before I started writing the story of a person called Lelouch, I confirmed with Taniguchi-director something. That thing was that the end of Lelouch will be death."
"At least he is aware of his sins and pays for them with his death."
"This man called Lelouch will pay for his sins by his death. The story follows him till he finally make this decision."
"Probably this Lelouch we see in the first episode of the series wouldn't choose death. He would try something to avoid it. He couldn't die, for Nunnally as well. But we see him changed in the last episode."
Editor analysis: These tweets confirm that there was no disagreement between the creators when it came to the death of Lelouch (see Notes below). They also confirm that his death was decided on from the very start of the production process, even before the writing had started. And finally, these tweets are truly very explicit, the word "death" here can really not be interpreted as "death for a minute or so".
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The Official Guide Book
The "Code Geass Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 The Complete Official Guide Book Art book"[8] repeatedly states that Lelouch is dead:
"Lelouch, who gathered not just his sister's but the sins of all of his kin, tells Suzaku that he wants him to kill him. And, atoning for his sin of killing his father by becoming Zero and devoting himself to world peace. That is Suzaku's wish. Pierced by Suzaku's sword, Lelouch dies with a satisfied smile on his face. The curtains are lowered upon the history of one boy who performed the perfect 'evil' to the end." [9][10]
"For those two who bear the heavy sin known as killing their fathers, they share the belief that they can forgive each other by imposing the greatest punishments on themselves. Death for Lelouch who wishes for a tomorrow with his sister, life for Suzaku who wishes to atone for his sins through death. Suzaku, who accepts the weight of Zero's mask, gives his gratitude to Lelouch. For the fact that he can atone for his sins. For the results of fulfilling his own wish." [11]
"In the end, Nunnally isn't even allowed to bear her brother's sins. Until right before her brother dies, she seems to want to hate him for that. Upon realizing the truth behind her brother's actions, Nunnally clings to her brother's corpse and wails. And then, she succeeds her brother's will and starts walking together with Suzaku, who has become Zero, down the road as a ruler who creates peace. Because that alone is the one and only thing she can do for her brother." [12]
From the time line chart: "Emperor Lelouch, during the parade before executing the rebels in Japan, is attacked by Zero and perishes."
Turn 25: "However, Suzaku, masquerading as Zero who is thought to have died in the war before, appears and stabs Lelouch to death with a sword in front of the crowd." [13]
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The New Epilogue (ZR Blu-ray)
The official blu-ray release contains the "Zero Requiem movie" which recaps R2. This ZR movie is the same as R2, but has a 50sec new epilogue. The old epilogue with C.C. on the hay cart scene is dropped and replaced by a new epilogue where C.C. narrates to the audience while beautiful art scrolls past in the background.
C.C.'s narration: "A young man dies. He had the power to change the world, to create a new order. The world feared him, hated him. But, I know he died with a smile on his face. Only those who have realized their dream will truly understand that feeling of utter contentment. So, this is not a tragedy. And whenever I feel sad or cry at night, I sing a song. A song of man's making. Zero Requiem!" [14]
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Miraculous Birthday picture drama
And let's not forget about the Miraculous Birthday where Lelouch appears and spend a final day with everyone in Ashford through C's world, before disappearing at the very end, which would be quite complicated if the man was still alive.
You can watch it here .
And Finally a very interesting analysis and debunk of the Code theory done by a redditor; if you need more food for thoughts after all of this. You can click right there
Rest in peace, Lelouch.
