Top 9 Code Geass Episodes: A Refined Guide

9 Best Episodes of Code Geass, Ranked

This post contains spoilers for "Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion" and "R2."

Whenever someone asks for beginner-level anime recommendations, "Code Geass" almost always makes the list. The reasons behind this unanimous recommendation are simple: the story spans over two digestible seasons, incorporates the best aspects of psychological strategy and mech-focused action, and features complex, nuanced characters with believable motivations. More importantly, "Code Geass" makes us root for an antihero who hides behind layers of carefully constructed masks and is willing to go to any lengths to win a high-stakes game determining the outcome of a nation torn asunder by war.

Geopolitics plays a crucial role in shaping the trajectory of everyone’s lives here, as the world — which is set in an alternate timeline — is divided into three superpowers wrestling for ultimate control. There’s the monarchical Holy Britannian Empire, simply known as Britannia, the Chinese Federation that oversees most parts of Asia, and the Europa United, which controls parts of Europe and Africa. After Britannia champions a deadly weapon known as the Autonomous Armored Knight/Knightmare Frame, they use it to take over Japan and strip the citizens of their rights. Now assimilated under the Holy Britannian Empire, Japan is renamed Area 11, where every citizen is reduced to a non-entity existing to serve their colonizer’s bidding.

This is quite an extensive setting, but things get even more complicated when we are introduced to friends Lelouch and Suzaku, who are seen witnessing Japan’s invasion as kids. Although Suzaku seems a bit detached, Lelouch seems determined to obliterate Britannia someday, and the eventual reveal behind these disparate reactions gets the gears of this riveting story going.

I will be ranking the best episodes from both seasons of "Code Geass" in terms of how impactful they feel from the perspective of narrative and character development, along with some really cool moments that helped define the look and tone of the anime series. However, I will not be including "Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture," as it takes place after the events of the companion films and is still ongoing at the time of writing.

Without further ado, let us dive into some of the best episodes from this unforgettable anime.

9. Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion: episode 1, The Day a New Demon was Born

This is the episode that started it all. After we get a succinct explanation of the socio-political landscape in Japan and the world at large, we are granted a microcosmic view of Lelouch’s life at Ashford Academy. The game of smokes and mirrors has already begun, as Lelouch appears to be like any other student his age, except for a glimpse into his startling intelligence, which is conveyed through a chess game that reveals its true meaning much, much later. Against the backdrop of the mundane exploits of the students, there’s palpable tension about the formation of a Resistance group, who are immediately branded as terrorists via the power of military propaganda. The episode also introduces us to the Resistance hijackers pretty early on, creating an interesting moral dilemma without furnishing us with the whole truth.

2. Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion: episode 25, Zero

This season 1 finale evoked mixed reactions in me when I first watched it. As brilliant as it was, it ended without wrapping up some major loose ends and, with season 2 yet to air, left a lot up in the air. My recent rewatch has significantly improved my opinion of "Zero," however, as it recontextualizes the urgency of the cliffhangers with foreknowledge of what’s to come and underlines some significant moments in Lelouch’s arc. The opening scene between Lelouch and Cornelia is wonderfully crafted: Cornelia does not know who killed Marianne, which is only revealed when Lelouch uses the Geass on her, and this is when he learns that Marianne might have anticipated the attack on her and that Schneizel might have something to do with it.

1. Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2: episode 25, Re;

Very few stories, even the best ones, end on such a high note. "Re;" is the epic culmination of everything "Code Geass" had ever stood for, with Lelouch confronting Nunnally for the Damocles key and Suzaku battling Kallen one last time. I will never forget Nunnally’s "This is the first time in eight years I’ve seen your face. The face of a brother and a murderer. And I wear the same face as well, don’t I, Lelouch?" when she confronts her brother, as their relationship has morphed throughout the series in such a visceral way that it is hard to not lament what could have been. Lelouch is initially hesitant to twist Nunnally’s will but ends up doing so to get the Damocles key from her, while Kallen "kills" Suzaku during their showdown.

In the ultimate twist that reveals a masterplan no one had anticipated, a masked "Zero" stabs Lelouch to trigger the long-standing Zero Requiem, which would deliberately turn the world against Lelouch to usher in peace. This kind of sacrifice really makes us re-evaluate everything that Lelouch has killed and fought for, and everything Suzaku has done to die in the name of his morals. By inversing their fates, which forces Lelouch to die a hated man and Suzaku to live as a heroic figure, the two inflict these punishments on themselves to ensure a better future. No longer can Lelouch revel in the absolute power of shaping the world, in the same way that Suzaku can no longer die to atone for his sins.

Thus, the world is destroyed and rebuilt, and all it takes is the sacrifice of two friends (who keep their final deeds a secret). As C.C. muses, Lelouch might have gone through hell while inflicting hell, but he was never alone, like most Geass users. Love is meaningless here, as his wishes were honored for the sake of a brighter tomorrow, which is all that matters.

What are your thoughts on the ranking of Code Geass episodes? Let us know in the comments below!