An exiled prince, a mask, a power to command anyone once, and a rebellion planned like a chess game.
Code Geass first aired in Japan in 2006. Twenty years on, few anime make a cliffhanger land the way it does, week after week.
The premise - A prince who wants his empire to fall
The Holy Britannian Empire has conquered Japan and renamed it Area 11. Lelouch, an exiled Britannian prince, lives there in hiding as an ordinary student.
Then a mysterious girl gives him the Geass: the power to make anyone obey a single order. Behind the mask of Zero, he starts a rebellion against the empire that threw him away.
Why it still works - A war fought like chess
Lelouch wins by out-thinking people, not by out-fighting them, and every plan has a cost he has to decide whether to pay.
Sunrise and director Goro Taniguchi mix school comedy, giant Knightmare Frame battles and political drama, and CLAMP's character designs make the cast instantly recognisable. Suzaku, Lelouch's oldest friend, fights on the other side.
The verdict - Clear a weekend
Start with the first season's 25 episodes, then go straight into R2. Most episodes end on a hook, so plan for more than one at a time.
If you like a hero you are never quite sure you should be rooting for, this is the one.
Where to watch
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion was listed on Netflix and Crunchyroll in the USA when we last checked, in October 2026. Catalogues change by country and by month, so check the service where you are.
Shop the Code Geass collection
Liked Code Geass? This is where it leaves the screen: every Code Geass design we carry, in one place.
Source: the Anime Crush Anime Guide.
