Code Geass Films vs Series Important Differences You Need to Know

People want to know the difference between the Code Geass Films and Code Geass Lelouch of the Rebellion. Since more fans are jumping into the series for the first time they want to know if they should watch the films after the original series.

In this article, I go through all the films and list the following: Changes, removal, and additions from the original anime in that order. I might also do some analysis on these changes.

By doing this if have no interest in watching the films or a just curious about what was in them you will learn everything here.

I know that the wiki lists many differences between the Code Geass Films and Code Geass Lelouch of the Rebellion. You can also find posts on Reddit that do the same. But the issue is neither one is comprehensive so my goal is for this article to be a one-stop-shop that you can use as a reference. This article lists everything that I could find between the Code Geass Films and the Code Lelouch of the Rebellion.

Also if you are brand new to Code Geass and want a guide on the watch order here is my article on that.

If you find out any mistakes or things I missed please let me know and I will make the change. Also, if the article is not organized in a way that is intuitive enough to understand please let me know that as well. This is the first time I have made an article of this size so there might be some issues.

To save time in writing I use a couple of abbreviations in this article.

SAZ: The Special Administrative Zone of Japan.

JLF: Japanese Liberation Front

KMF: Knightmare Frame

Also this time I really mean this please watch at least the original series and perhaps the films before watching. I am literally going to spoil every major plot point in Code Geass.

Now that all tasks are cleared let’s begin.

If you are in a hurry and just need to know the most important changes between the films and original series here is the list:

The Major Changers:

1. Lord Kewell and Shirley’s dad are not killed at the battle of Narita
2. The Chinese Federation Steals the Gaiwan instead of Lelouch
3. The events of the Chinese Federation are discussed by Suzaku, Lloyd, and Cecile instead of shown
4. Jeremiah tells Shirley to leave after removing the Geass effect from her
5. Suzaku spends most of his time in the E.U after becoming the Knight of Seven.

The Most Important New Scenes:

1. We see Lelouch and Nunnally exiled to Japan while their family watches
2. Diethard shoots Villetta instead of Shirley
3. Anya is shown firing on Suzaku and Lelouch instead of the Gaiwain
4. Bismark, Rolo, Villetta, and Suzaku are shown planning how they will watch Lelouch
5. C.C. is shown riding a donkey at the end instead of traveling by cart at the end of R2

The Most Important Additions to Previous Scenes:

1. Lloyd talks to Nina about the awards that Euphemia gave her during the school festival
2. Before Lelouch points the needle gun at her, Euphemia tells him that she knew that he was Zero all long.
3. Shirley joins Kallen she heads to school
4. Kanon is shown ordering the killing of Lelouch. We then see both Ohri and Tamaki asking Zero to say something. This leads to Lelouch telling Kallen to live.
5. During the scene where Lelouch talks to Suzaku about the Zero Requiem, Nina is seen with Lloyd and C.C. arriving on horses. Nina then discusses the F.L.E.I.J.A.s

The Most Important Things Removed:

1. Mao is not in the story and all consequences of this
2. We do not see the hostage situation, the battle of the Saitama Ghetto, the battle of the harbor, and the team up to defeat Atsushi Sawazaki
3. The event at Kamine Island never happens
4. We never see Lelouch get his memories back
5. Rolo does not kill Shirley

These are changes between the Lelouch of the Rebellion and the new Code Geass Films. The table below lists the event on the left and how it changed on the right. The changes listed are things like dialogue changes, the order of events, or things relating to characters, etc.

These are a list of things that were removed from the Code Geass Lelouch of the Rebellion. These can things like characters, events in the story, etc. The difference between this and changes is these are things that were completely removed rather than altered.

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion I – Initiation

1. Shirley’s dad is not killed in the story
2. Mao never enters the story
3. The purebloods never try to kill Jeremiah and Suzaku never gets involved in the conflict
4. Suzaku and Euphemia never go to the Shinjiuk Ghetto
5. Lelouch never sees Kallen in the shower and she never gets a call to come to the Tokyo tower. Read more Ten facts about Kallen not you will not find in CBR
6. The scene where Lelouch gets his Zero outfit
7. Removed the scene where Zero plans Suzaku’s rescue with Tohdoh and Ohgi
8. We never see footage of Cornelia fighting anyone except the Black Knights
9. There is no part where everyone is asked to catch the cat to earn a kiss from someone in the student council
10. The Saitama Ghetto battle is reference later but never shown

11. The hotel hostage situation is removed

12. Nina never shows any interests in meeting Euphemia

13. The removal of C.C.’s past from the images that Lelouch sees when he touches her. Read more what was C.C.’s Wish

14. The harbor scene was referenced but the battle is never shown

15. Stage 9 is referenced later but never shown

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion II – Transgression

1. The event to judge the best painting that Euphy was supposed to partake in is removed from the story

2. No celebration for Suzaku becoming a knight occurs

3. The event at Kamine Island never happens

4. They remove the battle between Suzaku and Lelouch vs Atsushi Sawazaki and the Chinese Forces.

5. We never see Suzaku formerly confess his love for Euphemia

6. They removed the Geass trap that Lelouch and C.C. encounter when they arrive at Kamine Island

7. We never see Lelouch get his memories back

8. The hostage rescue of the Black Knights members happens offscreen if at all

9. The school festival is skipped

10. They removed the scenes of Lelouch and the plan to capture Nunnally while she is traveling to Area 11.

11. No mentioning of re-opening the SAZ

12. We only get a reference to the exile of Zero and the conflict of China but no footage of it.

13. Milly’s last event of the hat festival is not shown.

14. Nor is any scenes involving Shirley and Suzaku/ Lelouch since Jeremiah told her to not get involved

15. Never learn how Lelouch got either Rolo or Jeremiah to join him. We can assume it happened in the same way as in the anime. If that’s the case then the hostage rescue did happen as did the part where Lelouch encountered Jeremiah by the train.

16. Rolo does not kill Shirley

17. no interrogation scene between Kallen and Suzaku since Suzaku was in the E.U.

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion III – Glorification

1. All of Bradley’s scenes except for when Suzaku first meets the Knights of the Round are removed until we see him in the battle of Tokyo
2. They remove many clips of the KMF battles in the battle of Tokyo two
3. they remove the parts where Kanon plays the recordings of Zero and show images of people who might have been affected by the Geass
4. They remove the entire scene of Suzaku taking responsibility for his actions and asking to become the Knight of One. Then Schneizel asks him to kill Charles. We do get this referenced in the film later on but they still removed the scene.
5. We never see the UFN cast to vote to allow Britannia to join the UFN.
6. They removed the part where Schneizel explains his plan in full
7. They removed Schneizel’s speech before the battle commences

The new Code Geass Films added a bunch of new scenes that were not in the Code Geass Lelouch of the Rebellion. Here is the list broken down between completely brand new scenes vs parts they added to preexisting scenes.

Brand New Scenes

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion I – Initiation

1. There is a new scene that shows Lelouch and Nunnally being sent to Japan. We see different royal family members present there including Euphemia, Cornelia, and Clovis.

2. There is new footage of him climbing stairs with Nunnally on his back that we see an image from in the original series. This was actually animated footage from the R1 Picture Drama Stage 0.515.

3. The entire intro for the film uses new picture drama style art. In the intro, we also see more parts of the flashback from turn 18 when Lelouch thinks about Suzaku before he meets up with him at the shrine.

4. They add a new scene there they announce to the whole settlement what happened to Clovis.

5. Kallen is called by Ohgi who says that Zero called him to ask if they wanted to save Suzaku. Kallen also notes that Lelouch was not the one who gave orders because he is too busy taking care of Nunnally.

6. Schneizel talks to Kanon in the garden about Code R. Which was the project that Clovis and Bartley were working on. We learn that they wanted to experiment with C.C. first to learn about her abilities before presenting her to Charles. But Code R was destroyed after the incident in Shinjuku.

7. Suzaku learns that Euphie is a princess from Lloyd and Cecile. We also meet Arthur the cat in this scene.

8. Shirley is shown following Lelouch to a store in the mall only to instead find someone under the Geass then Lelouch.

9. There is a new scene by the harbor where Villetta is by herself with information on Lelouch and Diethard shoots her.

10. The Black Knights meet Rakshata without Lelouch at the Chinese Federation embassy to receive the new uniforms.

11. We also get an abbreviated scene where Zero meets with the leaders of Kyoto in a garden instead of Mt Fuji.

12. Diethard shreds documents on Zero with a weird smile.

13. Shirley ends up in some random place looking for Lelouch where she meets Naomi Inoue and Kento Sugiyama. They tell her to leave in a rude fashion.

14. We then see a montage of images and hear a song being sung by the Japanese people.

15. Lelouch discusses the Black Knight’s formation while C.C. eats Pizza, he also throws darts

16. Kallen in the same scene asks C.C. to learn how to pilot a KMF. Read more 20 interesting facts about C.C.

17. Lelouch and C.C. talk about using Geass on Suzaku it takes place in Lelouch’s dorm room. Lelouch is being more emotional about hurting Suzaku. We see Lelouch looking at Nunnally through the window.

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion II – Transgression

18. Suzaku gets promoted for his deeds he proved his worth by fighting several Black Knight members at once.

19. Lelouch then is shown traveling down an elevator to a secret location to grab his Zero helmet and gear. Lelouch mentions that he can leverage the fact that he knows about Genbu and Suzaku killing him.

20. Lloyd and Cecile learn the Lancelot is back online and we see Suzaku in the middle of the forest.

21. Lelouch is riding on Guren Mk-II Kyoto as he and Kallen escape.

21. Anya is shown in the Mordred preparing to fire at Suzaku and Lelouch. In that same scene, Anya asks Schneizel if she can pursue Suzaku and Lelouch.

22. Schneizel explains to Kanon why Suzaku was not punished for helping Lelouch escape. Schneizel runs the unit that Suzaku is a part of and he is Euphemia’s knight. Schneizel also speculates that he might be working for the black knights since they did not kill him.

23. C.C. plays with her plushie and Lelouch asks for the contract terms and he gets denied.

24. The Gawain is introduced by Rakshata. She states that will add two spots for Lelouch and the girl that is with him. She explains that it was captured in Tanzania by the Chinese Federation.

25. Everyone in the Black Knights base Tohdoh, the black knights, the holy swords, and Rakshata are shown reacting to even the announcement of SAZ.

26. Nina says she does not have enough Sakuradite while she works on the bomb to avenge Euphemia.

27. We see Kallen flying over to Kamine Island.

28. Schneizel announces that the riots have ended since the Black Knights were defeated.

29. Charles talks with Nunnally while she is with V.V. at the Sword of Akasha.

30. Deithard and Kaguya are leaving the battlefield and telling people to flee.

31. Kallen flees in her KMF but it’s hard to figure out what is happening.

32. C.C’s body is floating in the water after she has defeated Jeremiah.

33. We see the moon becoming more covered as the earth rotates.

34. Suzaku is staring out to the sky and while music plays.

35. Nunnally is recovered from the Black Knights. This is where she meets Alicia Lohmeyer. We also learn that Kewell will be with her which means he did not die at the battle of Narita.

36. Suzaku meets the other Knights of the Round members.

37. Nina is picked up by Kanon after her recommendation from Lloyd is approved.

38. Bismark, Rolo, Vielleta , and Suzaku talk about Geass and the plan for Lelouch. Read More Five key takeaways from Akito the Exiled

39. Charles tells Birmask at the Sword of Akasha that he did in fact change the memories of everyone at Ashford Academy. Bismark explains that Suzaku is unaware that the entire purpose of rewriting Lelouch and the students at Ashford is to bring C.C. out of hiding.

41. Rolo in the next new scene says there is nothing to report and Lelouch needs gambling money. Suzaku goes to the E.U.

42. C.C. is swimming with a weird expression on her face.

43. Suzaku asks Bisamrk why they are hiding Zero’s identity but Bismark does not answer.

44. Nunnally becomes Viceroy and we learn she cannot see Lelouch because he has a mental condition and it could cause problems.

45. Suzaku on a plane is confused about how Zero could be in the Chinese Federation but Lelouch at Ashford. We also learn that Gino and Anya went to Ashford to keep an eye on stuff. But they do not know that Lelouch could be Zero.

46. Lloyd, Cecile, and Suzaku discuss that Odysseus and Empress Tianzi marriage was called off. They discuss how Kallen was captured along with the Guren and the Black Knights have joined with Li Xingke.

47. Gino is convincing Suzaku to go to Milly’s graduation. Also, we learned that Rivalz took over as the president when Milly left, and Gino sees no sign of Lelouch doing anything weird. Plus we Suzaku traveling somewhere. So we then get a part where Gino says he thought he had seen Kallen before.

48. Rolo tells Suzaku that Lelouch is normal. I guess this how we know Rolo is working with Lelouch. Since Suzaku notes that he has never seen him smile like that before.

49. V.V explains that Jeremiah is concerned for both the children of Marianne and that he needs to find Lelouch to learn if he is zero and to get back C.C. This occurs after Jeremiah uses his Geass Canceler on Shirley.

50. Suzaku is on a plane and is talking to Rolo about how V.V. took him to Kamine Island with Jeremiah. Suzaku also figures out the emperor and V.V. are just using him.

51. Suzaku heads to the Ashford Academy to fight Lelouch only to instead fight Syako as Lelouch.

52. Lelouch gives Rolo a locket for his birthday knowing that he is not his real brother. They also talk about how Rolo should not kill Suzaku.

53. C.C. Lelouch and Jeremiah are talking privately. Lelouch says he got Rolo to join by making him feel useful, Jeremiah reveals that he would have joined anyway if Lelouch revealed his identity earlier, C.C. says that she kissed Lelouch to save his memories. So she kissed him at the casino we just never see it. Also, Lelouch expressed that he is pissed off that C.C. never discussed Charles’s powers but she says that he never asked plus V.V. gave him the Geass power. Here is why C.C. kissed Lelouch

54. Suzaku is marching forward and expressing how he is angry at Lelouch for lying and for C.C. removing Charles’ Geass from Lelouch.

55. We get a new scene of the Ikaruga and it’s the first one in the film since this movie skips the events that occurred in the Chinese federation. In the new scene, we see Diethard discussing with Sayako how he will deal with Ohgi and to leave Lelouch out of it.

56. We get some new footage of flying craft going over Suzaku

57. Suzaku is sitting on a chair thinking about Euphie he then decides on what to do next.

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion III – Glorification

1. So we see bonus footage of C.C with lost memories on Ikaruga.
2. Lelouch discusses stuff with Jeremia in the Shinkirō. Read more My Top Ten Favorite Knightmare Frames in Code Geass
3. Jeremiah, talks with Rolo, and Sayako
4. Shows a scene with Li Xingke getting in the Shen Hu.
5. There is a new version of Nina talking with Suzaku about arming the Lancelot with the F.L.E.I.J.A. She is more aggressive in her tone. Nina also asks Suzaku if he can fight Lelouch
6. Shirley and Rivalz are at Ashford Academy while the battle in the Tokyo Settlement takes place.
7. Kewell Soresi and another male member of the Valkrie squad are shown dying at the hands of Kallen.
8. Ohgi talks to Diethard privately and punches him in the face for declaring Zero dead without consulting him.
9. Lloyd, Cecile, and Nina talk on a roof of a building and discuss how Suzaku left but they have no idea where he went.
10. Shirley is planning a school festival with the new president Rivalz. She gets a call from Lelouch and Shirley tells him that she will help him out, she also asks about Jeremiah and Nunnally. The point of this is to bring up that Shirley could play into things later.

11. Milly tells everyone at the TV Station that Lelouch has announced that he will join the UFN.

12. C.C. and Shirley meet for the first time where Shirley sees her from a distance.

13. Suzaku’s arrival to save Lelouch is a new scene, in addition, Kaguya calls Suzaku the devil.

14. They also add a new scene of Ohgi asking Tamaki why Lelouch took everyone as hostages. We also learn in this scene about the F.L.E.I.J.A. being used on Pendragon.

15. They add a short new scene of a globe to transition where Lelouch and C.C. are talking on the Emperor’s transport.

16. They added a new scene where we see the Lancelot HighGrail piloted by Oldrin Zevon from Oz of the Reflection.

17. Change the music for the scene of Nunnaly opening her eyes.

18. We see Shirley watching the Lelouch’s announcement of him taking over the world.

19. We see Shirley, and her parents watching the motorcade.

20. Shirley getting lower right before Suzaku stabs Lelouch.

21. We get a new scene with C.C. on a donkey traveling somewhere. She discusses that Shirley and Jeremiah delivered a note to her. C.C. then discusses if she would wait for Lelouch to fulfill her promise or should she just wander through time. Read more did C.C. love Lelouch?

22. The film with a shot of Zero’s mask in the water at a beach and with the words re;surrection. Read more Lelouch of the Re;surrection review.

Additions to Previous Scenes

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion I – Initiation

1. There is a new image of the palace in Pendragon before we see Lelouch as a child approach his father.
2. The show more footage of Suzaku when he first launches the Lancelot. They also change the background where the Lancelot travels on from an empty wasteland to street that has the destruction of cars and buildings.
3. During the raid of the Bartley with Clovis’s body, we see Jeremiah and the purebloods surrounding the transport.
4. There is new footage of Cornelia landing to greet Euphemia.
5. C.C. is shown watching Suzaku, Lelouch, and Nunnally eating outside together. This takes place right before Suzaku is called to execute Tohdoh.
6. The Avalon gets another perspective above the spot where Mordred fired at. That was the spot where Suzaku and Lelouch were on Shikine Island.

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion II – Transgression

1. When Lloyd talks to Nina about the awards that Euphemia gave her.
2. Lelouch asks Euphemia if he could meet Cornelia.
3. Before Lelouch points the needle gun at her, Euphemia tells him that she knew that he was Zero all long. Lelouch also states that this would be the last time he sees her face.

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion III – Glorification

1. When Suzaku is talking with Milly about not being able to attend her graduation, the wall color was changed from yellow to white with more detail added.
2. After the aftermath of the F.L.E.I.J.A. Shirley is shown with Rival greeting Milly.
3. Kanon is shown ordering the killing of Lelouch. We then see both Ohri and Tamaki asking Zero to say something. This leads to Lelouch telling Kallen.
4. During the scene where Lelouch talks to Suzaku about the Zero Requiem, Nina is seen with Lloyd and C.C. arriving on horses. Nina then discusses the F.L.E.I.J.A.s
5. When Suzaku as Zero leaps towards Lelouch we see a close-up of Suzaku and specifically the hilt that holds his sword.
6. Shirley joins Kallen as she heads to school.

This was the most comprehensive ambitious article that I have ever written. But now that it is completed I think I can make another one going through all the differences between the Manga and the Original anime.

Let me know if you would like that. Did you like this article if so please leave a comment letting me know which changes did you like or hated between the Code Geass Films and Code Geass Lelouch of the Rebellion.

Please leave your thoughts in the comment section where I love to read and respond to everyone’s comments.

If you got this far in the article I want to say thank you. I love to write these articles but they are not easy and can be quite time-consuming.

So, I am very appreciative when people finish the article.