Code Geass/Characters/Chinese Federation
The character sheet about the Chinese Federation characters of Code Geass.
Li Xingke
Voiced by: Hikaru Midorikawa (Japanese), David Vincent (English)
"The crimson sky has perished."
A minor officer within the Chinese Federal Military, Li Xingke swore his loyalty and life to the young Empress Tianzi after she saved him from being executed for showing mercy to a prisoner. Now he has dedicated his life to climbing the ladder of the Chinese Military to gain enough power to overthrow the de facto rulers of the Federation, the Eunuchs, and grant the Empress her greatest wish: to see the outside world. Considering the fact that he is said, and has mostly proven, to have both the strength of Suzaku and the intelligence of Lelouch, this is very likely. He succeeds with Zero's help.
Xingke eventually becomes a key member of the Order of the Black Knights after the establishment of the United Federation of Nations and leads the first attack on Area 11, sustaining serious injuries at the hands of Bismark Waldstein...
Li Xingke embodies these tropes:
- The Ace
- Ace Pilot
- Badass Long Hair
- Blood From the Mouth: Happens to him once in a while during battle. He always mentions only have a few more moments whenever it happens, but somehow survives till the end.
- Early-Bird Cameo: He first appears in season 1 episode 23. He had his back turned.
- Genius Bruiser
- Ill Boy
- Incurable Cough of Death: Blood and all. In the end, he doesn't die within the series, believe it or not. It's hinted he passed away after the Zero Requiem, but it's neither conformed nor Jossed.
- If you look closely at the Ohgi/Villetta wedding picture, the Empress is there, but no Xingke.
- But the Shenhu Knightmare frame appears in the background of the meeting of Nunnally/Zero/Schneizel and Ohgi in the Epilogue, implying his presence.
- He took the picture, dudes.
- Informed Ability: Very smart guy and a very good pilot? Yes. "As smart as Lelouch and as good a pilot as Suzaku?" Not even close.
- OTOH, he did give Lelouch a run for his money during the battle of China, and was one of the only other people smart enough to not fall for Schneizel.
- Oh he didn't just give Lelouch a run for his money, his tactics forced Lelouch to retreat, Xingke flat out beat him. He would have finished the Black Knights if the Eunuchs hadn't stabbed him in the back. And this was immediately preceded by taking on Kallen in the Guren. And he actually won that fight, something Suzaku never manages to do (though that was mainly because she ran out of energy).
- OTOH, he did give Lelouch a run for his money during the battle of China, and was one of the only other people smart enough to not fall for Schneizel.
- I Owe You My Life: The canon core of his devotion to Tianzi, who saved him from execution when he was a teenager.
- Knight in Shining Armor: Chinese version!
- Tall, Dark and Handsome
Jiang Lihua aka Empress Tianzi
Voiced by: Tamaki Matsumoto (Japanese), Jessica Straus (English)
"Someday, I want to see the outside world."
The Empress of China, who appears in R2. Technically speaking, the Tianzi ("Child of Heaven") is supposed to be the leader of the Chinese Federation and the heir to the old imperial tradition. In reality, the current Tianzi is a teenage girl kept away from her people by her council, the Eunuchs, who rule the country as they wish. However, not everything is lost: Tianzi has a protector in Li Xingke, and even if she's powerless at the moment, she's touchingly determined to do what she can.
Tianzi embodies these tropes:
- Anime Chinese Girl
- Arranged Marriage: The Emperor tries to marry his eldest son Prince Odysseus off to her, which Lelouch and the Black Knights use to their advantage.
- A Child Shall Lead Them: Li Xingke's ultimate goal is to repay Empress Tianzi's kindness by giving her enough power to rule over the Federation, instead of being just a puppet of the Eunuchs.
- Dawson Casting - Averted for a change in anime voice casting, as the sweet little-girl who voiced Tianzi was nine years old at the time of recording, younger than her thirteen year old charater, mind. A stark contrast to the norm in which women in their mid-to-late twenties (if not early-forties, in the case of Miki Ito in SHUFFLE!) voice young girls aged 12 to 17.)
- Damsel in Distress
- The Empress
- Heroic Albino: She's more like The Woobie than a heroine. She does as much good as a sheltered and shy thirteen year old can hope to do, though. She appears to be a rare example of using albinism to emphasize a character's vulnerability and frailty.
- The Ingenue: Go figure... Note well, though, that her whole plot line revolves around other characters effectively growing her out of it so she can be more like Nunnally and Kaguya.
- I Owe You My Life: The canon core of Xingke's devotion to her, who saved him from execution when he was a teenager.
- Lonely Rich Kid: Tianzi might be the Empress of China, but otherwise she fits in very well as she's practically a prisoner in her palace.
- Older Than They Look: She's not eight years old, people. She's 13.
- Pinky Swear: How she and Xingke sealed The Promise of seeing the outside world.
- Precocious Crush: Some interpret her feelings for Xingke this way. Squick. Understandable, though: he's the first person who was ever genuinely kind to her, so if she had a child-like crush on him it'd be no surprise. Besides, hey, it's Li Xingke; almost any girl her age would fangirl him at least a bit. Can you blame her?
- Shrinking Violet: With good reason, as the world pretty much screws her over.
- Tender Tears: Cries a lot. Considering her really shitty situation, we can't blame her.
- Token Mini-Moe
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: Sweeter, gentler counterpart to the also girly but more straightforward Kaguya.
- White-Haired Pretty Girl