Charles zi Britannia was a major antagonist of Iron117Prime's Code Prime.
As the 98th Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire, Charles zi Britannia was a figure of immense power. He was the father of Lelouch vi Britannia and his many siblings, the younger twin brother of V.V., and, most notably, the treacherous apprentice of Megatron.
Personality[]
Influenced by Megatron's teachings, Charles is a cold-hearted and intelligent madman who believes only the strong deserve a place in society. This ruthless Decepticon philosophy extends beyond his adversaries. Following Marianne's death, he offered his adolescent son, Lelouch, no sympathy, treating him with utter contempt. Charles's deep cynicism leads him to believe that humanity's positive traits are a pretense and that their inevitable path is one of struggle and conflict.
He has no moral qualms in how he deals with his enemies. His ascent to power left a trail of dead political rivals and their allies, and even as Emperor, he continued to fuel global conflicts. He shows a callous disregard for the casualties of these wars, whether they are enemy combatants, innocent civilians, or even his own soldiers. But when confronted by Megatron, his carefully constructed facade shatters. Charles is forced to see himself for what he truly is: a naive coward who wanted the world to revolve around him. He had the authority to improve the world, but in his selfishness, he chose to let it suffer while working towards Ragnarök, all out of the fear that the world wouldn't understand or agree with him.
A vision of his children ditching him doesn't break Charles; it only fuels his defiant arrogance. He doesn't seek forgiveness but insists on their obedience, his pride refusing to bend. His jealousy of Optimus Prime is a core part of this. When Marianne's spirit notices a change in Lelouch, Charles's immediate thought, laced with envy, is that Optimus is to blame. He swiftly declares that Lelouch belongs to him, not the Autobot Leader. His disdain for this "machine" who "corrupted" his son is so immense that he prioritizes having Bismarck kill Optimus before capturing Lelouch. Ultimately, this deep-seated fear and envy manifest under Megatron's Dark Geass, where the first thing he sees is his children, Lelouch and Nunnally, turning their backs on him and saying their true father, Optimus, is waiting for them.
Charles was understandably terrified of Megatron discovering the Ragnarök Connection, so he went to great lengths to ensure neither the Autobots nor Decepticons got even a hint of it. Unfortunately for him, C.C. betrayed the plan. After the Grand Alliance's empathy convinced her to open up, she promised to reveal everything to them, just as Megatron had grown suspicious. Charles’s fear was so great that he said nothing about the Decepticons broadcasting their battle live, terrified that a single word would tip Megatron off. This fear backfired spectacularly when Victor/V.V. tried to control Megatron, allowing the Decepticon leader to capture his former student and learn everything.
Ultimately, Charles zi Britannia saw himself as a powerful visionary, willing to do whatever it took to create a better world, believing only he understood the truth. In reality, he was a selfish, power-hungry control freak who wanted to use Ragnarok to manipulate the world, not fix it, all because of a childish viewpoint he refused to abandon. In the end, Charles died as he lived—a man ruled by his fear of Megatron.
History[]
As a child, Charles was taken in by the Decepticon leader. After many years, he took the throne, while secretly sending supplies of Energon, otherwise known as Sakuradite, to the Nemesis in order to assist the Decepticon cause. But in terms of the Geass however, he intentionally hid his true agenda from Megatron for fear of how he would retaliate.
Fifty years later, the Autobots and their allies reveal themselves, forcing Charles to make an alliance with the Decepticons, though he constantly treated the battle with the Autobots as a secondary concern, and was more focused on keeping the Ragnarök Connection hidden. But as the conflict escalates, Charles is forced to take more desperate measures, including sending the Knights of the Round to Japan and assigning Bismarck the goal of killing Optimus Prime and capturing Lelouch out of envy for the Autobot Leader's positive influence on the exiled prince.
Upon learning the truth, Megatron decided to forgo his alliance with Britannia. He manipulated events so half of Britannia's military would focus solely on Japan, leaving Pendragon defenseless and conquered. In the end, Charles would die with his "dream" along with everything else lost to Megatron and would be remembered as nothing more than a selfish and petty man who deserved his fate.