Jeremiah Gottwald is a supporting character from the anime Code Geass. He is an elitist member of the Britannian military who becomes obsessed with killing Zero in the first season, only to switch sides upon learning his true identity and becoming one of his most loyal followers.
He was voiced by Ken Narita in Japanese and Crispin Freeman in the dub.
What Makes Him an Ensemble Darkhorse?[]
- While he was meant to be disliked at first for being a racist villain, many fans started to sympathize with him due to his desire to regain his honor following his humiliation at Lelouch's hands in which he was framed as a traitor, and he starts to overcome his racism by showing respect for Suzaku for saving his life. He also suffers a lot in the first season, being nearly assassinated, demoted, mocked by his fellow pilots, and nearly killed by Kallen at the Battle of Narita, after which he was unwillingly made into a cyborg.
- His "Orange-kun" nickname also became a popular meme with fans.
- His redesign as a cyborg was seen as cool and he makes a good showing in the Season 1 finale, stealing the Siegfried mecha to try to take down Zero and mowing down a line of Black Knights himself.
- He becomes considerably more badass in Season 2, now being a full-fledged cyborg with the ability to cancel Geass and being able to spawn sword blades from his arms, allowing him to beat Sayoko and Rolo in a fight. He also shows considerable bravery as he continues to try to get to Lelouch even when standing right next to a device that paralyzes his cybernetic parts, but is able to keep moving out of sheer willpower.
- Upon learning that Zero is really Lelouch, he reveals his guilt over failing to protect the latter's mother and switches sides.
- He becomes much more competent after joining Lelouch, being one of his most capable pilots and being able to fight evenly with the likes of Suzaku and V.V. He also stays loyal to Lelouch to the end, unlike most of the other Black Knights who betrayed him.
- He wins a fight with Anya in the finale by self-destructing his own mecha in order to blow the Mordred open, then leaping into the cockpit and holding her at sword point. He then learns that she's lost her memories due to Geass and not only spares her but restores her memories.
- He gets one of the happiest endings as he retires on an orange farm with Anya.
Trivia[]
- He was originally slated to die in Season 1, but the creators became aware of his popularity so they brought him back as a cyborg.
- In his first appearance in Season 2, his line "Jeremiah Gottwald, fulfilling your expectations..." appears directed at the audience as a way of acknowledging his fans.