Kleptin Brand "Pick Your Own Debate"!!

I'm going to try to make this as short as possible because I'm more interested in hearing what LM has to say than flowering up my responses (which will still be counterpoints, of course). I personally believe that the ending for Code Geass is essentially as good as it can get. I'll start by responding to my opponent's points. #1- The concept of the Code Carriers need not be explained here because they are immortal. Hence, this leaves the option of creating an R3 with new characters and a new plot. The plot of R1 and R2 is just the story of one mortal, whereas these Code Carriers have a much, much larger role in the world. To answer these questions little by little in a R3 or R4 would be the best way to expand the Geass universe. #2A- Political ties here and there would still interfere. To simply be a part of a coalition is meaningless because as people die, or are assassinated, whatever was held together would break apart. The only way he could unite the world and KEEP it united, was to gather all the hate onto one person, and eliminate that one person, and that person was himself. As to why he could not join the UFN, Lelouch was still not finished by that time. If he joined the UFN, which is essentially a group of cowards, his vote would be limited. Lelouch needs all his cunning in order to beat Schneizal, as Schneizal is his older brother and the one person whom he could not beat in chess. Having restrictions on his ability to act would lead to the destruction of his entire plan, as Schneizal wanted to take the throne, and only let Lelouch take it because he thought he could reclaim it whenever he wanted and look like a hero uprooting the despot. #2B- Nunally likes Suzaku, and his main focus is to create a future for her and thus, that future must include him. This is why he "wasted" his one Geass on commanding Suzaku to survive, because Suzaku had the nobility and goodness that he himself lacked. Lelouch was good at using power as a means, but Suzaku would be better using power for the good of the people. As for leadership, all of Lelouch's strategic prowess can be found in Schneizal, who has been commanded to obey "Zero". Thus, by handing the mantle of Zero down to Suzaku, he has given the world a perfect leader. Lelouch bestowed admiration and praise onto Li Xingke, the Chinese Swordsman, since he seemed to be the perfect person, as he had a mix of both Lelouch's intelligence and Suzaku's strength. In merging Suzaku with a loyal Schneizal, he essentially creates this person. As to why Lelouch himself could not stay in power, it is because he needed to die in order for the world to unite completely. #2C- Romance was never the key point of Code Geass, and the only purpose of keeping it in was to fuel the actual plot as well as add fanservice. The Anime had been about much larger ambitions and worldwide events, so the glossing over of romance was a nod to how trivial other matters seemed in relation to what was going on politically. #3(1)- Suzaku's command to survive leads him to perform the appropriate action to survive even against his own will, such as the firing of the FLEIJA bomb. That would be my explanation. I would not term this Deus Ex Machina *or* a writing error because there would be no way to incorporate Suzaku's survival without ruining the anime and Zero requiem was planned long before, he needed to be a part of it. #3(2)- Lelouch did this on purpose, in order to show Nunally that he wasn't evil. He had developed the final stage of Geass and thus, was able to perform this feat. #3(3)- This needed to happen for Nunally to hate Lelouch, she had to give the key to him unwillingly and she knew that Lelouch would never harm her. As for reasoning out *why* it was possible, there can be several reasons. First, both VV and Charles are dead and when the user and contracter of a Geass are dead, the Geass effects, if sustainable, are easy to break. Second, it could be that while Charles' control of Nunally's eyesight is sustained, Lelouch's mind control is a permanent shift that won't release unless shifted in the opposite direction say, by Jeremiah's geass canceller. #3(4)- Gottwald was not originally supposed to be a part of Season Two. Writers planned to kill him in Season One but the fanbase was large, so it was rewritten to include him here and there. #3(5)- The fans. If they don't have to die for the plot, they shouldn't, just to appease fans who want to write fics or to make for R3. #3(6)- This part I am confused about. I found that Schneizal's defeat was pretty fair. #3(7)- See above reference to Li XingKe The problem with my opponent's suggested ending is that it lacks drama and closure. Lelouch is a tragic hero and the entire ambiance of the anime would have been ruined if Lelouch manages to attain what he wanted to without some major sacrifice. By having Lelouch killed in order to provide world peace, he impacts CC's own view of Geass and the meaning of Geass overall, that it isn't just a means to power and that wielded effectively, it can do good. This moral would be diluted heavily if Lelouch survives. Thus, I find that all of my opponent's suggestions in his conclusion would make the entire anime meaningless (or, rather, would make it considerably less dramatically effective), with the exception of Suzaku "dying" on the Damocles. I would have made that change.