[Marioshinobi]

Alright, I'm breaking down the Lelouch/Zero comparison which some people like to blend together as Lelouch being Heartless.

Lelouch is a Kindhearted Person, or at least he tries to be. He tends to protect people close to him, or at least tries to make life funner for people around him. Kallen is an example here, he knows her personally as her more serious alter Ego. In school he tries to get her more into funner things instead of keeping her the quiet facade she's keeping. His attempts were one where he was running a poll and infuriating her for it, having also attempted the school festival Halloween house piece. He burned Shirley's Diary to protect her from remembering him and the pain he caused her. He's also appeared as a person that Nina goes to for advice, and most of the workload is given to him by the president. He also spends time with Nunnally and wishes to make things better for her considering her disability and ability to not see.

Why does he try so hard? He knows the Truth about the World. He watched as a young boy as his mother was killed, his world of a happy life and people disappeared soon after. His father proved to be even more cruel to him than he thought, he could understand him being busy as the king and not visiting, but telling him that he was not alive nor did he care about Marianne or Nunnally was a blow to his childish mind. He renounced his title to the throne as another childish threat perhaps, but soon learned that his father was even more cruel with the prank than expected and stated he had no value to life at all. Once more he was thrown as a political tool to be used as well as his sister. He was to be taken away from his Royal Life, Euphie who he considered his first love as a kid, Clovis who was his best friend and childish Rival, Schneizel who he considered his Rival and couldn't beat in Chess. He learned the cruelty of the world, having been given away to Japan along with his sister. Even during his stay and good side with Suzaku, kids had beaten him and he learned Racism was a big deal and how his perfect life as Brittania was shattered when he heard that the country was a invading and destroyed others. His Sister was also then supposed to marry Suzaku's Father, which he couldn't believe. Nunnally was his only happiness and family left in the world, she considered him her hero. To have been given to marry Suzaku's father was something else he couldn't stomach. So he made a deal as a child with him, what the deal was nobody will know for now. Once he made the deal and prevented the marriage, he thought he could make another peaceful life. Soon shattered by Brittania's invasion. He walked in a field full of corpses holding his sister and walking with his best friend. How was he going to explain something his father did to Suzaku? It was surprising to him that Suzaku didn't blame him either. When he didn't, he considered him his best friend and that wouldn't ever change. He also promised him that he would crush this country that caused so much hard to people and everybody he knew.

Zero; 0, Nothing, Cannot be Defined, Empty. Why did Lelouch choose this name? Because it has no Value. It can't be biased and is between negative and positive. Something he wishes to be; Nothing. He wishes to have no conscience, have no heart, never flinch when making choices, and never waver. But we see that's something he can never do, before he pressed the trigger to blow the ship, he hesitated...he felt the guilt of killing so many, where he could kill people that had no hope(First Geass usage, Hotel Jackers), these people were different and may have been allies. When he puts on that mask, his facade changes. Recall Jim Carrey's Movie " The Mask " where he changes into another personality the moment he places it on. It's something Lelouch hopes he can do as well. Yet we see in his mind that he can't throw away his conscience or ignore it as he wishes he could.

Episode 25 was named 'Zero'; which had good meaning because...what happened? Lelouch lost Everything. His move as C.C. stated " Your World will be Dyed Red.", He lost his School Life. He lost his Friendship with Suzaku, He lost his attempt to Win by not getting Cornelia, He Lost Nunnally, He Abandoned everything to get Her. At the end of the Scene his mask broke, and Kallen's Loyalty was placed into Question in the scene from her shock. He Became Zero for the First Time. A Being with Nothing. And he Acted the Part, instead of Excusing himself for Euphie's incident or when Kallen asked him if he used her and the Japanese, He Coldly gave an answer and shrugged her off. He also pleaded to Suzaku to help him find Nunnally, the last bit of friendship he could hope for, where he helped with Mao and helped Suzaku in his shock of his Father, he knew he could depend on him. Yet Suzaku cut off all ties, shrugging him off as well and leaving him with nothing but Hatred and a Great Enemy.

Why did Lelouch refer to himself as Zero in R2? Because of his memories. He knows now that he cannot return anytime soon to the same School life or Life that was fake. He knows he has nothing and Lost Everything as Far as Army, Power, Chance.

But of Course, he realizes another thing by calling himself Zero. He has everything to regain, which he will in R2.