Character Biography

Sayoko Shinozaki is a kindhearted Japanese woman who serves as a maid to the Lamperouge siblings in their residence. She was originally Milly Ashford's personal maid, but was reassigned to Lelouch and Nunnally when they were placed under the Ashfords' care. Her relatively benign appearance contrasts with her position as the 37th successor of the Shinozaki School of martial arts. She is a highly skilled martial artist, carrying smoke bombs and a number of kunai strapped to her thighs, and has matching athletic talents. She is referred to as a supermaid on her official profile. The DVD releases for the series occasionally promote a segment called "Sayoko's Diary," which depicts her humorously slanted view of daily life at the Ashford Academy.

Sayoko assists in taking care of Nunnally whenever Lelouch is not around. She is later employed by Diethard Reid as a spy for the Black Knights, and escapes capture during the Black Rebellion by leaving for the Chinese Federation with Diethard and several other members. Lelouch reveals his secret identity to her in the second season, and she poses as his double at Ashford while he is away. Though she is able to play the part somewhat convincingly, her aforementioned slanted viewpoint of his daily life leads her to believe that he is a womanizer, and she portrays him as such, to his dismay. Furthermore, she alsoopenly displays her athletic prowess during one of Milly's festivals, another contrast with the physically unfit Lelouch.

During the second battle of Tokyo, she leads a mission with Rolo to secure Nunnally, only to be apparently caught in the blast radius of the F.L.E.I.J.A. bomb. However, both she and Nunnally manage to escape and wind up with Schneizel. Sayoko escapes and returns to Lelouch to warn him about Schneizel's plan. Jeremiah comments on her seemingly odd choice of loyalties (following a Britannian despite being Japanese), and remarks that she, like himself, seems to follow the path of chivalry. When the Avalon is boarded by the Black Knights, Lelouch orders her to release the U.F.N. hostages under the guise of betraying him. She is later imprisoned alongside Rakshata, Nina, and Cecile but is later set free.