Li Xingke briefly popped up in season one before properly debuting in R2, where he establishes himself as a member of the Chinese Federation with genuinely unusual loyalty to the Empress—something his higher-ups notably don't share. His real goal is stripping power from the eunuchs who actually run the country, effectively making the Empress an actual authority instead of a figurehead.
He came to Area 11 as a bodyguard for the influential eunuch Gaohai, and arrived right as the Black Knights were making their move to rescue Zero. When Lelouch's Geass forced Gaohai to shelter the fugitives at the Chinese Embassy, Li saw the perfect opportunity. He stages his own attack on the embassy, then pulls Karen Kōzuki and C.C. aside to lay out his real plan: he's going to kill Gaohai, and he needs their help making it look like it happened in the fighting.
When he confronts Gaohai about recognizing the United States of Japan without approval from the mainland or the Empress, he discovers that Gaohai cares more about Zero than loyalty to his own ruler. That's enough for Li—he executes him for treason. C.C. quickly realizes what's actually happening: Li's entire "alliance" with the Black Knights is just another move in his larger game for China. He's not helping them out of principle; they're tools for his own ambitions.
Physically, Li is in exceptional shape and terrifyingly skilled with a sword—he's capable of drawing, striking, and sheathing his blade so fast that victims don't even notice he's moved. He's been compared to Suzaku in raw ability and to Lelouch in intellect, and he proves this by quickly identifying Karen as the Guren Nishiki pilot and masterfully navigating the diplomatic minefield around the embassy situation without triggering an international incident. He's not just a fighter; he's got real political instincts. Rumors suggest he'll eventually pilot the Shen-Hu Knightmare Frame.
Content compiled by AnimeList.moe from publicly available sources.
