YF6-X7K/E Ganymede

Developed during what would later be called the third generation of Knightmare Frames, the YF6-X7K/E Ganymede was the brainchild of the rising Ashford Foundation. Created shortly before the development of the Yggdrasil drive, the Ganymede was powered by a large external battery, limiting its range and operation time. In spite of this, it formed the basis of practically every Knightmare Frame constructed thereafter. In large part, this was due to the effectiveness of the basic design, along with its skilled test pilot, a young woman named Marianne Lamperouge. Her incredible abilities earned her the nickname “Marianne the Flash,” and eventually she became one of the many wives of the Emperor of Britannia. However, many years later, Marianne was assassinated while at the Aries Palace deep within imperial territory. The loss of its major benefactor and former test pilot caused the Ashford Foundation to dissolve, leading to rumors that the assassination was carried out specifically to curb the rising corporation’s power. At least one Ganymede (possibly the same unit used by Marianne) was retained by the Ashford family at the academy it operated in the conquered Japan, renamed as Area 11. This Ganymede was brought out of storage once a year for an exhibition at the school festival, where it was piloted by Marianne’s son Lelouch, who used the skills learned from its operation while fighting the Britannian Empire as the masked terrorist Zero. In a.t.b. 2017, Lelouch ceded his role as the Ganymede’s annual pilot to his childhood friend, Suzaku Kururugi, who was renowned as the pilot of the Z-01 Lancelot and as the Knight of Princess Euphemia Li Britannia.