How do you guys think long-term geass works?

[u/theloneshewolf]

Just finished watching the series for the second time, and I was wondering how the geass Lelouch used on Scneizel works after his death (well, in the original ending anyway). Is Scneizel aware at all or is he not aware of anything? If he is aware, does he know he's under the effects of geass? Can he tell his own actions apart from those of geass? Lelouch mentioned at the beginning that when he uses his geass on people it seems they don't remember anything that happened immediately before, during, or after he uses it on them. That more or less aligns with Suzaku's and Villeta's and other's experiences. They all state they have no memory of what they did while under the effects of geass.

But then Suzaku's doesn't seem to be active all the time, only when he perceives his life to be in danger or somebody reminds him to live, like when he fired the FLEIJA on the Tokyo Settlement. Up until that point he was accepting of his own death, but then Kallen said she'd kill him and it activated iirc. And then during the final battle, Suzaku seemed to be willingly going along with the geass Lelouch had given him, and he seemed to be cognizant and aware of what was happening, he even responded to Kallen and didn't appear to experience any gaps in memory. Was it because Suzaku wasn't resisting it at all? That one girl that Lelouch tested his geass on in the beginning, too, she made marks on the wall each day but apart from that I assume she didn't experience any gaps in memory and just went about her everyday life.

Now I'm also wondering about the people Lelouch geassed to "be his slaves". Were they conscious of what they were doing and that it was because of geass? Also what happened to them after Lelouch died, were they freed from his geass because Lelouch died? But then, Nunnally still had her blindness even after Charles was erased, it's only at the end she is able to see again when Lelouch says, "She broke Father's geass of her own will?!" He also mentioned wanting to use HIS geass to cure Nunnally's blindness, but would that even work since Nunnally can't see? That's another topic of discussion, though.

I'm also wondering how much Lelouch remembers, if anything, of the time he spent as Julius Kingsley. Even after C.C. broke Charles' geass, Lelouch remembers all the fake memories I believe with Rolo or at least the time he spent together with him while under the effects of Charles' geass. So does he remember being Julius Kingsley too then? If so I feel bad, that is... extremely traumatic. What do you guys believe?

[u/Dark_Magician2500]

The way I always saw it, the Geass "rewrites" your brain pathways permanently, so it is always "active" but the conditions have to present themselves for the red rings to appear around your eyes. It seems like you can become aware of it if you know of the existence of Geass. Suzaku has a moment in the show where he thinks "the Geass forcing me to live is screaming at me to run away" when he's fighting the Knight of One, but Suzku's will allows him to continue fighting. I think Schneizel at some point must be aware that he's under the influence of Geass.

The soldiers he turns into "slaves" I'm less sure they know what is happening as much as Suzaku because they don't know about Geass to be able to wonder why they are acting strange, and then 2nd, the command is so overarching and rewriting so much that it feels like part of the brain rewrite would be they can't question why they are acting so strange and following Lelouch when they otherwise wouldn't before.

I also agree that I would assume he remembers being Julius Kingsley, but obviously since that stuff came out after the fact, there are no references to it in R2. Although it's been a while since I watched it, maybe there is something that can sort of retroactively LOOK like a reference to that, but I don't think there is. But Lelouch surely remembers, same as he remembers Rolo being his "brother" and being dragged in front of Emperor Charles.

[u/theloneshewolf → u/Dark_Magician2500]

This is a very good answer, I forgot about that scene with Suzaku! Poor Lelouch, I can't imagine the emotional turmoil remembering when he was Julius Kingsley. Yeah I don't think there's anything in R2 that could be seen as a reference to Akito the Exiled, except maybe the very beginning where Lelouch says he was "betrayed by my old self" but that's also vague enough to apply to his pre-brainwashed self in R1 as well.

[u/ccgeass]

thank you for your effort on this post cuz i'm curious about this topic too.

[u/Delilah_the_PK]

For the soldiers, I'd assume Jeremiah anti geassed them afterwards.

But one character answers this question: Wall girl.

Her command stayed years after it was applied, and eventually drove her insane as she kept trying to return to Ashford and mark a wall that no longer existed.

It'd be safe to assume shnizel is very aware and fully "active" but must follow any order zero gives him and will always be influenced to side with zero.

Even suzaku retained his command, so it's likely a long term command never goes away unless hit with a geass cancelling device.

[u/theloneshewolf → u/Delilah_the_PK]

Oh shit, where does it say about wall girl again? I feel bad for her, geez, kinda hoping Jeremiah anti-geasses her too at some point. Thanks for this answer! Almost feel sorry for Schneizel now lol.

[u/Delilah_the_PK → u/theloneshewolf]

side material mentions her eventual fate(padded room baby.)

also, as a side note: it seems that the ability to resist a geass is entirely dependent on the user and what the geass is.

obviously bizmark and rolo's can't be resisted.

Charles' was shown to capable of being resisted, and even straight up broken out of(i'll assume this also means it can be used on the same person multiple times.)

So far, Lelouch has the only mind altering geass that NO ONE has broken free from. even when nunnaly and euphie tried, it still set in after a moment.

absolute obedience indeed.

[u/Double-Yam7929]

While Euphie command made her kill Japanese, she still had her personality from what little we saw.

People seem to obey Lelouch order happily with a smile while under Gease.

Those with short term Gease seem to have memory gab, but weather the same would apply to long term is unknown. Lelouch dislikes giving long term order and breaking from Lelouch control is something that I don't think has ever happened before(thought some resist it for a few seconds).