Geass

Geass (ギアス) is a supernatural ability which certain people can bestow upon others. C.C. is the most prominent character who grants the power of Geass.

Overview
The Geass manifests differently in each individual, possibly related to their inner desires and personality. The power of Geass increases with use, and should the user lack the willpower, they may be consumed by it, which was the case with Mao. C.C. calls Geass the Power of Kings, and though she is unable to use the power herself, she is immune to the power being used on her. In the final episode of the second season, Lelouch states that the Geass is a form of wish (referring to himself and C.C.). However, people who have Geass are not immune to the Geass effects of others. The Geass is represented by a glowing, bird-shaped symbol.

Every Geass, while powerful, has its own unique set of restrictions, limitations, or idiosyncrasies. These factors allow a Geass to be defeated, or its power limited, by someone who is aware of its characteristics. All Geass abilities that have thus far appeared within the canon of the television series have been related to the mind, influencing such things as will, thought, memory and perception. Geass abilities in the alternate universe manga Nightmare of Nunnally have no such limitations. All Geass, regardless of user, appear in only one eye in the initial stages. Eventually, assuming the user lives long enough, the Geass will eventually begin to grow until it shows on both eyes, seemingly as a result of repeated use, or pushing the Geass to exceed its own limits. However, overuse and/or mental instability can lead to an affliction known as "runaway Geass" that causes the user to become unable to control their Geass, making it become permanently active.

The only case of a person that manifested a "perfect" Geass is Charles zi Britannia, who shows the ability to activate his Geass at will, yet possesses Geass in both eyes. Once the Geass evolves to two eyes, it is strong enough to kill someone who has a Code, and transfers their Code to the Geass-user, making them an Immortal who is immune to all Geass. In both cases shown, the Immortal who was killed is also the Immortal who gave the Geass-user their Geass, making it impossible to tell which event caused the Geass-user to lose their Geass: activating the Code they received, or killing the Immortal they were contracted to, though the former is more likely given that Rolo's Geass remains active after V.V.'s death. The examples shown are when V.V. was killed by Charles after his Siegfried was destroyed, and the unnamed nun in the flashback who convinced C.C. to kill her. It should be noted that C.C. was also giving people Geass with the hopes they would kill her once their Geass reached maximum strength.

According to an English edition of Newtype, the power of Geass has something to do with the very existence of humankind, and it may be used to destroy, control, or transform just about anything. This is because the "gods" of the Geass universe are actually a collection of subconscious and will that are always in conflict, and one with a powerful Geass could influence it, as Lelouch does in the series, and Charles seemingly does, and with a proper system, can also influence reality, which is the concept behind the Sword Of Akasha. "Geass" may be an intentional corruption of the word geas or geis, a term for a type of magical contract in Irish mythology.

There appears to be something that connects Geass users and the ones they form contracts with, allowing them to sense certain changes in the other. C.C. was able to sense exactly when Lelouch's Geass went runaway, while Orpheus and Marrybell were both able to sense when V.V. died through a pain they felt in their Geass.

Geass in Ancient Mythology
Geass originates in Gaelic mythology and is in many ways analogous to the Greek and Roman concept of the tragic flaw. One of the first and best known heroes subject to a Geass is the central character of an Irish mythology Ulster Cycle, Cú Chulainn. He was subject to a 'Geis' of being forbidden to eat dog meat by his enemies. But in early Ireland there was a powerful general taboo against refusing hospitality, so when an old crone offers him a meal of dog meat, he has no choice to break his Geis. In this way he is spiritually weakened for the fight ahead of him.

In Code Geass, Geass is a power given to Lelouch by the mysterious C.C., it allows him to force others to do his will to certain limitations. The similiarity to the Geis concept is evident and presumably the reason behind its name.

Geass Users
A Geass user is a person who possesses the power of Geass. A person acquires Geass by making a contract with an immortal code bearer who formerly possessed Geass. The power of Geass increases with use, and should the user lack the willpower, they may be consumed by it, which was the case with Mao.

Lelouch vi Britannia's Geass

 * Lelouch's Geass manifests itself as "the power of absolute obedience," (絶対遵守) which allows him to plant commands within a person's mind upon direct eye contact. He is granted this ability through his contract with C.C. at the start of the series. Activation of the Geass is visually represented by the manifestation of a Geass sigil in his left eye. Commands dictated in this state are written into the minds of the designated targets once the sigil projects from his eye to theirs. The ability cannot influence the same individual twice. Geass does not have a time limit as shown when Suzaku Kururugi was commanded to live, which went on until the end of the series. Lelouch could initially toggle Geass activation at will, but subsequently loses this control and suffers from a runaway Geass. The specific causes of this are unknown, but may be related to his mental instability in the period leading up to losing his ability, excessive use or a combination of the two. This later extends to the right eye, as a result of pushing his Geass to its limit in attempting to command a massive psychic entity and becomes permanent in both his eyes.

Mao's Geass

 * Mao's Geass allowed him to telepathically hear the conscious thoughts of anyone within an radius of five hundred meters, which is called the "Seal of Absolute Sound". He could concentrate on a specific target to probe deeper into their thoughts and memories while decreasing his effective range, but was unable to read something if his target had no knowledge of or had forgotten about it.


 * Mao received his Geass from C.C. when he was six. When he got older, he began losing control of his geass and  became mentally unstable, it became permanently active in both of his eyes over time, forcing him to constantly listen to the thoughts of all those around him; this eventually drove him mad, leading to a clear further mental instability and an obsession with C.C., the only person whose thoughts he could not hear.

Charles zi Britannia's Geass

 * Charles' Geass possessed the ability to freely alter an individual's memories; with it, he could also seal the power of another Geass user as well as physical senses such as sight by unspecified, but related means. The only case of a "perfect" Geass, it manifested in both of his eyes, yet could be deactivated at will. It was suggested that Charles gained his ability from V.V. when they made their contract to "kill god", though he lost it when he took his brother's Code.


 * While it has no special weaknesses, its influence on Lelouch was canceled by C.C.; this might be specifically as a result of their contract, and not possible for non-Geass users or victims without a connection to her. Nunnally was also capable of breaking through the block on her eyes left by her father's Geass through sheer will, but there was no mention of regained memories, or whether or not this could have been possible had Charles still possessed his Geass and been alive at that point in time.

C.C.'s Geass

 * C.C.'s Geass, gained through a contract with a nun during apparently medieval times, granted her the power "to be loved", and forced anyone she used it against to fall in love with her. It originally manifested in her left eye, but eventually encompassed both along with becoming permanently active.


 * The effect of her Geass seems to have failed immediately after losing it in exchange for her Code, as it was shown that C.C. was quickly attacked and executed by the villagers she had previously enslaved, though it might have needed reinforcement she could no longer provide.

Bismarck Waldstein's Geass

 * Bismarck's Geass allowed him to see up to a few seconds into the future. He mainly used it in combat and despite piloting an inferior Knightmare Frame was able to fight Suzaku before the latter took advantage of his own command to "Live", an order cast on him by Lelouch, to fight on even terms. Bismarck claimed that Suzaku was the first person since Marianne he had to use his Geass against. Though this implies that he used it only sparingly, Bismarck still restrained his Geass by sewing his left eyelid shut, suggesting that it could be permanently active.

Rolo Lamperouge's Geass

 * Rolo's Geass allowed him to suspend the subjective experience of time for all individuals within a sphere of influence, the range of which could vary depending on the situation; everyone within its area of effect, the "Seal of Absolute Suspension", would be effectively paralyzed. Despite gaining it at the age of six and making quite liberal use of it for a decade, Rolo never lost control of his Geass. It manifested in his right eye when used.


 * Its weakness was that it stopped Rolo's heart when used, limiting its activation to short bursts. A large number of people was also more difficult to stop, as Rolo was exhausted after he projected a field encompassing a majority of the school's campus. Finally, this Geass was unable to stop inanimate objects or physical phenomena such as speed and momentum. Rolo ultimately died when he overused his power in a short amount of time.

Marianne vi Britannia's Geass

 * Marianne's Geass could only be used in the moment she died, and gave her the ability to transfer her spirit along with her Geass into another person's mind, which practically allowed her to cheat death. When her consciouness surfaced, she could control the body of her victim, Anya Alstreim, as if it were her own, and also telepathically speak with C.C. as a side effect. As long as it stayed intact, Marianne could even return to her original body. Her Geass manifested in her left eye when she used it and was granted to her by C.C.

Unnamed Child's Geass

 * An unnamed child from the Geass Order displayed a Geass that allowed him to control the body of another person against their will. It seemingly needed eye contact to take effect, after which the targeted body could be manipulated through hand gestures, similar to how a puppeteer controls his puppets. It manifested in the boy's right eye when activated and was likely given to him by V.V.

Orpheus Zevon's Geass

 * Orpheus' Geass, gained from a contract with V.V., gives him the ability to "become" any person he chooses. When activated, he completely takes on not only the appearance of someone else, but also their voice and gestures. This is achieved by tricking the brain of every person in a certain, currently unknown range who sees Orpheus, and does not work when seen by a camera, which has no brain to be tricked. It manifests in his left eye when in use, and later extends to his right eye as well.


 * The weakness of this Geass is that it deactivates itself without warning after five minutes. This limit prevents Orpheus from accurately timing its usage, as he cannot tell when it suddenly stops working. If he uses it two times in a row, he will be unable to activate it again for an entire hour. Despite this, Orpheus believes that the limitations of his Geass are insignificant in the face of its benefits.

Clara Lanfranc's Geass

 * Clara's Geass granted her the ability to make the body of another person obey her every command regardless of the person's will. To do this, she needed to look at her target and call out their name. As shown when Clara tried to control Orpheus, who had used his own Geass to disguise himself as Oldrin Zevon, it was necessary to use a target's true name, which is why it had no effect when she called him by the name of the person whose appearance he had assumed. As a member of the Geass Order, Clara gained her Geass by forming a contract with V.V. It manifested itself in her right eye when activated.

Toto Thompson's Geass

 * Toto's "Geass of Forgetting" gave her the power to erase memories. While similar to Charles' Geass, the difference between them seems to be that Toto could only erase memories, whereas Charles manipulated them even further. A member of the Geass Order, it is likely she made her contract with V.V.

Marrybell mel Britannia's Geass

 * Marrybell's Geass was a harsher version of Lelouch's, called "Absolute Submission". It gave her the ability to enslave anyone she used it on, turning her targets into mindless dolls that are forced to follow Marrybell's every order and possess no ego of their own. She gained her Geass by making a contract with V.V. and it manifested itself in Marrybell's left eye when activated.

Shin Hyuga Shaing's Geass

 * Shin's Geass was first revealed when he forced Michele Manfredi to commit suicide by telling him to "Take a trip"; in a flashback, he was shown to have killed a multitude of people with it and used the simple order "Die". Shin's Geass is the ability the make those he loves kill themselves, stemming from his beliefs that life is painful and a curse. This is described by the spirit of his mother as his wish to free his loved ones from the "curse". This limitation does not appear to be known or understood by Shin, as he tries to use his Geass on Leila but to no effect. When used, it manifests in his left eye. Eventually it spreads to his right eye as well.
 * Akito Hyuga is the only person to have mysteriously lived after being subjugated to this Geass, due to him being too young to understand the concept of death at the time. Instead of dying, similar to Lelouch planting the command to "Live" in Suzaku, the effect of Shin's Geass remained in his subconscious, and influenced him during battle. This command was also able to influence the other members of the W-0 Unit through a brain raid over the neuro devices they were using. Shin was also capable of sensing when the command activated while he was near Akito. Akito, however, has been able to overcome the Geass, refusing to kill Leila Malcal when Shin tried to make him do so, similar to how Euphemia li Britannia overcame her own Geass to avoid killing Suzaku.
 * Shin's Geass is also unique in that he did not enter into a contract with someone with a Code like C.C. or V.V. Rather, after he had killed his father, a vision of a skull with symbol of Geass manifested before him and offered him the power of the king.

Leila Malcal's Geass

 * Hinted at during her confrontation with Anou and confirmed in the official guidebook to the second episode of Akito the Exiled, the C.C.'s Story manga, Leila possesses a Geass granted to her by C.C. Though its ability hasn't been revealed yet, she entered the contract out of a desire to "change the status quo" while she was still a child. It manifest in Leila's left eye when activated, and possesses a unique blue color.

Lorenzo il Soresi's Geass
Lorenzo's Geass possesses the ability to show those affected by it illusions.

Shiori's Geass
Shiori's Geass is the ability to reverse the order of priority in one's heart.

Jeremiah Gottwald's Geass Canceler

 * A peculiar Geass-related power given to Jeremiah by Britannia's Geass Directorate, Jeremiah's Geass Canceler manifests in his left eye and unlike other powers of Geass is represented by an inverted blue version of the bird-like Geass sigil. As Jeremiah's left eye was shown to be a cybernetic replacement in his final appearance in the first season, it is assumed that this is also a cybernetic eye, raising the question of whether or not Britannia's Geass Directorate had managed to reverse-engineer Geass, or had simply been developing countermeasures. This ability appears to cancel out all other Geass effects within a given range, hence the name "Geass Canceler". It will automatically reverse any Geass used on Jeremiah or anybody else in its range.

Nunnally vi Britannia's Geass

 * Upon contract with the entity known as Nemo, Nunnally and Nemo gain the shared ability to read "the lines of the future", functionally identical to precognition. A red, bird-like sigil lights up in Nemo's left eye when the ability is activated.

Alice's Geass, "The Speed"

 * Implanted with cells from C.C., Alice obtains a Geass ability referred to as "The Speed," which allows her to hyperaccelerate all objects within a given radius by manipulating local gravitational pull. When active, a Geass sigil appears upon Alice's forehead. A cell-action suppressant limits this ability, as the activity of C.C.'s biological matter tends to strain and overtax the human body. The suppressant can be neutralized to give Alice access to the full power of her ability, enabling movement of such high speed that it resembles teleportation.
 * Alice uses this for a variety of purposes. In Code 3 'Evil Instrument Nemo', she protects Nunnally from Ekaterina Sforza's bullying by stealing her skirt (Bandai Manga Volume 1, p.91).

Sancia's Geass, "The Order"

 * Sancia's Geass accurately identifies the positions of targets within a given range and precisely calculates their probable movement trajectories based on all known variables. When active, a Geass sigil appears on Sancia's forehead.

Lucretia's Geass, "The Land"

 * Lucretia's Geass allows her to map three-dimensional terrain accurately within a given range. When active, a Geass sigil appears on Lucretia's forehead.

Dalque's Geass, "The Power"

 * Dalque's Geass augments her physical strength by exaggerating the magnitude of macroscopic forces. When active, a Geass sigil appears on Dalque's forehead.

Mao's Geass, "The Refrain"

 * On meeting another's eyes with her left pupil, Mao is capable of reading memories or forcing a victim to relive past experiences, not unlike the drug by the same name. The ability was obtained as a result of an implant of C.C.'s cells, and its use results in rapid cellular degeneration. Massive amounts of cell-action suppressant are required to keep this process in check.

Rolo vi Britannia's Geass, "The Ice"

 * Rolo's Geass allows him to freeze anything in his area of effect, even time (probably a reference to his anime counterpart's Geass). He can also use it to directly freeze a target's Knightmare Frame and pilot.

Charles zi Britannia's Geass, "Wired Geass, The Dead Rise"

 * Charles Geass allows him to resurrect the dead as his slaves. It is also a Wired Geass, meaning he did not make a contract to obtain it. He first used the Geass when he and his parents were murdered, allowing him to obtain immortality. A Geass sigil appears in his right eye when he was seen using it in a flashback.

Marianne vi Britannia's Geass, "The Soul"

 * Marianne's Geass is the same as it is in the anime, allowing her to transport her soul into another person's body.

Lelouch and Nunnally vi Brittania's Geass, "Wired Geass, The Zero"

 * This Geass is described by Nemo as "the power that returns all creation into nothingness". Lelouch seems to manifest his as a kind of obliteration attack launched by contact of his hand to something, such as a Knightmare. It causes massive damage and destroys it infinitely. It has only been resisted twice, by Suzaku in the Lancelot and by Bismark Waldstein, since he is an undying warrior brought back by Charles' Geass.
 * Nunnally's version of "The Zero" is described as the key to Eden Vital. It can open the "door to heaven", creating a portal to Eden Vital which Charles, Marianne, and C.C are planning to use to collect the conciousness of humanity back into a single entity and kill God.

Castor rui Britannia's Geass (DS Game)

 * Castor's Geass is called "Bless". It is "the power to force your own thoughts into others" and can be used both for telepathic communications and to make people have headaches.



Pollux rui Britannia's Geass (DS Game)

 * Like his twin brother, Pollux's Geass is also called "Bless". He can persuade others to do his bidding just by saying "God bless you".



Euphemia's Geass (DS Game)

 * Euphemia seems to possess a Geass ability in the alternate story paths.

Rai's Geass (Lost Colors: PS2/PSP Game)

 * The protagonist of Code Geass: Lost Colors, Rai possesses a non-optical manifestation of Lelouch's "power of absolute obedience", which relies instead upon the sound of his voice as a medium. The ability cannot influence the same individual twice, but those formerly afflicted by Lelouch's Geass may still be controlled, and vice versa.

Trivia

 * The concept of Geis also appears in "Fate" universe including the Irish Mythology of Cú Chulainn and Diarmuid Ua Duibhne who were Lancer Servants. The use of Geis curse is forming a curse over a target that imposes a mystical restriction over one's action with the consent of both parties. One even more merciless version of a geis is a Self-Geas Scroll.
 * In Bleach, the Zanpakuto Muramasa design is very similar to Geass and the consequences to the user of it is similar too.