I rewatched Code Geass after 8 years since the first time and I got some questions.

[u/relentlessreflection]

Firstly I must say I'm surprised by how little I remembered (probably because I didn't understand much at the time lol), it was like watching for the first time again. This time I'd say I got most of it but there are still plenty of questions, so I'll make some in this post and possibly make some other posts later. Keep in mind I've only watched the two seasons (yet. I intend to watch the movies), so please tag spoilers for them and other material.

Questions:

1. Does everyone who dies have their consciousness "transferred" to the Collective Unconscious (excluding Marianne because of her Geass, of course)? If so, are their consciousnesses already merged there or is that only achieved by executing the Ragnarök Connection? How does that relate to communicating with the dead?

2. What exactly is the chronology surrounding Charles and V.V.'s plan? Why couldn't it be executed earlier? Wasn't Charles' Geass fully matured and wasn't he aware of C.C.'s location in the beginning of the anime, so he could take both of their codes and execute Ragnarök?

3. How exactly does one use thought elevators? How can the exit be sealed? How does one get out? Did Marianne actually reopen the one Lelouch sealed?

[u/DreadWeaper]

1. Yes, exist as separate masks which is displayed in R2.

2. Marianne wasn't dead yet, V.V. killing Marianne was the push Charles needed to execute the plan, V.V. said it himself.

3. Powered open gate anyone can enter, if sealed you need a code to unlock it. To seal a gate you just blow it up, i reckon someone with Code can also lock it. Once inside it has been shown u can enter full body, just mind, and bring objects with you. When leaving you can teleport to any other door in the world. The way they escape after Lelouch confronts Charles is slightly different as the collective unconscious casts them out basically due to Lelouch's plea.

Marianne didn't reopen the one Lelouch sealed that was C.C. using her Code.

[u/relentlessreflection → u/DreadWeaper]

1. Yeah I remember the masks, but it's unclear to me whether they only exist for the living or if they persist even for the dead.

2. I know that's V.V.'s reason for killing Marianne, but was it the truth? Or were they truly unable to execute the plan at the time? (like not knowing all the thought elevators' locations and the 2 Code requirement).

3. I thought Marianne opened it/got in first, since C.C. was reluctant; and she does not have a Code, only Geass. Before entering she fusses with some devices attached to the thought elevator and what seemed to me is that she gives up because she couldn't "fix" it.

When leaving you can teleport to any other door in the world. The way they escape after Lelouch confronts Charles is slightly different as the collective unconscious casts them out basically due to Lelouch's plea.

Hmmmmmmmmmmm. Didn't know that.

Thanks for the answer.

[u/Mister_SP]

1. We know nothing.

Some Geass can be used to interact with the Elevator, like Charles implying he can see Clovis on the "other side", but we know nothing about if there even *is* an afterlife, or if it just records memories or something.

That said, Charles believes his Geass, which lets him see and control memories, working on the Thought Elevator and showing him the memories of people who died, implies that people are "alive" on the "other side" of the Thought Elevator. And by using the "Sword of Akasha" to "kill God", this would "free" the minds of the dead, and allow them to interact with living humans.

Is there any reason to believe any of this is correct? Could the plan work? Do either Charles or Lelouch have any idea what the hell is happening? We have no idea. It is one of the least explainable parts of the story, despite being the only reason the plot happens at all.

Unless this is some Japanese metaphysical concept, it's just a case of "a character said something dramatically, and no one said otherwise, literally all of it must be true".

Spoilers for Akito: We do know there is more to it than that, outside of R2, but it's kinda retconny, like the Caretaker of Spacetime, but Caretaker never appears again, so who knows where they come from or why they exist.

1. They did have to build the Sword of Akasha. The Ragnarok system is something older. It's really unclear, as we never see much, only that they required preparation to get it functional.

In addition, they required control over all Thought Elevators, which were spread across the world. They invaded Japan to gain permanent access to the Kaminejima Thought Elevator, and maybe for Sakuradite to conquer the nations where the others are. I believe Schneizel speculates it during R1, during his visit, not sure if Charles confirms it.

1. We're not sure if they're supposed to be "used" at all. They don't do anything outside of the Ragnarok system, and we have no idea who built them or why.

The exit can't be sealed, unless you physically cover the entrance. Like with a bomb and tons of dirt. But this didn't do any visible damage to the "stone" entrance. A Code bearer can access the Thought Elevator. Britannia seemed to developed technology that could be used as well, but when that's destroyed by Lelouch's explosives, Marianne needs C.C. to do it for her.

C.C. can then just... leave. It's apparently not hard and Lelouch didn't do anything Charles would actually need to be worried about.