Akito Hyuga

Director Kazuki Akane.

Akito Hyuga was created by director Kazuki Akane who often aimed to initially display Akito as a fighter seemingly possessed but that in following episodes of the OVA he would become more expressive.[1] The staff found it difficult to properly display Akito's expressions in the first episodes. His design was made by manga group Clamp. Akito's braids were initially unpopular within the Sunrise female staff.[2] In the making of the series, Sunrise expressed the need to show how different is Akito from Leila; Akito is skilled at operating the machine. On the other hand, Leila Malkal is not familiar with the operation so they made her stagger when landing on the ground to emphasize that. They gave distinguishable characters to each machine to give the impression that it is the characters who are actually operating the machines.[3]

Starting the third episode of the OVA, the staff made sure that through the exchanges between Akito and Leila, the former's characterization is shown further depths, most notably his misrelationship with his brother Shin which helped to foreshadow future events of the narrative. The staff was pleased with their handing Akito, his relationships and dreams. This was further shown by making Akito make a honest smile for the first time in the series. Miyu Irino enjoyed interacting with Maaya Sakamoto as she was the one voicing Leila.[4] For the following episode, designer Kimura said that his favorite scene was when Akito is brainwashed by Shin to kill Leila but manages to ignore such order. The scene of Akito's Knightmare holding her like a princess was noted to stand out within the Code Geass franchise due to how other princesses are often the subject of being victims in the television series and instead felt more fitting of Akane's preivous works. In the trailer for the final episode, there is a figure of Leila holding Akito's pigtails, and that picture was found meaningful by artist Takahiro Kimura.[5]

In the finale, Irino said not were only highlights were the battle scenes alone, or new mechas but also the duel between Akito and Shin. He does think it is an exaggeration to say that it was drawn with overwhelming force, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that it was the culmination of everything the cast done so far. Regarding Akito's growth from the first chapter to the final chapter, he felt in the beginning, Akito acted like a robot carrying out a mission, with little emotion. In contrast, the Akito from the finale acts more like a human according to Irino. Akane added he drew it with the intention of returning from a cold, cool, crazy man to the original Akito. In the end, he personally thought that he became a character who would be protected like the heroine Leila.[6]

For the English dub of the series, Akito was voiced by Micah Solusod.[7]

In an "Overseas Popular Character Top 5" from the magazine Newtype, Akito took third place behind Hachiman Hikigaya from My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected and Yuichiro Hyakuya from Seraph of the End.[13] Fandom Post listed Akito as the 15th best character of Code Geass praising his fighting abilities and his relationship with the cast from the OVA.[14] Masaki Endo from Mantan Web praised Akito's development due to how he opens up with Leila as both talk about their respective pasts.[15] Comic Book Resources stated that several of Akito's actions subverts the darkest tropes from the television series, comparing Akito's order to kill his superior in the form of Geass with Lelouch's accidental order on Princess Euphemia; While Euphemia is forced to kill several of innocent Japanese people due to the Geass, Akito manages to overcome his brother Geass and stop himself from murdering Leila, giving the scene a romantic tone. The eventual ending of the series where the duo abandon the military, breaking the idea that the Geass would curse any of its users and that embodies the series' ideals of free will.[16] Game Rant also noticed a major difference in the handling of Akito and Lelouch's fights and ideals due to how optimistic the former becomes thanks to Leila's aid and how after his final battle with Shin, the cast decides to live peacefully in contrast to how Lelouch decides to do dirty work in the world before his eventual arranged death.[17]

ImpulseGamer feared that Akito might come across as a brooding archetype based on his quite personality which contrasts his insanity when fighting which he still enjoyed though.[18] Anime News Network was more critical to the handling of Akito's personality due to how long it takes for his character to develop but still felt his battle enjoyable.[19] Kotaku commented on the series' narrative positively, commenting on the philosophy that Akito suffers in regards to wanting to die which is rivaled by how Leila instead wants him to embrace the concept of living, an ideal that was briefly explored Lelouch of the Rebellion through Suzaku Kururugi's being ordered to live.[20] Despite the character's nature and dark narrative, Sumikai enjoyed the Wyverns' rest as it helps to see a calmer side of themselves most notably the loner Akito or the rebellious Ashley.[21] The Fandom Post agreed but still found the characters enjoyable as well as the handling of the pacing and how complex is Akito when seen properly. Besides Akito's past and how it is portrayed in the story, The Fandom Post found his growing relationship with Leila as one of the OVA's strongest point to the point Leila often feels as a more central character.[22] Otaku USA felt the handling of Shin Hyuga to be entertaining for developing his brother but at the same time in a too simplistic way despite the franchise's fame for focusing on politics.[23] Similarly, for the finale, Japaniac praised the fight between the two Hyuga brothers. Another relationship found appealing by the site was the one of Akito and Leila due to how they become connected by the power of Geass and develop a romantic bond. Although he found the ending appealing.[24] Comic Book Resources found the duel between Akito and Shin tragic because of how the two make up before the latter's death.[25]