Akito Hyuga
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Clamp
English: Micah Solusod, Apphia Yu
| Akito Hyuga | |
|---|---|
| Code Geass character | |
 Akito as he appears in the anime | |
| First appearance | Code Geass: Akito the Exiled Episode 1: "The Wyvern Arrives" |
| Created by | Kazuki Akane Clamp |
| Voiced by | Japanese: Miyu Irino, Ryōka Yuzuki English: Micah Solusod, Apphia Yu |
| In-universe information | |
| Relatives | Shin Hyuga Shaing (brother) |
Akito Hyuga (Japanese: 日向アキト, Hepburn: Hyūga Akito) is the protagonist of the original video animation (OVA) Code Geass: Akito the Exiled produced by Sunrise. Akito, a 17-year-old soldier who has lost his hometown, is a lieutenant in the European military from a unit consisting of teenagers under the command of Leila Malcal. Akito participates in a military operation on the European battlefront as a pilot of a mecha labeled as Knightmare Frame. Akito is cursed with a supernatural "Geass" caused by his half brother Shin Hyuga Shaing that he controls at will. During these mind attacks, Akito goes berserker in battlefield, thus receiving the title of "Hannibal's Ghost" (ハンニバルの亡霊). Akito sees spirits of his fallen comrades as part of his post-traumatic stress disorder, and during the story, he tries to overcome his grief.
The OVA's director Kazuki Akane created Akito, portraying as stoic in the series' beginning and showing his growth through his relationship with Leila. Akito is voiced by Miyu Irino in Japanese and Micah Solusod in English. His younger persona is voiced by Ryōka Yuzuki in Japanese and Apphia Yu in English.
Despite early negative comments from the media that Akito was too brooding, journalists praised Akito's character arc in the series not only due to how he faces his past but also stands out in the franchise in general for avoiding the common dark narratives from the television series, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion.
Akito Hyuga was created by Code Geass: Akito the Exiled anime director Kazuki Akane who often aimed to initially display the protagonist as a fighter seemingly possessed. However, in following episodes of the original video animation (OVA) series, the protagonist 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 artists known as 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 an 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 previous works, most notably The Vision of Escaflowne. 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]