is the protagonist of the original video animation Code Geass: Akito the Exiled produced by Sunrise. Akito is a 17-year-old soldier who has lost his hometown. He is an officer in E.U. military with the rank of lieutenant from a unit consisting of teenagers from Area 11 called W-0 under the command of Leila Malcal. During the year 2017 a.t.b., Akito takes part in a military operation on the European battlefront as a Knightmare Frame pilot. Akito is cursed with a supernatural "Geass" after command by his brother Shin Hyuga Shaing that he controls at will, allowing him to savagely kill his enemies in the battlefield, thus was given the title . Akito can also see spirits of his fallen comrades as he revealed as part of his post-traumatic disorder, and across the narrative he tries to overcome his grief.
Akito was created by director Kazuki Akane who aimed to portray him as being too stoic in the series' beginning in order to make his relationship with Leila make a major impact in his growth. The character 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.
Creation
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. 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. 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.
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. 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.
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.
For the English dub of the series, Akito was voiced by Micah Solusod.