The Princess of the Kingdom of Kouka, Yona, has had a pretty stress-free life living away from the harsh realities of despair and poverty in which the citizens of the kingdom experience on a daily basis. That changes; however, when her father, the King of the Kingdom of Kouka is murdered and her favourite cousin Su-Won, betrays the kingdom and places Yona’s life in danger. Forced to flee because of attempts on her life ordered by the new king, Yona goes on a journey in search of individuals who can come together and help her save her country and get to the bottom of her cousin’s betrayal.

Being a shoujo anime, Akatsuki no Yona has managed to find a fairly different way to present the themes of war and betrayal. A murder within the royal family sets everything into motion and gives the protagonist a reason to do what they do. Ring any bells? Akatsuki no Yona presents us with a fairly similar situation with the protagonist’s family history as Code Geass does, and while being fundamentally different in personality, both Lelouch and Yona wish to settle a score with people who betrayed them. In Yona’s case; however, her retribution does not come from a place of anger, she’s more saddened by the course of events more than anything else. Moreover, Akatsuki no Yona, much like Code Geass, presents the rude awakening of the protagonist, with Yona realising that the Kingdom is not as rosy as she once thought, and Lelouch coming to understand the full consequences of the abuse of power, and the effects of war. If Akatsuki no Yona hasn’t dawned on you just yet, give it a try – it will surprise you.

The Katjvarna Empire and its neighbouring country, the Kioka Republic, are at war. Despite completely detesting the concept of war, Ikta Solork prepares to take the High Grade Military Exam which will ultimately lead him into becoming a High Grade Military Officer in order to protect his country. Be that as it may, Ikta has no motivation to do anything with his life that does not involve taking naps and chasing women; however, due to his keen intellect and prowess as a strategist, the Katjvarna Empire enlist him as one of their Imperial Order of Knights, bolstering their military strength in the war against the Kioka Republic.

Much like Code Geass, we are presented with characters living in times of war and political turmoil, and, as a result of these conditions, the main characters of these shows experience fairly similar, but vastly different negative experiences which change them forever. In Ikta’s case, his father was a high-ranking military officer who, because he failed to follow a certain order, was branded a traitor, imprisoned and subsequently died a captive of the nation he used to serve. In terms of the protagonists of the shows themselves, both Lelouch and Ikta display incredible levels of intelligence and are regarded as amazing tacticians in their respective anime. Both main characters also become central figures in the wars waged by the sides they serve, Ikta as a tactician for the Katjvarna Empire and Lelouch as Zero, leading the Japanese rebels of Area 11. If you enjoyed Lelouch’s smarts, turn the tables on Ikta and give Alderamin on the Sky a chase – you’ll love it.

Under the rule of King Andragoras III, the Kingdom of Pars enjoys times of prosperity, all while at war with the neighbouring empire of Lusitania. The good times continue until, on the day of his first true battle, Prince Arslan of the Kingdom of Pars, his father and the kingdom itself are betrayed by one of the country’s most trusted officials and the army completely defeated. With the country’s leadership in shambles, Arslan is forced to flee the country. Together with the Daryun the general and a few other companions, Arslan sets out to put together a band of allies that will help him take back his kingdom.

War and betrayal are central themes in Arslan Senki and the vehicle through which the plot is both created and driven. Much like in Code Geass, Arslan Senki follows the actions of a protagonist who is part of the royal family and seeks to claim power in order to resolve issues which arose due to politically-motivated betrayal. In fairly similar circumstances, both Lelouch and Arslan find themselves no longer living in their respective countries and the theme of war prevails in both anime, forming an integral part of both characters’ realities. So, when Code Geass gives you an exiled prince who seeks revenge on the royal family, Arslan Senki gives you an exiled prince who seeks to muster enough allies to take back his home. Being a prince is a lot more work than we thought.

Tatsumi and his friends, Sayo and Ieyasu venture to the Empire’s capital in order to work for the military and send money to their home village. However, a few days into entering the capital, Tatsumi runs into Night Raid, a band of assassins who belong to the Revolutionary Army and work towards slowly changing the lives of the citizens of the empire. Upon coming to the realisation that darkness runs deep into the empire and that poverty, despair and corruption are rife, Tatsumi joins Night Raid and vows to put an end to the people’s suffering.

In a land where the aristocracy and government enjoy lavish lives at the expense of regular citizens, the Revolutionary Army and Night Raid seek to change the empire – and the only way to do so is by force. A war between the empire’s military and the Revolutionary Army ensues, and that is where we find our Geassocity in Akame ga KILL! Like in Code Geass, war is one of the most important aspects of the show, but moreover, much like Code Geass, Akame ga KILL! does not hold back in showing the true consequences of war on the individuals who experience it. People die – and this harsh reality weighs heavily on both Lelouch and Tatsumi; however, that is the life they chose in pursuit of the justice in which they believe.

When the enigmatic Avilio Bruno receives a strange letter expressing the sender’s desire to help him exact revenge on members of the Vanetti mafia family who murdered his family 7 years prior, he quickly makes his way back to the town of Lawless in order to infiltrate the Vanetti Family, gain their trust and eventually, punish the four individuals who killed his mother, father and little brother all those years ago…

91 Days is an anime that reeks of revenge! It is what keeps the protagonist alive, it is what he strives for and to that end, no amount of deceit and betrayal is too much for Avilio, and he displays the type of ambition reminiscent of none other than Lelouch Lamperouge. 91 Days and Code Geass share major similarities in the fact that betrayal leads to the deaths of the protagonists’ relatives and it is those deaths which invoke a vengeance so strong, so bitter that they truly do not care about becoming the most cunning individuals. Long story short, Code Geass and 91 Days both sport main characters capable of taking down entire organisations with their wit and ability alone and with the flame of revenge burning in their hearts, we see how one show could remind us of the other.

High school student Yagami Light finds a strange notebook one day. Upon opening the notebook, he notices that it claims to have an uncanny ability: the one whose name is written in the book will die. Skeptical about the notebook’s abilities, Light decides to put it to the test, ultimately ushering him into the supernatural world of the Shinigami, spirits which govern the deaths of human beings. It turns out that the notebook, or Death Note, belongs to one such Shinigami. With the Death Note’s capabilities no longer in question, Light takes it upon himself to use it to rid the world of all evil.

Whenever Code Geass is brought up in conversation, Death Note will most certainly come up at one point or another and with good reason – Death Note and Code Geass are virtually twin shows, with similar intelligent protagonists who also have a somewhat warped sense of justice as well as an over-indulgence in new-found power. The two can be seen as the pinnacle of anime’s take on themes regarding power, justice and deceit. Although Code Geass has the prevalent theme of war to differentiate it from Death Note, it simply does not change the fact that the two will always be linked to each other.

Both Lelouch and Light obtain tremendous power which they use to their own ends, to fulfil a cause which they both believe is just. Consequently, both characters end up having to deceive their loved ones in order to complete their objectives. Long story short, if you have watched Code Geass, it is imperative, in fact, we’d go as far as to say it is a law of anime that you watch Death Note. They are two sides of the same ambitious coin.