Miraculous–Lyoko: 2 Tales, 1 Soul

What Miraculous and Code Lyoko have in common?

If I told you the name Thomas Astruc, what's the first thing you'd think of? If it’s Miraculous, it wouldn’t be a surprise given how popular it has become these days. Maybe even Totally Spies, since Astruc has been loosely associated with it. But what if I told you that Astruc has also collaborated on other cartoons? One in particular, Code Lyoko. At first glance, Code Lyoko and Miraculous seem completely different, since one is fantasy magic and the other science fiction. Yet sometimes, authors, perhaps unknowingly, if they've loved an older work (Code Lyoko is from 2003-2007), take some elements from it for a newer Miraculous (2016-Present). Only a keen eye can notice things like this. https://www.reddit.com/r/miraculousladybug/comments/rjqqx3/is_it_just_me_or_is_h... Today we'll talk about what these two series have in common. That said, I hope you enjoy the read.

1. Double lives. The protagonists lead double lives, and almost no one knows about their actions and how they secretly save the world. In both cases, the protagonists must balance their student life with secret missions. Classmate relationships, rivalries, and teenage crushes are central to both series.

2. The crucial role of the protagonist. Only Aelita can deactivate Xana's towers, just as only Ladybug can capture the Akuma and purify them. Furthermore, Aelita on Lyoko can create anything with the power of her mind, though she often gets overwhelmed by fear and can't react in time (I remember an episode where she was possessed by XANA and fought better than usual). Ladybug also possesses the power of creation with her Lucky Charm.

3. The witty one of the group. In both cartoons, there's a character who plays the role of the superhero cat and is the witty one: Odd and Adrien/Cat Noir. One key difference between them is their parents: Adrien has an old-school father, while Odd's parents have remained young at heart, a bit like Anarka Couffaine.

4. The reset. Returning to the past, like Miraculous Ladybug, restores everything, with the difference that Miraculous Ladybug doesn't go back in time. Returning to the past resets everyone’s memory except for the protagonists, while in Miraculous, only the akumatized one doesn't remember what happened before the akumatization.

5. Elisabeth and Chloé. Elisabeth Delmas is the principal's daughter, just as Chloé is the daughter of the mayor of Paris, with the difference that Elisabeth doesn't receive preferential treatment from her father. Chloé and Elisabeth have henchmen who do whatever they tell them: Chloé has Sabrina, Elisabeth has Herb, who like Sabrina is intelligent, and Nicholas, the brainless one.

6. The principals. The principals of both schools have a childish mentality and like to play games. Mr. Delmas has a penguin video game, while Damocles dresses up as the superhero Owl, imitating Ladybug and Cat Noir. Apparently, they both like birds. (Yeah, I know — terrible joke.)

7. Influence of Japanese anime. Both have a visual style inspired by them (teenage heroes, transformations, school dynamics).

8. The dark transformation. When an akuma darkens a character's heart, they work for the villain. The same is true when XANA activates the towers and takes possession of a human. The difference is that in Code Lyoko, the person is the same; the only distinguishing feature is the XANA symbol over their eyes. With the akumas, however, the artists gave free rein to their imagination. Furthermore, the main villain is an invisible entity that acts through others. XANA and Hawk Moth rarely appear in person. They prefer to manipulate others to achieve their goals, creating a sense of constant and pervasive threat.

9. The theme of mind control. As you've already mentioned, XANA possesses people, while Hawk Moth corrupts them. Both processes strip the victims of free will, and the heroes must intervene to free them. However, no one resisted XANA, while in Miraculous, at the beginning, only someone truly strong-willed characters managed to resist akumatization. It would be a shame if Astruc allowed even the most mediocre characters to do so (which, unfortunately, he did after season 3).

10. The fallen hero. A character who started out as a hero later fell and joined the side of evil, but with major differences. William Dunbar joined the group at the end of season 3, was fighting well, and was possessed by XANA because he was so arrogant he believed he could defeat the Scyphozoa, the jellyfish, on his own. Chloé, on the other hand, was first introduced as a rich and spoiled minor antagonist. Then her backstory emerged, the audience began to empathize with her, and she herself began to embark on a difficult and tortuous path to redemption, unjustly interrupted by various external factors. But I don't want to go into detail; I've covered that enough in my two articles: Redemption Denied: Chloé’s True Story, which I encourage you to check out if you haven’t read them yet.

11. The narrative tone alternates between lightheartedness and drama. Both series can be fun and lighthearted, but there are also intense moments, with sacrifices, fears, and emotional tension. This balance makes them suitable for both young and mature audiences.

12. The presence of non-human creatures or entities. In Miraculous, there are Kwamis, magical spirits linked to jewels. In Code Lyoko, there are XANA’s digital monsters, such as Kankrelat, Blok, Scyphozoa, and many others. Both universes feature non-human beings with important roles.

So, did you like this analysis? Tell me if you noticed other similitary in these 2 cartoons. Maybe some details that I missed. See you next time.