Since its release in 2013, Attack on Titan took the world by storm with a mix of shocking action and creative world-building. While the original premise seemed to hold a fair amount of shonen tropes, as the story advances, it soon becomes obvious that Eren Yeager's tale holds far more than meets the eye. The somewhat straightforward threat of the monstrous Titans hides convoluted political schemes, a history of persecution and genocide, and a conflict that leads to many ethical dilemmas.

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Perhaps that's exactly why the finale of the manga disappointed readers so much. Longtime fans of Attack on Titan saw the ending as very similar to that of the popular anime Code Geass. Eren has many things in common with the protagonist of the famous mecha classic, Lelouch vi Britannia, although it may be the differences between the two that have displeased readers so much.

10 SIMILAR: They Both Swear Revenge After The Deaths Of Their Mothers

carla and marianne death

A big similarity between Lelouch and Eren lies in their motivations. Both characters are forced to witness the traumatic deaths of their mothers when they are very young. Eren's mother is eaten by the Smiling Titan during the fall of Shiganshina, while Lelouch's mother Marianne is thought to have been assassinated.

In the aftermath, both Eren and Lelouch swear revenge in their mothers' names, with Lelouch determined to destroy Britannia and Eren desiring to kill all Titans. Both are willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill their goals.

9 DIFFERENT: Lelouch's Conscience Is Anchored By His Sister Nunnally

lelouch and nunnally

While Lelouch and Eren's relationships with their respective mothers have some similarities, Eren has no other family to help him through his experience. His friends are his main form of emotional support, but they are also fellow soldiers in his quest. Meanwhile, Lelouch's reason for living is his sister, Nunnally.

Crippled in the attack that targeted Marianne, Nunnally wishes for a kind and gentle world. In this sense, she represents his conscience as much as she is his foil. She anchors him but often becomes an obstacle in his schemes. Lacking this, Eren is far more fixated on his quest for freedom and revenge than Lelouch is.

8 SIMILAR: They Are Both Granted A Mysterious Power They Can't Properly Control

attack titan and lelouch geass

While in lethal danger, both Lelouch and Eren awaken mysterious powers that save their lives and can do incredible damage. Lelouch receives the Geass of Absolute Obedience from the witch C.C. Eren, on the other hand, already possesses the power of the Attack Titan, having received it years before, from his father. But the powers they have come at a price.

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Eren is immediately reviled by almost everyone around him and Lelouch's Geass isolates him from his peers. This partly stems from both Eren and Lelouch's inability to properly control their skills. Lelouch's runaway Geass leads to the death of his sister Euphemia and countless innocent people. Meanwhile, Eren takes a long time to understand and master the actual abilities of his Attack Titan.

7 DIFFERENT: Eren Is A Capable Soldier Even Without His Attack Titan

Eren 3D maneuver ODM

While Eren's most notable skill is definitely the power of the Attack Titan—and later, of the other Titans he consumes—he is a capable soldier even without this ability. He is trained in the use of ODM gear, and while he doesn't excel at it like Mikasa Ackerman, he's still superior to many other Scouts.

Lelouch, on the other hand, is physically very weak. This is used as a source of comedy in Code Geass. On one notable occasion, Lelouch's attempt to sprint is easily passed not only by Suzaku Kururugi and Kallen Kozuki—who are soldiers—but also by Shirley Fenette, and even more hilariously, Milly Ashford.

6 SIMILAR: They Both Find Out Everything They Have Ever Known Is A Lie

marley ships attack on titan

During the first part of Attack on Titan, Eren and his friends act as the last remnants of humanity, fighting the monstrous man-eating Titans. As Eren later learns, Eldia's true enemy is Marley. Enslaved by the Eldians during ancient times, Marleyans consider Titans monsters but still weaponize them to uphold their control over other nations and target Paradis itself. To top it off, he sees the future when touching Historia's hand.

These events lead to a drastic change in Eren's worldview. Lelouch goes through a similar experience when he learns his mother was alive the whole time. Both she and his father are so dedicated to the Ragnarok Connection that, to them, his existence and rebellion are irrelevant. This epiphany, alongside his belief that his sister is dead, triggers a huge change in his approach.

5 DIFFERENT: Lelouch's Intelligence & Strategic Skills Far Surpass Eren's

Lelouch Deploys His King In Code Geass

Lelouch may be physically much weaker than Eren, but that's because his character isn't defined by his physical skills. It's his genius that truly marks Lelouch as great. He creates brilliant strategies that can take down forces superior to his own.

His intellect is perhaps is his greatest weapon as the Man of Miracles, Zero. Eren lacks Lelouch's strategic genius. In Attack on Titan, these qualities seem to have gone to Armin Arlert instead.

4 SIMILAR: They Both Manage To Influence Powers That Surpass All Boundaries

Lelouch from Code Geass.

A defining element in the lives of both Eren and Lelouch involve their contact with spiritual powers that surpass all boundaries. Lelouch enters the World of C to confront his father, and as such, is faced with the Gods—which, in Code Geass, are actually a collection of human consciousness, living and dead.

RELATED: Code Geass: Lelouch’s 6 Greatest Strengths (And His 5 Worst Weaknesses)

Eren experiences something similar. After being shot by Gabi Braun, he makes contact with his brother Zeke and manages to access the Paths. There, he meets Ymir, the ancestor of all Titans. While inside the Coordinate, Ymir keeps following the will of the royal family by building Titans. Both Eren and Lelouch have an incredible effect on Ymir and the World of C respectively.

3 DIFFERENT: Lelouch Stops The World's Destruction While Eren Causes It

Eren meets Ymir inside the Paths in Attack on Titan

Eren doesn't actually have power over Ymir, but he reaches out to her and manages to persuade her to help him. Through her, Eren manages to channel the Founding Titan—a power he already possessed but couldn't activate due to not being part of the royal line. This will later have devastating effects, as Eren uses the Founder's power to start the Rumbling.

Meanwhile, the World of C is targeted by Charles's Sword of Damocles, who attempts to kill God. Using his Geass, Lelouch taps into the power of the World of C, asking it to not stop the march of time. He imposes his will onto the world of C itself, thereby stopping the Ragnarok Connection. In this key point in their character arc, Lelouch saves the world whereas Eren's tale takes a much darker turn.

2 SIMILAR: They Both Choose To Sacrifice Themselves At The Hands Of A Loved One

Code Geass Death Of Lelouch

The biggest similarity between Lelouch and Eren is the ending of their stories. After the horrible FLEIJA destruction in the Tokyo Settlement, Lelouch perceives that the world needs a new beginning. To this end, he takes on humanity's hatred as his personal burden, spilling rivers of blood to become the Demon Emperor. Finally, he commits assisted suicide through the hand of his longtime friend, Suzaku Kururugi.

Eren's decision is similar. In his quest to win the freedom of Eldia, he starts the Rumbling, at the same time alienating his friends. His end goal is to make the Eldians who stop him be seen as heroes, and he's eventually killed by Mikasa. The Power of the Titans vanishes as Ymir is also freed from her poisonous love for King Fritz.

1 DIFFERENT: Lelouch's Character Arc Has A More Satisfying Ending

Attack on Titan The Rumbling

Lelouch's Zero Requiem was always a politically impractical scheme meant to provide absolution for both Suzaku and Lelouch. It earns the world a year of peace and seems to perpetuate a general desire for dialogue rather than war. Its success is limited at best and probably not worth the blood that was shed.

But while the damage Lelouch does is bad, Eren's Rumbling is much worse, destroying eighty percent of the planet. His friends are kept safe, but future generations are not. Overall, the finale of AOT doesn't truly provide a satisfying ending to Eren's arc the same way that Zero Requiem did for Lelouch.

NEXT: 10 Questions We Still Have After The End Of Attack On Titan