Code Lyoko
French animated series about teens battling AI in a virtual world.
Code Lyoko is a French anime-influenced animated series created by Thomas Romain, produced by MoonScoop for Cartoon Network, France 3, and Canal J. The series centers on teenagers who travel to the virtual world of Lyoko to battle X.A.N.A., a hostile artificial intelligence. It is notable for blending traditional animation with hand-painted backgrounds in the real world and 3D CGI animation in the virtual world.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Action / Adventure / Cyberpunk / Science fiction
- Creator
- Tania Palumbo / Thomas Romain
- Writer
- Sophie Decroisette (seasons 1-3) / Bruno Regeste (season 4)
- Director
- Jérôme Mouscadet
- Voices
- Raphaëlle Lubansu / Sophie Landresse / Géraldine Frippiat / Marie-Line Landerwijn / Mathieu Moreau / Carole Baillien / Arnaud Léonard / Nathalie Stas / Julie Basecqz
- Theme Music Composer
- Justine SainteFormerly known as Franck Keller. / Ygal Amar
- Open Theme
- "Un monde sans danger" ("A World Without Danger") by Julien Lamassonne (French) / Noam Kaniel (English)
- End Theme
- "Un monde sans danger" ("A World Without Danger") (Instrumental) (season 1) / "Break Away" (Instrumental) by Subdigitals (seasons 2–4)
- Composer
- Serge Tavitian / Herman Martin
- Country
- France
- Language
- French
- Num Seasons
- 4
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The series begins when Jeremy Belpois, an 8th grade prodigy at Kadic Academy, discovers a quantum supercomputer in an abandoned factory. Activating it reveals the virtual world Lyoko, inhabited by Aelita, and awakens X.A.N.A., a malevolent AI that attacks the real world via Lyoko's towers. Jeremy and his friends Odd, Ulrich, and Yumi—the Lyoko Warriors—virtualize into Lyoko to escort Aelita to deactivate towers, after which Jeremy launches a 'Return to the Past' program to undo damage. In Season 1, Aelita is not fully materialized until the season finale; until then, she remains a virtual being and carries a virus from X.A.N.A. that prevents turning off the supercomputer.
Reader's Guide
Code Lyoko ran for 97 episodes from 2003 to 2007 in France and 2004 to 2008 in the United States. A non-canon live-action sequel, Code Lyoko: Evolution, aired in 2012–2013 but ended on a cliffhanger after one season due to MoonScoop's 2014 bankruptcy. In June 2026, a direct sequel series was announced, continuing from Season 4 with the original cast and writers. The series is remembered for its hybrid animation style and its exploration of virtual reality and AI threats. Its legacy includes a dedicated fanbase and influence on later French animated productions.
Did You Know?
- The series uses traditional animation with hand-painted backgrounds for real-world scenes and 3D CGI for Lyoko.
- Aelita was originally thought to be an AI but was later revealed to be the biological daughter of Franz Hopper, the creator of Lyoko.
- The 'Return to the Past' program sends the world back in time, but only those scanned into the supercomputer retain their memories.
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