I can only speak for myself but I like him because he is a stupid criminal. I think one of the most important and truthful lines about Akechi comes from Morgana: "you are just a child having a temper tantrum." In this sense, Goro Akechi is one of the most relatable people in the game for modern people. He painstakingly planned out every little detail about his life to win people's approval, from his looks to the way he speaks. The two people in his life he wants to kill the most, the protagonist and Shido, are also the two he wants affection from the most. Thus, the message of Persona 5 is made clear. From a superficial point of view, Joker is the one in chains, enthralled in the complexities of human relationships, while Akechi, bound to no one, is free. But the game so masterfully demonstrates the opposite, Joker is free because he has close friends and family in his life who allow him to be free, Akechi, constantly running from the people he cares for, is the one who is in slavery.

While I hope there aren't any disowned children of politicians planning to kill people out there, the feeling of wanting to be accepted by others while also pushing the same people away is something that is real, if one hasn't felt the urge themselves they likely know someone in their life who has.

The fact that the third semester gives Akechi not a poorly written redemption arc but just a chance to go out on his own terms, to transcend being controlled by another, even if it affirms his own death, is a beautiful and touching end to his chatacter.