Goro Akechi is one of, if not the most, interesting characters of Persona 5 due to his rivalry with the protagonist. While Joker and Akechi have a lot in common, the difference in being alone versus having friends put them on vastly different paths. Many Persona fans hoped to get more of Akechi in Persona 5 Royal, and they did with more scenes and the ability to spend free time with him in places like the Jazz Club and cafe of Kichijoji, as well as fight in another palace with him.
Despite being a fan favorite and having a lot of strengths as a character, though, Akechi is a character that had too much going on at once. He was a high school student, rival, friend, confidant, persona-user, villain, celebrity, detective, and hitman throughout the game. The character is meant to lead a double life, but there is one part of him that could have been its own character. The detective part of Akechi made good points in terms of morally questioning the Phantom Thieves, but the reveal of his true nature threw any of those moral considerations into the gutter. A detective role could have been better suited to a different character entirely, one that could always question the morality of the Phantom Thieves changing hearts.
Good, Yet Unexplored Points Akechi Made As A Detective
At the beginning of the game, Akechi is entirely within the role of the celebrity detective, and calls out the Phantom Thieves being criminals, despite their popularity and positive changes to society. He brings up good points, pointing out that the ends do not necessarily justify the means, and that the Phantom Thieves are brainwashing others to change. What they are doing is a crime, and they know because they are calling themselves "thieves." Any detective worth their salt would pursue them and get more passionate about it the more popular they become to the public.
Immediately, of course, the Phantom Thieves dislike Akechi for this anti-Phantom Thief attitude and do not trust him. This made his ultimate betrayal and reveal as a villain far less impactful. His villain reveal also threw any moral arguments he used as a detective under the bus. The game showed that Akechi never actually stood behind the morals he preached, and thus the moral quandary of heart thievery in Persona 5 is forever unexplored and abandoned.
This is a disappointment because it frames Joker and the gang more as heroes than tricksters, despite the game wanting to put them in a trickster role. A trickster without a lawful good rival is a missed opportunity, so splitting Akechi into two characters would have been a good move, and could have been done with no detriment to the popular character's narrative arc.
How The Character Should Have Been Split
Being an ace detective celebrity high schooler was always a strange role for Akechi, as he was treated like a popular idol, but at the same time also actually worked for the Tokyo District Special Investigation Department. Other cases he's solved never come up, and the role almost feels decorative. If Akechi could be a general Japanese celebrity high schooler, that would have made more sense. No actual good detective would seek idol-level fame, as that would actually be detrimental to their work.
A detective with actual lawful good beliefs, as Akechi pretends to be, would have been a great addition in Persona 5 Royal. Like Akechi, this character would also be a lovable rival, but be genuine from the start. They wouldn't have a palace or any distortion that would frame them as corrupt like Sae Nijima, but actually, be a good person who does not like the Phantom Thieves for legitimate reasons.
They would be a rival with a heart of gold, and one that does morally question the Phantom Thieves, but never catches them. Additionally, they could have been a confidant that is very close to Joker with no idea that he is the actual leader of the Phantom Thieves. A great character inspiration that could have been used for a detective character such as this is Inspector Zenigata, the rival of Lupin in Lupin the Third.
As for Akechi, he could have still been a celebrity who tries to do everything perfectly due to his insecurities and competitive desires. He can still be a hitman for Shido and ultimately have a big betrayal with the Phantom Thieves. As for his in with the police that made him powerful, he could have just done that with Shido's connections without a detective license.
Persona 5 Royal is available now for PS4.