A cool and well-respected upperclassman, Akihiko is serious and determined, as well as cracking small jokes on small occasions. Of all members of the group, he is the most prone to sarcasm, one instance being if the protagonist talks to him while he and Junpei are taking a break from studying for first semester midterms, stating that Junpei isn't studying for his exams as Mitsuru told everyone to go back to their routines. He tends to show his excitement for a big challenge, something that eventually rubs off on Junpei. He is eager to train and fight, often to a fault. Early on in the game, when he is injured due to a fight with one of the twelve full moon Shadows, he will repeatedly express interest in fighting despite being unable to. This draws criticism from Mitsuru, who views Akihiko's eagerness to fight as if he treats their work as a game. At one point, Yukari even accuses him of caring more about having a good fight than doing the right thing. However, Akihiko is a kind young man who will go out of his way to help someone, which is shown when he was willing to take any chance to save Fuuka from Tartarus despite having never met her before, even after Junpei and Yukari pointed out that she had been there for ten days (or ten hours from her perspective) and most likely couldn't have survived.

Akihiko also has an aggressive side, which he usually demonstrates when dealing with Shadows. He never gives up and always tries to get stronger in order to protect what is dear to him and feels guilty for not being able to save his sister, Miki, from the fire. As he puts it, he knows what it's like to feel powerless and he never wants to feel that way again, though this often results in him overworking himself due to feelings of self-doubt. Akihiko is also shown to be very smart, if not quite on Mitsuru's level, as he is consistently shown to get good grades and often picks up on things that Mitsuru misses, like giant Shadows appearing during the full moon and why Fuuka disappeared. He even tells the protagonist that a strong mind is just as important as a strong body. He is also very competitive; despite not being particularly interested in picking up girls, he willingly goes along with Operation: Babe Hunt, treating it like a "match" and even getting disappointed when they had no luck. Afterwards, it takes six months for Junpei to get him to admit defeat, after which he takes most of the group out for ramen.

He acts like an older brother for the younger S.E.E.S. members and especially in Persona 3 Portable if the player chooses to play as the female protagonist, Akihiko is shown to care a lot about her. This fits with his Arcana being the Emperor, which represents fathering and relates to leadership and decision-making skills. Akihiko is on good terms with Shinjiro and keeps in touch with him even after he quit SEES. He cares a lot for him, as shown when Akihiko finds out about the drugs Shinjiro uses in order to prevent his Persona from going berserk. However, their conversations are not always civil, as Akihiko will frequently try to convince Shinjiro to come back to S.E.E.S.. He even shows some mild hypocrisy by telling him he can't keep dwelling on the past, prompting Shinjiro to remind him that he isn't any different since he can't let go of his guilt over not being able to save his sister's life, and that it is in fact his precise reason for fighting. Indeed, much like Junpei, Akihiko sees S.E.E.S.'s activities as a form of escapism from his normal life, and so sometimes questions whether he really wants the Dark Hour gone. 

While generally caring and straightforward, Akihiko can be quite abrasive at times, such as when he pretty much forces Shinjiro to come back to S.E.E.S. shortly after Ken joins the group. He also expresses deep distrust and hostility towards Metis in the early parts of The Answer, even more so than the rest of the party, as he fully expects her to turn on them again at any time and even suspects her of having an ulterior motive for protecting Aigis. He can be blunt and isn't above making a harsh comment to someone, even to a friend, a trait he shares with Mitsuru. However, Akihiko is also shown to be scared of Mitsuru, and greatly dreads being on the receiving end of one of her "executions."

No I do not have a preference.