Here's our chance!

His role in The Answer.

In The Answer, it's the closing of the Dormitory where The Journey took place. The group goes back to see it one last time but they get trapped inside. They must decide the past or the present. Yukari and Mitsuru choose the past, Akihiko and Ken choose the present and finally Junpei and Koromaru don't care and just want the fighting to stop. It's up to Aigis to figure out what is going on as the new wild card. Turns out there is an evil that the protagonist is trying to keep out, it's called Erebus. Once the group sorts itself out they go and defeat Erebus but their friend is still sealed.

Akihiko agrees with Ken in The Answer. They choose the present even though it's painful. They both lost people that were important to them but they know bringing them back won't fix anything and that there is no need to do so. That bringing them back would undo everything they did, that their sacrifice would have ended up meaningless and thus pointless. By choosing the present they end up fighting with their friends but they sort it out with Aigis and Metis beat them down.

I feel that Caesar, Akihiko's upgraded persona, really suits him here. Caesar was betrayed by people he trusted. Aki probably felt betrayed here by his friends, while Aki didn't die and was able to reconcile, it still fits.

Undefeated © Cherri. Sanada Akihiko and Persona © Atlus. All rights reserved. Textures by Celestial Star.