The OVA's director Kazuki Akane created Akito, portraying as stoic in the series' beginning and showing his growth through his relationship with Leila.
[3] Starting the third episode of the OVA, the staff made sure that through the exchanges between Akito and Leila, the former's characterization is shown further depths, most notably his misrelationship with his brother Shin which helped to foreshadow future events of the narrative.
[4] For the following episode, designer Kimura said that his favorite scene was when Akito is brainwashed by Shin to kill Leila but manages to ignore such order.
In the trailer for the final episode, there is a figure of Leila holding Akito's pigtails, and that picture was found meaningful by artist Takahiro Kimura.
The two stop a terrorist attack perpetrated by trio of Japanese soldiers, who wanted to kidnap Europa United General Gene Smilas.
In exchange for sparing their lives, Leila has terrorists Ryo Sayama, Ayano Kosaka and Yukiya Naruse join her Wyvern Squad alongside Akito.
There, Akito meets his brother Shin Hyuga Shaing, the enemy responsible for his mental stress and uses his power to make him commit suicide.
[15] Akito and his friends also make a minor appearance in the spin-off Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture taking down mechanoid beings created by the NeoBrtinnnia forces.
[16] In an "Overseas Popular Character Top 5" from the magazine Newtype, Akito took third place behind Hachiman Hikigaya from My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected and Yuichiro Hyakuya from Seraph of the End.
[17] Fandom Post listed Akito as the 15th best character of Code Geass praising his fighting abilities and his relationship with the cast from the OVA.
[18] Masaki Endo from Mantan Web praised Akito's development due to how he opens up with Leila as both talk about their respective pasts.
[22] Anime News Network was more critical to the handling of Akito's personality due to how long it takes for his character to develop but still felt his battle enjoyable.
[24] Despite the character's nature and dark narrative, Sumikai enjoyed the Wyverns' rest as it helps to see a calmer side of themselves most notably the loner Akito or the rebellious Ashley.
[26] Otaku USA felt the handling of Shin Hyuga to be entertaining for developing his brother but at the same time in a too simplistic way despite the franchise's fame for focusing on politics.
Another relationship found appealing by the site was the one of Akito and Leila due to how they become connected by the power of Geass and develop a romantic bond.