i'm not gonna act like he isn't a pretty morally grey character who did terrible things lol. but what makes me really love him as a character is that even though his actions were in part guided by someone else, he never tries to make himself a victim or waste time defending his actions, and rather he decides to dedicate his whole life to making an impactful change in the world so the situation never repeats again. he doesn't waste time trying to undo, erase or forget the past. he chooses not to drown in guilt and regret, he moves forward, and i love that...
so because of his past, his arc mainly revolves around his main goal of becoming the leader of the country, a path he's chosen in order to atone for his mistakes. but what makes him a special character to me is that there are still so many more "sides" to him. for example he does have one big individualistic goal to achieve and a big burden to carry, but that doesn't exclude him from being a normal guy with simpler dreams and hopes living his life. i like that he doesn't isolate himself and that he wants better for his loved ones, and that he constantly relies on other people as other people rely on him. he values those around him and knows he wouldn't be able to accomplish anything on his own. i also like how whenever lives aren't in danger, politics are kinda just a game to him that he enjoys playing and it's so funny to see LOL. i love to see him do performances and play different roles in order to be a step ahead of everyone else. in those moments it feels like he doesn't take any of it seriously at all, it's more like he just wants to win the chess game and it's such a contrast from his more sentimental and obstinate side. i absolutely love ittt its so funny. he's such an interesting charcter. i also think he just really loves alchemy itself... his passion for it was probably killed by the war but i still think he genuinely enjoys snapping his fingers and setting shit on fire :P