He's not one of my favorite characters but I do find myself feeling sorry/feeling for him. He's needy and desperate and annoying, but I think his feelings of abandonment, how badly he's hurting, and the vulnerability he shows really resonate with people. His whole aesthetic is cool (he lives in a giant shipwreck ffs) and the imagery of him hunting with Feferi toward the beginning is amazing.

I also think people can find how mopey he is to be kind of endearing, and I always read his phrasing in chat logs as a Cockney dialect/accent, which also adds to this very specific vibe and image I have of him.

His quote when talking to Kanaya that goes something like "it's hard, Kan. Being a kid. It's hard and no one understands" is simple but profound in this heartbreaking way. It reminds a lot of people about how hard life is at that stage where everything and everyone around you is changing and you're hurt and scared and angry and dealing with stuff like unrequited feelings.

Like I said, he's not my favorite character or even in my top five, but from all of the discussion, fanart, and fanfiction about him, that's what I gather.