Quote Originally Posted by aveyond-dreams View Post
Based on a survey of what I believe was no more than 6000 players out of Japan, which accounts for only 1 of the regions this game provides service to. In any case, he is of course largely beaten out by Emet-Selch, gee I wonder why.

Apparently Haurcefant was also quite popular on that survey if I remember correctly, despite him having contributed nothing to the story since Heavensward. People may have voted for G'raha Tia due to his role in Shadowbringers - back when many including I were fans of him - rather than his meaningless slice-of-life role in Endwalker.
G'raha Tia was also the most popular Scion, and the most popular character who wasn't an Ancient, in both of the 2ch-based polls specifically asking "favorite Endwalker NPC" that people were citing before the Famitsu poll. This idea that people are secretly sick of him is extremely wishful thinking on your part. As it turns out, for better or worse, most people like characters who are affectionate to your WoL. This was almost certainly a factor for Emet, too - and it was a factor in why selling Venat to the audience took the route that it did. It is what it is. We're the minority. It's okay. Good storytelling decisions don't have to be, and usually aren't, based around premises of "what sells" or "mass appeal."