Genuine fans of Zenos yae Galvus, why do you like him?

[Ranaku]

I dislike Zenos. Even after learning his backstory from wikis and supplemental materials, I just can't find it in me to care about the WoL's psychopathic stalker. I just don't find him very entertaining outside of the Shinryu and [POST LEVEL 90 ENDWALKER TRIAL SPOILERS REDACTED].

What am I missing about this character? What nuanced trope am I overlooking that makes Zenos a favorite for some people?

You're probably not going to change my mind, but I am curious to know what makes him so appealing to some people.

Well he:

- Lost his mother at a very young age.

- Never had any friends cause of his position in the empire.

- Saw us as his friend cause we were the only one that were powerful enough to be his equal. Which is a very important aspect for famous people, cause it reassures you that the person doesn't just like you for your fame.

- He saved the world from the black rose by killing his father, without him the world would become the future G'raha fled.

- He calls out the false morality of people, like Jullus for example. Which discarded his morals as long as it served him right and the empire was strong, he supported all the atrocities before but afterwards dared to judge Zenos as a traitor and monster.

- He basically was the reason we were able to save the universe and could return to our friends. At least it is a popular theory that he wished for us to carry on.

- He was our mirror, just without the friends to console him. He is basically what would've happened to Estinien without friends, what almost happened to Estinien even with friends, lol.

- He learned probably at a young age that the empire was just an ascian tool and that no matter what future he would build for himself was doomed by the ascians rejoining and his fathers plans to make them into "perfect" beings. Which is probably the reason why he got so uncaring and fixated on the "hunt". If you know everything around you is anyways doomed to be changed ultimately and that everything around you is working for exactly that goal, what reason is there then to build anything? The only option was to fight, it took him just longer i guess to see that he could fight against that system.

- He almost got rid for us of exposition cat mommy Y'shtola which seems to have merged after ARR with a XIV writer in the lifestream before we brought her back. Just to now tell us that she knows already everything and way better than us.

[SannaR]

Well he:

- Lost his mother at a very young age.

- Never had any friends cause of his position in the empire.

- Saw us as his friend cause we were the only one that were powerful enough to be his equal. Which is a very important aspect for famous people, cause it reassures you that the person doesn't just like you for your fame.

- He saved the world from the black rose by killing his father, without him the world would become the future G'raha fled.

- He calls out the false morality of people, like Jullus for example. Which discarded his morals as long as it served him right and the empire was strong, he supported all the atrocities before but afterwards dared to judge Zenos as a traitor and monster.

- He basically was the reason we were able to save the universe and could return to our friends. At least it is a popular theory that he wished for us to carry on.

- He was our mirror, just without the friends to console him. He is basically what would've happened to Estinien without friends, what almost happened to Estinien even with friends, lol.

He didn't know that the empire was an Ascian plot until right before Giaus and Estinien did. He liked fighting cause he found everything else in life as boring. Zenos didn't have friends cause again he didn't see anything people did while growing up as fun or interesting things to do. He spent his time reading books.

Heck even weapons training was dull and boring to him until he was given a Covorsi weapons trainer that chose to repeatedly kick his ass until Zenos figured out the "trick" to the technique they used. Implying that he got rid of Black Rose to save the world is a stretch.

As to answer the OP I only liked him during 4.0. I felt he should have stayed dead. During EW I felt as though he was a waste and just wish he'd learn that he didn't need to try and have a bigger spectacle of a fight than last time. We'd of fought him just because he asked or wanted to. Yet no someone who was labeled as a great tactician went n put all of his eggs into Fandaniel's basket and never once seemed to bother questioning if he should. Since he didn't care as long as he got his bigger than last time fight.

I wanted to just leave his annoying ass there. In retrospect he actually did the things I wanted him to do. I wanted him to read the room and just be all fight me now the few times he could have tried to press the issue. That he sort of learned by the end. I'd still would have chosen the no I'm not going to fight you ya big idiot cause I felt as though he shouldn't be rewarded like that.