Endwalker's message (spoilers!)

[Lauront]

I doubt that, since a lot of people who have sympathised with the Ascians and Ancients did so due to their circumstances and story, rather than what they looked like. Certainly, in some cases the appearance is a bonus - though I noticed that there's far less sturdy ground for those defending Venat to stand upon by comparison, given her lack of a solidified goal and no real effort to explain her motives at length.

Incidentally, though, Vauthry ended up as far more sympathetic to me than Venat. I found him to be entertaining throughout Shadowbringers, much in the same way as Queen Brahne from FFIX. I guess it helps that he genuinely believed in his plans whereas Venat couldn't help but be vague and hypocritical right up until the very end.

It's nonsense, in any case. People have come to like the Ascians in spite of them having a rather rough reputation initially, through learning what they went through and who they truly were - for the longest time they were presented as villainous, particularly if you did not pay close attention to Elidibus as a character. Hydaelyn has been pushed on us as benevolent since the outset.

This. I still see people throw Zodiark under the bus even though he is literally the reason why the star exists today. Without Zodiark’s aether shield and restoring life there wouldn’t be anything left of the star. Yet Venat gets all the credit for some reason.

I'd re-read her post. She's not making that point. Quite the opposite. Though I agree.