What's the point with that quite lackluster story in Endwalker?

[KizuyaKatogami]

Considering we're the only one interacting directly with them, I can see why they might not be on anyone else's mind in terms of a "word of thanks" and, Elidibus aside, we simply do not interact with Zodiark at the level that we would have a word of thanks for him.

It’s as simple as having a minion made in memory of him.For either of them really. We don’t even have a dialogue option to thank Elidibus for what he did or to even bring it up to Emet despite Emet basically having a hand in his demise.

Without any official reason, my guess is that Zodiark was summoned while under the influence of Meteion, thus their fear twisted its form.

There were statues of Zodiark before the final days even hit, in Akadaemia.