SE chickened out on Zero

[HeyMcFly]

Serious reason: the 2000s arrived to Japan just recently.

that explains all of the ugly tribal designs on coats and having the hideous tribal tattoo on the wife-beater shirt

[Pip_Chick]

Can't make Zero that unique or people would start asking SE to make it a playable race.
What I don't understand is if Zero's personality is boring, then how is it suddenly acceptable if her race were put on something other than a Hyur? Surely race can't be the only defining features that makes a character interesting or not. That's like saying Zero would be a more tolerable character if they had made her a Femroe instead or something. Personality would all be the same even if you substitute the race away.

Agreed, Zero's problem is their personality, not design. The design is fine, very safe and bland, but fine. Their personality being comparable to a piece of blank paper is the problem!
Personally, I would have liked to see Zero as anything but a Hyur, Miquo'te, Elezen and female Au'Ra, cause that is all the characters we get and I would like something different. Yes if Zero was a Fem Roe, they would still be as bland as before, but they would add some visual diversity to the cast. But it would not enhance the story in any way unless their race plays a major or moderate factor in who they are. And choosing a boring blank slate to play a boring character, is not as applaud worthy as at least trying to make it more appealing in the story. Personally speaking, Zero would have been 100% more visually interesting as a male Xaela Au'Ra, it would have kept the horns from the previous model and looked more striking, extra points if they made Au'Ra Zero before the Void takeover a Raen, just to show the impacted of the transformation.

[fulminating]

Zero could have been a lalafell with the proto ultima horns, such a missed opportunity. Maybe dunefolk in the flashbacks and plainsfolk with the horns in the present? The tipping fedora emote would have been really cool, like the lalafell /spectacles too.

[Absurdity]

I think I'd take the blob with many eyes over a 3'2" edgy potato.