Were past raid series characters as popular as the Arcadion ones?

[Volgia]

I'm pretty new to FFXIV in the grand scheme of things, Arcadion being the first raid series I've done while it was current, so I'm looking to gain some perspective from more experienced players. Were the exclusive characters from past raid stories as widely popular as Honey B. Lovely, Wicked Thunder, and so on? This is purely anecdotal but I feel like I've seen way more fanart and whatnot of the Arcadion fighters than of the Dawntrail MSQ characters (Bakool Ja Ja memes and Wuk Lamat-discourse aside).

Do you think CS3 will include any of them in non-raid-related quests between now and 8.0, or make side quests about them? I've seen a couple posts here hoping that we end up getting regulator glamours and titles related to the Arcadion fighters but I'm unsure if that sort of discussion is par for the course after a new raid story releases, or if this is just a honey-moon phase.

I think it's a product of the game getting more popular... but if there's something I remember fondly, it's the fanart of Athena neglecting Eric.

[Mecia]

I think what really boosts Arcadions popularity is the simple upfront personalities and easier to draw designs.

[Maxilor]

I recall a mountain of memes surrounding the 'Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girlboss' Athena.

[TaleraRistain]

I don't think Mide was as hugely popular but Alpha and Omega, Gaia, Eric, and Hesperos had their fair share of fan art and cosplays and Athena was all over the place. So this is pretty par for the course.

[royox]

We got Alpha on the Omega raids and he's still roaming around Eorzea with the mini Omega robot. Every time i see them in the world i get the biggest of the smiles.

[ZXN]

I think most, if not all, of the past raid exclusive characters have been popular at one point. Alpha and Omega, Gaia, Eric, Hesperos, Hegemone, Agdistis, Hephaistos, Themis and Lahabrea [depending on how technical you want to be with "exclusive" given we got to see their true forms in their raid series], and Athena all had their moments of being popular. Even Mide I am sure was popular back in Heavensward, even if she isn't mentioned at all anymore and forgotten to time. So this really is just par for the course.

[Shinku_Tachi]

I recall a mountain of memes surrounding the 'Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girlboss' Athena.

I hate the fact that I missed so much in ShB & EW era due to hiatus and burnout. *cries*

I remember she was everywhere on social media and the memes were going crazy. I really look forward to meeting her.

[DiaDeem]

I recall a mountain of memes surrounding the 'Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girlboss' Athena.

I'm hoping they go back to my daughters sometime in the future. A nice small time jump would also be kinda fun for them.

[Tsumdere]

Pandaemonium characters are very popular. They still are. You can find plenty of new artwork of them at least weekly.

As much as I like Honey B. Lovely, I think she's going to go the way of the dodo just like all of the Nophica love. She's great, but there just isn't enough to hold onto for a long time.
I don't see much Wicked Thunder stuff, but maybe that's just the algorithm doing algorithm things.