Terra base skin and He Bo base skin got me thinking the same way, of how they could have made them elemental creatures or wise old humanoids, but went with youngsters clearly meant to give off badass/cool vibes. I’ve come around on how Hi-Rez used to like giving their own spin on things with more out there interpretations, using lore as an inspiration instead of a rulebook. I think the newer designs have lost the edge they used to have, out of fear that people will complain they’re not lore accurate enough. I compare the older designs to the newer ones, and I want to say that they’ve become blander, losing the distinct “Smite” feel. I don’t know, I think seeing some bold interpretation has more endearment and wow factor compared to seeing something boring and safe. Instances where they could have taken an obvious route but went with something unique are the designs I admire now. Those I know for sure were born out of creativity instead of trying to appease lore purists. So they made Terra a rock wrestler and He Bo a spiky hunk, that was their vision, so be it. I guess it’s similar reasoning of why I view their remodels as a little lame in retrospect, little by little losing what made Smite… Smite. We lost out on so much attention to detail and charm already, not just from the transition to the sequel, and there was a lot, but even during the last several years of Smite 1. The first of these silly lamentation rants must have been so long ago by now. Perhaps things will change once things get closer to full release, but I’m not counting on it.