Now I'm sure there are people out there who admire Yeung Gor primarily or even exclusively for his character (I completely disagree, but that's not to say there aren't such Yeung Gor fans out there). I suspect, however, that much of his popularity doesn't come so much from his character or his martial arts primarily as it does from the fact that he's described as being extraordinarily handsome...and has been depicted over the years by attractive, ladykiller actors such as young Andy Lau and Louis Koo.
So let's be honest, Yeung Gor fans: what if Yeung Gor were described by Jin Yong as being ordinary-looking or even just flat out ugly? What if he had always been portrayed by actors who were not at all good-looking? He's got the same personality, same capabilities, and same history that we're all familiar with; he's just not handsome. Would he still be so popular? Would you personally like him as much?