Try to imagine what a sentient, tool and fire-wielding alien might be like. If it's not humanoid, try to describe where its evolution could have deviated from our own yet still have lead to sentience, at least human-level intelligence, and the ability to manipulate its environment. I include fire here, as a prerequisite for technological development.

I'd genuinely love to hear of a real possibility, but I've had this conversation in different places, and there just don't seem to be any other viable options. Ayys are going to be basically humanoid. The only possible difference I can see is that they might come from a reptilian or dinosaurian root type but they would still end up bipedal, binocular vision, similar dietary requirements, jaw and facial structure, etc. But the classes we have of mammalia, reptilia, etc, might not be the same or as distinct on an alien planet. So basically humanoid, with perhaps the odd residual scales or feathers, much like we mostly only have hair on our heads. And very small differences based on gravity and light levels, nothing too extreme or they would be out of the goldilocks zone. I want to hear those possibilities. Bet you can't, hoping you can. Go.