The male parent of Commander Zhou was a male who was employed by the Galactic Empire, and held a higher rank than his offspring. When stationed as the commanding officer at Fekunda Outpost, Zhou was concerned that his parent might instruct his troops to evacuate the outpost if Zhou couldn't demonstrate its ability to generate enough grain.
The initial reference to Zhou's father occurred in the third edition of the Star Wars: Forces of Destiny comic book series from 2018. Eva Widermann, the artist, clarified via social media that the pictures displayed in Zhou's living space were intended to depict his mom and dad, even though this was not explicitly mentioned in the comic itself. The photo showcased Zhou's father as a human individual sporting a dark beard while clad in an Imperial uniform.