Fixed it.

Didn't really think the character itself would be a spoiler, so I only blacked the gameplay part, but you're right, it probably is.

I fully expected him to be in Radiant Dawn before I started the game.

Lets say Fiona and Astrid don't come anywhere close to ruling...

You mean Fiona and Meg?  Those two actually turn out really well if you level them, but they come into the game with such low levels that it's more trouble than they're worth to level them.  I didn't use any BEXP in my first playthrough so by the end of it, I had enough to BEXP anyone I liked to the maximum level of the 3rd Tier.  I tried BEXP'ing Meg and Fiona just to see how they'd turn out and they were amazing.  Even with BEXP's +3 growth they still managed to cap quite a few stats.

Not sure what the problem with Astrid is though.  She has turned out well in every playthrough I've had so far.  She's super mobile and has great range.  I could see the complaint if she didn't come with the EXP+ skill, but that more than makes up the difference for her.