A Question about Durant, See inside for info! Options

[Yuka]

I'm not too fond of using Durant for some bizarre reason, but does he become essential later in the game?

[Dr Strum]

Except it's not useless. Just because you can steal an item doesn't mean you should. If the item is unusable, there's no point in having it.
Also, the Fencer you get has an ungodly high TEC when you get him, and can easily max within a few battlefields. Milanor is an if-if situation since his max untampered-with TEC stat is 40.
But, if you want a different example, let's go with Milanor and Kylier.
No one is going to say using Kylier is pointless when you have Milanor, since she can fly. But Milanor has high stats, good effects, some of the best possible equipment, and can steal.
How about Nietzsche and Durant?
I hate Durant, but he is definitely useful. In BF35 the only way to get the pick up item is with him, because he can cross over enemies, whether they're invincible or not. He's also the only permanent big unit you ever get, and big units have an advantage over small units. But Nietzsche, as you said, is great geographically. Not to mention her godly LUK, and how she can equip just about all the Morale restoring items.

But you say Hunters and Assassins are overpowered?
They both do have high TEC, but... Assassins are crippled when it comes to level twenty ATK (30) and GEN (22), Hunters have bad LUK and ATK (30 each). Couple that with them both being unable to counter, and you've got rather unappealing classes.