Bemused Observation: Characters who join later in role-playing games tend to be shunned or not used as much.
Clarification: I never used Fang in FFXIII for this reason. Same for Amarant and Eiko in FFIX. They have to be two of the biggest latecomers in RPG history.
Query: Why is this? Have people just become set in their ways by this point? Maybe they're attached to the characters they have already and have formed a bond with?
Addendum: I think I made this thread before but I cannot recall.