>>280387226
I kind of find it odd just how much less relevant these 2 are compared to Nagato, considering how they are all meant to be the representatives of each of the 3 groups that Haruhi wanted to meet (outside of sliders obviously), to the point that this is even directly acknowledged in-universe by Koizumi as he said to Kyon during Love at First Sight that Nagato is just as important as Kyon and Haruhi to the other factions.

Even ignoring the obvious of her just having miles more character development and growth than the other 2, her role in the story is simply more important than the other 2, being the primary defender of the SoS brigade without whom the entire SoS brigade starts to fall apart in Surprise, having by far the closest relationship with Haruhi outside of Kyon, and vice-versa, and being at the center of a potential revolution within her own faction as she inspires other HDIs like Asakura to take action according to their own will, whereas the espers and time travelers have no such conflicts outside of the anti-SoS brigade members.

And of course she is the only person outside of Kyon to come up with solutions to any of the problems they face, Koizumi at least helps along with the process even if he doesnt get to solve it, so he is at least a bit relevant in that regard, but Mikuru is just completely useless 95% of the time. She is so useless in fact that she is replaced by her future self in the climaxes of both Disappearance and Surprise.