He was only mentioned a couple of times in this thread, but allow me to give him more recognition.
As stated in a YouTube video I somehow came across upon, Kurtz Baratier is seriously THE MOST underrated Burst character. He was actually the reason to why I even continued to watch the Burst series because the Red Eye arc pretty much bored me except for funny man Wakiya. Like the other guy mentioned, he definitely deserved to be in the Big 5, but because the plot armor is too strong in this anime, he (being defeated by a mere circus acrobat and his bird) suffered the same fate including Norman (for a broken bey), Boa (for a broken bey) and Ruwei (lost every match in the God cup). The thing is, unlike background characters and characters who tried and failed because they were not unique enough, Kurtz, a truly unique character, failed because of the popularity of others. His character arc and his entrance is just as important as, say, someone like Free. Those who watched season 2 may want to know more about the tournament- and saying questions like "Who are the two final bladers?" and "How did the Big 5 get their spots?". Kurtz is the reason, for he was the original winner of the God cup- he was shrouded in mystery because he could not find others to compete with his strength, therefore, he went lowkey. Unlike Norman, who was there because of the Snake Pit along with Shu and Boa, Kurtz was not apart of the Snake Pit, though was offered to join by Ashtem(that's his name right? My mind went blank lol). He probably had a rough history with the Snake Pit in the past, or does not agree with their motives; in theory, we will never know because how mysterious he is. He was introduced in his own 'kingdom' with his own 'people' since he went lowkey- he probably needed something to do while laying low from competitive blading. Because he was into his lowkey environment, his own rules took over himself and what he really needed to do in a real tournament- this spark was especially shown in the tiebreaker match with Valt, probably his best moment as a character. He is type of person that you would have to earn his trust in order to deem you worthy, like a true leader. Yes, he did come off mean and uncaring at the beginning, but it was at his own fault for stepping into the real world for the first time in forever; so it feels like to him.
I'm gonna stop myself right here because I feel like I'm just rambling and repeating myself, but hopefully I made a few points here and there.
Also, why does almost everyone hate Arthur (season 4 Arthur)? I didn't really watch much of season 4, but all I see in Arthur is a rich, jealous man who builds a successful company in an attempt to combine interest and value that the WBBA holds. Yes, he is overconfident, but it's all part of who he is, or that's how I just view him to be. He likes himself, his position, and the progress he's making.
My two other favorites in my top 4 are popular enough though, and for a good reason. (Lui and how he evolves as a character (plus I have a thing for intimidating jerks as you guys can tell), and Hyde for being unusually loveable and a character to sympathize to/with/whatnot)
Ok I'm done, I promise I'll shut up now.
Did you know: a cat goes meow?