Okay, so there is an official name to the items Im looking for "The Big Six", thanks Psyren. That is the #3 problem I brought up with Companions. I just forgot about of Amulet of Mighty Fists. Yeah its harder to get that than say someone with Simple or Martial Weapons. Natural/Unarmed characters have that very specific item requirement. Other characters have a variety of options.
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Leadership is controversial, but any time people talk about it I wander back to First and Second edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons where Player Characters had their own growing Entourages as they leveled up. I remember that Levels granted Titles that actually meant something, like having strongholds and small armies of followers. If anything Leadership is an "optional" variant of something older edition characters got automatically.

I would avoid using it for combat cohorts because they have a level penalty, would require a lot of equipment, and if they die you take a PERMANENT penalty. Id rather use it to have a Crafting character.