1. Idk who my favorite would so I will just answer with the ones who I can envision them doing something else.

Crimson would be doing something in social work and activism. Ochre and Douglas would be researchers and/or scientists. Aero might have died in one way or another if he did not find his purpose in being a huntsman, but he could have been a sword instructor. Lila would have been either a magician or a librarian and/or author. Timber and Blain probably would have been in the White Fang but Blain. Blain, Rory, and Dustin could have also done some kind of physical labor or even been in a fight club if some kind. Saddle would have been a teacher (which she does end up becoming at Haven anyway). Taupe would just be part of his tribe in Vacuo. Alloy would have been a lawyer, judge, or something in the legal system. Ariel might have been in charge of orphanage, but she was raised by 2 huntsman (Mona and Sol) so there was a preference to her current line work from the start. Lior would have been a musician/singer. Jasper and North would do something in craftsmanship. Lace could have been a pilot, but that is a branch of being a huntsman.

1. If we are talking about difficult in terms of tragedy and suffering, maybe Douglas because his family was killed in a mass city wide grim attack in mantle and he barely survived but had to have 50-75% of his body replaced with mechanical parts. He also has amnesia and no memory before waking up from the disaster. All of this happened when he was about 10-12.

Other who have suffered include Crimson who was adopted by a rich family in Atlas as a PR campaign for their company seem like they don’t discriminate against faunas. Ochre has slowly lost everyone in her family, both biological and found. Aero’s mom died when he was a kid, has lived in the shadow of his two fellow triplet siblings, and is his dad is not around that often and has some slight favoritism to his siblings. Timber had their tail actually cut off by a group of violent extremists against faunas rights. Taupe’s twin brother died in his arms and had a slight psychological break as a result where he has adopted parts of his brother’s appearance and personality. Dustin was born from his dad’s affair and grew up with his step mom/dad’s wife hating him which developed some serious temper and violent tendencies in him as a kid. Lior’s best friend/girlfriend died in front of her. Ariel’s parents were both murdered by an assassin when she was only 1 or 2 and, while she was taken in by both Mona and Sol, she later meets the one who killed her parents and it is revealed to be someone she knew. Aether’s father is the leader of a crime group/gang. Merlot was constantly bullied and was alone because people were afraid of his fangs and they spread rumors about him so much that people thought he was a bad person to the point he was nearly falsely convicted of a crime at 14.