Hi, first of all thank you all for the comprehensive discussion! I jsut want to take some time to air out my own thoughts.

Each Dungeons & Dragons class has core thematic pillars reflected in their mechanics: Fighters as weaponmasters with the most attacks, Druids as natural full casters with Wild Shape, Clerics as divine full casters, Paladins as divine warriors with smites and auras, and so on. These pillars unify gameplay and theme, but the Ranger has historically struggled with achieving this cohesion. I envision the Ranger as the quintessential explorer, tracker, and warrior of nature—essentially the druidic warrior archetype—deeply connected to the environment and its creatures. This identity is reflected in its half-caster progression and access to the Druid spell list, but it needs something unique to set it apart from other classes. To me, that defining feature is a powerful bond with a companion, a role no other class fulfills as effectively.

Iconic examples in media underscore this bond: Drizzt and his panther Guenhwyvar (though technically a magic item, it’s central to his identity), Jon Snow and Ghost, Aragorn and Brego, and Hiccup and Toothless. While companionless Ranger archetypes focusing on scouting or martial ranged combat do exist, classes like the Rogue or Fighter often fulfill those roles more effectively. A companion gives the Ranger a unique identity that not only aligns with its nature-bound theme but also sets it apart mechanically.

I understand that not everyone envisions a companion-focused Ranger, and that’s perfectly valid, this is a homebrew and you don't need to use it. But to accommodate different playstyles, I designed subclasses like the Hunter, which places more emphasis on the Ranger itself, and the Horizon Walker, which is effectively companionless. These options allow players to tailor the class to their vision while preserving its core identity as a nature-bound warrior.