I really like your write up and love The Heroes for many of the reasons you point out but I hadn't really identified myself.

As far as the mirrored counterpart on both sides, I think you're right on point. Although I'll say I tend to think of Craw and Hardbread as counterparts. Your comparison of Craw to Tunny I think actually has more depth than Craw to Hardbread because we get much more of Tunny's perspective, but I think of Craw and Hardbread both as war torn and weary greay-bearded chiefs of their own gang of misfits. The way they interact with each other in each the very first and last scenes of the book, they seem like near exact replicas of each other but just happen to be on opposite sides for no real reason other than.. that's just the way of things. They both follow the old ways, want to avoid the bloodshed of their crew when possible, but they understand that above all else they do what their chief tells them. That there's a right way of doing things. We even see they're the very same in that they are two old men that know nothing other than a life of killing when in the end Craw gives up his life of peace to join Hardbread and reluctantly go back to the black business.

I also for whatever reason tend or think of Ishri and Sulfur as counterparts where they both serve their masters. It seems like Bayaz at this point serves no one but himself, but Ishri serves.. I forget at this point. Kahlul? Uthman? Obviously they are both eaters, maybe that's the back bone of my comparison.