Aran is the best designed class in maplestory, and here is why.

Well in very late game Arans have a good damage, defense (-40% damage taken undispellable and if you have crazy amounts of %Str even more with max def), Drain is the best skill ever, Combo barrier is said to be one of the worst party buffs in game but the reality is that it is one of the most useful, if used correctly for example, i have saved a lot of people from dying at czak while getting dispelled, 1/1 and seduced (something that i think a paladin should be capable of but nexon seems to hate them), the mobility is what a warrior should have not more not less (demon slayers are so mobile that it is even retarded), the HP problem isn't really that bad in the first place, for example when i get seduced at czak with drain/Combo barrier and body pressure on, I can heal part of the attack received from touching damage, the finishers are almost useless as Joe said, in the past using combo fenrir was nice to ks NLs for example now FB is better or just using combat step...

About Demon slayers being crap, they aren't, they are a nice class, the only think that made them retarded was their mobility (it is insane at first job), the DF system is like a combo system but better, it is kind stupid to use tempest at 1000 combos and you lose all of them, you should be able to use only the amount you spent for a skill (or at least give a % increase by every 100 extra combos, like a 1000 combo tempest does 7 times the damage or 100% critical), you could think about DS as an Aran2.0 that doesn't replace the original, since demon slayer is more solo oriented and arans for parties.

I can't talk about mercedes because I don't really like archers.

Mikhail is just a recycled bin...... with lasers.