These cards have their merits, especially if you prefer a more competitive approach to Commander, but if you find yourself conflicted about including them, its completely justifiable to keep playing what you enjoy instead
Your kraken lieutenant wont force you to draw yourself out of the game, and it's a nice source of card advantage for midrangey blue decks
It also has a ton of reprints, however, which keeps its value around $2-3 for the most part
Niv-Mizzet, Parun Designing a legendary creature can be a challenge
You can spend the filtered mana eventually, so this effectively costs 1 mana to pay your entire life total, which makes it the most efficient life payment card in the game
Over the years, each of Magics five colors have formed their own identity that shapes archetypes, patterns of play, and ultimately tells players what to expect when playing with or against that color