Is there any reward for protecting a follower until the end of the game?

Question

For example, Jaime is following me. But he's a bit weak and sometimes screws up my tactic since he always runs head-first towards the enemy. I wonder if there is any benefit/reward in trying to keep him and possibly other followers (characters that follow your group that you cannot control)? Do they have a specific purpose that is fulfilled later in the game? Do they affect the ending? In short: is there any point at all in trying to keep them alive?

Answer 1

Not aside from having them around for the climactic giant charlie-foxtrot battle. (I had Puppy for that, and he contributed, but keeping Jaime alive through two Scorpitron encounters -- when any usage whatsoever of their close-range flamethrowers will instagib him -- seemed like more trouble than it could possibly be worth.)