Kuro is a better villain then current Kaido.
this. it's embarassing, really.
also you forgot to mention that kuro wasn't anyone's puppet, while laido was nothing but a tool in the kurozumi granny's hands - even his 'might makes right, big war lets goooo!' isn't really HIS idea, it's just some bs the hag told him and that he was all too happy to gobble up
edit: his only potential saving grace is that it could be his DF. like maybe laido wasn't quite as daft as a vodka kingdom teenager, maybe the koi DF changed him for the worse