For an instinct that is very simple, I would imagine it would have the greatest rage damage progression, not the worst progression.
Rage Damage Progression (lvl-1/lvl-7/lvl-15)
- Animal: 2/5/12
- Spirit: 3/7/13
- Dragon: 4/8/16
- Giant: 6/10/18
- Fury: 2/6/12
I submit that the Fury instinct should give you the greatest increase in rage damage at every stage due the sacrifice you're making of not having any other additional effects. Getting an extra feat at level-1 (a level-1 ancestry feat btw) is not enough compensation for not increasing my fury damage until level-7 while all other instincts increase fury damage at level-1.
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I might be wrong, but I think part of the reason why it is the weakest is because you’re not taking up an anathema. The anathema are effectively small character flaws/limitations that provide you with a boon, and picking Fury is opting out of that. I feel like it might be fine as is.
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Fury can be used with a better weapon than Animal, is less likely to be resisted than Dragon, does not get stuck with the accuracy penalty of Giant, and has a much better raging resistance than Spirit. Seems fine to me.
Fury has no anathema, there is no 'wrong' way to be a fury barbarian that results in losing your main shtick. And also, how is Fury specialization worse than animal? The only time you do different damage is 7-14 when you do 1 point more damage.
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I feel I should mention that it has been stressed repeatedly by Paizo that anathemas are a roleplaying restriction and are not accounted for in power level. Champions are not intended to be outright better than Fighters because they have a code to follow, nor are Dragon Instinct Barbarians intended to be superior to Fury Instinct Barbarians because of the former's affinity with dragons.
If there is a power imbalance it's not because of the anathema.
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What other benefits are you referring to?
Giant has a higher damage bonus than Fury (or anything else) because everything else it 'grants' is a straight-up drawback, rather than anything good.
Dragon has more damage because the damage is elemental and of a specific sort, making it easier to resist.
Spirit does one extra point of damage.
Animal actually doesn't have higher damage.
And all of them get one less Feat than Fury does at 1st level. So, by taking a Totem, you're effectively spending that Feat on extra damage...either a single point of it, or more but with serious down sides.
What other benefits are you referring to?
Giant has a higher damage bonus than Fury (or anything else) because everything else it 'grants' is a straight-up drawback, rather than anything good.
Dragon has more damage because the damage is elemental and of a specific sort, making it easier to resist.
Spirit does one extra point of damage.
Animal actually doesn't have higher damage.
And all of them get one less Feat than Fury does at 1st level. So, by taking a Totem, you're effectively spending that Feat on extra damage...either a single point of it, or more but with serious down sides.
Well, giant also has some of the best barbarian feats... of course that might just be my reach build withdrawal in the new system). But yes, in terms of stats, it is mostly a wash due to trades. You mostly get tactical options.
The same could be said for the rest as well (Although spirit has the option for positive or negative damage, and does ghost touch, which is nice).
Fury is the best if you want to just use the general barbarian feats- and given the increased importance of maneuvers in the current system, those are actually really good.