Not only minions, but mounts too. I guess this is one of those things that you either join and do PvP or hope you are the best and let it go and move on. I understand you want them all, but there are some players who can not afford or are not able to buy (because of lack of creditcards, region, shipping cost to much etc.) the physical merchandise that give those items and they too, have no choice but to move on.

In most games the PvP reward is something that players want the most, so the developers make those items a reward, as a incentive for players to enter the matches. Some game give a high level armour or a title, with FFXIV you get glamour items, mounts and minions.