> possibly OpenBSD doesn't really have any relevant 'kernel processes'
It does. They're just hidden from the listing. https://github.com/search?q=repo%3Aopenbsd%2Fsrc%20kthread_c...
> why do I need multiple `psimon` kernel processes?
It's the way that module is organised. There's nothing wrong with the idea, you'd need to dive into the code to understand the details.
> illustrate my perceived difference-in-complexity
It depends on the situation. Seeing many kernel threads is one kind of complex. Not seeing the kernel threads and not being able to understand which one is having issues is another kind of complex.
You just saw how the sausage is made, but that has nothing to do with the final taste / how the system actually behaves.