Keeping more than one is the best idea. Once it flowers it is gone.A banana stalk will die after it flowers. Having pups is what continues the plant.

there were no flowers last year. the entire stalk died over winter.

is the stem coming up at the same spot as last years stem starting fresh at "Age 0", or will it have reduced lifespan.

if i keep the daughter and remove the center one, i'm not even sure how to do that without taking the plant entirely out of the ground, which i'd rather not do, but will if i have to.

Keep them all!
They just continue where they were last year.

If you really only want one, then dig out the pups and place them in other spots, though a good clump of basjoos does look really nice. Additionally, once you have a hearty momma that starts to pup, she only going to continue. Last year, one of mine put out 16 shoots.
I'm glad yours made it ok.

Chris

wow. nice looking plants. how do you get them so big? mine only get 5 foot by the end of the year before winter....

They actually got a little bigger...
Just plenty of water and plant food, plus all of mine do better the second year and beyond.

Chris