More photos

Sometimes with that type of staircase you would have a full handrail on the full wall side, and then you would have the balusters and handrail on the other side just up to where it meets the wall. But if the handrail and balusters don't line up to die into that wall, and instead are further into the stairs, I think you need to keep both the handrail and balusters there. Take some close up photos near the wall with the railing, and maybe you'll get more suggestions, but I'd put the balusters back.

@calidesign thank you for your comment. Here’s a picture of the side where the stairs meet the wall.

I agree. Although a bit odd, it looked better than removing them.

You can change the balusters to a simpler design if you want to, but they do need to run all the way up the wall. It was fine before.

End the balusters at a newel post on the stairs

I think it will look better on your stairs than it does on the photo I posted.

Or, like your idea with a pony wall of sorts:

You may like that better, but that's got all kinda code violations and is dangerous. What, you just let go of the handrail when it dies into the wall? Just as you're traversing the too-narrow winders that die into the corner, essentially creating a 22" riser? I'd red-tag those in a heartbeat, were I an inspector.

I agree with you about those stairs, Jospeh. OP can use a continuous handrail on the wall side and she doesn't have the neck breaker winder steps, fortunately.

Although I prefer the handrail on the right side, descending.

Another possible is to wall hang the handrail when it is past the balusters, eliminating them on the upper part of the stairs. She has removed those already. Would need to use blocking (probably) behind the brackets to keep the upper part of the handrail in line with the bottom.

The balusters on the top section made zero sense. Totally stupid. Cleaning nightmare--like, who wants to detail their stairs? And how the devil would you ever be able to paint that wall?