Fallout 4 Companions

One of the most interesting things that were introduced in Fallout 3 was the companion feature. This made its return in the form of Fallout 4 companions. This wasn’t just any return either, as the sequel expanded upon the feature in many ways. One example of this would be adding a lot more options, with each option having unique storylines, dialogue, and much more. The companions Fallout 4 offers are all great in their way, but some can be considered better than others in certain regards.

In Fallout 4, all companions have their unique advantages. Some of these are better than others depending on the situation at hand, while some are great nearly all the time. That said, there are a lot of great options to choose from. There are a total of 13 companions Fallout 4 lets players choose from when they own the base game. After this, there’s the option to add 4 additional companions. These Fallout 4 companions can be added through DLC.

List of Fallout 4 Companions

Before getting down into which ones you should be choosing, here’s a full list of all the potential permanent companions Fallout 4 allows players to team up with.

Ada

Assaultron are feared slayers of the wasteland, packed into a humanoid robotic form. In the Automatron DLC, the Sole Survivor has the opportunity to meet a unique assaultron named Ada and hire her as a companion after completing the quest Mechanical Menace.

Hancock

While Hancock is without question one of the most interesting characters in terms of his design and story, he’s pretty lackluster compared to some of the other characters in the game. The Sole Survivor might hit it off with him since he was technically around when the bombs fell, but he’s not the best to have in battle.

Old Longfellow

The Far Harbor DLC introduces the player to cranky and seasoned mariner Old Longfellow. He knows the island like the back of his hand and acts as the player’s guide when they first venture out into the fog to find Acadia and DiMA.

Deacon

Deacon is the go-to follower for anyone who likes a funny guy or just prefers the Railroad out of the three factions in the game. As a spy, he doesn’t come across as very trustworthy, which is why some players might not hit it off with him immediately. He’s a bit of a habitual liar.

Codsworth

Don’t be fooled by Codsworth’s appearance or his kind personality. He’s actually pretty useful early on in the game when the player has barely anything and they’re essentially fresh out of the vault. He’s the very first companion the player can recruit in Sanctuary Hills.

Porter Gage

One of the most powerful companions in the game obviously comes from the last DLC that Bethesda released for Fallout 4. In Nuka-World, the player will rub elbows with a bunch of raiders, one of which is Porter Gage, the previous Overboss’ right hand.

Piper

Piper is a reporter for her own paper called Publick Occurrences working from Diamond City. You first meet her when arriving to the city gates, where she’s struggling to get in. Once you give her an interview, she’ll be available as a companion.

X6-88

If you decide to side yourself with the Institute, X6-88 becomes available to you as a companion later on in the game. He’s a synthetic with very little human emotion. He’ll dislike any acts of kindness and will like it if you act selfishly.

MacCready

For anyone looking for a companion with similarly questionable ethics and principles, MacCready is ideal. As a mercenary and once a Gunner, you’ll find at the Goodneighbor where you can hire him for a couple of caps. However, keep in mind that he won’t level up his relationship with you until you’ve completed his personal quests.

Preston Garvey

If you value kindness above all, Preston is your man. You’ll meet him in Concord, where he’ll ask you to help him and his band of what remains of the Minutemen. As their leader, he’ll ask you to help clear Concord and continue to ask you for help with new settlements.

Cait

Cait might not have her life completely together, with drug addiction plaguing her. However, she’s an incredibly powerful and skilled companion, able to hold her own in a fight with a shotgun. She used to be a raider, so expected her to applaud you for any violent acts.

Dogmeat

The first companion you meet in the game is Dogmeat, a friendly dog that might not be able to do that much in combat but is more useful than you’d imagine. Dogmeat doesn’t actually count as a companion, so you can unlock the Lone Wanderer perk freely while he’s around.

Nick Valentine

In Diamond City, the main quest will lead you on a hunt to find and rescue Nick Valentine, a detective that turns out to be an old synth prototype with his own free will. He’ll like a companion that will be nice to others and seek to find out the truth by asking questions.

Strong

Don’t let Strong’s appearance fool you. He might look like any other Super Mutant waiting to bash your skull in, but he’s completely loyal to you once you recruit him at Trinity Tower. Due to his nature, he’ll like both generous as well as violent acts, and will defend himself with assault rifles in combat.

Paladin Danse

A man from the Brotherhood of Steel and a capable fighter always seen in his power armor, Paladin Danse tops this list among the best fighters you can have as your companion. He’s able to tank incredible amounts of damage while dishing some back. Acts of kindness, but also violence, will be tolerated by him as he’s a man of the military.

Curie

When you first meet Curie, she doesn’t look anything like a human being. In her original Mr. Handy form she isn’t much use in combat, but once you transfer her inside a synthetic body, she becomes the strongest companion in the game with the sturdiest health pools and damage outputs.

Now that Fallout 4 all companions have been listed, the next order of business is to discuss the best ones of them all. As already mentioned, all of them have their unique advantages, but there are some more desirable than others. While there’s no definite answer for which ones are the best, here’s our take on the best Fallout 4 companions in certain aspects.

For Fighting

The best options when it comes to fighting would be Paladin Danse because of his power armor and honed fighting skills, Cait because of her ruthless style, and Curie. Keep in mind that Curie is terrible in combat in robot form, so make sure to put her into her synthetic body first, after which she’ll become a very reliable partner. Porter Gage and X6-88 are also great in fights.

For Utility

When it comes to Fallout 4 better companions for utility, Automatron is one of the first ones that come to mind. That’s because you build this companion into the ideal partner. The process is long and stressful, but it can be rewarding. Dogmeat also has his fair share of uses, being great for distracting enemies, finding hidden items, and other things of the sort. Preston Garvey and Codsworth are also very good options because of the perks that they offer. Ada can also be trained for a very handy hacking utility.

In General

Some companions in Fallout 4 are good in just about any regard. One such example of this would be Strong, the super mutant. He offers some of the highest storage capability, while also being good in combat. Not only that, but his personality makes him very easy to please regardless of what you do. Other than him, Deacon is also a fun companion that isn’t too demanding while also having decent combat capabilities and perks. Old Longfellow is also a good, well-balanced option, especially when entering Far Harbor.

That’s it for all the specific options. The ones that weren’t mentioned by names are somewhat more niche companions but are useful at the right time. Use the information in this guide to choose which one you wish to take with you on adventures and they surely won’t disappoint if you make the right choice depending on what’s needed at the time.