Fallout 4 allows you to choose between a plethora of companions who act as buddies in the game, lending a hand as you explore the vast wastelands of the Commonwealth.
Fallout 4 offers a total of 13 companions to choose from in the base game with four other companions available as add-ons in a DLC. Each companion in the game offers a variety of perks, you can even make them carry items to loosen up your inventory. You can even romance some of these companions.
That being said, you can only have one companion by your side at a time. However, once you have recruited them all you can choose to switch between them.
From a dog, ghoul and even robot, here are all the companions you can choose from.
Contents
- Every companion in Fallout 4
- Cait
- Codsworth
- Curie
- Paladin Danse
- Deacon
- Dogmeat
- John Hancock
- Robert MacCready
- Nick Valentine
- Piper Wright
- Preston Garvey
- Strong
- X6-88
- Ada
- Automatron
- Old Longfellow
- Porter Gage
Fallout 4 has a total of 17 companions.
Every companion in Fallout 4
How to recruit every companion in Fallout 4
Cait
Cait uses a double-barrel shotgun which can be useful in close-range combat.
Cait is a cage fighter making an income by living in the Combat Zone. You can recruit her by simply entering the Combat Zone and taking out all hostile raiders after which Cait’s companion will offer her to be your companion.
While Cait isn’t that useful when it comes to combat, her lockpicking ability can come in clutch if you’re looking for valuable loot. Her Affinity Perk, Trigger Rush allows your character’s AP points to regenerate 50% faster when your health is below 25%.
Codsworth
You can make Codsworth wear hats but it’s only limited to the bowler hat or Triggerman bowler hat.
Codsworth is one of the first companions you encounter in the game which is probably why he is one of the weakest companions. You can find him by finishing the Out of Time quest, you will find him in Sanctuary Hills as you escape Vault 111.
Codsworth’s Affinity Perk gives players +10 resistance to energy attacks from robots which is quite negligible as the game progresses.
Curie
Curie has the highest HP compared to all other companions.
Curie is one of the best companions to have in Fallout 4 owing to her high HP. You can recruit her by completing the quest Hole In The Wall and Here Kitty Kitty within Vault 81.
However, to get the most out of her you need to transfer her to a synth body which can only be done by finishing her personal quest. To be able to do this quest you need to gain some affinity with her. Her affinity perk, Combat Medic is quite useful as well as it gives you +100 HP if your health is below 10%.
Paladin Danse
Paladin Danse can deal a hefty amount of damage to enemies.
If you’re looking for a companion who will have your back during combat, Paladin Danse is your best bet. Equipped with his power armor and laser rifle, he is one of the best companions to have if you value combat prowess. Danse’s perk, Know Your Enemy is damage based as well as it allows you to deal 20% more damage against feral ghouls, super mutants and synths.
You can recruit him by finding him and the rest of the brotherhood at Cambridge Police Station. You have to progress through the main story and complete the quests, Call to Arms and Semper Invicta to be able to recruit him.
Deacon
Deacon’s funny charm more than makes up for his lack of combat prowess.
Deacon isn’t really the best companion to have when it comes to combat but his dripped-out look and witty charm will make you want to have him. You can recruit him by completing the quest Tradecraft and joining the Railroad.
That being said, if you’re going for a stealth build his affinity perk, Cloak & Dagger will be right up your alley as it gives you a 40% boost in Stealth boys duration and a 20% boost in sneak attack damage.
Dogmeat
Dogmeat is the goodest boy of them all.
If not for his wagging tail and the ability to pet him, Dogmeat is an excellent companion to have. While he’s not that useful in combat he can find loot for you with his adorable nose. He is also one of the earliest companions you encounter in the game, you can recruit him right outside Red Rocket Truck Stop.
Apart from sniffing out loot for the player, he can even pin down enemies in combat and his affinity perk Attack Dog allows him to be stronger in combat. This is a special perk that you can unlock by leveling up and not by raising affinity.
John Hancock
Hancock is one of the weakest companions in Fallout 4.
John Hancock is one of the weakest companions in the game as he has a shotgun equipped with him which forces him to be always at close range in combat. However, if you still want him you can find him in Goodneighbor in the Old State House where you can recruit him.
Hancock’s affinity perk Isodoped offers a temporary +20% boost to critical hit accumulation when your radiation damage is 250 or higher.
Robert MacCready
Robert MacCready is best if you’re going for a tanky build.
Robert MacCready armed with his sniper rifle is perfect for combat. Once you reach high enough affinity with him, his affinity perk, Killshot will increase your headshot accuracy in V.A.T.S. by 20%.
Nick Valentine
Nick Valentine specializes in hacking.
Nick Valentine is a companion you will encounter as you progress through the main story. You can recruit him by entering his office in Diamond City upon which you will have to rescue him. Once you rescue him, you can then recruit him.
He fares well in combat with his handy revolver equipped. However, his affinity perk Close to Metal gives you one extra hacking attempt with 50% shorter lockouts from terminals which is extremely useful if you struggle with hacking.
Piper Wright
Piper Wright uses a pistol making her not that good at combat.
Piper Wright is yet another companion you will encounter as you progress through the main quest. You can recruit her by meeting her at the entrance to Diamond City. You will then have to agree to give her an interview and complete her personal quest Story Of The Century.
Wright is quite useless in combat but her affinity perk Gift Of Gab offers +100% XP for any successful charisma check and when finding new locations.
Preston Garvey
Preston Garvey’s affinity perk makes him quite useful.
Armed with his Laser Musket, Preston Garvey fares well in combat. However, his affinity perk is quite unique as it gives players damage resistance against more than three opponents and +20 % damage.
You can find him in Concord and recruit him by talking to him as he asks you to help him and his band of Minutemen. He will then ask you to help clear Concord and build settlements to help the Minutemen.
Strong
Strong is a bullet sponge making him quite useful in combat.
As you can see from his mutant looks, Strong is a bulky companion that will violently run toward enemies giving you more time to take down enemies from a distance. You can recruit him by completing the quest Curtain Call and finding him at the top of Trinity Tower.
He can even pick up guns from random dead bodies to aid in combat. Apart from that, his affinity perk Berserk is combat-focused as well as it gives you a temporary +20% boost to melee damage when your HP drops below 25% of the total amount.
X6-88
You can only recruit X6-88 if you decide to side with the Institute.
Similar to Curie, X6-88 is a synth with little to no emotion. He will however dislike acts of kindness and like acts of selfishness. You can recruit X6-88 only if you side with the Institute and complete the Mankind-Redefined quest by attending the Directorate meeting in the Institute.
He is quite useful in combat as his Laser Rifle deals a significant amount of damage. His affinity perk on the other hand Shield Harmonics gives you +20 energy resistance which isn’t that useful but can be used with almost any build.
Ada
Ada is offered as a part of the Automatron DLC.
Ada is a unique companion who won’t judge you for your actions no matter what you do. You can recruit her by going to Wattz Consumer Electronics and finishing the quest Mechanical Menace.
Ada doesn’t have an affinity perk but after being upgraded she can specialize in lockpicking or hacking. She will even bring you junk from time to time.
Automatron
Automatron needs to be built by the player.
As the name suggests, Automatron was a part of the Automatron DLC. Unlike other companions, you can’t recruit Automatron as you have to build him by hand.It is also important to remember that Automatron has no affinity perk but you can make him specialize in lockpicking or hacking.
To build one all you have to do is head to a settlement with enough mods equipped which you can loot off of dead robots and start building your Automatron on a robotics workstation.
Old Longfellow
Old Longfellow is offered as part of the Far Harbor DLC.
Armed with his lever-action rifle, Old Longfellow is a quite useful companion to have while you’re in Far Harbor. Longfellow’s affinity perk Hunter’s Wisdom permanently reduces the damage and energy resistance of animals and sea creatures by 25%.
To recruit him, all you have to do is find him sitting around at the Last Plank and finish the quest Walk In The Park. Doing so will also give you access to his cabin outside of Far Harbor as a settlement.
Porter Gage
Porter Gage is included as part of the Nuka-World DLC
Porter Gage is one of the most powerful companions to have added in the last DLC that was released for Fallout 4. His handmade rifle is quite potent making him extremely useful in combat. His affinity perk Lessons In Blood gives you +5% more XP per kill and a +10 boost to damage resistance.
To recruit Porter Gage you have to complete the Taken for A Ride quest. However, remember to not attack any of the Nuka-World Raiders as this will then make Gage hostile.