Companions are an essential part of Fallout 4, as they’ll fight alongside you, help you carry things and more. There’s a lot to consider with what makes a Companion one of the best to have, such as whether they offer any special skills, or increased damages or resistances.
Each Companion also has perks, which benefit the player when reaching maximum affinity. While others might have special skills which can help you when it comes to stealing, hacking or lock-picking. With some Companions, you can even have romance if you build enough of a relationship.
In total, there are 17 Companions available in Fallout 4. Some are included with the base game, and some are only available in DLC. Due to not everyone owning all the DLC, we’ll only cover base game Companions in this list.
We’ve covered much more content when it comes to Fallout 4, as well as mod lists. Some of these mod lists include mods that work alongside the Companions listed below. This guide works for all devices, including PC, PS4 and Xbox One.
Cait
Cait is a companion you can obtain after completing the Combat Zone Quest. She has some of the most hilarious dialog lines in Fallout 4, and has an Irish accent which really stands out in the Boston wasteland.
When it comes to Perks, Cait will give ‘Trigger Rush’, which will quickly regenerate Action Points when Health Points are low. Unlike other Companions, Cait also has a special ability which is picking locks, so she’s great to have following you around the Commonwealth.
Nick Valentine
Nick Valentine is your loyal Synth Companion, and also a great ally in general. To have him as a Companion, you’ll need to complete the ‘Getting a Clue’ Quest, which is part of the main story.
Due to his robotic nature, he has more health than other Companions allowing him to fight for longer. After reaching maximum affinity with Nick, you’ll unlock the ‘Close to Metal’ perk, which will provide one extra guess when hacking terminals. Similar to Cait, Nick Valentine has a perk where he can hack terminals for you.
Robert MacCready
Once you reach the town of Goodneighbor in Fallout 4, you’ll find Robert MacCready who is available for hire. You can bring him along for 250 Caps, or 200 with an easy speech check.
MacCready offers the ‘Killshot’ perk, which will provide an additional 20% chance to hit an enemies head when using V.A.T.S. He also has a pretty good perk, where he is able to steal items undetected for you. Occasionally, MacCready will give you a gift of ammunition.
Codsworth
Codsworth has been your longest serving Companion in-game, and is your only tie to the pre-war world in Fallout 4. What’s so great about Codsworth is he doesn’t need to carry a weapon, so you won’t need to provide him with ammunition either.
When you reach maximum affinity with Codsworth, you’ll receive the ‘Robot Sympathy’ perk, which will provide 10 damage resistance from robot attacks. Unfortunately, Codsworth doesn’t have a special skill, but will occasionally provide you with Purified Water.
Dogmeat
Talking of loyal Companions, next up is Dogmeat, who is everyone’s favorite in Fallout 4. You’ll find him right after leaving Sanctuary at the start of the game, near Red Rocket. Luckily, Dogmeat also won’t need any weapons or ammunition as he’ll constantly bite any enemies he comes across.
Dogmeat doesn’t have much health as a Companion, having the lowest in the game at 150, so carry plenty of Stimpaks. Sadly, Dogmeat doesn’t provide any Special Skills, but will give the ‘Attack Dog’ perk, where he’ll hold enemies still for you to have an increased hit accuracy on them.
Piper
When you first reach Diamond City in Fallout 4, one of the first characters you’ll come across is Piper, who’s been denied access to the city. After completing ‘Story of the Century’, you’ll be able to recruit her as a Companion.
Sadly, she doesn’t have any Special Skills, but will give the ‘Gift of Gab’ perk. It provides an additional 100% XP Bonus when completing successful Charisma checks and discovering new locations. Piper will also occasionally provide you with Sweet Foods as a gift. You can also have romance with Piper, if you wish.
Curie
Curie is a Miss Nanny robot, and has a sweet French sounding accent in the English version of Fallout 4. She can be found in Vault 81, and is obtainable as a Companion after completing the Hole in the Wall Quest.
Surprisingly, she has the highest health of any Companion in Fallout 4, at a staggering 440 (later increased to 670). In comparison, most other human Companions only have 185 health. She also provides a pretty strong perk, which is ‘Combat Medic’. If your health dips below 10%, you’ll temporarily gain 100 health points to keep you going. Curie will also occasionally provide you with Stimpaks as a gift.
Preston Garvey
Preston Garvey, you either love him or hate him. You’ll first come across Preston after coming across the Museum of Freedom in Concord. Although he won’t be available as a Companion until completing of The First Step Quest, where you become the Minuteman General.
As a Companion, Preston will occasionally provide Radiant Quests. Although his biggest advantage is his perk, which is ‘United We Stand’. With it, if the player is outnumbered 3 to 1, then you’ll gain both increased resistances (20%) and damage (+20), making fights much easier to win.
Strong
Strong is a Super Mutant in Fallout 4, and friendly towards humans, offering Companionship. With him being a Super Mutant, he’s very strong and has a lot of health, with 245 in total.
You’ll need to complete the Curtain Call Quest to obtain him, and can be found at the top of Trinity Tower, where he’s been locked up by his own kind. While he doesn’t have any Special Skills, he provides the ‘Berserk’ perk, where you will gain an additional 20% damage if your health is below 25% of the maximum health. Strong will also provide Meat as occasional gifts.
Paladin Danse
Finally, we have Paladin Danse, who is a member of the Brotherhood of Steel faction. You can find him at Cambridge Police Station, and only obtain him after completing the Tour of Duty Quest.
Sadly, Danse doesn’t offer any Special Skills. Only the ‘Know Your Enemy’ perk becomes available, which will increase your damage against Synths, Super Mutants and Ghouls by 20%. Paladin Danse will also give you his personalized laser weapon, Righteous Authority as a quest reward.
