Exploring the Commonwealth alone is foolish. Unless the player has theLone Wandererperk, there are absolutely no downsides to taking a companion. At the very least, it’s someone else to take a few potshots. In the direst situations, a companion could make the difference between life and death.
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The question is,which companionshould you pick? It’s mostly a matter of preference. There are a few key mechanical differences between companions, but most players will likely ignore these and just pick a companion they personally like. We’ve based our decisions partly on mechanics and partly on preference. With all that out of the way, here are our rankings for every companion inFallout4!
In Fallout 1 & Fallout 2, Dogmeat was good for dying and not much else. In Fallout 4, well, it’s pretty much the same story. Dogmeat will run in front of the player, getting in their way, all the while stumbling into traps and just generally not being much help in a fight. We think it’s his breed. German shepherds are excitable creatures.
Dogmeat’s one redeeming quality is that he doesn’t technically take a companion slot. This means the Sole Survivor can keep him around while still getting the benefits of the Lone Wanderer perk. Unfortunately, it does not mean he can be used with another companion at the same time, which would be ideal.
Ada is a basic robot companion from Fallout 4’s Automatron DLC. As with all companions, she’s a solid choice who’ll watch the Sole Survivor’s back. However, despite being named after the fascinating historical figure Ada Lovelace, she ranks low for being one of the least interesting companions in the game.
Ada is essentially a starter robot for the Automatron DLC. She has some upgradability but lacks the extensive customization features of other automatrons. Most players will end up keeping her wandering around a random settlement while they run off to build the robot theyreallywant.
15Codsworth
Codsworth is a very solid early-game companion, but that’s about it. He totes powerful flamethrowers and sawblade attacks that easily rip apart low-level enemies. Plus, his charming aristocratic demeanor makes wandering the desolate wastes that much easier.
Unfortunately, Codsworth’s unique perk isn’t worth the trouble. It adds damage resistance against energy attacks made by robots, which is extremely situational. The player’s time will generally be better spent working toward someone else’s unique perk.
14Robert MacCready
In Fallout 3, MacCready ran a settlement of children called Little Lamplight. In Fallout 4, he’s all grown up and has an interesting story involving his past life with the Gunners. With good stats, a love for rifles, and a talent for thievery, he’s an all-around solid choice for a companion.
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What holds MacCready back is his unique perk, Killshot, which grants a bonus for headshots in VATS. Especially for those who play Fallout on PC, VATS is more of a crutch than anything else. Buffing your targeted shots can be helpful but not as helpful as simply aiming shots yourself while focusing on other perks.
Deacon will likely end up serving as a companion to characters who work for the Railroad. He’s a charming guy who doesn’t take himself too seriously. Nor should the player take him too seriously, considering he’s an admittedpathological liar.
Deacon can be fun to keep around with his different disguises. However, his unique perk, “Cloak and Dagger,” is really only useful for stealth characters. It boosts sneak damage by 20% and Stealth Boy duration by 40%. If the Sole Survivor isn’t sneaking or using stealth boys, this enigmatic spy just doesn’t have much to offer them.
Strong is Fallout 4’s super mutant follower. He’s a solid companion to have in combat, with a higher-than-average HP stat. Also, his unique perk is a great boon to melee characters. The “Berserk” perk grants bonus melee damage whenever the player’s health drops below 25%. Unfortunately, other types of characters won’t get much use out of it.
Strong feels like a missed opportunity. Helping him is questionable—he’s essentially a super mutant supremacist. He harbors an obvious disdain for humans, and he’s just sort of… stupid. Compared to other super mutant characters like Dog/God, Marcus, or even Fawkes from Fallout 3, he’s just not that interesting.
As an Institute Courser, X6-88 is highly capable in combat. He was literally designed to turn enemies into smoldering puddles of goo. His unique perk, “Shield Harmonics,” grants bonus damage resistance to energy weapons. It’s essentially a better version of Codsworth’s perk and one that can prove highly useful when tracking down rogue synths.
Unfortunately, X6-88 isn’t particularly interesting as far as his character is concerned. He has no personal mission or deeper story; he’s simply a synth who’s fiercely loyal to the Institute. Evil characters will likely get on with him great, but he’s just a one-dimensional villain for everyone else.
10Piper Wright
Piper is Diamond City’s premier journalist and one of the more memorable characters in the game, thanks to her writing and energetic animations. Unfortunately, she’s just not that great compared to other companions.
Piper’s unique perk, “Gift of the Gab,” grants extra experience when passing speech checks or exploring new locations. This can be helpful early on in the game when the player is trying to grab experience quickly, but most players will end up replacing Piper later on. She does provide the player with sweets from time to time, which is nice but not particularly useful.
9Preston Garvey
Many Fallout fans have lamented Preston Garvey’s boring character, his monotone delivery, and his relentless insistence that the Sole Survivor should single-handedly restore the Minutemen to prominence. He has another settlement for you to check out. He always has. He always will.
Despite getting under the skin of many Fallout 4 players, Preston is a great companion, mechanically speaking. His unique perk, “United We Stand,” is arguably the best companion perk in the game. It grants extra damage resistance at all times. It also grants +20% damage to all enemies if the player is outnumbered three to one (which they often will be).
8Old Longfellow
Old Longfellow is a grizzled old hunter and fog navigator from Fallout 4’s Far Harbor DLC. As a resident of post-apocalyptic Maine, he’s an experienced outdoorsman ready to take on any challenges the Commonwealth throws his way. His unique perk (bonus damage to animals) is decent but not great.
Old Longfellow has a unique personality, making him a fun change of pace from other followers. For anyone who’s ever wanted to explore the wasteland with their grandpa, he’s the man to go with. He’ll complain about his old bones, sing songs, and even compliment the player for picking up junk. Finally - a fellow pack rat!
