Fallout 4: All Romance Options Ranked Worst To Best

Oct. 12, 2022, 1:06 p.m.

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Fallout 4: All Romance Options Ranked Worst To Best

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Summary The cast of characters in Fallout 4 provides many options for diverse romances.

Many characters in Fallout 4 offer intriguing, yet fleeting, romance options, but others provide more long-term quests.

Maxing out a relationship with a companion provides special perks that further boost a character's strength.

Fallout 4's greatest strength is its cast of characters, especially its romance options. Charming, memorable, and fun, Fallout 4’s characters are a diverse bunch, ranging from intrepid reporters to synthetic detectives to murderous bare-knuckle boxers. Interestingly, Fallout 4 allows for an actual romance this time around, unlike New Vegas' variety of fade-to-black one-night-stands. Still, spending the night with any romance option will reward players with the Lover's Embrace perk in Fallout 4, which grants a temporary experience boost.

Fallout 4's potential suitors aren't as in-depth as the romance options in Baldur's Gate 3, but they follow a similar trajectory: complete a quest, impress them by performing actions they approve of, and eventually confess. There are also a couple of one-time flings players can have simply by passing a few dialogue checks. But for the most part, Fallout 4 allows romances as a fun side quest, unfolding organically by spending time on adventures with companions. Even in the post-apocalyptic wastes of Boston, love can bloom. Unfortunately, there’s a chance the flower of love’s not pretty.

Related Fallout 4’s Free Next-Gen Update Fixes One Major Omission Fallout 4's next-gen update brings new weapons, gear, and decorations for players to enjoy while attempting to fix the biggest story absence.

10 Magnolia Is Just A Fallout 4 Fling

The Third Rail Singer

The wasteland can be a lonely place. Sometimes, companionship is fleeting, and the flames of passion burn out quickly. This is the best description of the “romance” the player can have with Magnolia, the lounge singer at Goodneighbor's hottest club, The Third Rail. With three successful Charisma checks, each harder than the last, Magnolia can be seduced by the player, but no relationship can be formed in the long term. Ask her, and Magnolia will say she’s married to her music.

Instead, the Sole Survivor is treated as a fling, and depending on their answers, they can either reciprocate those feelings or feel the sting of unrequited love. Magnolia may later become entangled in the Fallout 4 side quest "Emogene Takes a Lover," but she doesn't stick around long enough to become a companion - she just points the player in a direction. However, meeting her does unlock her signature song on Diamond City Radio: "Baby It's Just You."

9 Gilda Is A Funnier Fallout 4 Fling

The Movie Star Robot

Gilda is a robobrain - a human brain implanted into a robot - in Fallout 4. There's also a human version of her in the game's files, but it's only visible with the Creation Kid mod editor. Much like Magnolia, Gilda is unwilling to form a long-term relationship with the Sole Survivor. However, while seducing Magnolia results in a pretty insignificant scene, players can go on an actual in-game date with Gilda, even if she'll stop returning their calls after the fact. They'll have to succeed in five different Charisma checks to even get her to consider the possibility.

Gilda is exclusive to Fallout 4's Far Harbor DLC, which takes players to Mount Desert Island off the coast of Maine. They'll meet Gilda as part of the quest "Brain Dead," which centers on a robobrain murder in Vault 118. She's also referenced in both the Fallout TV series and Fallout 76, where her name appears on marquees and movie posters.

8 Preston Garvey Is Fallout 4's Most Annoying Romance Option

"Another Settlement Needs Our Help"

This may surprise some people, but indeed, Preston Garvey is a romance option in Fallout 4. Why anybody would want to romance one of the least likable companions in Fallout 4 is a shot in the dark. Preston's romance subplot is inoffensive, but there's little time for love in between his constant reminders of radiant side quests. As the player's primary point of contact with the Minutemen militia, Preston is a quest giver first, and a lover second.

Truthfully, there are some positives to Preston’s character. He is a hard-working, honest man, and his questline is one of the longest and most central to Fallout 4's plot. His perks aren’t half-bad either, making him a pretty decent early-game companion. However, in a game where the player doesn’t really need companions to be powerful, and with many more interesting romance options available, most players just avoid Preston entirely. Too busy defending settlements from raiders and all that.

7 Porter Gage Is More Concerned With Raiding Than With Romance

In The Nuka-World DLC

Porter Gage is exclusive to the Nuka-World DLC for Fallout 4. Much like Preston, he mostly serves as a quest giver - he's the second-in-command of the Nuka-World raiders, which means he travels with the Sole Survivor as they attempt to keep the peace between rival gangs. He makes an excellent companion, as his perk, Lessons in Blood, grants the player a permanent XP boost and a significant amount of damage resistance. He's also the only companion who doubles as a vendor, so players can buy and sell on the fly.

As useful as he is to have in the party, Porter Gage just isn't the most romantic companion in Fallout 4. He's got his hands full trying to prevent the impending gang war, and doesn't really have as much time in his schedule for love as some of the other romance options. Plus, he uses a lot of his utility once the player leaves Nuka-World, as he can no longer operate as a merchant.

6 Paladin Danse Is Fallout 4's Dullest Romance Option

The Brotherhood Of Steel Commander

Paladin Danse is a cardboard cutout of a person by design. Living a life of military doctrine in the Brotherhood of Steel has made the man a bit of a sour personality, even more than Craig Boone, a companion from Fallout: New Vegas. Still, there’s some charm hidden underneath all that seriousness, and, like Preston, he has a central role in Fallout 4’s story.

Unfortunately, most players don’t really get that chance to get to know Paladin Danse, as it’s quite easy to miss his romance. The abrasive personality and general nature make him unlikable upfront, and players are likely to respond in kind, especially considering that romancing him fully means ultimately siding with the Brotherhood of Steel's militant belief system. Therefore, romancing Danse a bit of a far-fetched quest. While certainly a reliable companion in a fight, he’s not much for conversation unless the player is willing to put the work in.

5 MacCready Doesn't Make Sense As A Fallout 4 Romance Option

A Fallout 3 Cameo

MacCready is found in Fallout 4's Goodneighbor, and it’s clear the years have been rough on the once potty-mouthed politician. Now working as a mercenary, MacCready was once married. However, after his wife’s death, he became estranged from his children. By completing MacCready’s questline, the player can help him get over his trauma and reconnect with his family. Having moved on from his wife, he’s apparently open to the possibility of romance.

Truthfully, his narrative is heartwarming, but for players who first knew MacCready as a boy all those years ago in Fallout 3 (a hidden detail of Fallout 4 not all players catch) this may feel more like a friendly relationship than a romantic one. In Fallout 3, MacCready was the mayor of Little Lamplight, a settlement populated entirely by orphaned children. Apparently, his struggles continued even after he aged out of the settlement, but Fallout 4 gives him a nice, happy ending.

4 Cait Is A Flirtatious Fireball

The Combat Zone's Top Fighter

Cait is a violent, abrasive, and murderous Irish pit fighter who would rather punch the player than kiss them. That’s exactly why she’s a beloved character. There’s something attractive about a person who’s willing to go toe-to-toe with Super Mutants with a smile on their face. Cait is incredibly useful in combat, and the perk she grants the Sole Survivor at max bond level increases the recovery rate of their Action Points.

Players will have to clear the Combat Zone before Cait will take notice of them, but once they do, she also has a great questline. She relies on her drug addiction to keep winning battles, but the Sole Survivor can help her get clean. Doing this allows her to retain her ferocity in battle while keeping her inner demons at peace. She’s also one of the few companions to actively flirt with the player before the player even flirts with her.

3 Piper Makes Up In Charm What She Lacks In Combat

Diamond City's Editor-In-Chief

Piper is the first companion (alongside Nick Valentine) that many players encounter on their first playthrough. Best described as post-apocalyptic Lois Lane, Piper is a beacon of snarky innocence in the usually cynical wasteland. She has a comment on almost everything, and it’s usually both incisive and amusing. Her dialogue when being flirted with is rather adorable, and the longevity of the Sole Survivor’s stint with her makes it even better.

While Piper might be outclassed in combat by the power armors and Super Mutants of the world, there’s no replacing her charming dialogue both in and out of combat. She plays enough of a role in the plot that she’s interesting to have around, but she’s not so central to it that players are forced to choose a specific side of the conflict just to stay in her good graces. That makes Piper a great first love for many players, and a reliably funny companion for a good-aligned Sole Survivor.

2 Curie Has A Fun Romance Subplot In Fallout 4

Curie is the ever-curious and intelligent AI who resides in a Miss Nanny robot. As the player explores the wasteland, she starts giving hints that she wants to experience what it’s like to be “human”. This wish can be granted by the player, resulting in Curie’s consciousness being transferred into a synth body. Once her bond is maxed out, she’ll grant the Sole Survivor a perk that allows them to heal without using a Stimpak once per day.

Although Curie is an odd sci-fi romantic partner, at times this romance feels more like a thesis paper than a loving relationship. However, her inquisitive facade breaks whenever the player flirts, rendering her momentarily speechless. It’s a fun and heartwarming journey to help her understand her emotions, and soon the feelings are anything but artificial. This makes her one of the most unique romance options in Fallout 4, and basically the player’s only option if they want to date a synth long-term.

1 Hancock Is Fallout 4's Best Romance Option

Goodneighbor's Morally Gray Mayor

Hancock is the best romance option in Fallout 4, due to his status as the dark horse character of the game. He first appears in a memorably macabre introduction, immediately establishing himself as a loving mayor and ruthless cutthroat. This endears him to players lawful and chaotic alike. Hancock is a suave and intelligent man that would make anybody swoon, melting face or not.

Hancock’s story may not be the most emotional, but as far as romance goes, Hancock is the most interactive. He’s been around the wasteland, and he handles the romance with a cool confidence that almost none of the other companions are able to offer. He’s great in combat, and hilarious in dialogue. The one downside is that his Isodoped perk, which increases Critical Hit value, is only useful when the player character is heavily irradiated. But still, being an awesome character and mayor is just a bonus on top of being the best romance option in Fallout 4.