Fallout 4: How To Get All 16 Companions

The world of Fallout 4 is a vast post-apocalyptic wasteland filled with horrors and danger. So it's no surprise that many won't want to take on any adventures in the Commonwealth alone and will want a traveling buddy to watch their back. Luckily, Fallout 4 has many interesting and diverse companions to team up with that can suit any play style.

Each companion in Fallout 4 has likes and dislikes, with unique perks unlocking once that character reaches maximum affinity. With 16 from the base games and Fallout 4’s DLCs to choose from, there is bound to be at least one companion that will stick with the Sole Survivor, no matter how evil or a saint they are. And when all else fails, there is the option to build a completely custom companion using the Automatron DLC's robot workbench.

Related Fallout 4: All Romance Options Ranked Worst To Best Fallout 4 has a number of compelling characters that become romance options for the player character, but some definitively stand out over others.

16 Dogmeat

Location: Red Rocket Truck Stop

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Affinity Perk Attack Dog: Hold enemies down, can cripple and cause bleeding at higher levels.

Dogmeat is likely the first companion many will meet when starting a new playthrough of Fallout 4. It can also be met at the Red Rocket just outside of Sanctuary. This good boy will immediately run up to the Sole Survivor to greet them and will join as a companion after talking to or petting him.

Dogmeat can fetch items and will love the Sole Survivor no matter what they do in their adventures, meaning he’s one of the few companions who will never leave them.

Dogmeat’s perk differs from all other companion perks as it is not affinity-based but can be selected when leveling up from the Charisma perks.

15 Preston Garvey

Location: Museum Of Freedom In Concord, Later Sanctuary

Affinity Perk United We Stand: Damage increased by 20 points and a 20% increase when facing three or more enemies.

Another early game companion is Preston Garvey, who can be found in Concord’s Museum of Freedom defending a group of settlers. After saving the group, Preston can be spoken to in Sanctuary, where he will give the Sole Survivor the quest "The First Steps" to help a settlement. This will be a randomly chosen settlement close to Sanctuary that is facing issues with raiders. Preston will become available to take on adventures after returning and accepting his offer to become General of the Minutemen.

14 Codsworth

Location: Sanctuary

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Affinity Perk Robot Sympathy: Gain +10 damage resistance against robots' energy attacks.

Codsworth is the faithful Mr. Handy robot who first served the Sole Survivor and their family before the bombs were dropped. He can be met again when first arriving back in Sanctuary but won't become a companion until "Out of Time" has been resolved, Diamond City is reached, or Nick Valentine is met, depending on which occurs first.

Codsworth is a fun early-game companion who attacks at close range with a buzzsaw and flamethrower but isn't great for anything that requires stealth.

Codsworth is programmed with 100s of names, allowing him to actually call the Sole Survivor by their name in many cases.

13 Piper Wright

Location: Diamond City

Affinity Perk Gift of Gab: Double XP when persuading people or discovering new locations.

Piper Wright is a no-nonsense journalist living in Diamond City and can be first met when arriving at the Great Green Jewel, stranded outside after a falling out with the mayor. The easiest way to get Piper as a companion is to complete her side quest, "Story of the Century," and allow her to interview the Sole Survivor. Otherwise, Piper won't be available until "Dangerous Minds" has finished and Kellogg is defeated. Considering Piper's affinity perk helps with XP gain, getting her as a companion as early as possible is the best choice.

12 Nick Valentine

Location: Vault 114, Later Diamond City

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Affinity Perk Close to Metal: One extra attempt when hacking and a 50% lockout time decrease.

Walking straight out of a classic film noir, it's not hard to see why the synth detective Nick Valentine is considered Fallout 4's best companion. To recruit Nick, he will need to be rescued from Vault 114, and the quest "Getting a Clue" must be completed. This will involve speaking with Nick about the Sole Survivor's missing son and accessing Kellogg's old house in Diamond City. Nick is a great companion for hacking terminals, especially for those uninterested in leveling up the Hacker perk.

11 Paladin Danse

Location: Cambridge Police Station, Later The Prydwen

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Affinity Perk Know Your Enemy: Deal 20% more damage against feral ghouls, super mutants, and synths.

Paladin Danse is the companion available to represent the Brotherhood of Steel, a returning faction in Fallout 4, and can be found initially at the Police Station in Cambridge. It takes a little more work to get Danse as a full companion, as not only will main quests such as "Reunions" need to be completed, but the Brotherhood will need to be joined and the Prydwen boarded. After meeting with the Brotherhood leadership, Danse will happily join the Sole Survivor as a full companion.

Maximum affinity for Danse can only be unlocked by completing the quest "Blind Betrayal," which will only become available if the Brotherhood is used to access the Institute.

10 Cait

Location: The Combat Zone

Affinity Perk Trigger Rush: 25% action point regeneration when below 25% health.

Cait is a straight-talking Irish bruiser with a tragic past who can be found in the Combat Zone, a fighting arena filled with raiders. Cait works there as a cage fighter, and after clearing the place of raiders, the owner wants to chat with the sole survivor. After a brief conversation, he will insist that Cait go with them and the quest "The Combat Zone" will be completed. In combat, Cait prefers to use melee weapons, shotguns, or her fists, making her less than ideal for some builds, but her lockpicking skills more than make up for it.

9 Robert J. MacCready

Location: The Third Rail In Goodneighbor

Affinity Perk Killshot: 20% accuracy increase when using V.A.T.S.

While some companions require quests to be completed or certain criteria to be met, that isn't the case for Robert MacCready. A returning character from Fallout 3, MacCready can be found in the Third Rail club in Goodneighor and can become a companion by hiring him for 200 caps or passing a Charisma check. After that, Little Lamplight's one-time mayor happily uses his sniper rifle to get the Sole Survivor out of tough spots.

8 Deacon

Location: Railroad HQ Under Old North Church

Affinity Perk Cloak & Dagger: There is a 20% increase in sneak attack damage and an increase in the Stealth Boy effect by 40%.

For anyone looking for a stealth Fallout 4 playthrough, then Deacon is an excellent choice of companion, as the Railroad agent is one of the few with decent stealth skills. After finding the Railroad and completing their trial quest, "Tradecraft," Deacon will give the Sole Survivor one of the best weapons in Fallout 4 and become a full companion. One of the fun aspects of traveling with Deacon is that he will change his clothes depending on the location, including Brotherhood areas or the Diamond City market.

7 Curie

Location: Vault 81

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Affinity Perk Combat Medic: Once a day, heal 100 hit points when below 10% health.

Curie is an upbeat and lovely Miss Nanny who can be recruited after completing the Vault 81 quest "Hole in the Wall." At first, the scientific and curious robot won't be of much use in combat, having the same basic weapons as Codsworth. But if “Emergent Behavior” is completed, then Curie can be 'upgraded' allowing her to transfer her consciousness into a synth body. With fantastic health compared to other companions and her tendency to give the Sole Survivor stimpaks, Curie is brilliant at exploring the Commonwealth.

6 John Hancock

Location: Old State House In Goodneighbor

Affinity Perk Isodoped: 20% faster critical hit regeneration when the radiation value exceeds 250.

John Hancock is the charismatic ghoul mayor of Goodneighbor, a rough-and-tumble settlement in the Financial District of Boston with a distinct mobster vibe. Hanock will greet the Sole Survivor the first time they enter Goodneighbor, killing a thug who was trying to shake them down for caps. To get Hancock as a companion, the Fallout 4 side quest “The Big Dig” must be completed with Fahrenheit side at the end; otherwise, the quest "Recruiting Hancock" will start with the mayor asking for compensation and sending them to deal with Bobbi No-Nose.

5 Strong

Location: Trinity Towers

Affinity Perk Berserk: Deal 20% more damage when below 25% health.

Strong is an easy-to-miss companion in Fallout 4, but the side quest to meet him is one of the most memorable and fun. When walking around in the ruins of Boston, the Sole Survivor can pick up a distress signal from local celebrity Rex Goodman, who needs rescuing from Trinity Towers. The quest “Curtain Call” is a vertical dungeon crawl up the tower to find Rex and his new friend Strong, a super mutant determined to find the ‘milk of human kindness.’ After freeing him and Rex, Strong will decide that the Sole Survivor is worthy of following and joining them.

4 X6-88

Location: The Institute

Affinity Perk Shield Harmonics: Resistance to energy weapons increased by 20.

X6-88 is a synth companion for those who chose to side with the Institute and have completed the Battle of Bunker Hill for the faction. After the battle, Father will call the Sole Survivor to a meeting and name them his successor for the leader of the Institute in the quest "Mankind - Redefined," allowing X6-88 to join them as a full companion. X6-88 is Courser, meaning he will only approve of institute-friendly choices, making it challenging to take on many missions.

Related How To Get Every Ending In Fallout 4 Fallout 4 has four different endings correlating to one of the four main factions; the Minutemen, the Brotherhood, the Railroad, or the Institute.

3 Ada

Location: Wattz Consumer Electronics, Later Red Rocket

Affinity Perk None, although fully customizable at the workbench.

Ada is a robot companion available with the Automatron DLC and will join the Sole Survivor as soon as the first quest in the DLC’s questline has been completed with “Mechanical Menace.” Ada is a delightful companion and can be fully customized using the robot workbench, making her versatile for any play style. Just as with Dogmeat, Ada has no affinity system, so no matter what actions the Sole Survivor takes, she will always be available to help.

2 Old Longfellow

Location: The Last Plank In Far Harbor, Later Longfellow's Cabin

Affinity Perk Hunter's Wisdom: Damage and energy resistance of animals and sea creatures is reduced by 25%.

Old Longfellow is a surly, experienced hunter who will team up with the Sole Survivor during the Far Harbor DLC. Old Longfellow can first be met upon arriving in Far Harbor inside the Last Plank bar, where he can be convinced to help escort them through the fog to Acadia during the quest "Walk in the Park." On the journey, Old Longfellow will advise about the island and its various factions. After arriving at Arcadia, he will permanently provide his cabin and services to the Sole Survivor.

1 Porter Gage

Location: Fizztop Grille In Nuka-World USA

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Affinity Perk Lessons in Blood: Gain +5% more XP per kill and +10 damage resistance.

After journeying to Nuka-World and accidentally becoming the new raider Overboss, the Sole Survivor will meet Porter Gage, the de facto second in command of the Nuka-World raiders. After speaking with the Sole Survivor during "An Ambitious Plan," Gage will offer to stick by their side as they explore the vast area of the Fallout 4 DLC. Acting as a vendor while in Nuka-World and with decent fighting abilities, Gage is a great companion, especially for less ethical playthroughs.