You don’t have to face the wasteland alone! In fact, with all DLCs installed, you can have up to 16 companions that can follow you one at a time. Each companion has their own strengths and weaknesses, and some even have their own unique questlines.
Have you found all Fallout 4 companions? Recruit your perfect partner here.
Codsworth
Codsworth is the first companion you’ll meet. In fact, he is with you from before the bombs fell. You find him in the ruins of your old home in Sanctuary Hills, still cleaning up after two hundred years.
Since you get him so early in the game, Codsworth can become the ideal mule to carry all your stuff around. He is a robot with a laser, a flamethrower, and a chainsaw.
Codsworth likes responsible acts and helping others in the wasteland. He also loves it when you modify your weapons and armor. He doesn’t like it when you’re greedy, when you steal, when you murder, or when you use drugs. He is generally a good-natured companion.
After you max out his affinity, Codsworth grants you the Robot Sympathy perk, which gives you damage resistance versus robots.
Preston Garvey
Preston is the second companion you will meet and the only companion that is absolutely necessary for the main story. This is a guy you just can’t get rid of even if you tried. In fact, you will need Preston to complete several main quests, so keeping this guy happy is a good idea.
Preston Garvey is the leader of the Minuteman and a force of good in the wasteland. Preston loves it when you are generous and heroic. He also likes a bit of sarcasm but dislikes insults. He is also a possible romance option.
When you max out Preston’s affinity, he grants you the United We Stand Perk, which gives you damage resistance when outnumbered.
Dogmeat
Perhaps the most popular companion, Dogmeat has been a staple of Fallout games ever since Fallout 1. Dogmeat is also the first companion you can actually miss. He just lazes about the Red Rocket truck stop and will join you straight away, but only if you speak to him first.
If you manage to miss Dogmeat, fear not. He will appear during the quest Getting a Clue and you will be able to recruit him then.
Dogmeat has no associated perks and will love you no matter what you do. He is the ideal companion for players who like to act flippant.
Piper Wright
Piper is another companion who is essential to the story. You just can’t miss her outside Diamond City. She’s an inquisitive reporter and the publisher of the local paper Publick Occurrences in Diamond City.
Piper is a kind person and a wild spirit. She loves it when you help others, avoid violence, and act like a smartass. She also likes it when you bust open unowned locks. However, she dislikes stealing and picking owned locks, as well as bribing and extorting.
Piper is a possible romantic partner. At max affinity, she will give you the Gift of Gab perk, which boosts XP. That’s one of the reasons why you should get Piper as quickly as you can.
Nick Valentine
Nick is another fan favorite, rivaling Dogmeat for the top spot. He is an android private detective with a lot of attitude and a definitive noir flair. Nick is essential to the main story and you will have to visit his office and work with him to finish the game.
Nick Valentine is one of those companions who love heroic and selfless acts. However, he also loves it when you hack terminals. If you are unable to hack a computer, he may even volunteer to do it on your behalf.
In order to get his unique perk, Close to Metal, you must progress with the main story and then complete Nick’s personal quest Long Time Coming, where you solve a two-hundred-year-old mystery. Nick is a possible romantic partner.
Paladin Danse
Paladin Danse is a member of the Brotherhood of Steel and the only companion who will always wear their own power armor. He is very strong and has equally strong opinions.
You will find Danse early on in Cambridge Police Station. Nonetheless, you won’t be able to recruit him until you complete several quests in the Brotherhood of Steel quest chain. Danse is a possible romance option.
In order to get Danse’s perk, you will have to progress far into the main quest and complete Danse’s own personal quest. He is one of the trickiest companions to keep throughout the game.
Deacon
Deacon is a master of disguise working for the Railroad. He helps rescue synths, which makes him a natural enemy of the Institute. It is possible to complete the game without recruiting Deacon if you don’t find the Railroad before you complete the main quest.
Deacon loves hacking and lock picking but dislikes senseless violence and drug use. He also loves it when you help synths and when you kill oppressors and people he regards as evil.
At max affinity, Deacon grants you the Cloak & Dagger perk, which makes you deadlier when sealthing. Deacon is another possible romance option.
John Hancock
Wearing the clothes of the real John Hancock, this John Hancock is an irradiated ghoul with a kinky attitude.
Hancock is the wild mayor of Goodneighbor and he loves it when you use drugs or give drugs to others to use. Hancock also loved it when you get naked. In fact, the quickest way to max out his affinity is to travel the wasteland with Hancock without wearing any clothes. Needless to say, this is reckless and dangerous! Still, this is the fastest way to get to max affinity without hacking the game.
Hancock hates senseless murder and wanton violence and might abandon you if he witnesses you killing someone. At max affinity, Hancock gives you the Isodoped perk. He is also a possible romantic companion.
X6-88
Considered by most players as an “evil” companion, X6-88 is an emotionless android in the service of the Institute. X6-88 will follow you only after joining the Institute and completing a few quests with them.
Traveling with X6-88 will make some other NPCs instantly hostile to you, including the entire Railroad. X6-88 will also fire at anyone he considers an enemy, making it impossible to remain neutral while he is following you. Nonetheless, he is a very strong follower, making him ideal for evil characters.
When maxing out X6-88’s affinity, you get the Shield Harmonics perk that grants a flat bonus to energy resistance. Keep in mind that unless you do the Institute ending, you will lose X6-88 after you complete the main quest.
Cait
Cait is a drug addict and professional cage fighter. You can recruit her after clearing all the raiders in the Combat Zone. She is remarkably strong in close combat and a real tough lady.
While she is not evil, Cait does not like it when you are timid and try to be altruistic. Cait loves it when you pick locks, commit crimes (but not murder) and when you are cocky. She is a possible romance option.
When you max out her affinity, Cait will give you her personal quest to get her into rehab. Completing this will grant you the Trigger Rush perk.
Curie
Curie is a peculiar Miss Nanny robot that you can later turn into a synth android, giving her humanoid features. She is a kind-hearted doctor you can find hidden in Vault 81.
She loves it when you are selfless and hates it when you commit crimes or get greedy with quest rewards. She also likes it when you heal your friends and help struggling communities.
As you get to know her better, Curie will give you a quest to help her become more human. You need to complete this quest to get to maximum affinity with her. This unlocks the Combat Medic perk. In her synth form, Curie is a potential romance candidate.
If you are playing Fallout 4 on PC, there is a bug that may cause Curie to disappear when you first get her out of Vault 81. You can use console commands to teleport her back to you to fix the issue.
MacCready
You can just hire Robert Joseph MacCready for 250 caps in Goodneighbor, and he will follow you faithfully unless you do something he really hates. In fact, MacCready is a character from Fallout 3, where he appeared as the child mayor of Little Lamplight.
MacCready is an agreeable criminal who doesn’t mind all sorts of illegal acts, including stealing. He dislikes bigotry and child abuse, and he will leave you if you cause too much unprovoked violence.
MacCready is also a possible romance option. In order to max out his affinity and get his unique perk, Killshot, you need to complete his personal quest to take out a band of raiders.
Strong
Strong is another positively evil companion and the only recruitable super mutant of Fallout 4. You find Strong locked up in Trinity Tower during the quest Curtain Call. If you recruit him, he will follow you and make it clear that he thinks humans are inferior to mutants.
Strong is the type of character who dislikes kindness but loves senseless violence, murder, and even cannibalism. In fact, the fastest way to max out his affinity is by taking the cannibal perk and eat random victims. However, this will make everyone else hate you if they see you do it.
Strong is really strong in close combat and has the highest hit point pool of any other companion in the game. At max affinity, he grants you the Berserk perk.
Old Longfellow
Longfellow is a companion you can recruit during the Far Harbor DLC. He is a grizzled hunter who loves a good drink and dislikes stealing and killing.
Longfellow is the ideal companion for Far Harbor as he knows the island and will help you complete the quests with his insight. At max affinity, Longfellow grants you the Hunter’s Wisdom perk.
Ada
Available through the Automatron DLC, Ada is a powerful robot companion you have to recruit to complete the DLC. She is a fully modifiable robot, so you can customize her for maximum firepower or utility, as you see fit.
Ada, like Dogmeat, has no affinity meter. She will not judge your actions, making her a good companion for players who don’t want to adhere to any specific moral code.
Porter Gage
Porter Gage is a ruthless raider and the de facto companion for most evil characters. He won’t mind any act of violence and any crime, and he even loves it when you turn on other raiders.
To recruit Gage, you need the Nuka-World DLC. At Nuka-World, Gage will guide you into killing a raider leader and taking his place. After this, he will urge you to take on some rather dark quests. If you ever decide to free the slaves of Nuka-World, Porter Gage will become hostile and you will have to kill him.
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