Fallout 4 has some of the best companions of any Bethesda game, but they aren’t all made equal.
You can fight through the Commonwealth solo, so I’m going to focus on the stories every companion has to tell to determine who’s the best traveling partner. Because of that there are going to be some notable absences. Look, I love Dogmeat. He’s such a good boy, but in Fallout 4, he really doesn’t have much of a story or, you know, any character traits to speak of. He is simply the best boy, and above any and all rankings.
When you’re on the road, you need a friend to keep you entertained, and you need someone you can really care about. With that in mind, here are the best companions Fallout 4 has to offer.
10. Codsworth
Ah, Codsworth, you lovable ‘ol robot you. Codsworth seems pretty bland, but scratch the surface, and you’ll discover he’s much more than a robotic butler. Codsworth has a genuine moral code and wants you to be good to the Commonwealth. It’s enough to make you wonder if he’s really obtained sentience since the bombs fell.
9. Preston Garvey
I’m going to say it: Preston Garvey doesn’t deserve his bad reputation. Someone needs to hand out all the Minutemen side quests, and it’s not Preston’s fault that duty fell to him. He’s not the most interesting guy in the wasteland, but the redemptive arc he helps the Minutemen go on is one of the more inspiring wastelands stories we’ve gotten.
8. Piper
Among the Fallout 4 companions, Piper is the unabashed “good” character. She runs a newspaper out of Diamond City and wants nothing more than to expose corruption in the wasteland wherever it appears. If your Sole Survivor is a goody two shoes, then Piper is one of your best companions and romance options.
7. MacCready
MacCready is a rare Fallout character carried over from another game. The Lone Wanderer met him when he was a kid living in Little Lamplight, but now he’s an adult living in Goodneighbor. His quest gives you a unique perspective on life in the wasteland, and that makes MacCready a worthy traveling companion.
6. Deacon
There’s no companion more mysterious than Deacon. He’s tied to the Railroad, but long before you meet the faction, you can spot Deacon following you around the Commonwealth in disguise. Once he becomes your companion, Deacon doesn’t immediately start being more open about his identity, and piecing together clues from his various lies makes for a deeply enjoyable puzzle.
5. Cait
You meet Cait in the Combat Zone, where she’s been wiling away her days getting in fights and taking chems. Cait’s tough as nails, but the more you get to know her, the more you realize that she fits in with a heroic Sole Survivor better than anyone else. Cait has a phenomenal character arc, and the fact that she’s also handy with a lockpick makes her one of my go-to companions.
4. Danse
Having the opportunity to travel with Danse is probably the number one reason to do a Brotherhood of Steel playthrough. Danse adds real nuance to the faction, and his personal story is more closely tied to the themes of Fallout 4 than almost any other companion. Danse is a tragic character who really represents the best that Bethesda’s writing team has to offer.
3. John Hancock
Hancock is one of the coolest companions we’ve ever gotten in a Fallout game. He’s the ne’er-do-well mayor of Goodneighbor who also has a surprisingly close tie with the mayor of Diamond City. Hancock became a ghoul by choice, and getting to know his full story is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have in Fallout 4
2. Curie
Out of all the romance options in Fallout 4, Curie is by far the most intriguing. Her story connects with the Institute and the larger plot of the game, and her personal quest has a number of different branching outcomes. Curie is a deeply endearing character, and helping her discover her innate humanity could make even the most hardcore Brotherhood Knight question their stance on synths.
1. Nick Valentine
Nick feels like the first companion that Bethesda dreamed up for Fallout 4. So many of the game’s plot and themes tie into his character, and the Far Harbor DLC offers even more chances to get into the deep aspects of Nick’s story. It would have been great if Nick had a romance option, but traveling with a pre-war detective in a synth body is cool enough to shoot him to the top of the list anyway.
