Friends With Benefits: A Guide for All 12 Companions in Fallout 4

You may be the Sole Survivor in Fallout 4, but not having at least one person in the wasteland who has your back is not the brightest idea. Some companions aren't terribly difficult to find, with almost half of the twelve companions available just for going through the main storyline. While you can only have one direct companion at your side at any given time, having a companion helps tremendously as someone who can haul extra items, cover you, bolster the defense of a settlement, be romanced, and unlock further quests and bonus perks in the game after you earn his or her approval.

 

---

Why You Wouldn't Want A Companion

But first, just to play devil's advocate, there are reasons for not having a companion. The main reason would be for stealth builds, where a companion can get caught in the line of fire with enemies. The game is mostly fine when it comes to companions not triggering sneak detection, but it can sometimes backfire and it can be difficult to disengage stealth when your companion is firing away.

The other reason would be if you're generally playing an evil build where you enjoy massacring everyone in the game (only Strong approves of killing innocents). You can also force the issue of not having any companion by gaining the Lone Wanderer perk (Charisma 3 minimum) which increases your maximum carrying weight and grants up to 25% general damage reduction if you go it alone.

Why You Would Want A Companion (Plus Romances)

As briefly stated before, companions provide lots of bonuses just by being there. Many companions can unlock terminals and doors for you if you haven't invested in Lockpicking or Hacking. You can tell companions to enter areas or fetch items, becoming the main threat while you stay safe or behind cover. Hey, companions can't die, so you might as well put that to good use.

Even if you choose to go solo, companions can be sent back to any one of your settlements where they can defend the lot against raiders. You can also invest in the Inspirational perk (Charisam 8 minimum) so that your companion can carry more items, resist damage, and be immune to your attacks and vice versa.

So long as your companion is human (or Curie), you can attempt to romance that companion by passing Charisma checks. Sleeping with a Romanced companion will give you more bonus XP than just being well-rested with the Lover's Embrace temporary effect. Make sure you follow what that companion likes and dislikes in your dialogue choices and gameplay actions (noted below).

 

---

5 Quick Notes on Companions

– If you don't give your companion a weapon, your companion will choose their default weapon and you won't need to give them an ammo for him or her to use it.

– If you do choose to give your companion an alternate weapon, though, make sure to give them the appropriate ammo type for that weapon. Also choose a weapon that's within the same group as their default one so they can get the best use out of it.

– While nearly all companions can't wield individual pieces of armor (for their chest, left leg, right arm, etc.), most can wear full armor suits so definitely give them armor that you don't need. You can also find dog armor for Dogmeat and Super Mutant armor for Strong.

– Companions can enter power armor. So if you find a power armor frame in the wasteland and don't want to enter it (or you're already wearing a suit of power armor), you can ask your companions to enter it for easier fast-travel shipment later on. The suit also won't need a fusion core to work for your companion!

– Nearly every companion dislikes you killing innocents (apart from Strong), stealing (apart from Maccready and Cait for pickpocketing), and eating corpses with the Cannibal perk.

 

---

A female Irish pit-fighter who's addicted to chems and loves lockpicking.

Romancable: Yes, after completing Benign Intervention quest

Where To Meet: Combat Zone (next to Goodneighbor)

Likes/Dislikes: Cait approves of self-serving and violent solutions, but that doesn't mean she's heartless. Just don't be too generous or peace-loving. She likes petty theft and picking locks in general, and finds that you wearing with no clothes on is a turn-on. She's all for chems at the beginning, but after completing her side quests, she changes are views on it.

Loyalty Side Quest: Benign Intervention

Max Approval Perk: Trigger Rush – Your AP regenerates +25% faster if your health is below 25% of your maximum HP.

Your family's Mr. Handy robot, who still serves as your butler after your time in Vault 111

Romanceable: No

Where to Meet: Sanctuary Hills (part of main storyline)

Likes/Dislikes: Just don't be selfish. He may be a robot, but he's a British butler, after all. Be generous and nice whenever you can while you have him around. And don't commit crimes. That's just in poor taste.

Loyalty Side Quest: N/A

Max Approval Perk: Robot Sympathy – Gain +10 damage resistance against robot energy weapons.

A Mrs. Handy medic with a French accent who loves science and uses her flamethrower in close quarters.

Romanceable: YES (changed from no, thanks everyone for the feedback!), but you must complete her companion quest first

Where to Meet: Vault 81

Likes/Dislikes: Similar to Codsworth, she wants you to be nice and not selfish, but you don't have to be generous. She doesn't care if you're mean, either. Maybe that's the French part of her programming.

Loyalty Side Quest: Emergent Behavior

Max Approval Perk: Combat Medic – Once a day, you can instantly heal 100HP when your health goes below 10% of your maximum HP.

A clandestine operative for The Railroad who stealthily monitors you from afar at first. If you follow through with following the Freedom Trail, you will meet him as part of the ragtag group of The Railroad.

Romanceable: No (strangely)

Where to Meet: Old North Church

Likes/Dislikes: Though he opposes violence and wants you to be nice in general, he doesn't care if you're mean. I guess him and Curie would get along fine. Hacking computers and picking locks are fine strategies to him.

Loyalty Side Quest: N/A (But completing Railroad faction side quests helps)

Max Approval Perk: Cloak & Dagger – Get 40% bonus time with Stealth Boys and deal 20% extra sneak attack damage.

Man's best friend who loves you unconditionally. Dogmeat will bark or growl if there are enemies nearby and can wrangle some enemies to the ground, making them vulnerable to attack. He doesn't have any associated perks, but by levelling the Attack Dog perk (Charisma 4 minimum), his takedowns can eventually cripple limbs and inflict bleeding damage. You can also ask Dogmeat to find items in the surrounding area, which is something he'll do automatically on occasion as well.

Romanceable: No

Where to Meet: Red Rocket Truck Stop (right next to Sanctuary Hills)

Likes/Dislikes: Dogmeat doesn't have any likes or dislikes, so if you plan on being evil, he won't mind.

Loyalty Side Quest: N/A

Max Approval Perk: N/A

This ghoulish mayor of Goodneighbor makes a fine entrance when you visit Goodneighbor for the frist time. Just don't cross him.

Romanceable: Yes

Where To Meet: Goodneighbor

Likes/Dislikes: The epitome of Chaotic Good, he wants you to be generous and peaceful person, but he doesn't mind laying down the law. Hancock is one of the few companions who doesn't mind you getting addicted to chems; in fact, it's one of the main ways to win him over.

Loyalty Side Quest: Recruiting Hancock

Max Approval Perk: Isodoped – You gain critical meter 20% faster when your rads total is 250 or higher.

You might remember MacCready as the snotty mayor of Little Lamplight in Fallout 3, but he's grown up in the last 10 years and he's out searching for a cure for a particular disease. His ability with the sniper rifle will cover your nicely.

Romanceable: Yes

Where to Meet: Goodneighbor, The Third Rail

Likes/Dislikes: Well, this merc can be tough to figure out since he doesn't want you to be too nice or too mean, though he approves of violent options if there is one. McCready is the only character who enjoys if you stealing things, which pairs well with his approval of lockpicking into places you shouldn' be in (highlighted red). Don't be donating your items to freeloaders, though.

Loyalty Side Quest: Long Road Ahead

Max Approval Perk: Killshot – Headshot accuracy in VATS is improved 20%.

This noir synth detective will be found during the Main storyline and would rather stealthily work his way around enemies and hack computers to solve problems if possible. One of my favorites, if just because we share the same first name.

Romanceable: No

Where To Meet: Vault 114 via Park Street Station

Likes/Dislikes: What do you think a crimefighting detective likes? Well, as a synth, he likes you hacking computers and he generally approves of you helping out anyone in need.

Loyalty Side Mission: Long Time Coming – Earn one extra guess during hacking and +50% faster terminal cooldown if you fail a hack.

Max Approval Perk: Close to Metal

A strict, by-the-books paladin of the Brotherhood of Steel who you aid first by defeating the feral ghouls alongside him and his team at the Cambridge Police Station.

Romanceable: Yes

Where to Meet: Cambridge Police Station

Likes/Dislikes: Well, this Power Armor-wearing paladin is a rather straightforward soldier. Don't be a prick, but use a show of force if you can. He will approve of you wearing Power Armor or modify

weapons and armor.

Loyalty Side Quest: None (But completing Brotherhood of Steel quests helps.)

Max Approval Perk: Know Your Enemy – Gain 20% damage against feral ghouls, super mutants, and synths.

You'll meet Piper right outside of Diamond City. As a journalist and a reporter, she has plenty of knowledge on the workings of the city and she's not bad with a pistol either.

Romanceable: Yes, after earning max approval and Gift of Gab perk

Where to Meet: Diamond City (right outside, part of main storyline)

Likes/Dislikes: Be generous but press hard if you need be. Don't commit crimes, but picking locks in general gains her approval.

Loyalty Side Quest: Story of the Century

Max Approval Perk: Gift of Gab – Earn twice the XP for successful speech challenges and location discovery.

As one of the main human companions you'll encounter as part of the storyline, Preston Garvey is one of the last (if not THE last) Minuteman. He has strong perception and can aid you by blasting foes with his laser musket.

Romanceable: Yes, only after taking The Castle

Where to Meet: Museum of Freedom (part of main storyline)

Likes/Dislikes: Preston is all for reunification, so don't be an ass and try to maintain peace when you can. Weapon modification is an easy way to get him to approve of your actions.

Loyalty Side Quest: N/A (But completing The Minuteman side quests helps)

Max Approval Perk: United We Stand – Deal +20% damage and gain +20 Damage Resistance when facing three or more opponents.

A Super Mutant who is initially locked up by his brothers at Trinity Tower, Strong uses melee weapons and a missile launcher for long distances. He dislikes any lockpicking, hacking, and stealth as a strategy, so he may be the most difficult to sway as a companion.

Romanceable: No

Where to Meet: Trinity Tower, Locked in Cage at Tower's Top

Likes/Dislikes: Be like a Super Mutant, violent. But he's trying to find his human side, so be generous and peaceful when you can. Strong doesn't care for you using any sort of human technology, be it power armor or vertibirds, and disapproves of you picking locks and using speech to gain more caps. Of the roster, though, he doesn't care if you murder innocent people or even eat corpses for health (Cannibal perk).

Loyalty Side Quest: N/A (But will participate in side quest Curtain Call)

Max Approval Perk: Berserk – Deal +20% damage with melee weapon damage when you fall below 25% health.

As an Institute Courser, X6-88 is an android with incredibly high combat skills and perception, destroying enemies with energy-based weaponry.

Romanceable: No

Where to Meet: The Institute, Synth Retention Center

Likes/Dislikes: Don't be nice and generous. This synth doesn't care for it. But he does approve of hacking terminals, Power Armor, and weapons/armor modification. So anything tech-related is all-good in his book.

Loyalty Side Quest: N/A (But completing The Institute side quests helps)

Max Approval Perk: Shield Harmonics – Gain +20 Energy Resistance permanently.

 

---

​