Fallout 4 Guide: Where to Find Every Companion
By Dalton Cooper 26 January 2016
Use this guide for Fallout 4 to discover the location of all 13 companions in the game, what perks they have to offer, and what needs to be done to recruit them.
There is plenty for players to do in Fallout 4. They can pursue the main quest, focus on building settlements, explore the wasteland, and even recruit companions to their cause. These companions have varying personalities, skills, and perks that they bring to the table, so it is beneficial for players to seek out as many as they can.
In total, there are 13 companions that can be recruited in Fallout 4. This guide details the location of each one and what needs to be done to recruit them. Some of the companions have personal quests tied to them, and some can even be romanced, which will be noted below.
Cait
The Combat Zone’s importance is one of the things that was cut from Fallout 4 before release, but players can still find the valuable companion Cait there. Before recruiting Cait, it is necessary to clear the Combat Zone area of the raiders that have infested the place, and then chat with her as well as the Combat Zone’s owner, Tommy Lonegan. By the end of the conversation, players are given the opportunity to recruit Cait as one of their companions.
Cait is more than capable in combat, and comes with the Trigger Rush perk once maximum affinity has been reached. To reach maximum affinity with Cait, players need to be somewhat devious on their adventures, which can be accomplished by stealing and killing on a semi-constant basis. For some strange reason, Cait also likes it when players fast-travel naked, so keep that in mind. Raising Cait’s affinity also gives players a chance to romance her, as well as unlocks her personal quest, “Benign Intervention.”
Codsworth
First seen during the Fallout 4 E3 2015 presentation, Codsworth has been one of the most marketed companions in the game, perhaps second only to Dogmeat. Before the apocalypse, Codsworth was the player character’s cheery robotic butler, but in the post-apocalypse, Codsworth is an effective killing machine.
Codsworth is encountered very early on in the game, in Sanctuary Hills, and simply chatting with him is enough for recruitment. Raising his affinity for the player character isn’t quite as easy, but the quickest way to make Codsworth idolize the player is by creating as many armor and weapon mods as possible. Once Codsworth’s affinity for the player is at maximum level, the Robot Sympathy perk will be added to the player’s list of perks.
Curie
Curie is located in in Vault 81, and is acquired after the quest “Hole in the Wall.” While traveling with Curie, keep in mind that she likes seeing the player heal other characters with stimpaks, and doing so is the quickest way to raise her affinity for the player character. On the road to maximum affinity, Curie’s personal quest “Emergent Behavior” becomes available. Completing it and reaching maximum affinity with Curie earns players the Combat Medic perk…and also gives players a chance for some robot love.
Deacon
Deacon is a member of the Railroad, and as long as players don’t outright betray the Railroad for one of the factions that trigger Fallout 4‘s other endings, he will stick by the player’s side indefinitely. Deacon can’t be romanced and doesn’t have a personal quest tied to him, but he does have the Cloak & Dagger perk as a reward for reaching maximum affinity with him.
Dogmeat
Dogmeat has many uses beyond the usual combat support role that most of the companions play, such as sniffing out and retrieving helpful items for the player. In fact, thanks to a glitch, players can even use Dogmeat to obtain the powerful Cryolator weapon early in the game.
Dogmeat himself is found at the Red Rocket garage, which is just outside of Sanctuary Hills. Simply speak with Dogmeat and he will become a loyal companion. Dogmeat has no personal quest and can’t be romanced (perhaps that’s a good thing), but he can still earn players a helpful perk in the form of the Attack Dog perk, which is unlocked by having a Charisma level of 4.
Hancock
Hancock is one of the most ruthless ghouls that can be found in the Commonwealth. When players meet him, he is the mayor of Goodneighbor, and that is exactly where he can be found. By completing the side quest called “The Big Dig,” players can convince Hancock to put his mayoral duties on hold and join them in their adventures. Hancock can be romanced, and reaching maximum affinity with him will give players the Isodoped perk.
Nick Valentine
To recruit Nick Valentine, players should visit his detective agency in Diamond City, and then complete the subsequently gained quest “Getting a Clue.” An honorable gumshoe, Valentine prefers the player to make “good” decisions, and also enjoys it when the player hacks computers, so keep those things in mind when trying to reach maximum affinity with him. Besides maximum affinity, players also need to complete Valentine’s personal quest “Long Time Coming” in order to unlock his Close to Metal perk.
Paladin Danse
Paladin Danse of the Brotherhood of Steel can be found hanging out at the Cambridge Police Station. After meeting Paladin Danse, complete the quest “Call to Arms” for the Brotherhood, and he will be willing to journey with you through the wasteland. Danse’s Know Your Enemy perk will unlock once players complete the “Blind Betrayal” personal quest and raise his affinity to maximum. When trying to get Danse to maximum affinity, remember that he generally wants the player to treat people fairly, except when it pertains to synths and ghouls. Follow this advice and Danse will fall in love with the player character in no time.
Piper
Piper, the wasteland’s resident journalist, can be found shilling her newspaper Publick Occurrences in Diamond City. Piper can be recruited by completing the quest “Story of the Century,” and raising her to maximum affinity will unlock the helpful Gift of Gab perk, as well as give players the opportunity to romance her.
Preston Garvey
Preston Garvey, the man who had the honor of being the first Fallout 4 character in Fallout Shelter, is also one of the first companions players can recruit in the game. A prominent member of the Minutemen, Garvey looks to the player to liberate settlements across post-apocalyptic Boston after recruiting him by completing the quest “The First Step.” Garvey’s United We Stand perk as well as romance options can be unlocked by reaching maximum affinity with him.
Robert MacCready
Visitors of the seedy Third Rail establishment in Goodneighbor can find and pay Robert MacCready to be their companion-for-hire for a mere 250 caps. To earn MacCready’s affection, players should play the game with as evil a slant as possible, in addition to completing his personal quest “Long Road Ahead.” Reaching maximum affinity with MacCready and completing his personal quest will earn players the Killshot perk, as well as the chance to romance him.
Strong
Strong is the only super mutant that is available as a companion in all of Fallout 4, and can be recruited after the quest “Curtain Call” at Trinity Tower. Strong can’t be romanced, but raising his affinity to maximum will unlock the Berserk perk for players. The fastest way to raise Strong’s affinity is by generally making decisions that fall under the “good” alignment, but being a super mutant, Strong also enjoys his fair share of violence as well.
X6-88
We’ve already established that players gain Deacon as a companion by siding with the Railroad, and Paladin Danse as a companion by joining the Brotherhood of Steel. To gain X6-88 as a companion, players must stay loyal to Fallout 4‘s third major faction, the mysterious Institute, and complete the quest “Mankind-Redefined.” Raising X6-88 to maximum affinity will unlock the Shield Harmonics perk, but it won’t give players the chance to romance him, which is understandable considering he is an Institute courser synth and all.
While that covers all 13 companions available in the core Fallout 4 game, more companions could potentially be on the way. Bethesda has a number of Fallout 4 expansion packs planned, which are expected to add new quests, possibly new areas, and maybe even new companions as well. If new companions do indeed come to the game, stay tuned to Game Rant to discover how to find them, recruit them, and, if applicable, romance them.
Which Fallout 4 companion is your favorite? Which one do you like the least? Leave us a comment and get at us about Fallout 4 and the game’s 13 different companions in the comments below.
Fallout 4 is currently available for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
Source: Fallout 4 Wikia, GameSpot
