Fallout 4: All Companions Ranked – Best Allies for the Wasteland

Fallout 4’s post-nuclear reality can be pretty scary without a decent companion. Luckily, the Sole Survivor can choose from 17 available partners to make this survival experience less demanding.

Once you maximize your bond, unique affinity perks unlock, and you may find them incredibly useful during your upcoming adventures.

Looking forward to learning more about potential followers? Welcome to this guide on Fallout 4 best companions, ranked!

Fallout 4: All Companions Ranked – Best Allies for the Wasteland

Dogmeat

• Affinity Perk – Attack Dog
• Romanceable – No
• Location – Red Rocket truck stop

So, who is the best companion in Fallout 4? While Dogmeat doesn’t shine in combat, he’s more helpful than you might initially expect. Also, players find this good boy the most endearing of potential allies! Even if you prefer to explore the Commonwealth alone, having Dogmeat by your side lets you unlock the Lone Wanderer perk, boosting the immersion in the experience.

The most adorable doggo in the Wasteland is incredibly talented at detecting hidden objects, warning of danger, and holding enemies in check in combat. Once he unlocks the Attack Dog perk, Dogmeat becomes even more effective at distracting enemies from your actions. He’s every Sole Survivor’s most loyal companion and can lift your spirits with his friendly nature. Where can you find him? Head to the Red Rocket truck stop. The dog will come running to your playable character and your job is to reciprocate his affection!

Curie

• Affinity Perk – Combat Medic
• Romanceable – Yes
• Location – Vault 81

Once you complete her Emergent Behavior quest, Curie becomes the most powerful companion in the game. Her personal story lets her transfer her consciousness from Miss Nanny robot to Synth’s body, significantly increasing her combat potential. Plus, she provides a remarkably charming company due to her French accent and lovable nature. Curie appreciates acts of kindness and gentle behavior, which proves particularly important if you want to romance her.

Once she unlocks her Combat Medic perk, Curie can heal you once every 24 hours if your character’s health drops below 10 percent. Where in the Commonwealth can you find her? Venture to Vault 81, complete the Hole in the Wall quest, and search for her in the research wing. Remember not to steal, abuse drugs, or use violence, and she should soon become your most loyal companion!

Paladin Danse

• Affinity Perk – Know Your Enemy
• Romanceable – Yes
• Location – Cambridge Police Station

Looking for the perfect partner to fight with? Paladin Danse of the Brotherhood of Steel is an excellent warrior, equipped with power armor and a laser rifle. This man can take incredible amounts of damage while dishing it out himself. As a seasoned soldier, he is mostly kind and doesn’t mind acts of violence if they serve the greater good. His affinity perk is Know Your Enemy, which grants the player a 20 percent bonus damage against Ghouls, Synths, and Super Mutants.

Where can you find him? Sole Survivor can encounter Paladin Danse at the Police Station in Cambridge after completing the Shadow of Steel quest. To recruit this companion, you must also join the Brotherhood of Steel, complete Danse’s Tour of Duty quest, and commit to upgrading your weapons and armor. Be warned, however, that not everyone likes his hostile attitude towards other races, including Ghouls, Synths, and Super Mutants.

Porter Gage (Nuka-World DLC)

• Affinity Perk – Lessons in Blood
• Romanceable – Yes
• Location – Fizztop Grille

Introduced in the Nuka-World DLC, Porter Gage is a raider with many years of combat experience. Making good use of his handmade rifle, he’s a great partner in the fight and a helpful companion on your quests across the Commonwealth. Since Gage loves violence, lockpicking, and weapon customization, he’s a great companion for players who prefer a more evil playstyle.

Porter Gage comes with the beneficial Lessons in Blood perk, providing 5% more experience per kill and 10 damage resistance. You can find him at Fizztop Grille in Nuka-World. Complete the An Ambitious Plan quest, and start your adventure together! Be careful, however, as any action against Raiders can turn him hostile toward your character.

Strong

• Affinity Perk – Berserk
• Romanceable – No
• Location – Trinity Tower

While Strong may not look like one, he’s a good-hearted guy and provides entertainment during his travels with Sole Survivor. He’s good in combat using his sledgehammer, which doesn’t stop him from occasionally picking up a gun from the corpses of defeated enemies.

His Berserk perk gives players 20% increased melee damage when below 25% health. And where can you find him? Look for him at Trinity Tower! But be prepared – Strong is a loyal companion, but his odd likes and dislikes are rather tiresome.

Preston Garvey

• Affinity Perk – United We Stand
• Romanceable – Yes
• Location – Museum of Freedom/Sanctuary Hills

Preston loves helping others, as his biggest dream is to build a settlement system in the Commonwealth. He’s a decent partner in combat, although many players find him too annoying due to the neverending nagging. Nevertheless, he’s perfect for players who prefer a kind approach to everything that happens in this brutal world.

Preston unlocks the United We Stand perk, giving you 20 damage resistance and 20% increased damage when facing three or more enemies. You can find him in the Museum of Freedom, where you must defeat the Deathclaw. Once done, go to Sanctuary Hills and complete The First Step quest.

Nick Valentine

• Affinity Perk – Close to Metal
• Romanceable – No
• Location – Vault 114/Diamond City

Exploring Diamond City, you will come across Nick Valentine – follow the Long Time Coming quest and learn everything about this unique character. Valentine is an experienced detective and an old synth prototype with free will. Although he may seem intimidating, this companion likes to be nice to others, and any encounters involving his person become more memorable.

Nick Valentine unlocks the Close to Metal perk, giving Sole Survivor 1 hacking attempt and 50% decreased lockout time from terminals. His company can be handy, especially if you don’t excel at this ability.

Piper Wright

• Affinity Perk – Gift of Gab
• Romanceable – Yes
• Location – Diamond City

This female reporter for Public Occurrences works in Diamond City, where she often gets into trouble due to her intense search for the truth. She’s desperate to do her best to share the latest news with the locals, help the innocent, and expose shady plots of local authorities. You may find her company particularly pleasant if, like her, you are not a fan of the Brotherhood of Steel but support the Synths’ interests.

You can meet her in Diamond City upon arrival at the city gates. Give her an interview, and she will become available as a companion – perfect if you need 100% increased experience after successful charisma checks and when discovering a new location!

Robert MacCready

• Affinity Perk – Killlshot
• Romanceable – Yes
• Location – The Third Rail in Goodneighbor

MacCready is a returning character who has experienced many traumatic events since Fo3. Searching the Wasteland for a cure for his only child, he’s now a mercenary you can recruit for an effective aid in combat. Using a sniper rifle, he can take down even powerful opponents.

A relationship with MacCready unlocks the Killshot perk, giving you 20% increased accuracy while in V.A.T.S. Where can you find him? The man is available for hire at Third Rail in Goodneighbor for 250 caps (or 200 if you have more points invested in Charisma). He loves players who engage in combat, steal, or pick locks – a perfect choice for those who don’t want to play too nice!

X6-88

• Affinity Perk – Shield Harmonics
• Romanceable – No
• Location – The Institute

If you are willing to side with the Institute to gain a highly skilled combat companion, X6-88 is your best bet. He’s a Synth using a powerful Laser Rifle – you can count on solid support against any opponent. The only downside to this skilled character is his lack of human emotion and siding with the Institute.

You can recruit him once you have completed the Institute quest Mankind Redefined. Once done, he will show up at the Synth Retention Bureau, and you can start your adventure together. After maximizing your relationship with this character, you will unlock his Shield Harmonics perk that provides 20 to energy resistance.

Deacon

• Affinity Perk – Cloak & Dagger
• Romanceable – No
• Location – The Railroad HQ

If you favor a stealth playstyle, Deacon may be your best bet. The man frequently changes his appearance, constantly lies, and loves to talk too much. Some players find him incredibly irritating at the beginning of their journey together. However, he’s not entirely useless due to his excellent hacking and stealth abilities.

Where can you find him? Players meet Deacon during their first encounter with Railroad on the Road to Freedom quest. Once you unlock his Cloak and Dagger perk, you can enjoy 20% increased sneak attack damage and 40% increased Stealth Boy.

John Hancock

• Affinity Perk – Isodoped
• Romanceable – Yes
• Location – The Old State House In Goodneighbor

John Hancock is a ghoul and the mayor of Goodneighbor. While he’s not the prettiest, his captivating backstory and attitude toward life make him one of the most fascinating companion and romance options. As the mayor, Hancock does his best to protect fellow ghouls from threats. He may not be the best in combat, but his shotgun is excellent for short-range fights.

Since the ghoul is the mayor of Goodneighbor town, that’s where you can find him. Try to impress him by helping the innocent, being a nudist, and taking chems. Doing so, you will soon convince him to become your most loyal companion. Investing in this relationship unlocks the Isodoped perk, providing a 20% increase in critical hit regeneration!

Cait

• Affinity Perk – Trigger Rush
• Romanceable – Yes
• Location – Combat Zone

This drug-addicted Irishwoman survived a very challenging past but now can become your favorite companion. You can impress her by leading a carefree lifestyle revolving around drinking, violence, and theft. This strategy will pay off nicely, as Cait can pick almost any lock and is excellent in a fistfight.

You can find her in the Combat Zone in the Theater District of Boston. Once she becomes your companion and you maximize your relationship, you can enjoy her Tigger Rush perk, which provides 25% Action Point regeneration when below 25% health.

Old Longfellow (Far Harbor DLC)

• Affinity Perk – Hunter’s Wisdom
• Romanceable – No
• Location – The Last Plank on the Island

Introduced in the Far Harbor DLC, Old Longfellow is a seasoned mariner who acts as a guide for players finding their way on the island for the first time. He can guide you through The Fog but will compliment your courage if you complete the Walk in the Park quest. The man loves booze but is an excellent combat aid using his favorite lever-action rifle, Henrietta.

Once you maximize your relationship, you can count on his Hunter’s Wisdom perk, granting reduced damage and energy resistance of animals by 25%!

Codsworth

• Affinity Perk – Robot Sympathy
• Romanceable – No
• Location – Sanctuary Hills

Codsworth was once Sole Survivor’s family robot, Mr. Handy, and is now available to players as the first companion to recruit after leaving the Vault. In addition to providing valuable information about his past life, he’s experienced at wielding a flamer and a buzz-saw in combat, both of which can deal surprisingly massive damage.

This companion is a godsend during the early stages of your adventure, as he doesn’t do well against more powerful opponents. If you maximize your relationship, count on the Robot Sympathy perk providing 10 resistance to robots’ energy attacks. You can find him in Sanctuary Hills, near Sole Survivor’s destroyed home.

Ada (Automatron DLC)

• Affinity Perk – None
• Romanceable – No
• Location – Outside Wattz Consumer Electronics

Introduced in the Automatron DLC, this robotic and highly customizable companion doesn’t require special actions to maximize your relationship. You can upgrade her using workbenches to suit your needs. Ada will happily offer you junk and even pick locks and hack terminals.

Where can you find her? Ada becomes available as a companion after completing the Mechanical Menace quest. She doesn’t offer affinity perks but is a great partner on your travels across the Commonwealth.

Automatron (Automatron DLC)

• Affinity Perk – None
• Romanceable – No
• Location – Any settlement

It’s the only companion on this list you have to build yourself, so its abilities depend on what you want to achieve. Once you have gathered the necessary materials, you can construct the Automatron at the robotic workstation in any settlement.

Later on, upgrading this companion requires the Science!, Robotics Expert, Gun Nut, and Armorer perks. It’s worth the effort since you can create the perfect machine! The Automatron doesn’t offer affinity perks – but is excellent at providing regular doses of junk during chats or as a companion.

Conclusion

Fo4 companions differ in temperament, preferences, skills, appearance, and background. No wonder, since the post-apocalyptic world is complete mayhem where everyone, regardless of race, strives to survive.

With this rich collection of available companions, you can choose the one that best suits your playstyle and beliefs. Will it be the honorable Paladin Danse? Or the lovable Codsworth? Regardless of who you pick, now you have all the essential information about each candidate!