Fallout 4 offers players a vast open world to explore in post-apocalyptic Boston, with no shortage of enemies, factions, quests, and stories to uncover. A key feature that brings more life to the game is its companions – NPC allies that can accompany you on missions, help in combat, carry loot, and become true friends.
Choosing the right companion can greatly enhance your gameplay experience. With over a dozen options offering different strengths, perks, backstories, and personalities – selecting your favorite Wasteland partner is an important decision.
In this extensive guide, I‘ve compiled my picks for the absolute best companions in Fallout 4 as of 2023. From favorites like Dogmeat and Codsworth to underrated allies like Cait and Old Longfellow, read on for my top recommendations with detailed tips on their key traits, where to find them, and how to maximize affinity.
What Makes a Great Companion?
While personal preference plays a big role, I‘ve assessed companions based on several key factors:
Combat Ability: Higher damage output, resistance, and combat perks for support
Carry Weight: Capacity to haul more of your loot without getting overencumbered
Unique Perks: Special abilities unlocked at maximum affinity
Quest Impact: Importance to storyline quests and faction reputation
Backstory: Depth and interest around their character
Now let‘s get right into the list, from S-tier essentials to situational allies that still bring value.
S Tier: Must-Have Companions
1. Dogmeat
Everyone‘s favorite canine wasteland wanderer, Dogmeat is an essential early-game companion in Fallout 4 that can be found near the Red Rocket Truck Stop northwest of Sanctuary Hills.
- Perks:
- Helps find valuable hidden items
- Immune to radiation
- Combat Style: Distracts enemies for flanking
- Carry Weight: Capable of hauling quite a bit of loot
As the only non-humanoid companion incapable of equipping armor and weapons, Dogmeat is not built for direct combat. However, his ability to sniff out worthwhile containers and draw enemy fire makes him extremely valuable, especially for stealth builds.
Dogmeat lacks affinity perks, but hitting maximum affinity boostsDogmeat‘s damage and health – and his adorable personality earns him an easy S tier spot. He deserves a spot in every playthrough.
2. Piper
The stubborn, truth-seeking reporter behind Publick Occurrences finds her way on this list of top Fallout 4 companions. You‘ll first encounter Piper arguing with the mayor‘s assistant outside Diamond City, before she becomes available as a companion.
- Perks:
- Gift of Gab – +100% XP from persuasion-basedchecks
- Combat Style: Mid-range pistol damage
- Carry Weight: Above average
Piper is a versatile follower – her unique Gift of Gab perk that doubles XP from Charisma checks helps tremendously for speech-focused builds. Her priority on truth and justice means lawful/moral choices boost her affinity quickly.
While Piper lacks specialized combat traits, her well-balanced stats and use of handguns and shotguns allow her to hold her own. Her maximum affinity perk grants bonus accuracy and damage.
3. Deacon
The sly spy and liar extraordinaire for the Railroad, Deacon is my pick for the most helpful human stealth companion. You‘ll first run into him (under disguise, as usual) just outside the faction‘s HQ.
- Perks:
- Cloak and Dagger – Bonus sneak attack damage and 25% longer Stealth Boy duration
- Combat Style: Long-range sniper rifle damage
- Carry Weight: Above average hauling capacity
With affinity perks tailor-made for stealth characters, plus his innate bonuses, Deacon is a powerful ally focused on covert ops. His witty personality and affinity for disguise also make him one of the more interesting companions.
Deacon‘s ranged rifle attacks work perfectly for stealth play as you can ambush enemies from a distance. A top-tier companion choice for Charisma/Agility builds.
A Tier: Strong Choices for Most Builds
4. Hancock
The beloved freaky ghoul mayor of Goodneighbor, Hancock represents the finest chem-using, rugged outlaw followers around. You must first complete his companion quest to gain his services full-time.
- Perks:
- Isodoped – Major bonus radiation resistance when irradiated
- Combat Style: Close combat shotgunner
- Carry Weight: Above average hauling
The extremely useful Isodoped perk plus his existing immunity to radiation makes Hancock perfect for highly irradiated zones like the Glowing Sea. His chaotic nature also suits raider/outlaw builds.
Hancock utilizes shotgun and melee styles effectively at close range. His chems perks allow him to buff right before combat, making him especially deadly against groups. A top humanoid companion choice.
5. Ada
A versatile assaultron robot from the Automatron DLC, Ada can be rescued during the quest in Fort Hagen. She can‘t carry as much as other bots but has excellent all-around combat traits.
- Perks:
- Immune to radiation/poison
- Bonus energy resistance
- Combat Style: Devastating laser weapons
- Carry Weight: Decent for a robot
With a specialty in energy weapons, Ada makes one of the strongest ranged robot followers. Her immunity to poison/radiation plus solid hauling strength give her an advantage over others. Ada also holds her own in battles, providing good support.
While other bots may have expanded utility functions, Ada is strictly focused on combat effectiveness – and her stats show it. A very solid A tier companion.
6. MacCready
A returning Fallout 3 character, the sharpshooting merc MacCready is a fantastic ranged damage companion available early. Meet him first in the Third Rail within Goodneighbor‘s Old State House.
- Perks:
- Killshot – 20% accuracy/headshot boost in VATS
- Combat Style: Long-distance sniper expert
- Carry Weight: Nothing special
As one of my favorite human followers, MacCready really excels at filling distant enemies with holes. His Killshot perk grants a major accuracy boost for critical VATS shots with sniper rifles.
A former mayor and gunner for hire, MacCready has a compelling personal story and transitional arc. And he complements sneaky, careful players extremely well via ranged damage and scouting support.
7. Curie
Initially a Miss Nanny bot found in Vault 81 during the unmarked Sidequest "Hole in the Wall", Curie transitions into a prototype synth body, making her the only companion capable of romance.
- Perks:
- Combat Medic – First hit under 10% HPrestores 100 HP
- Combat Style: Mid-range rapid fire weapons
- Carry Weight: Average both before and after transformation
Curie‘s Combat Medic perk provides an invaluable lifesaving buffer on survival difficulty. Her immunities to radiation/poison in both robot and synth forms also prove useful. She suits players with a preference for good-natured, intellectual companions.
Her initial limitations as a Miss Nanny bot hold Curie‘s combat abilities back at first – but her stats improve dramatically once installed in a synth body. Despite this requirement, Curie remains one of Fallout 4‘s most versatile companions.
B Tier: Specialized Companions
8. Codsworth
Your loyal household robot Codsworth awaits in Sanctuary Hills after exiting Vault 111, eager to resume his butler duties. He offers solid support until you meet better companions.
- Perks
- Robot Sympathy – 10 Energy Resist from robot damage
- Combat Style: Flamethrower/buzzsaw melee
- Carry Weight: Massive at 210 lbs
Codsworth has pronounced strengths and weaknesses. With no ranged weaponry, he excels at close quarters versus humans/animals but struggles against turrets. His carry weight capacity outpaces any companion though.
You‘ll likely replace Codsworth once you gain higher tier allies. But he occupies an interesting niche as one of the only melee-focused robots. Monitoring his HP/healing is advised during intense conflicts.
9. X6-88
X6-88 serves as a lethal synthetic Courser agent for the secretive Institute faction. Players aligned with the faction‘s ideology can unlock X6-88 after becoming named Director.
- Perks
- Shield Harmonics – +20 Energy Resistance
- Combat Style: Short-mid range rapid fire guns
- Carry Weight: Above average; great for synths
With high SPECIAL stats, bonus energy and radiation resistance, and Institute rifle usage, X6-88 hits hard in battle. He suits players siding with the organization within the main questline, offering good fire support.
However, X6-88‘s cold, occasionally disturbing personality also makes him one of the least likable Fallout 4 companions. His perk offers only mild bonuses as well. As an Institute specialist, he occupies a strange but efficient niche.
10. Old Longfellow
Added in the Far Harbor DLC, seasoned hunter Old Longfellow brings higher survival and damage bonuses versus beasts and seaborne enemies. Meet him at The Last Plank pub early on.
- Perks
- Hunter‘s Wisdom – 25% damage/Energy Resist versus beasts
- Combat Style: Slow firing lever-action rifle
- Carry Weight: Average
While mediocre against general enemies, Longfellow‘s Hunter‘s Wisdom perk offers a pronounced advantage against Far Harbor creatures – including powerful fog crawler enemies.
His early availability in the DLC, high HP pool, lever-action rifle specialty, and solid carry weight all help balance his lack of A tier utility. A decent specialist pick for the island‘s beast-focused battles.
C Tier: Role Players and Conditional Picks
Many lower tier companions still boasts cool backstories or situational strengths useful depending on your game progression and build. Here are some noteworthy options:
Preston Garvey – Laser musket wielder with a valuable damage and resist perk against groups. Starts off central to the Minutemen faction quests.
Paladin Danse – Default companion for Brotherhood of Steel faction supporters. Strong in Power Armor with good laser/plasma perks.
Cait – Brawler companion and chem user with an affinity perk improving attack speed. High risk/reward.
Nick Valentine – The cybernetic noir detective excels at hacking, but lags combat-wise. His personal quests do impact core storylines.
Porter Gage – Specialist companion for players completing Nuka World raider content. Grants XP and damage resist rewards for kills.
Strong – A mutant with high HP and carry weight to match. Light on personality beyond combat brute force.
There are of course more companions than those listed above available. Feel free to mix and match as you try different character builds and storyline routes across this vast open world RPG.
How to Max Companion Affinity
Aside from their innate traits, companions also provide special Perks when you max out their Affinity meter by continually traveling together.
Affinity reflects how much they like/respect you – build it by making decisions they agree with during missions. Consistently talk/travel together as well. Maxing Affinity unlocks either an offensive or defensive combat perk:
- Check their approval (thumbs up/down) in dialogue trees
- Avoid choices marked as their "dislikes"
- Complete their personal questlines
- Travel frequently
Once you reach the highest Affinity rank, the associated perk is automatically granted – providing a permanent bonus and further incentive to befriend each companion.
So there you have it – the ultimate Fallout 4 companion breakdown for 2023. Hopefully this guide gave you some ideas on allies to consider for your next playthrough, or maybe try a fresh companion combination on existing save files.
Each offers distinct capabilities, backstories, quest impacts, and combat flavors offering tremendous replay value. Thanks for reading – now get back out there rebuilding the wasteland community, one companion at a time.
