Let’s be real. Exploring the Commonwealth alone is a recipe for getting jumped by a Deathclaw or, worse, losing your mind listening to the wind howl through the ruins of Sanctuary. You need backup. But choosing from the massive roster of Fallout 4 all companions isn’t just about who has the biggest gun. It’s about who won’t judge you for picking up literal trash and who actually has a perk worth the grind. Some of these guys are icons. Others? Well, they’re basically pack mules with bad attitudes.
The Commonwealth is a messy, radiated hellscape. Having a friend helps. But Bethesda didn't make every companion equal, and if you're playing on Survival mode, a bad choice can actually get you killed. You've got synths, ghouls, humans, a dog, and a very confused "French" robot. It's a lot.
The Heavy Hitters You Actually Want Around
If we’re talking about pure utility, Nick Valentine is usually the name that comes up first. He’s a noir detective in a synth’s body, which is cool enough, but his ability to hack terminals is a lifesaver if you didn't dump points into Intelligence. He’s got layers. His personal quest, "Long Time Coming," is arguably one of the best-written arcs in the entire game. You’re hunting down holotapes from a pre-war mobster, and it feels like a real detective story, not just another "go here, kill that" objective.
Then there’s Paladin Danse. Look, the guy is a walking tank. If you’re struggling with combat, Danse is your insurance policy. He lives in his Power Armor. He breathes the Brotherhood of Steel code. But there’s a massive twist in his story—one I won’t spoil if you’re somehow a decade late to the party—that completely changes how you view the Brotherhood’s rigid ideology. His perk, "Know Your Enemy," gives you a 20% damage boost against Ghouls, Super Mutants, and Synths. That is a massive mathematical advantage in a game where those three enemies make up 70% of what you fight.
The Problem With Strong
People love the idea of a Super Mutant companion. Strong is huge. He carries a lot. He hits like a freight train. But honestly? He’s a pain in the neck. He hates it when you pick locks. He hates it when you hack terminals. He hates it when you use Power Armor. Basically, he hates everything that makes Fallout 4 fun. Unless you’re doing a "smash everything" melee build, Strong will constantly "dislike" your actions, making it a nightmare to reach maximum affinity.
Getting the Most Out of Your Squad
Maxing out affinity isn't just for the romance options, though flirting with a ghoul like Hancock is certainly a choice you can make. It’s about the permanent perks. Once you hit that 1,000-point affinity threshold and finish their personal quest, that perk stays with you forever. Even if you send them back to a settlement to farm mutfruit for the rest of eternity.
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Piper Wright is usually the first "human" companion most players meet in Diamond City. Her perk, "Gift of Gab," doubles the XP you get from discovering new locations and successful persuasion checks. If you pick her up early, like level 5 or 6, and rush her affinity, you'll hit level 50 significantly faster. It’s a meta-strategy.
Deacon, the master of disguise from the Railroad, offers "Cloak & Dagger." This gives you a 20% bonus to sneak attack damage and increases Stealth Boy duration. For a stealth-sniper build, Deacon isn't optional. He's mandatory. Plus, watching him change outfits every time you fast travel to a new location is a nice touch of flavor that most other companions lack.
Why Preston Garvey is a Meme
"Another settlement needs our help." You've heard it. You've probably dreamt it in a fever state. Preston is the moral compass of Fallout 4 all companions, and that's exactly why players find him exhausting. He represents the grind. However, his perk "United We Stand" is incredibly powerful—20% extra damage and 20 Damage Resistance when facing three or more enemies. Since you are almost always facing three or more enemies, Preston is actually one of the strongest companions in the game, despite his repetitive dialogue.
The Specialists: Curie and Codsworth
Don't sleep on the robots. Codsworth is your loyal pre-war butler, and while his buzzsaw is okay early on, he really shines once you get the Automatron DLC. You can take him to a robot workbench and turn him into a Sentry Bot with twin Gatling Lasers. Suddenly, your butler is a god of war.
Curie is a bit different. You find her in Vault 81, and she starts as a Miss Kitty medical bot. She’s sweet, she’s inquisitive, and she has a high-damage laser. Eventually, you can transfer her consciousness into a synth body. Her perk, "Combat Medic," heals you for 100 points if your health drops below 10%. It’s a literal life-saver.
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- MacCready: The cynical merc from Fallout 3 is back. His "Killshot" perk was famously glitched at launch to give a 2,000% headshot bonus. It's fixed now, but a 20% boost to VATS headshots is still top-tier for gunslingers.
- Cait: She can pick any lock in the game. If you're tired of the lockpicking minigame, bring her along to the Combat Zone, clear out the raiders, and let her do the dirty work.
- X6-88: The Institute Courser. He’s cold. He’s boring. But he gives you energy resistance. Most players skip him because the Institute is... well, the Institute.
Tactical Considerations for Survival Mode
In Survival mode, the weight of your companion matters. Dogmeat is unique here. He doesn't count as a "companion" for the "Lone Wanderer" perk. This is a massive exploit/feature. You can have the 25% damage reduction and 100 extra carry weight from the perk and still have Dogmeat pinning enemies down for you.
Also, remember that companions in Survival mode need to be healed with Stimpacks if they go down. If you leave them behind, they will eventually pack up and walk all the way back to their original home. Losing Danse in the middle of the Glowing Sea because you ran out of Stimpacks is a walk of shame you don't want to experience.
Hidden Mechanics: How Affinity Actually Works
You don't just get affinity by talking. It’s a background timer. Most companions gain a small amount of affinity just for being with you while you're earning XP, roughly every 10 minutes of "active" play.
Cait likes it when you use drugs and drink booze (at least until her quest is done).
Hancock likes it when you're generous but also when you're violent to people who deserve it.
Codsworth and Preston love it when you modify weapons and armor.
If you want to "cheese" affinity, find a settlement with a weapon workbench and a bed. Modify a gun, sleep for two hours to reset the internal cooldown, and modify it again. It’s boring, but it’s the fastest way to get those perks without spending 40 hours wandering the wasteland.
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The DLC Additions
If you have the expansions, you get two more heavy hitters. Old Longfellow from Far Harbor is a grumpy old hunter who hates the Children of Atom. His perk helps you shed radiation faster, which is niche but useful in the foggy islands.
Then there’s Porter Gage from Nuka-World. Gage is probably the best "evil" companion. He acts as a vendor, meaning you can sell your loot to him while you're in the middle of a dungeon. That utility alone makes him better than half the base-game cast. His perk, "Lessons in Blood," gives you a 5% XP gain for kills and a 10 Damage Resistance. It’s solid.
What Most People Get Wrong About Companions
There's a common myth that you have to choose a side and stick with it, or you'll lose your friends. That’s only partially true. You can actually keep almost Fallout 4 all companions alive and friendly until the "Point of No Return" in the main quest.
For example, you can be a member of the Railroad, the Brotherhood, and the Institute simultaneously for a long time. The trick is managing their locations. If you’re about to do a mission for the Brotherhood that involves killing Railroad agents, don’t bring Deacon. Send him to a far-away settlement like Spectacle Island where he won't see what you're doing.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Playthrough
- Prioritize Piper early: Get her to Diamond City immediately. The "Gift of Gab" perk is only useful if you get it while there are still locations left to discover.
- The Dogmeat Trick: If you're struggling with carry weight, invest in the "Lone Wanderer" perk and keep the dog. It is the single most efficient way to play the game.
- Complete "Emergent Behavior": Get Curie her human body as soon as possible. Her health pool jumps significantly, making her a much more viable endgame tank.
- Check your "Point of No Return": Before you start the mission "Mass Fusion" or "Tactical Thinking," make sure you've finished the personal quests for the companions in the factions you're about to betray. Once those factions go hostile, those companions are gone for good.
- Utilize the Robot Workbench: If you have the Automatron DLC, even a "weak" companion like Ada can be rebuilt into a Dual-Fat-Man-wielding nightmare.
Managing your crew is half the battle in the Commonwealth. Choose based on your playstyle, get those perks, and try not to let Preston Garvey's map markers give you a headache.