Best companions in Fallout 4, ranked

There are tons of companions who can join you on your adventure through the Wasteland in Fallout 4, but some of them are definitely more useful or more likable than others. 

We’re looking at the top five companions in Fallout 4 so you can pick the right person—or non-human—to accompany you on your travels.

The top five Fallout 4 companions

5) Strong

Strong is my least favorite companion, but he is too powerful in fights to leave off of this list. Strong is a Super Mutant you can find if you investigate the call for help that broadcasts from the top of Trinity Tower. Unlike the other Super Mutants, Strong is friendly and can become a companion once you complete the Curtain Call quest.

Strong’s skills with melee weapons are second to none, and he is tough, only going down after taking a huge amount of damage. His Berserk perk is really useful too, as it offers plus 20 percent weapon damage when your health drops to a quarter or less. If you die as much as I do, you’ll know how helpful this is.

I’m not a fan of Strong because he seems to dislike everything I do. If you do want to have Strong with you and raise your affinity with him to get that Berserk perk, he enjoys it when you kill enemies and when you behave like a threatening, violent person. However, he dislikes stealing, lockpicking, and pickpocketing. He’ll be happy when you munch on a corpse, but he draws the line at petty crime.

4) Codsworth

Some players consider Codsworth a boring choice, but in terms of strength, he has a significant resistance to damage. He also has a connection to you; he was the Mr. Handy in your home before the bombs fell.

Once you have completed the Out of Time quest (one of the first in the game) you’ll be able to recruit Codsworth. He uses a flamethrower to ignite enemies and the iconic Mr Handy circular saw to chop them up. As mentioned, his damage resistance is super high, making it difficult for enemies to take him down during fights. He will also sometimes have Purified Water on hand to give you, which can be very handy (pun intended).

When you have earned enough affinity with Codsworth, you get the Robotic Symphony perk, which grants plus 10 damage resistance against robotic energy weapons. All in all, Codsworth is a pleasant and chatty friend to you who can also be a murderous, bloodthirsty robot companion when needed. What else could you ask for?

3) Curie

Curie is a pre-war robot—a Miss Nanny—who has since been repurposed. She protects Vault 81 but she’ll join you on your travels if you ask. Her expertise in medicine and science makes her particularly useful, especially because she can administer Stimpaks. Her companion perk also revolves around healing.

You’ll need to get a good affinity level with Curie to access her perk, and the best way to do this is to help her get a synthetic body so she can become a human-like robot rather than a Miss Nanny. Complete her Emergent Behavior quest and your affinity with her will rise.

Once your affinity with Curie is high enough, you’ll unlock the Combat Medic perk. With this, Curie will heal the player by 100 HP when your health drops to less than 10 percent. This is particularly helpful to players like me, who find themselves having to eat three times their body weight in Cram and Instamash thanks to constantly low health.

2) Paladin Danse

There is no denying the Brotherhood of Steel is a cool faction, even if you don’t align with their beliefs. You might be tempted to keep Paladin Danse—who you meet after responding to an emergency call for help from the Cambridge Police Station—around as a companion because of his awesome look, as he is decked out in Power Armor. However, he is more than just a showy companion.

Danse is a very tough companion thanks to his armor, but he also wields a laser rifle that disintegrates enemies with ease. His companion perk, Know Your Enemy, offers a 20 percent increase in damage against Super Mutants and Ghouls. However, you’ll need to make sure you reach maximum affinity with him and complete the Blind Betrayal personal quest to get it. If you are adamant you want this perk, do not join up with the Railroad or with the Minutemen before you have finished this quest, as you’ll be locked out of this perk.

Not only does Danse have a lot to offer in combat, but he arguably has one of the most interesting backstories, as well as a twist in his tale that makes things all the more interesting. He also kind of reminds me of Buzz Lightyear, and why wouldn’t you want to wander the wastes with a BoS version of the world’s most renowned space ranger?

1) Dogmeat

I’m finishing this list with a bit of bias, as Dogmeat is my favorite companion. How could you not love his adorable little face? Dress him up in armor, a bandana, and a pair of goggles, and he becomes an even bigger ball of cuteness.

Dogmeat is more than just a pretty face though, and more than earns his number-one spot. He can sniff out useful items for you, but he is also a fierce attack-dog who can grab hold of enemies and cause damage. The damage he does increases even more so if you invest in the Attack Dog companion perk, wherein he can hold enemies down for longer. He can even cripple limbs if you keep leveling up the perk.

For a cute and loyal companion who’ll never let you down—and is forever and always a very good boy—Dogmeat is the best choice. A little hidden gem with Dogmeat is if you equip him with a teddy bear, he will play with it while idle or when you ask him to do a trick. The absolute best boy deserves the best toys.