The Commonwealth can be a pretty lonely place. If you’re not the Lone Wolf type, or just need an extra gun to help exterminate the scum of the wasteland, check out how to find all thirteen Fallout 4 companions.

Companions aren’t just an extra shooting arm. They can carry items, crack open safes or hack computers. They’ll scrounge the area for items, equip themselves with the best available gear, and chat it up between scavenger hunts in the burnt ashes of the old world. Increasing your bond unlocks special perks, and making a companion your romantic partner has it’s own set of benefits. Basically, you’ll want to spend a little time with companions.

Browse the Fallout 4 Survival Guide for even more advanced companion tips and tricks you might not know yet.

How to Recruit All 13 Companions

It’s not always clear how to recruit a companion, or which unique characters in the world are willing to join up. Some are hidden away behind Vault doors, while others naturally team up with the Sole Survivor as you progress through the main story.

Seven companions can be romanced, and certain companions have long side-quests that become available once your affinity is high enough. Do things that companions approve of to raise your affinity level.

Select a companion to give orders. Companions can be ordered to wear Power Armor if you have an extra suit available.

Below, we’ll list where to find companions, which you can romance, and which have their own side-quest.

Companions Guide

Spoilers ahead! The companions are listed in the general order you’re most likely to find them. Many are located in completely optional areas and can be recruited at any time.

Codsworth:

Romance?: No
Quest?: No
Your trusty Mr. Handy robot is located in Sanctuary Hills after you exit Vault 111. Simply talk to him and you’ll get the option to make him a permanent companion.
He appears during the ‘Out of Time’ main quest, so you won’t miss him.

Dogmeat:

Romance?: No
Quest?: No
Find this loyal canine companion at the Red Rocket Truck Stop just across the bridge south of Sanctuary Hills.
The dog will approach you. If you do not agree to make him a companion, he will hang around the Red Rocket.
When sent to a settlement, Dogmeat randomly appears in dog houses. Delete the extra dog houses and leave only one in a settlement if you can’t find him.

Preston Garvey:

Romance?: Yes
Quest?: No (Minutemen Quests Only)
At the end of the ‘Out of Time’ quest, you’ll search the nearby town of Concord. There, you’ll hear gunshots from the Museum of Freedom.
This activates the ‘When Freedom Calls’ quest. Later, you’ll team up with Preston Garvey in Sanctuary Hills and learn about settlements.
Eventually Preston will offer his services and request for the Sole Survivor to lead the Commonwealth Minutemen.

Piper:

Romance?: Yes
Quest?: No
No matter where you are in the story, Piper will always appear in Diamond City. The settlement is located close to the center of the map. The stadium lights are visible at night.
Piper is either locked outside the main gates, arguing with the Mayor in the entrance hall, or up in the Mayor’s office — accessible using the lift.
Talk to her and she’ll give the ‘Story of the Century’ quest. Complete it and she’ll offer to join you.

Curie:

Romance?: Yes
Quest?: Yes
In the hills north of Diamond City, you’ll find the reclusive Vault 81. To gain access, you’ll need to bring 3 Fusion Cores or complete a charisma check.
Inside Vault 81, complete the ‘Here Kitty Kitty’ quest for Erin. She’s a kid in the Vault and a friend of Austin.
Speak with the medical team and donate blood, then leave the Vault. After a day, a new quest will appear. Return to the Doctor Office, and choose to help Austin.
This leads to an abandoned section of the vault. Fight through the infected molerats to reach Curie. The robot will ask to join you after you take the cure back to Austin.
If you join Curie, eventually she will ask to see an AI specialist. Take her to Dr. Amari in Goodneighbor, in the basement of the Memory Den, to put her mind into a synth body.

Robert MacCready:

Romance?: Yes
Quest?: Yes
Travel east from Diamond City to find the town of Goodneighbor. Enter the Third Rail bar and you’ll find him arguing with two gunners.
After the argument, speak with MacCready and he’ll offer to work for you. You can pay him 250 caps or negotiate own to 200.

Nick Valentine:

Romance?: No
Quest?: Yes
Valentine is an important main quest character. While searching for clues in Diamond City, enter the Valentine Detective Agency and ask about Nick.
You’ll get a quest to find him. He disappeared in Park Street Station. Travel east from Diamond City to the Boston Commons to find the entrance.
Fight through the underground to encounter Nick. After escaping, Valentine returns to his Detective Office. Meet with him there, and continue his quests. Nick will eventually offer to join you.

Cait:

Romance?: Yes
Quest?: Yes
Cait is a brawler located in the Combat Zone, an arena southwest of Goodneighbor and east from Diamond City.
The area is infested with raider thugs. Kill everyone inside but don’t shoot the civilians in the stage cage. Talk to them after the raiders are dead.
The fight promoter offers to give you Cait. From there, she’ll offer to work for the player.

Strong:

Romance?: No
Quest?: No
Just west of the Combat Zone, and further east of Diamond City, you’ll hear a strange radio signal coming from Trinity Tower, one of the massive skyscrapers in the center of Boston.
Listen to the emergency tape and fight to the top of Trinity Tower. Rescue the civilian and Strong, and once you’ve escaped the killer super mutants, Strong will join your cause.

John Hancock:

Romance?: Yes
Quest?: No
John Hancock is the leader of Goodneighbor and one of the first NPCs you’ll meet there.
To get him on your side, you’ll need to complete ‘The Big Dig’ and then finish another quest he’ll offer.
Following ‘The Big Dig’ and his request, he’ll offer his services to the Sole Survivor.
You may also have to complete his other jobs in Goodneighbor before he offers to join. To start ‘The Silver Shroud’, talk to the ghoul in the side-room of the Memory Den. To complete the quest to clear warehouses, talk to the bartender in The Third Rail and buy a drink, then ask for work.

Deacon:

Romance?: No
Quest?: No
The Railroad spy offers his help once you’ve joined his faction. Learn how to join the Railroad Faction with our guide.
You’ll work with Deacon during the ‘Tradecraft’ quest. Once you return successfully to Desdemona, Deacon will ask to join the Sole Survivor.

Paladin Danse:

Romance?: Yes
Quest?: No
The Brotherhood of Steel Paladin is first found in the Cambridge Police Station. Wandering south from Lexington, the area with the Corvega Assembly Plant, you’ll hear gunshots and a distress radio beacon in abandoned Cambridge.
The beacon leads you to the Brotherhood of Steel recon base. Join them and complete Paladin Danse’s mission.
Later, you’ll track down Kellog with Dogmeat after rescuing Nick Valentine. Once the Kellog mission is complete, the Brotherhood of Steel will invade the Commonwealth.
He’ll offer to become a permanent companion after completing ‘Shadow of Steel’ — a mission that is only available after ‘Reunions’ is done.

X6-88:

Romance?: No
Quest?: No
The last companion is an Institute Courser. Later in the main story, you’ll get a chance to infiltrate the Institute during ‘The Molecular Level’ quest.
Upon entering, you’ll speak with the Institute leader and get a quest to talk to every department head. Then the leader will give you the ‘Synth Retention’ quest.
X6-88 joins as a temporary companion for this quest. Return to the Institute successfully to get your own room. Talk to X6-88 here and you’ll be able to make him into a permanent companion.
If you don’t talk to X6-88 then, you can find him wandering the halls of the Institute where he can still be recruited.

Source: [1]

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Kevin Thielenhaus is a freelance writer for The Escapist. Find him on Twitter here.

Recruit All 13 Companions in Fallout 4, See How Right Here

How to Recruit All 13 Companions

Companions Guide

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