Having Starfield companions ready to join you on space missions will help you with combat, carrying more, and even in dialogue. ach companion has distinct personalities, dialogue, perks and quests (in some cases), but they all largely function as a bodyguard-packhorse combos - they're sworn to carry your burdens while fighting alongside you.
You'll come across most of the nine companions listed below by sticking with the Starfield Constellation questline as they're mostly important Starfield story characters and Constellation members. Companions are also eligible to be crew members for your starships and outposts if you fancy giving them jobs to apply some of their skills, and some companions can be romanced too, which provides a few extra benefits. Here's everything I've learned about Starfield companions, as well as all the skills they provide and how they can apply them.
All Starfield companions
These are the main Starfield companions:
- Core companions
- Sarah Morgan
- Sam Coe
- Barrett
- Andreja
These four 'core' companions are the ones you can develop Starfield romances with, by building up relationships with them before embarking on their unique mission once you've established enough of a rapport. They're all part of the Constellation Starfield faction so if you stick with the main questline you'll find them all soon enough.
As well as the more fully featured companions you can also find crew, mainly used to staff your Starfield ships and Starfield outposts. You can also have them accompany you in the field so you can use their abilities while exploring. You can find randomly generated crew members dotted around bars you can hire, but there are also a few story-based characters you can pick up, including:
- Crew companions
- Vasco
- Lin
- Heller
- The Adoring Fan
- Rafael (if rescued during the Starfield Entangled choice).
Let's take a look at the main Starfield companions in more detail, and see which Starfield skills each of them brings to the table:
Sarah Morgan
- Astrodynamics 4
- Lasers 3
- Leadership 2
- Botany 1
Sarah Morgan is the leader of Constellation, described as an ex soldier and adventurer. She brings a broad range of skills that can help you travel further with your grav drive (Astrodynamics) and bond with your crew faster (Leadership).
Sam Coe
- Piloting 4
- Rifle Certification 3
- Payloads 2
- Geology 1
Sam Coe is from the Freestar Collective, a frontier faction that basically operates like the space wild west. He's another useful companion for your ship with boosts to the cargo weight you can carry (Payload) and piloting.
Barrett
- Starship Engineering 4
- Particle Beam Weapon Systems 3
- Robotics 2
- Gastronomy 1
You meet Barrett right at the start of your adventure, where he introduces you to Constellation and hands you the watch that acts as your HUD. Unsurprisingly for such a seasoned traveller, Barrett provides some significant boosts when assigned to your current ship.
Andreja
- Stealth 4
- Particle Beams 3
- Energy Weapon Systems 2
- Theft 1
Andreja is the dark horse within Constellation, as her background is somewhat mysterious and she's struggling to fit in with the rest of the crew. Her high Stealth ability means she can cloak herself to become completely invisible, which is useful for accompanying you on sneaking missions.
Vasco
- Aneutronic Fusion 1
- Shield Systems 2
- EM Weapon Systems *
Vasco is a robot associated with Constellation, who is assigned to you by Barrett after your first meeting. He's an early model Lunar Robotic machine refurbished for Constellation's mission and described as "a utilitarian, heavy-industrial machine well suited to the rigours of space travel", so assign him to your ship for a selection of buffs.
Lin
- Demolitions 1
- Outpost Management 3
Lin was previously your supervisor during your time down the mines, but when you meet her again while trying to track down Barrett she'll accept the invitation to join your group. Her skills make her perfect for sending out to manage one of your Starfield Outposts.
Heller
- Geology 1
- Outpost Engineering 3
Heller is another former mining co-worker and a companion you encounter while enroute to rescue Barrett from space pirates. After helping with his injuries you can recruit him to your crew and his skills can be called upon if you're looking to improve your Outposts.
The Adoring Fan
- Scavenging 1
- Concealment 1
- Weight Lifting 2
The Adoring Fan is a companion you get in an unusual way – as one of the Starfield traits you can select. If you pick "Hero Worshipped" then he'll follow you around in a constant state of excited adoration, and give you gifts. You can assign him to your crew and he does come with a few buffs, just as long as you can put up with him.
Raphael
- Outpost Engineering 1
- Starship Engineering 2
- Outpost Management 1
Rafael can be found during the Starfield Entangled mission and, if rescued, will be found later at the Viewport bar in New Atlantis where he can be recruited. It is possible to rescue him and everyone else during the mission, so check out the guide we highlighted above in the full crew list to find out how.
How Starfield companions work
Although you can assign the companions you meet to various roles within your crew, their main use is to join you as a follower as you explore the galaxy. You can have only one companion following you at a time, but while they are following, they can provide additional buffs for you thanks to their own skills. To be clear, this doesn't actually apply to every companion skill all the time. For example, having Andreja as a companion does not give you her Stealth 4 cloaking benefits as these are unique to her. Companion skills are most useful when they're assigned as Starfield crew on one of your starships or at an outpost.
You can also trade items with Starfield companions and load them up like a pack mule when your inventory starts bursting at the seams from Starfield encumbrance mechanics. Make sure you give them a gun and at least one of the required ammo, so they can fight alongside you when combat situations arise.
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