What is a captain without his crew? If you think of Picard, you have to think of Worf, Data, Riker, and the rest of the cast in Star Trek: The Next Generation. In the Mass Effect games, there’s no Shepard without Garrus Vakarian.
That tradition is continuing. In Bethesda Game Studios’ Starfield, you’ve got a long list of companions to roam the Settled Systems with, exploring densely populated cities like Neon and New Atlantis, or going to the very edge of known space and barren worlds together.
Past Bethesda titles such as Fallout 4 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim also included companions, but the systems are being taken even further now, with new options for what you want them to do. Here’s a list of all the companions in Starfield we know about so far.
This guide has been composed based on pre-release information found in official Bethesda materials. I’ll be sure to update it once the game arrives.
Xbox Elite Controller Series 2 Core (white)
Power up
Starfield is an absolutely massive game, so why not pick up an extra controller to make sure you’re comfortable? Try out the Core version of the Xbox Elite Controller, and you can upgrade with additional accessories later on.
List of Starfield companions
There are a number of companions to recruit in Starfield, bringing you friends and allies that can lend covering fire when you engage vicious wildlife or space pirates in combat. You can also go with them just so you aren’t as lonely in your travels.
Starfield further improves past companion systems by allowing you to give your travelling buddies different jobs and positions. You can assign your companions to your spaceship or to your different outposts that you’ve built, allowing them to manage things when you’re not around and providing special bonuses.
Companions in Starfield bring their own unique skillset, meaning they have different advantages and disadvantages depending on where they’re assigned. Each skill a companion has is rated from 1 star to 4 stars, with more stars indicating a higher level for that particular skill.
In the 2023 Starfield Direct, Bethesda Game Studios seemed to note that there are both companions and crew members. It’s not clear yet what the distinction is, but I’ll be updating this as we learn more.
Starfield companions: Adoring Fan
Returning from the realm of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, the Adoring Fan is a companion that can only be unlocked if you choose the Hero Worshiped trait during character customization. He does not shut up, but if you can tolerate his stalker-ish rambling, he’ll give you gifts and provide some muscle for your crew.
Skills:
- Weight Lifting – 2 stars
- Concealment – 1 star
- Scavenging – 1 star
Starfield companions: Barrett
Another companion that it seems like you can unlock fairly early on, Barrett is a member of Constellation, a faction focused on space exploration and trying to discover the answer to the ultimate mystery: Is there intelligent alien life out there? Barrett is extremely skilled with starships and beam weapons.
Skills:
- Starship Engineering – 4 stars
- Particle Beam Weapon Systems – 3 stars
- Robotics – 2 stars
- Gastronomy – 1 star
Starfield companions: Heller
A companion that you seemingly are able to recruit after finding him stranded on a remote moon, Heller is a geologist who is perfect for maintaining outpost in the frontier of space.
Skills:
- Outpost Engineering – 3 stars
- Geology – 1 star
Starfield companions: Marika Boros
A hired gun that can be picked up from a space tavern called The Viewport. She seems tough and handy with a variety of weapons.
Skills:
- Ballistics – 2 stars
- Shotgun Certification – 1 star
- Particle Beam Weapon Systems – 1 star
Starfield companions: Sam Coe
The space cowboy of your motley crew, Sam appears to be an exceptionally skilled pilot and rifleman, meaning he’s handy in a firefight and when you need to make a getaway.
Skills:
- Piloting – 4 stars
- Rifle Certification – 3 stars
- Payloads – 2 stars
- Geology – 1 star
Starfield companions: Sarah Morgan
Another early companion, Sarah Morgan is a member of Constellation, aiding you in your quests after uncovering a mysterious artifact. She has a fantastic understanding of space exploration, and is also something of a leader.
Skills:
- Astrodynamics – 4 stars
- Lasers – 3 stars
- Leadership – 2 stars
- Botany – 1 star
Starfield companions: Vasco
The very first companion you start the game with, Vasco is a robot buddy. Explicitly designed to resemble an evolution of NASA’s existing robotics, Vasco is helpful everywhere, but especially in a firefight.
Skills: Unknown
List of romanceable characters
Starfield will allow players to engage in romance with a handful of characters after you’ve really gotten to know them. We don’t know much about the process right now, but we do know the following characters can be romanced:
Build your team
Ultimately, these companions are there to aid you because this is your story. I’m expecting Vasco to end up as a favorite, but it’ll be interesting to see who players choose to take with them on their adventures.
Starfield is currently scheduled to launch on Sep. 6, 2023 exclusively on Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC. If you preorder the Premium Edition, you can start playing on September 1. Like all Xbox first-party games, it’s also available in Xbox Game Pass. It’s too early to tell for sure, but Starfield is shaping up to be one of the best Xbox games of the year.
