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.
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
- Grab the Seagate Expansion Card for Starfield
- List of all Skills in Starfield
- All Starfield Backgrounds
- List of all Starfield Traits for character customization
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 noted that there are both companions and crew members. Your "core" companions are the five members of Constellation that you can take out with you on your adventures, but there's many others to find out in the world as well, and even one that's exclusive to a particular Trait. Meanwhile, there are others like robots you build, who can be assigned to your ship and your outposts, which fall under the "crew" designation.
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: Andreja
Andreja is the most mysterious member of Constellation. She can seem standoff-ish at times, but if you take the time to get to know her, her unique background and perspective on life will make for a major change of pace compared to many other companions.
Skills:
- Stealth - 4 stars
- Particle Beams - 3 stars
- Energy Weapon Systems - 2 stars
- Theft - 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. He's a bit blunt, but has a vast archive of human knowledge. Plus, he can say your name!
Skills:
- Shield Systems - 2 stars
- Aneutronic Fusion - 1 star
- EM Weapon Systems - 1 star
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. This process takes a long while, and you really have to put in the effort. Traveling with someone and them approving of a couple of decisions won't be enough, you've got to really take your time with this.
There are four romanceable characters in Starfield: Andreja, Barrett, Sam Coe, and Sarah Morgan. This means that any romantic inclinations of yours are kept to the four main members of Constellation.
Build your team
- Space and ship combat explained
- Where to buy ship repair parts
- How to rename ships
- How to trade with ships
- How to use the boost pack
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. With widely positive reviews, Starfield is shaping up to be one of the best Xbox games of the year.
