Ranking Every Single Companion Character In Fallout 4

[@joshuapersons4833]

Yeah, Preston really needed his own questline. Something different from all the radiant quests, something personal. I read a suggestion a while ago that Preston should have approached the Sole Survivor and asked if they could take back Quincey from the Gunners; a "take back the Castle" kind of deal, where we clear out the enemies and set up a secondary stronghold, while also providing a bit of satisfaction for Preston himself.

[@Theegreygaming]

there is technically a take back quincy quest added by the creation club but it's about as hollow and meaningless as anything else in the creation club and naturally it doesn't include any voice lines from preston, and after it's done... quincy still resets and is repopulated with gunners... seriously, agree it needed to be a vanilla part of preston's quest.

[@Sykoze]

I use a mod that makes Quincy a Settlement once you clear it out for this express purpose lol

[@SuperGamefreak18]

Ya know it’s funny I loved Preston as a character for a while….until the game mechanic overwrote what personality he had while Macready became my favorite because of that. Though Preston is very underbaked for what he should be

[@wreth662]

I never really found Hancock's speech as xenophobic. More like being against groups like diamond city, that kicked out ghouls, and the Brotherhood who hate ghouls, and the Institute that kidnaps people and wipes out cities, legit reasons to dislike them. Goodneighbour is welcoming to outsiders as long as you play nice, they tell you freaks and weirdoes of any stripe are welcome and often tell the player character they're welcome and welcome home. The criminals he fights are the triggermen which we know are not good people, just a gang of thugs so yeah him wanting to get rid of them isn't exactly something to criticise him for. Yeah he has some brutal methods, but it's the apocalypse, and likes to party and do hard drugs but he generally seems like a guy who cares about his people and only dislikes outsiders who are a threat or prejudiced towards his people. How is he a monster?

[@elizabethopoussm]

I was wondering the same thing, like I'm not even really sure who he thinks he's being xenophobic toward, it can't b e the synths given he likes the railroad, and is more than okay with non institute synths in good neighbor. Maybe Diamond city but they were the people who outcasted them in the first place so that seems justified and it's not like he hates the people of Diamond City specifically given he's in good standing with piper and nick, it seems to me to be more rethorical referring more so to the attitude and beliefs that caused the ghouls to be ousted in the first place. Realistically the worst thing he dose is the killing of political rivals but as you said those rivals are the Triggermen who aren't great people and would certainly make good neighbor a worse place (Plus it's clear it's an action that he has some regrets given his whole speech when you first get him as a companion). Honestly Handcock despite his rough edges is one of the most respectful people in the commonwealth the fact that he gets 11 on this list for pretty shotty reasons is crazy to me. I guess you could argue that he's not doing the most to help with addiction as goodneibour doesn't seem like the best rehab but at least he's not forcing them out on to the streets or anything so IDK he seems like a great guy. (Also his VA did a bit with handcock supporting trans rights which is both based and in character!)

[@mikekz4489]

Hancock’s position seems to be one about class warfare rather than xenophobia.

[@elizabethopoussm]

@@mikekz4489 this guy gets it

[@MrPenetroso]

​@@mikekz4489 so is he like, an anarchist?

[@mr.cauliflower3536]

@@MrPenetroso Pretty much.

[@MitchCyan]

I like having Curie around for her accent alone.

[@DirtyDev]

Same, even though it’s 100% fake it’s fun.

[@discountplaguedoctor88]

I honestly find Curie's accent creepy. Clearly fake French accents I'm usually fine with, but Curie's just creeps me out.

[@martinkaloev9813]

Real, especially when storming institute and she throw Molotov on the unarmed scientists and she is like : uwu

[@ZekromAndYugiAndDrago123]

Before I played Fallout 4, I loved Curie, but after I just got absolutely confused. Specifically because she likes when you help the Brotherhood, but hates when you help the Railroad. Which would be fine if her companion quest wasn't literally the putting her in a Synth body with the help of the Railroad. Like???

[@martinkaloev9813]

@@ZekromAndYugiAndDrago123 no, she doesn't like Deacon dialogue options bcz he is very shady character, be she likes helping RR, she will hate if you don't stay with Glory in last stand but she loves if you chose corect dialogue, she also doesn't like BoS but loves their radiant mission for helping farmers

[@discountplaguedoctor88]

You know that quest you get in a non-Institute ending where McDonough is outed as a synth? If you have Hancock present for all of that, he'll have some unique dialogue where he straight-up admits to regretting how he hated his brother for (and I quote here) 'the wrong reasons'.

[@geraltrivia6148]

Even earlier than that, you can take Hancock along on an Institute quest to fetch a report from the fake mayor McDonough. No dialogue though, despite the bombshell revelation that his brother's been replaced and out to get both him and the ghouls at the Slog. There should have been a companion quest.

[@tinaherr3856]

I wouldn't say Hancock makes "xenophobic speeches". The only one he makes are about watching out for the Institute and their infiltrators. Which, given the Institute's actions, is an actual vailid tactic. He has also been said to not judge people based on race/species, accepting even Super Mutants and non-Institute synths as long as they play nice like everyone else. If you are referring to his comments against Diamond City, they aren't completely unfounded. You know, considering Diamond City violently drove out Ghouls into the broken city to die. And Goodneighbor has a significant amount of Ghouls and other outcasts. Also, I don't quite agree with the "robots don't have full emotions". Because there are plenty of examples of them feeling a form of emotions, like ED-E having "happy", "coy", "sad", "excited" beeping and more. I think that Curie's experience is that the digital emotions are different from physical, organic emotions of humans. Codes and wires have a different physical feeling than organic hormones and emotions. That's why Curie was overwhelmed. A human body has different "hardware" than a robot's, even if some of the "software" is mostly compatible. So Codsworth eventually developing the digital equivalent of emotions isn't impossible, especially since Mr Handys were some of the most intelligent and responsive robots, only being beat by robobrains, some Assaultrons, and ZAX. I mean, their model was used to perform surgeries, like in Big MT and that surgeon in the Citadel

[@elizabethopoussm]

I agree I actually found it very odd he described it as xenophobic given that he's buddy buddy with the rail road too who's whole thing is helping the synths out. I find it extra odd if Grey means it in relation to Diamond City given that rethorically it's clear he's referring to the idea of the place being hostle to people like him, given that he's clearly in good standing with piper and nick. It seems to me as a minoity population that's outcasted by Dimamond City he and the rest of the population would have a lot of right to be upset by that establishment and the people who belive in it. I don't think he has a spotless run as mayor but he certainly seems popular and as much as the execution of political rivals is deeply problematic I understand the urge to root out organized crime like the triggermen.

[@BrotherMag]

Yeah Grey was way off base.

[@Qulize]

Well said.

[@geraltrivia6148]

Totally agree. Grey must be on more chems than Hancock. Lol. He even mentioned the Institute experiment with DIMA developing emotional sentience, but the same thing happening to a different Artificial Intelligence is lore breaking? If it didn't happen, there wouldn't have been any rebel synths within the Institute. No runaways. No railroad. Tangentially related, IMO there also should have been something, anything, tying Hancock into the Wolf in Sheep's Clothing quest and the Institute quest where you collect a report from 'Mayor McDonough'. We get confirmation that Hancock's brother was abducted/replaced by the institute, that the synth replacement was behind the ghouls' forced expulsion from Diamond City, that the Slog and Hancock himself are on the Institute's hit list and his brother's doppelganger put them there. If we bring him along on those quests, pretty much all we get is a reaction notification: 'Hancock disliked that.' How cool would it have been to go on a quest to find Hancock's real brother, somewhere in the wasteland having been turned into a super mutant via the Institute's FEV experiments?

[@Mr._Anderpson]

Yeah. Grey's xenophobia take would be a good place for the Inigo Montoya meme. You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

[@michaelproctor8100]

If you bring Cait with you to the Boston Library, at one point she will ask you where the dirty magazines are!

[@onyxosprey]

It's nice to see Preston get his flowers as a good companion. Too bad he got saddled with the responsibility of doling out radiant quests, because if he wasn't I think people would generally like him more.

[@octavianpopescu4776]

I like him. I know, we're rare, but there are people who like Preston.

[@onyxosprey]

@@octavianpopescu4776 Yeah, for me it's probably because he was the very first companion I took through the whole game. I think most people dump him for Piper or Nick later on and just don't spend enough time with him to learn his story.

[@arcticeagle342]

He's definitely one of my favourites. I just appreciate how he's an optimist, but after everything he went through up until he met you, he's also a realist, so he's not just some dumb goody two-shoes. I also don't mind his quests, it's just the fact it rips me right out of the moment when he gives a conversation about his past or the Minutemen falling apart then just pauses & goes "I got word from another settlement.."

[@Triaxx2]

I think if they'd been a little more open about the castle from the start, with it being one of the things he's pushing for so he's not solely responsible for hunting down new settlements, it'd have been better both for his character and for the faction.

[@johnflier4873]

I think it would help Preston's general perception by the community if more players actually use him as a companion. He's actually a well-written character, and bringing him with you means you cut the "return to Preston" loop out of minuteman quests. It's not a fix for the radiant quest meme but it helps a lot.

[@vetgirig4209]

21:00 Fun fact. You actually meet Deacon long before you meet the railroad - he's been spying on you for a long time. Before you meet the railroad you can actually see him in places like Beacon Hill and Goodneighbour (wearing a disguise). So yep he know about you before you officially meet him.

[@Theegreygaming]

he's also one of the diamond city guards, watching the front gate when you and Piper trick them into opening the gate.

[@Flood520]

There's a Railroad watch post above Sanctuary Hills if you go around to the far side of the vault entrance. So potentially even earlier than that.

[@mr.cauliflower3536]

@@Theegreygaming You can also meet him in Goodneighbour.

[@Jimmyinvictus]

Nick is definitely #1; he's well-written, well-acted, and his story is bittersweet, in the best Fallout traditions. Danse is a close second; while he comes off as all business, no fun at first, he exemplifies a BoS Paladin: brave, honorable, and competent. His subsequent story arc is one hell of a ride. X6-88 is a tremendous missed opportunity. How much more interesting would it have been if X6 functioned more as like Veronica in New Vegas, i.e., a way for the writers to have an insider's views on their organization, while also having the angst that only someone who grew up there could know? I have a feeling that X-6 got tossed in there because they needed an "Institute" companion. Ah, Preston. Preston is a genuine altruist in a dirty, crapsack world. Its not the character's fault the writers made him a radiant quest dispenser. FO4 would have benefitted from less companions with more depth-again, I'm thinking of New Vegas here. Codsworth and Ada are both *chef's kiss, particularly if you upgrade them into little mechanical death-bots. I agree that Piper-who is excellent-would have benefitted from more information about *her* and not just her reporter shtick. Strong has really grown on me; he has some of the most unexpectedly hilarious lines in the whole game. Bethesda really needs to address the "wide as the ocean, deep as a puddle" issue they have. Its clear players want more companions like Heather Casdin or Inigo.

[@Passageofsky]

Yep, which is why to me and so many others, the DLC's succeded in quality over the maingame's in most ways... The Shivering Isles in The Elder Scrolls I.V, The Pitt in F3 and of course Far Harbor in F4... they have tighter, more thematic storytelling (which is telling, since they often have the same themes as the maingames respectively but are much higher quality), on occasion more quests outcomes, more fully devolped NPC's, more memorable locations, etc... Bethesda's "Wide as an Ocean" mentally is ruining them... Morrowind might technically be the worst, yet it was still the best in other ways the technically superior titles fail it.. why? Smaller teams, greater focus, drive and curation creating better results.

[@TheyCallMeNewb]

Nice catch with the Curie romance option. Valentine is surely the most curious and interesting companion. It's the personality that makes it.

[@tacticalmanatee]

I have to agree on your placement of Nick and Danse. Both are fantastic characters and great companions. I personally put Piper higher and think she's the one out of all of them I'd most like to actually spend time with (though Nick is pretty damn great as well) outside of firefights and chaos. I think she's misguided but so very earnest in her desire to help people and help the Sole Survivor.

[@jackthunderbolt4307]

im sorry, dogmeat being the cutest, most loyal and least annoying companion isnt enough? what the hell grey?

[@i_am_ergo]

The bestest of boys is also the leading cause of sole survivor suicides in the Commonwealth. Whether by giving away your position to a missile launcher-wielding super mutant, blocking a molotov or a Spray'n'Pray burst or simply pushing you out of cover or off a cliff, Dogmeat is an absolute menace.

[@korbyynbear5592]

Yeah, Dogmeat is #1, no question

[@jcohasset23]

I don't know about least annoying unless the next gen update fixed his AI. Playing the game last year and earlier this year his pathfinding is absolutely terrible. He regularly gets in the player's way while he's the active companion. While you're sprinting he'll often try to get directly in front of the player and when you're shopping or looting an area he seems to always either wander off or he'll get in your way lots of times. He's technically not a companion as he was originally supposed to be a permanent addition that the player would have in addition to a companion (similar to how you can have 1 human companion and 1 non-human companion at the same time in New Vegas) but it's likely the AI pathfinding became a mess in inside areas with Dogmeat, another companion, and an NPC being escorted. It's why the Lone Wanderer perk works even while having him as a companion. Unless you're doing a run with the Lone Wanderer perk it doesn't take many levels before his efficiency makes him less useful as a companion due to his low damage output and limited ability to absorb damage.

[@Mr._Anderpson]

Grey is just salty because Dogmeat is one of the only companions who you can't convince to spoon you. Its a joke. Don't take it to heart.

[@Mr._Anderpson]

@@jcohasset23 Mods are the answer to the Dogmeat pathfinding & combat utility issue. Then again, usually people who raise the issue of his pathfinding & combat utility aren't using him correctly. There are no bad dogs, only bad dog owners. I don't think I've ever played Fallout 4 without Lone Wanderer. The companions are a chore which must be endured long enough to get their perk, at which point they're sent to some corner of the Commonwealth to harvest mutfruit or tatos.

[@Seby864]

nothing better then turning Codsworth in a death machine

[@nillman]

And loose the ability to have codsworth wear a hat.. no thanks.

[@nikoladedic6623]

@@nillman Wait, he can wear a hat?

[@Coddsworth]

I don't feel pain, you know

[@Mr._Anderpson]

@@nikoladedic6623 Yep. Have him equip a bowler hat. Its the only one which works, I think. I could be wrong on that.

[@jenniferanderson7010]

I'd be switching Gage and Hancock. Gage is unapologetically evil. Hancock at least gives a crap if you kill an innocent or not. I adore Hancock and he plays well with my playstyle, though Danse and Nick are actually my two favorites to run with. I like Preston as a character. I hate how he was programmed. He's just fine as a companion. I've found mods to make him less annoying. I'd prefer if they gave him a 24 hour cool down so he wasn't inundating you. That's my only gripe. Personality wise, he's cool, and well acted. His VA did a good job with him for the most part.

[@geraltrivia6148]

I picked up the game again after watching the Fallout show, so I've got Hancock as a companion in a drifter outfit and cowboy hat and regret not using him more before. He's chill about pretty much anything except theft and murdering people, which are among Gage's likes. Hancock has funny and kind remarks quite often too (Not as much as Nick, but that's a high bar.) and gives you chems. If you do the Kid In A Fridge quest with Hancock, he'll reassure Billy that he's safe, and he loves it if you choose to protect the kid and his family. Or protect any innocent person, really. Total monster according to Grey, but his disappointment with Gage is only that you can't convince him to NOT be a blood thirsty, murderously ambitious, pillaging, slave trader. WTF?

[@jcohasset23]

Interesting ranking. I'm a bit surprised you also didn't factor in companion perks and their base loadout (weapon and clothing/armor) though that might not have changed things much. It in amusing that the companions that actually have companion quests (and thus decent character arcs) are always rated on the high side.

[@tacticalmanatee]

The most messed up part about romancing Curie is that she is in a synth body, which is based on Father's genetic template. So she is biologically your daughter or granddaughter, depending on the level of genetic alteration the Institute implemented in the synths.

[@tinaherr3856]

Considering that the physical traits of synths can vary *wildy* from the Sole Survivor/Shaun (including skin tones), I don't think that synths are purely based on only Shaun's DNA. It's more likely that the Institute just needed a general example of what undamaged DNA looked like, and looked at Shaun's DNA a merely a vague basis. Because Glory and X6 being black while Shaun/a Sole Survivor can look as white as snow doesn't scream "they are 100% genetically related"

[@cheese4825]

Game is game

[@Mr._Anderpson]

That & its a toaster with a "relaxation" attachment.

[@timothysmith7368]

@@Mr._Anderpson DustBuster with corner attachment.

[@lonestar_iconoclast]

Curie and Cait are some of my favorite companions (with McCready just edging them out.) I always find and equip Curie with a science/lab coat and a beret (if I can find one,) and give her an automatic laser rifle. (To make up for her losing her energy weapons when she turned into a Synth.) She is really adorable! Though, I do gravitate more towards Cait, even if her Irish accent is way too Scottish for authenticity.) She is actually a pretty damn good shot, though she serves better as a melee operator if you can give her some decent armor and an appropriate melee weapon, like a Chinese Officer Sword or a Revolutionary Sword, heavily modified. Spiked knuckles, maybe.

[@octavianpopescu4776]

Ha! They're also my favourites. Fallout 4 had some great companions. In fact, that's probably the best thing about the game.

[@fdragon0216]

Curie doesnt lose her laser weapon after becoming a synth, she gets infinite laser gun from Institute (I dont know where she got it). But instead, for whatever reason, she still has her robot AI in combat and tries to get into melee range, so you need to give her good melee weapon

[@MaryMDoyle]

Dogmeat does have a story albeit a very short one, Mama Murphy when she gives you his full name and you ask does she own him she tells you he doesn't belong to anyone but chooses to be with those who needs him, that alone makes him top dog and first companion. When he is levelled up through perks he is also quite unstoppable plus he doesn't judge he only loves, I am always amazed even now at the amount of items he puts in his inventory himself without me asking, sniper rifles, stimpacks, mines and miniguns. One of the main items I always search for after him greeting me and joining me is a teddy bear so he has an extra trick to show. All other companions pale in comparison to him.

[@jcohasset23]

It's just a shame his AI is rubbish unless the next gen finally fixed it. He requires a lot of companion micromanaging since he has no self-preservation and his buggy pathfinding meant he would regularly get in the way.

[@MaryMDoyle]

@@jcohasset23 He has never gotten in my way ever, but all the others do. I've been using him since 2015 when the game released and while I've seen other people having problems with him and all of the others, he's the one companion I never have issues with. I use stealth a lot and he stealths with me, but even if I'm walking he goes into stealth on his own to warn me of enemies. None of them have self preservation though lets be truthful about that, I use more stimpacks with the others that I do with him but he is levelled up with perks. I have almost 400 hours played with different chars and several playthroughs and as for as that update is concerned it has ruined a lot of my game, a lot of enemies are now lying on the ground and they can't fight and since I destroyed the institute I have no missions from Preston or Radio Freedom, which is a huge issue since I love building settlements, thankfully I know where they all are on the map, I heard this was a bug in 2015, but now I have it.

[@Ricardo_Rick]

Also Nick have the best comments towards quests and NPCs in the whole game, he is clever but savage, i love him

[@gitsub5376]

On every play through, once ive maximized my companion's affinites and obtained every single one of their perks, I just run with dogmeat.

[@Mr._Anderpson]

This is the way.

[@windwalker5765]

I was always bummed that after Curie becomes a synth, you didn't get to keep her Miss Nanny body. It would essentially be a factory-reset robot, with upgrades as a scientific and medical specialist, which would make an excellent settlement doctor. Of course, you can make a zillion of them once Automatron came out, but still.

[@stormcry8202]

I always max out MacCready early on. Then I often end up romantically with: Cait, Piper, or often Curie as her innocence and wonder is refreshing in a dead wasteland. Currently playing BoS with Cait romanced. I do like that "Arse" apparently :)

[@jcohasset23]

MacCready's companion ability is great for anyone doing any kind of build that uses VATS. It's also nice that unlike about half the companions he actually does have companion quests.

[@godzillasgreaser7041]

I honestly think romancing Danse is the best way to close his character arc. I do just about every time I play as the female Sole Survivor.

[@userTJ39780]

Well written video. From a combat perspective, Packie's distance weapons and Cait's over the top melee make them very helpful. Of course, a fully upgraded Dog Meat can really help out in the early game. Your perspective is from a story position. I currently have Ada as a death ninja and Curie as a heavily armored soldier of fortune, but from the story, I agree that Nick has the deepest questline.

[@petere.9138]

I still say Dogmeat is a synth. But for the “fallout” and linoleum, Cod is talking the actual physical debris blown across the area by the bombs. So it makes sense, but there could have included a timeframe like “I spent the first years just trying to clean the fallout from the linoleum!”

[@theencolony5595]

Fallout isn't just pure radiation like they think, it's essentially nuclear ash. Not exactly something easy to clean!

[@mikecastro122]

The fact you put Preston above deacon is criminal

[@scottsurvival6960]

Piper was right about the institute, though. Pipe Her Right.

[@stitchfan08]

I would put strong at the bottom of the list

[@B1_1_9_7_5]

STRONG NO LIKE YOU

[@Brando216]

I find it funny that X6 shows more human emotion when he hates you then when he likes you

[@naiveveg8447]

Strong is best because he is strong.

[@jimwilson3156]

Ada is one of my favorite companions for the simple fact that she is supportive when I collect anything. I see the purpose of weighing backstory for this ranking video, but shouldn’t the companion’s off-hand remarks be taken into consideration? It seems like these comments fill out their characterization too. Perhaps the companion’s likes or dislikes are also relevant for characterization. I saw some consideration of this, but not much. Sure, it’s a game mechanic, but it also fills out aspects of their personalities. Both of these things (off-hand comments and likes/dislikes) seem to fall under “the [journey] they share together” with the sole survivor, and they are character traits that make me want to keep playing with them or switch to another companion depending on how I’m playing my character.

[@shan6556]

Once I collect the other companions, I go back to Ada. She's not judgey and she doesn't endlessly complain.

[@MrKezzerdrix]

Ada, or Dogmeat. They are the only two that won't give you shit for picking up junk. Every other companion is annoying trash.

[@godzillasgreaser7041]

Piper doesn't either

[@locrpg]

Tldr = Hancock got robbed in this ranking! Idk. Maybe it's because I'm predisposed to making bad decisions in real life when it comes to charming addicts, but I felt very different about him not realizing the parallels between him and his brother. He *can't* acknowledge them, like, physically/mentally. It's one of the most accurate portrayals of an addict I've seen (way more true to life in my experience than Cait). The way Hancock romanticizes his past drug experiences, instead of accepting that it's self destructive behavior, and how he blames his malaise on needing to hit the road and wander the wastes rather than blaming it on being uncomfortable with the lack of suffering he's enduring = 💯 addict behavior. I would not be surprised if someone at BGS had a brother in recovery during the writing of FO4. Sure, sure, Cait has a tragic backstory and confronts her trauma and gets the magic bullet to clean out her addiction. But Hancock? Hancock is a quasi immortal addict who can't stand to look at himself and acknowledge the man he became in an effort to avoid facing the man he could have become. He looked at his brother and felt disgusted. He ran away to forge a better life, only to have his hopes and dreams smashed to little bits. And in the depths of his despair on the streets, someone offered him happiness in a little syringe. From there he ended up becoming the chem addled mayor, in many ways no better than his brother. And he just can't face it, because it would require him to face everything else about himself. To do that would force him to feel sorry, and that only leads in one of two directions - death or recovery, and he wants neither. So he runs away from his problems. Bah. Very good writing. Very good subtly. I understand that I'm injecting my own experience with addicts into this interpretation, but considering I felt NOTHING for Cait's story line beyond eye rolls and disgust, speaks to the realism of Hancock's portrayal. I could write a book about how Cait's story is a poor representation of most addiction stories, but she's hot and for w/e reason, the FO gamer crowd loves the melodrama. But, jeeze, I find Cait super obnoxious. But I also dislike "trauma made me strong" stereotypes, and I dislike "I did a bad thing for the right reasons and now I hate myself forever" stories. I get why folks like those stereotypes and stories, so no shade if she's your favorite, but as a depiction of an addict, it bothers me a lot. Not least of all because it dramatizes the whole thing. "I did something super bad and unforgivable so I hurt myself and I know I'm doing it and I'm doing it because I deserve it, until a sexy companion buys me and shows me love and teaches me there's something worth living for, but I can't possibly go through the actual struggle of sobriety and recovery, so I'm gonna go sit in a magic chair that clears me of all addiction, which I super hate, by the way, super hate using drugs, and then come away clean and clear with no desire to ever use drugs ever again, because I've forgiven myself for the terrible things other people did to me!" That's the most unbelievable character plot/progression in a game where a prewar Chicago detective's personality and backstory were implanted in the mind of a synth. You know why most folks I've met started drugs? Because they were having a bad day in a series of bad days, they had problems they couldn't fix b/c of the economy/government/society, and their past was full of a million tiny traumas that they lacked the maturity and self awareness to deal with, and in a moment of weakness, someone they trusted offered them a way to feel better for a little while. And it was good. Drugs feel good. Really good. No matter how many years into recovery someone is, part of them looks back at that first high and thinks... Yeah, I'd trade everything to have that again. But with support, treatment, therapy, etc, folks in recovery fight against that thought. And it's hard. It's something that never fully goes away, folks just get better at dealing with it. There is no magic bullet. I'd be willing to bet that for most addicts, if they went into the magic-get-better chair, they'd end up going down the same addiction paths again and again and again, like my fat ass going back to the chip bag for "just one more" because they know that when things get bad .. they can just revisit the magic-get-better chair .... Addiction isn't just physical, and you don't magically cure trauma through the power of a protagonist being decent to you. Bah. Hancock is great. Rant over.

[@MistressDragonFlame]

I think Codsworth and Strong should be swapped. His lore breaking isn't his fault, after all.

[@nikospurr307]

Dogmeat is in his own class: absolute top tier goodest of good boy class. Even on evil play throughs, if dogmeat yellps in pain, Bostons getting nuked 😂😂

[@---wz5xd]

Wished curie shutted herself down after accomplishing the mission just like Cambridge polymer lab robot or! Have a choice to turn her to the brotherhood

[@fdragon0216]

you are despicable

[@xAdorNexasYT]

Yknow I have to be honest; up until about a year or so ago I played FO4 ALL wrong and I never cared to learn about the characters. But now with my Alexander Hamilton character, I’ve been genuinely enjoying my time with certain companions rather than rushing through the main quest like I used to do. Long exposition short: I’m unable to decide who’s a better companion 😂❤

[@5feetofnrg-1888]

Finally, someone who also believes Nick Valentine is the best companion! I’ve been with every companion, and I have to say Nick is the most relatable, and he is more human than some. His personality and humor was amazing, the backstory was detailed, his prewar personality was everything you want of a cop, he smokes. He’s great.

[@amotue]

I always figured Codsworth's personally was from him being a defective model maybe? Or just after the years of radiation messing with his components he is the robot equivalent of a mutant.

[@roonkolos]

Hancock definitely is not xenophobic If anything hes against xenophobia. He and other ghouls were kicked out of Diamond City because of what they are. You know, a form of xenophobia He hates the way those like him are treated while those that do such act high & mighty when they are no better and wants those that are outcasted for things they cant control to be treated better. Then there's the BoS, the Institute, he's againat those that treat others like crap. He's a junkhead but he's like a chaotic good I suppose Yeah Goodneighbor is a hell of a rough place but thats not even the point Definitely not sure what you saw as xenophobia in his speech although id be genuinely curious to know

[@B1_1_9_7_5]

37:03 that pisses me off so much the Brotherhood labels dance as a traitor and a infiltrator when even they knew he was an escapee his name was on a list of escaped synths dance betrayed no one he's a f****** victim

[@Sleepy.Time.]

Cait would of been a great follower if her quest didn't end up with her being a annoying prude

[@AndrewCJWinter]

Division is the path we take into the glowing arms of Atom, it sets free the countless universes each of us hold within ourselves! Embrace Division and Atom’s healing glow!

[@Mrmashedpotato79]

Cait reminds me a lot of Sean from Red dead 2. Starts off as an annoying Irish asshole who you hate being around, and just want a break from. But then they slowly become more open to the sole survivor/arthur, and you just can’t stop hanging around them, and they’re just an amazingly funny, still annoying Irish sharpshooter with a sad backstory

[@geraltrivia6148]

I get the urge to do hunting and misc. quests instead when I see 'A Short Walk In a Pretty Town' show up in my missions list. :(

[@agungsatria8593]

Oh cmon, Strong above Codsworth?

[@ElectricheadPt1]

My favorite crackpot theory is that Deacon is the Lone Wanderer, and the final story he tells you is true, but only metaphorically. He was in a gang (the brotherhood of steel) that used to go around killing synths. He found out his girlfriend (Lyons) was a synth, and they ran away. The new gang leader (Maxim) didn't like that, and hunter her down and killed her. There's just enough vagueness about what happened after 3, how Lyons died, etc. that it just about works.

[@hoovy2319]

I would say us not being able to give Longfellow someone for him to take under his wing and teach what he knows before he dies because, personally, I view our character as that person

[@nikoladedic6623]

What's the problem with Codsworth reaching self-awareness?

[@i_am_ergo]

He doesn't have the hardware or the software for it. He's just a butler robot with a "synthetic personality atop a mundane operating system."

[@arcticeagle342]

It seems more like it's up to the owners of the robots to choose how much cognition their robot has up to a point. They did have him helping with the baby so maybe they went with more than average.

[@geraltrivia6148]

Grey says it's lore breaking....In a video where he brings up the Institute experiment that allowed DIMA to also develop self-awareness over time without having human emotions implanted into him.

[@epillis]

@@geraltrivia6148 There’s a pretty stark difference between a robot purpose-built by an underground cabal of scientists to perfectly replicate human emotion and an off the shelf Mr.Handy

[@geraltrivia6148]

@@epillis Robotic artificial intelligence being publicly available doesn't make it any less complex; The Institute, prior to moving underground due to the war, had access to similar tech as General Atomics and RobCo. DIMA and Nick weren't built specifically for sentient thought, their experiment was just the first time that it occurred to the Institute to check to see if they COULD develop personalities, with Nick having them implanted and DIMA developing them naturally. Similar to Curie having independent thought encouraged (no memory implants) and Codsworth simply being left to his own devices. There's also other robot characters who have developed personalities, like KLEO who identifies as a woman and keeps a journal, so it's definitely in Fallout lore for that to happen on occasion.

[@Mrmasterranter]

My favourite is Ada for sure, hes ruthlessly efficient and most of all doesnt whine and moan whenever you do something they dont like

[@Xictlii]

Codsworth deserves a synth body.

[@Mr._Anderpson]

Sure, but give him a sentry torso, robobrain head, & assaultron legs. Slap a pair of gatling lasers on his arms & the rocket launchers on his shoulders. He becomes the Battle Butler 9000 and resembles the Mad Cat from Battletech.

[@annareifer2249]

Nick is not even my favorit Fallout 4 Companion, he is my favorit Fallout character AND one of my favorit videogame characters! He is in my top 5!

[@jonskillings1258]

19:30 the Children used to live in Far Harbor until the fog kept getting worse, so they were exiled. Then they were lead to the Nucleus by DiMa and found him, and then they got angry at each other after some time because DiMa didn't want to kill the people in the harbor, and now the Children send out raiding parties and mess with the fog condensors

[@alyssaalgarin771]

When I first played Fallout 4 3 years ago I fell in love with Nick Valentine. I'm not of fan of companions but Nick is number 1 for me. I wish Bethesda made another DLC doing missions with Nick Valentine and as a side bonus you can go on a quest to find Nick a synth body similar to Curie's quest.

[@Voltboy1449]

I gotta say i like Cait since in my first playthrough she was my main companion

[@OswolseViclher]

He didn’t include dogmead on the list solely due to tax revenue.

[@DocTraubo]

Oh boy, Deacon. He had a loving family to the end, Glory and Desdemona. He happily outlived X6-88 for weeks. Sometimes, when Preston, Danse, Cait, and I have an evening drink, we remember our funny stalker for a quick laugh. And we all miss McReady who returned to his son, Curie who left to seek for scientists and Piper who lives in DC with her sister and Nick - they run a succesful newspaper and private eye joint venture. Of course, I never told Nick about DiMA - not knowing is bliss. Longfellow likely was at the wrong place at the wrong time when Far Harbor fell. May Atom take care of him. Hancock is as always in Goodneighbor, Strong waits at Trinity's and Porter Gage walked the Raider way of collecting an unhealthy amount of bullets. 'Ada, Codsworth! Another round - ice-cold from our Buddy!'

[@SnakeRoadComicsOfficial3677]

Happy that Strong isn't last. He's not Marcus, Lily, or Fawkes, but he has the potential to be like them especially given he likes when you help the Minutemen. This is why i wanna *ATTEMPT* to help get a mod that is basically Fallout 4 remade via New Vegas made: To give us a Fallout 4 that we should've gotten.

[@Theegreygaming]

there is a project underway called fallout 4 new vegas... I normally am not one for modded gameplay but between F4NV and skyblivion, I'm actually nerding out about mods for the first time in my life.

[@davidcollinsjr4288]

Yes, but have you considered that Codsworth can call me inappropriate names and wear a hat?

[@soldierinsane2689]

Preston has always been underrated. I hated him and his face for YEARS but one play through and raising his affinity kinda made me see the light. Sure it’s a bit yikes, his mental state needs a lot of work but… he’s a sole survivor too? And then he’s encouraging you to be good and make the world better. He may be the only one with hope and he placed it in us, the player, and how do we repay him? My head cannon is that Preston retired to sanctuary which I have upgraded into a true haven. He deserves it after Quincy.

[@evan08rhys09]

Dance is singularly the main reason why I don't join the Beotherhood

[@tonystrange4304]

Nick Valentine is the best companion in any fallout game and it's not even close

[@LouCooper]

A note on romancing Curie: Because Sean's uncontaminated DNA was needed for the Gen 3 Synth Program, technically EVERY Gen 3 Synth is related to the player character, including Curie... So you can casually add incest into the list of reasons why romancing Curie is weird...

[@cursedmonkey1033]

I so agree about not being able to send Mac home with the cure. It would have been the perfect ending to his quest and a great moment for your character. I guess Beth were just afraid you'd change your mind and hold it against the game. The same reason none of their games let you actually, permanently refuse a quest.

[@bertmeijers2257]

Yeah, Nick made me watch old Humphrey Bogart movies lol

[@saschaberger3212]

Definitely Cait. She's as hard as the life she lived. Helping her with her addiction genuinely made me happy. Also her morals are just the funniest in the whole game. Every time you think your last decision must have been the most evil one ever and you see Cait liked that in the corner. What a gem

[@GregThe1st]

22:40 he actually watches you before u enter the railroad

[@elrondorio]

At 3:05 "That'd be great..."😂 😂 😂

[@benjthorpe]

I have never noticed Cait skin changing color I’ll be on the lookout for that next time

[@lucasmetzger1154]

Fallout is not radiation, fallout is radioactive.

[@soulmata]

ADA's ranking makes total sense - and her lack of reaction to your behavior. It seems that ADA is not actually a sapient machine in the way Gen 3 synths or Curie are; she is just a machine. Same as with Codsworth, though I'd like to believe Codsworth developed full sapience on his own at some point just by coincidence.

[@TheBetterManInBlack]

Curie is best girl. Is there a reason you can't wait for the end of her quest before starting to flirt? At that point (by Bethesda standards, at least) she's fully fleshed.

[@barbaraelliott3510]

I didn't understand what you said about romancing Danse. Did you mean to say you can't romance Danse? You can. Or did you mean to say you shouldn't romance Danse? That's yours and the player character's choice just as all the other romance options are. Nick is the best written character. And the most hypocritical. If you you choose the right dialog options he judges you for wanting vengeance on your spouse's killer, then his main quest for you is to help him avenge his fiance's murder. Huh? Then he judges Dima, his own brother, and approves the choice to turn him in then holds it against you for letting his brother get killed. Huh? Which is it with Nick? I have my own personal choices but am not here to judge others choices if they be different. Give me Dogmeat or Codsworth. From Dogmeat you get unconditional love and Codsworth is just plain endearing.

[@ricky_Mo_Es]

I agree, I normally only travel alone because most companions annoy me and I like lone wonderer, but Nick is the exception.

[@toakongu1]

Personally I think Cait and Nick could interchangeably be #1 and #2 in this instance. Both stories are well written and heart-wrenching. Nick has no reason whatsoever to care about Eddie Winter or anything that happened to the original Nick Valentine, but he does care. I like to think his quest to track down Winter and end him is his way of thanking the original Nick Valentine for volunteering for the procedure that would eventually give our Nick his life. Cait's story is an all to familiar one to so many people. Abusive parents, drugs, the whole downward spiral to the point of not caring if you live or die. And sometimes, before her quest, you can even catch her shooting up in an idle animation and a couple corresponding voice lines. Tugs at my heart every damn time

[@rogerdiz3520]

Cool it there grey. Curie is essentially just a very high tech love doll... i guess the fact that she shares dna with your son makes it kinda gross anywhere outside the south though.

[@oxHAYLOWxo]

Dude, you nailed this list! I totally agree with this list, stoaked to see Piper lower on the list, she annoys the shit outta me so never have her as a companion 😂

[@jesternario]

I subscribed to Grey Galaxies a while back. Still waiting for the next video. They're all good so far.

[@paulo23pd]

Will you do a video of NPC's who would have made great companions? I always feel like The Mariner could have not only been a companion but also a love interest. Glory would have been a good companion too.

[@Theegreygaming]

definitely going to add that to the idea bucket. thanks for the suggestion.

[@theweddingsinger1970]

33:30 crotch armor! Is that a mod?

[@Theegreygaming]

no, aside from the paintjobs that are from the creation club, all armor being worn by the human companions are vanilla sturdy variant of combat armor.

[@Distant_INC]

It's best to go alone. Not even Dogmeat.

[@Flood520]

Bottom 3 absolutely should have been X6, Strong, and Longfellow in that order. Deacon is also too high.

[@gloweye]

Nick's great, but a touch to moral for my playstyle. I tend to go with Cait. Though I generally do questlines for a few more.

[@fdragon0216]

Though Danse is still one of the better companions, to me, he is just so much wasted potential. I would really like to see more doubt in Danse’s mind when its revealed he is a synth. He, a synth, a ‘mindless machine without any emotions or self-acquired opinions’, believes so heavily in something that should go against his programming that he is ready to give up his life. This is THE proof that Brotherhood’s doctrine about synths is wrong, but, unfortunately, there is no way to reveal this to him or to make him doubt/abandon Brotherhood’s ideals. He is the only guy from the Brotherhood I liked and I really wanted to save him even in case pf Brotherhood’s destruction. And on a radical side of the spectrum, there is the cut mission of taking over the BoS (though, admittedly, I dont think altering Brotherhood’s ideas about synths is a good storytelling. They would be just Railroad but powerful then. In my opinion, they should have just made an option to convince Danse to ditch the Brotherhood and live peacefully)

[@HazelTrenare-yv3zn]

If you read Franz Fanon books and think about Preston character...well take a look if you have the time.

[@JohnGrillis]

It’s gage and there’s no competition 🙌

[@dcross6360]

Codsworth and Ada called. They want to be included.

[@Passageofsky]

While I like her, I think it's a shame Cait plays into so many stereotypes; She absuses substances, has red hair and fist fights... It doesn't get anymore archetypal, I would say that the tough and strong quality of her character is quite accurate to most irish women is know at least... one inaccuracy is her fake and downright confusing irish accent, well.. it was confusing until I learned the voice-actor is Scottish not Irish, lol.

[@john_blues]

Ada is my favorite. I love traveling with Ada. Gage? I wiped out all the Nuka world gangs from jump, so he never had a chance. lol.

[@owenscull2531]

If they even do film that has Danse geogre Clooney best option. Over the years playing fallout 4 doing danse question all I can hear is geogre Clooney.

[@justbread4570]

12:30 this might be the worst hancock interpretation i’ve ever seen…

[@Flood520]

It's a really bad take, for sure.

[@pedroantonio743]

i think consword actually developed feelings, like, it seems that the robots in the fallout universe need constant memory wipes to avoid this to happend, after centuries it seems some of the can develo a consious and feelings

[@Xictlii]

Consworth is crazy

[@Triaxx2]

Let's be honest: Dogmeat is the best and this entire video is deciding on second place.

[@250914616672152]

FO 4 has a lot of missed potential but more with companions is more sad, like converting codsworth and ada to synths like curie, companions upgrading improving their combat abilities(either by getting better default weapons/armor or perks), personal quests(only macready and cait have one), the choice of what to do like with lily of FONV, were you choose if she takes her meds reducing her melee to 60 not take her meds increasing melee to 100 or take half of the meds, for example a chem addict cait would have faster movement and attack speed but lower health and strength, with longfellow and preston would be like a mix of boone cass and raul quest seeking revenge or accepting the past and moving on seeing than revenge would only lead to a cycle of endless revenge, preston would change gear depeding of the option,(for revenge he would get an automatic laser rifle and a more gunner like uniform and a acceptance he would keep his laser musket but it would be a fast 6 charges and for armor he would get something similar to the general uniform) a revenge longfellow would use his hunting knowledge to hunt down CoA and acceptance would travel to teach everybody who want to learn how to hunt and defend them selves agaisnt mutanted animals

[@fdragon0216]

Why would you want to convert Codsworth or ADA into synths? In Curie’s case, it is required by her story and makes her unique by creating a robot that has to adapt to human emotion. Why make the same but worse and without any reason?

[@250914616672152]

@@fdragon0216 codsworth to make him a proper butler and ada because why not

[@tjbrody]

“Another settlement” aside, Preston is really just a tool for the main story. Not much else

[@Jerry-rh8db]

Also curies body was made using your sons DNA

[@UltrahoboThe1st]

I disagree with your take on the sole survivor shouldn't of been able to romance danse, genuinely he is one of the best companions in all of fallout and my gay as's would've been insanely sad if i couldn't romance him, he's adorable when you romance him and when i side with the brotherhood which is my favorite ending, I always spare and romance him, he genuinely embodies the best parts of the brotherhood and I love him for it.

[@Daniel250-yz1ep]

Keep up the great work Grey! ❤

[@popoha4380]

Cait for #1 for me, but overall all companions have same problems. Stormtrooper Aim and Zoro Pathing.

[@ronnierayburn998]

I hate Nick! There is absolutely nothing about him that I like. Sure, he can hack terminals, but much like Cait and lockpicking, he fails more often than he succeeds. Prestons only redeeming features are that he gives a really good companion perk, and the fact that you don't have to interact with him if you don't want to. You can simply leave him and his gang of morons to rot in the museum. I wish they'd made a companion out of Sturgis instead. He's one of the nicest characters in the game, and it's hard to say something negative about him. Best companion: Cait Incredibly fun to have around! Her remarks on things are often hilarious. Her backstory is very good, and she's one of the few companions that truly evolves. I typically play Fallout 4 as a mean and unfriendly individual, but if I played nice, I would pick Curie instead. She's basically the inverted variant of Cait. Fun, interesting and she evolves!

[@Mr._Anderpson]

Best companion? The answer is Dogmeat, hands down. Ironically, he yaps less than the humanoids. You get to keep the benefits of Lone Wanderer and they stack well with the Attack Dog tree. Lone Wanderer 4, Attack Dog 4, & Pack Alpha translates to 65% reduction of all incoming damage before resistances are applied. He doesn't judge you if you steal, or kill, or are kind. He's the ride or die boy. Not being saddled with side tasks and not having trauma dumps makes Dogmeat superior to all the human ones. Only Old Longfellow comes close. He's chill and easy to be around.