Whether they’re family, a lover or friend, they’ve got your back when things get hairy. Here are 10 companions we couldn’t imagine not being in the game!
Solaire (Dark Souls)
If the game’s tagline is ‘Prepare to Die’, it’s a given that you need a strong character to call for help if the boss is making you want to rage quit. That character would be Solaire – someone who is already deeply embedded into the story with mysterious lore that is half uncovered throughout the game and half speculation by the community. He is someone who values his companions and fights for the goals he is passionate about. Whether you only call on him when you’re having trouble or generally like having him around, Solaire is the guy for any job you need to get done in Lodran.
Fawkes (Fallout 3)
Turned into a super mutant in Vault 87 long ago, his kin are known to be brutish with little to no intelligence/morality. However, Fawkes seems to be the only one of a kind in the series who managed to retain his intelligence after the transformation. Other super mutants who were created in the vault with Fawkes rejected him for his oddities, keeping him in a cell. When the Lone Wanderer wanders into the vault, Fawkes becomes an unlikely but very useful companion. Not only does having him by your side lend you the crazy strength and durability that every super mutant has, but he’s also like a walking encyclopedia. Upon saving him, Fawkes notes that he had to work hard to regain his intelligence and did it by reading off the terminal in his cell. This makes him a great companion both strength wise and knowledge wise.
Craig Boone (Fallout New Vegas)
No matter how cold he comes off at the start, we know that Boone will always have our backs. Whether it’s sniping the radscorpion that’s so far away it’s not even on our compass yet, or helping us to take out the Legion in the final battle, Boone is a total bad-ass. Take it from the countless citizens who are in awe as they pass by you, telling you how lucky you are to have a 1st Recon Battalion sniper on your side. And if you’re still unsure if Boone has a soul, then you haven’t played through the heart-breaking side missions ‘One for my Baby’ and ‘I forgot to Remember to Forget’. In a game filled with so many different characters and factions, Boone is not only a worthy companion to have but also one of the best written characters.
Zach Fair (Final Fantasy VII)
Just the fact that Zach makes the ultimate sacrifice to save his friend Cloud Strife at the end of the game is enough to put him on this list in my opinion. Zach Fair was a 1st class fighter in SOLDIER and trained by mentor Angeal. Eventually when his mentor dies, the infamous buster sword is passed on to him and sometime after, he meets Cloud. The two fight side by side, forming a brotherly bond. However, when the two become cornered by other soldiers, Zach tells Cloud to take cover and goes out to face the army by himself. Despite taking many down with him, Zach is overwhelmed and shares a sweet but incredibly sad moment with Cloud before passing on the buster sword to him.
Auron (Final Fantasy X)
Traveling through time, space and generations to protect those he cares about, Auron becomes the ultimate mentor to Tidus in Final Fantasy X. Though he can be a bit gruff in his personality and teachings, Auron always has the best of intentions. After travelling through countless cities on a pilgrimage with two others and eventually losing both of them in the end, Auron made a promise to one of them, Jecht, to watch over his son. Between teaching him the basics like how to fight and eventually how to face his fate, the group probably wouldn’t have gotten very far without his wisdom and his armour shattering sword.
Garrus Vakarian (Mass Effect)
Garrus is an x member of C-Sec, working in the investigative department at one point before the games. Despite training for the position at 15, Garrus begins to lose faith when he realizes all the holes in the system that allow guilty people a free pass. It is when a character, Saren, is suspected of going rogue and Garrus isn’t allowed sufficient time to find proof that he decides to leave all together and possibly join Commander Shepard after the two have a run-in. Garrus is an intelligent character with high morals, a fighter for justice and equally great in battle.
Elena Fisher (Uncharted Series)
Strong-minded and resourceful journalist Elena Fisher may have been outsmarted by Nathan Drake when he ditched her and took her boat on their first adventure together but that didn’t mean she’d take it and go home empty-handed. Instead, Elena faced danger head on as she fought to find Nate and get the story she was promised for her show. However, one taste of adventure wasn’t quite enough and for the next few games, the two end up crossing paths both by accident and on purpose until finally Uncharted fans got what they’d been waiting four games for. While Sully and Sam were just as important in the games and cracked us up with obscene jokes and brotherly competitiveness, it was the rocky but beautiful relationship between Elena and Nate that kept gamers wondering where they’d stand in the end. Through good and bad, Elena never left Nate to die or ran screaming from whatever crazy mess he’d gotten himself into.
Dom Santiago (Gears of War)
Loyal is probably the first word that comes to mind when thinking of Dom from the Gears of War series. Our introduction to him is Dom breaking protagonist Marcus out of jail to join Delta Squad and in the end, he remains just as devoted to the cause and his friends. Besides having an unwavering loyalty, Dom has a personal stake in the war, making him a determined and unstoppable force against the locusts.
Elizabeth (Bioshock Infinite)
Despite being held prisoner for most of her life, Elizabeth is not to be messed with. In fact, soon after being freed by Booker, Elizabeth proves to be a worthy companion. Her knowledge of Colombia, Comstock and the way she embraces her gift to create tears in time make her extremely useful – not to mention those epic moments when you’re out of bullets in an intense battle and all of the sudden you hear something like “Booker, here!” as she tosses you the exact type you needed. Elizabeth is a sweet and mysterious partner in crime that nicely balances out moodier protagonist, Booker.
Clank (Ratchet & Clank)
Let’s be honest – there is no Ratchet without the tiny but resourceful robot Clank. Originally a ‘defective’ named B5429671 in the Robot Factory, Clank soon escapes and ends up on a plane. When he makes a clanking sound as he hits the wall, Ratchet deems Clank as his new nickname upon finding him. He may look small but when he transforms into Ultra-Mech ‘little’ is the last thing on our minds. Clank proves himself a useful companion and lifelong friend to Ratchet as the two complete mission after mission together and eventually go on to become heroes.
