The Best Starfield Companions and Crew Members, Ranked

Many of the best Starfield companions and crew members can be missed if you don’t know who to hire. Some are even downright expensive, so we understand if you may be wondering who to keep in your crew and who should get outpost duty. Below are the best companions and crew members, ranked.

Top Companions and Crew Members in Starfield, Ranked

13 – Simeon Bankowski

• Location: The Viewport, New Atlantis, Jemison (Alpha Centauri Star System)
• Recruitment Cost: 13,500 credits
• Skills:
  • Sharpshooting
  • Sniper Certification
  • Marksmanship

I’ve recruited Simeon through two playthroughs and he was terrible both times. He let me get shot in the back, he never fought to his fullest, and I’m pretty sure he’s a coward. Both times I sent him to mining planets so he could make back the money I spent on him.

He’s supposed to be at New Atlantis looking for work as a Weapon’s Tester. I’m sure he’s only there because he can only shoot at things that won’t shoot back. Do not get this crewmate!

12 – Gideon Aker

• Location: The Viewport, New Atlantis, Jemison (Alpha Centauri Star System)
• Recruitment Cost: 16,500 credits
• Skills:
  • Ballistic Weapon Systems
  • Missile Weapon Systems

Gideon is like the vanilla ice cream of the crewmates. It’s a safe choice that offers very little surprise or good feeling. I hired him because he seemed like there should be more under the surface. I regretted that decision pretty early into having him as a companion.

He’s one of those you should skip, just because what he offers can be outmatched and he doesn’t add to the fun.

11 – Lin

• Location: Found during Shipwrecked questline
• Recruitment Cost: Free
• Skills:
  • Demolition
  • Outpost Management

The issue with Lin is that she’s so boring. I get that she’s coming from a life of being a mining supervisor, but she’s got no personality other than being hard. However, you should always hire her for your crew because she can handle herself in mining operations for your outpost.

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She’s a war veteran and widow, so at least do us a favor and give her work to keep her safe. She’s boring, sure, but she’s got a difficult past.

10 – Mathis Castillo

• Location: The Key Command Deck (Available after completing the Crimson Fleet quest line)
• Recruitment cost: Free.
• Skills:
  • Weight Lifting
  • Ballistics
  • Incapacitation

Mathis makes a bad impression on pretty much everyone because he starts out wanting to kill the leader of the Crimson Fleet. The leader is pretty Charismatic and Mathis isn’t, so it makes it easy not to like him. I made the mistake of getting him kicked out of the fleet so he ended up hunting me down instead of being my companion in my first playthrough.

He’s good to have around if you’ve got morally questionable things to do. However, I’ve never felt like he wouldn’t shoot me in the back if he could get away with it. Once a traitor always a traitor, which makes him higher on this list than others.

9 – Sarah Morgan

• Location: New Atlantis, Jemison (Alpha Centauri System) in the Lodge
• Recruitment Cost: Free
• Skills:
  • Astrodynamics
  • Lasers
  • Leadership
  • Botany

In my opinion, Sarah is too high strung for her own good. She’s always talking so highly and you can tell she is more of an idealist than a realist. She’s got a really endearing personal quest which made me understand why she’s always striving to be more than she is. However, I still don’t like having her on my crew, which is a sentiment shared by many players.

One thing that got Sarah kicked out of my crew was when I made sure Ryujin would sell the mental chip thing. I want my company to profit highly, but Sarah was mad. So, I sent her to a desolate planet to mine until later events of the game. If you want to be anything other than a Paragon, you’ll do better not to have her on your crew.

8 – Andreja

• Location: Andreja’s exact location differs for each play-through but she’s found during Constellation quests.
• Recruitment Cost: Free
• Skills:
  • Stealth
  • Particle Beams
  • Energy Weapons Systems
  • Theft

Andreja is okay to have around, but she clashes with Barrett a lot. I personally don’t like having her on the ship but many people prefer to marry her over Sarah. Andreja won’t get on you about the morality of the things you do or anything like that. She often doesn’t understand the humor of others, and is straight to the point.

Andreja has a troubled past, which is revealed in her personal quest. She’s also romancable, so if you’re looking for a female who isn’t Sarah, you can either pick Andreja or do without. I preferred to do without.

Related: Should You Join the UC Vanguard in Starfield?

7 – Heller

• Location: Found during Shipwrecked questline
• Recruitment Cost: Free
• Skills:
  • Geology
  • Outpost Engineering

Heller is a really likable companion, but he often gets sent to planets because he’s not more likable than the crew below. He would be in many more crews if Starfield allowed more crew members on your ship, which it should considering how many crew members are on other ships.

A good description of Heller is your bro whose career never really took off. He’s a likable dude but you feel like he may be holding you back. Heller works the mines until I can find space on my ship, but he’s not a bad companion to have around.

6 – Marika Boros

• Location: The Viewport, New Atlantis, Jemison (Alpha Centauri Star System)
• Recruitment Cost: 18,000 Credits
• Skills:
  • Shotgun Certification
  • Ballistics
  • Particle Beam Weapon Systems

Marika would be number one on this list if I had no morals. I love Marika and she is the main reason why I think every crew mate should be romancable. I always take her on missions and she is always grateful to be able to hang out with the commander. She has a great charm and isn’t annoying about the things I do, unlike Sarah and Andreja.

Marika has dreams of exploring the galaxy and founding her own outpost. She is a little naive in how she thinks outposts should run, especially with my character being a capitalist to a T. However, if the option ever came up, I’d give her hundreds of thousands of credits so she could accomplish her dream.

5 – Sam Coe

• Location: New Atlantis, Jemison (Alpha Centauri System) in the Lodge
• Recruitment Cost: Free
• Skills:
  • Piloting
  • Rifle Certification
  • Payloads
  • Geology

Same Coe is here because of his crazy background and combat ability. He has a daughter who he is a wonderful father to. You can only recruit him with his daughter, who is a bookworm. She’s cool to talk to so it’s like you’re gaining a free awesome crewmate with Sam.

Aside from that, Sam Coe is probably the one Starfield should be about. In addition to being a descendant of the Akila City founder Solomon Coe, he was a Freestar Ranger for a time. He’s as big of a deal as he seems, and his family is rich like almost no other.

4 – Barrett

• Location: Found during Shipwrecked questline
• Recruitment Cost: Free
• Skills:
  • Starship Engineering
  • Particle Beam Weapon Systems
  • Robotics
  • Gastronomy

I love having Barret as a companion, and he’s my number 2 in terms of great companions to have on missions. Barrett always knows how to turn a bad situation into a joke, and always brightens my mood. I’ve heard nothing but kind things about Barrett online and he’s a fan favorite.

He has a pretty tragic backstory that I will make sure not to ruin, but I’ve happily given him money to hire the investigators and lawyers he’s needed. Barrett even makes friends with the bad guys, which shows how likable he really is. I’d say a great description for Barrett is that his Charisma stat is maxed out.

Related: How Many Crew Members Can You Have in Starfield?

3 – Rafael Aguerro

• Location: Freya III, Freya Star System
• Recruitment Cost: Free
• Skills:
  • Outpost Engineering
  • Starship Engineering
  • Outpost Management

This is a crew mate I recommend but not as a member of the ship crew. Instead, he’s an amazing outpost manager. I love hiring him because he will make my every dream come true with how well he handles things on planets I send him to. If anything, I consider him the best manager out there.

He is completely free, so no need to worry about the up front pay that everyone above on this list needs (companions are the exception). Rafael is in it for the right reasons, because you want him to be. I can’t imagine a better reason to join my crew than to want to meet my every need.

2 – Vasco

• Location: Vectera
• Recruitment cost: Free.
• Skills:
  • Aneutronic Fusion
  • Shield Systems
  • EM Weapon Systems

Vasco is your homie from day one, and he will do whatever it takes to make sure you and your property are safe. I never take him on missions with me because he tends to be too bulky and I’d rather chill with Marika. However, I always have him on my crew because he’ll wait outside the ship and keep it safe from thieves. He’s literally the first line of defense.

What’s even better is that when you land on a planet that has immediate hostiles nearby, he’ll jump into action. Besides giving you peace of mind, he’s an unstoppable gatling gun with legs you need on your crew.

1 – Adoring Fan

• Location: New Atlantis if you equip the Hero Worshiped trait
• Recruitment cost: Free.
• Skills:
  • Scavenging
  • Concealment
  • Weight Lifting

My scores are highest for those who are ride or die. That means that these companions will stick with you regardless of your choices. Adoring Fan in both Starfield and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is a ride-or-die companion. He will stick with you regardless of whether you’re a superhero or a war criminal.

I love him, he’s always hyping me up, and making me feel great. I imagine that he’s probably one of the top stock owners for Ryujin based on how much stock he buys. Do you know why he buys that stock? Because I’m a part of the company. While he may not be the best at combat or even a story companion, he is still better than the rest in my eyes. He’s obtained through the trait he’s named after and loves you platonically just because you’re you.

He should be on everyone’s crew, no matter what.