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This list ranked romantic companions in Fallout 4 based on the skills they bring to your combat efforts and how complicated their personalities would make pursuing a romantic relationship. After all, while some may be useful in combat their aggression and love of violence would make an intimate relationship difficult. So, it’s up to the player to decide what kind of character they want to roleplay as so that they can find the most fitting love interest to pair up with.
Updated March 28, 2022, by Ritwik Mitra: Fallout 4 is one of the most divisive games in the series. While Fallout 76 was universally lambasted by the fanbase as one of the worst entries in the entire franchise, the single-player game preceding it received more of a mixed opinion. There’s no denying that Fallout 4 is a gorgeous title with amazing combat… but it’s the other aspects of its gameplay that it falters in. For starters, players find the game’s role-playing mechanics to be pretty basic, while the writing of the game has come under heavy scrutiny for almost always taking the easy way out.
Regardless of which side of the fence players may be on when it comes to Fallout 4, there’s no denying that the game itself has its highlights. The companions in the game are pretty memorable, with a substantial number of them being romance options as well. Keeping this in mind, here are all the romances in Fallout 4 ranked on the basis of how memorable and impactful they really are.
9 John Hancock
They say love is blind, but they never say whether it has a sense of smell. Having a romantic relationship with an irradiated ghoul would be complicated enough, let alone with someone who’s addicted to chems and shows no signs of stopping. Admittedly, his good nature and passion for defending the innocent make him an honorable guy, and he can hold his own in a fight. But any physical touch would require a Rad X or two, he’s guaranteed to outlive you by several hundred years, and kids are definitely off the table.
John is located at the Old State House in Goodneighbor. The player must complete “The Big Dig” quest and side with Bobbi No-Nose to have John tag along. To impress the ole ghoul, players need to defend the innocent, use chems and help others, and being a nudist can help. While romancing him might not sound all that appealing, there’s no denying that John Hancock’s unique personality does make him a pretty interesting option to muck around with in the game.
8 Magnolia
Magnolia is certainly a beauty and has a wonderful singing voice, but a one-night stand does not typically make a healthy romantic relationship. She also will not join the player as a companion, which makes her battle skills irrelevant, assuming she had any, to begin with. Complicating the relationship even further is the fact that she’s a synth in a world where synths are essentially boogeymen. There really isn’t a strong argument to pursue a romantic relationship with Magnolia as she brings very little to the table and doesn’t want anything long-term.
Magnolia is found in the Third Rail bar in Goodneighbor. If players want to court her, they’ll need a high Charisma to pass three dialogue options. However, after the “date,” the player will no longer be able to court her or even flirt. To call this a romance would be a stretch, but the fact that it’s a pretty unique and interesting encounter in the game does make it worth a mention regardless.
7 Porter Gage
A new companion introduced in the Nuka-World DLC, Porter Gage is a raider with some semblance of morals. He is very aggressive and has quite the mouth on him. If you can overlook his bloodthirsty ways and hatred of all factions in the Commonwealth, he makes a great hired gun, but not a great romantic companion. Between the violent tendencies, rotten teeth, and ambitions to create the ultimate raider gang, it’s hard to find anything appealing about him. Sure he hates chems, doesn’t drink, and is good at putting food on the table; one just has to wonder how often that food comes from an animal and not something else.
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Porter can be found at the Fizztop Gille in Nuka-World. Players will need to complete the quest, “An Ambitious Plan” to convince him to be a companion. Porter likes it when the player picks locks, steals, modifies weapons, builds settlements, murders others, and generally behaves in a violent or selfish manner. For all the expectations players might have from a romance in the DLC, Porter Gage isn’t really all that memorable and players can opt for way better and more memorable romances in the game instead.
6 Cait
Cait’s childhood is a tragic story; her parents were abusive, she was sold into slavery, she murdered them in a fit of revenge, became addicted to Psycho, and has spent the last few years as a cage fighter to pay for her addiction. Cait’s definitely a project, and one can help her kick the chem addiction, but she’ll always be a wild child who’s prone to fighting, stealing, breaking into places, and running stark naked across the Commonwealth. She’s a great melee fighter, but it’s hard to picture her ever settling down and living the simple life.
Cait is located in the Combat Zone in the Theater District of Boston. Once the player clears out the area, they can speak with Cait and convince her to join them. Afterward, the player simply needs to be a violent, alcohol swilling, nudist sociopath to get her attention. All jokes aside, Cait can be a hard nut to crack… but it’s only when players are patient with her that they realize just how multi-faceted this girl really is.
5 Paladin Danse
Paladin Danse is a man of principle, and one won’t find many in The Commonwealth as loyal as him. With his power armor and devastating energy weapon, he’s the guy you want watching your back and defending your home. The reason he doesn’t rank higher as a romantic companion is that he has some issues with people he doesn’t perceive as normal. Danse sees ghouls, synths, and super mutants as monsters who need to be destroyed for the good of the Commonwealth, and that puts him at odds with a large portion of the neighbors.
Paladin Danse can be found at either the Cambridge Police Station or at The Pyrdwen if “Shadow of Steel” has been completed. The player needs to be a member of the Brotherhood of Steel and complete the “Tour of Duty” questline for Danse to tag along. Assisting the Brotherhood of Steel, helping settlers, and tinkering with the crafting system will impress Danse. His views might be a bit extreme, but that doesn’t mean the man himself is evil. However, Paladin Danse isn’t the most engaging personality around and it will take an adjustment for players to really accept this character as a viable romance.
4 MacCready
MacCready is a mercenary with a tragic past. His wife was killed by feral ghouls, and he’s been on the run with his only child, avoiding his old employers. His boy has developed a terrible disease, and MacCready is devoted to finding a cure, no matter the cost.
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He’s a dad who’s been forced to make terrible choices for his family, and he’s one of the few people on the list who can truly empathize with the player’s plight to find their son. This makes him a great romantic companion, and someone to stand by one’s side in battle. He’s even working on getting the swearing under control.
To begin a relationship with this mercenary, players need to hire him at the Third Rail in Goodneighbor for 250 caps. MacCready respects players who will demand more pay, pick locks, steal things, and use charisma to get their way. He might not be a role model, but his allure as a great and interesting romance option can’t be denied.
3 Preston Garvey
A lot of fans like to hate Preston Garvey for his endless requests to help settlers out, but there are worse attributes one could find in a partner. He has a better head on his shoulders than most and enjoys doing good. In combat, Garvey is a skilled fighter, and his ambitions to rebuild The Commonwealth with a network of settlements are both honorable and incredibly smart. He’s the man with the plan and the skills to see his ambitions come to life. In fact, he’d rank a lot higher if he wasn’t such a nag about helping settlers.
Preston Garvey is initially found at the Museum of Freedom. Once the player chases off the Deathclaw, he’ll be located at Sanctuary Hills. Garvey can join the player if they complete the quest, “The First Step.” The key to Preston is to help the settlements aligned with the Minutemen, help others in general, and customize weapons. He might seem like a rather boring option, and his requests might get on players’ nerves, but people who manage to look past these negatives will find themselves enjoying the surprisingly fleshed-out romance arc with this character.
2 Piper
Piper is a woman obsessed with finding the truth and sharing it with the public, even if it’s something the public doesn’t want to hear or know about. This passion has frequently gotten her into hot water, but has done little to quench her zeal for uncovering evil plots and ratting out the bad guy. In combat, she does alright with her pistol and leather clothing. She likes to go on adventures, which is handy when exploring the wastes and gets a thrill out of helping people and delivering justice. The one downside is that her need to reveal the truth often puts her and those she cares about in the cross-hairs of dangerous individuals, something she doesn’t seem to concern herself with nearly enough.
Piper can be found in Diamond City and won’t join the player until they finish either the quest “Story of the Century” or “Dangerous Minds.” She likes it when the player helps the innocent, picks unowned locks, works with the Minutemen, or seeks the diplomatic path to conflict. Most people would agree that Piper was the first character they romanced properly in the game since her personality is so riveting that players can’t help but fall for her!
1 Curie
Curie is perhaps the most nontraditional romantic companion on this list, given she starts out as a modified Miss Nanny Robot and becomes a synth in the end. She’s very intelligent, and her French accent can be soothing to listen to while traversing the radiated wastes. Curie is incredibly useful in fights thanks to her deep health pool and a laser weapon. Her moral compass is easily the straightest out of any person one could meet in The Commonwealth, and the player never has to worry about her doing anything rash, evil, or mean-spirited. This is someone who will fight at one’s side and could one day settle down into a normal life, making her the best choice.
Curie is found at the end of the “Hole In The Wall” quest in Vault 81 and simply needs to be convinced to tag along. For players interested in romance, it’s advised to be selfless and supportive to anyone they encounter. It’s also important to pursue Curie’s quest, “Emergent Behavior” for her to become human. She is easily one of the most interesting companions in the game, and someone that players can spend a ton of time with due to the intelligent and thought-provoking conversations she initiates.
Fallout 4 is available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
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