As the Sole Survivor sets out into the harsh post-apocalyptic world of Fallout 4, they face many threats and enemies. Luckily, they don't have to go it alone and have the opportunity to recruit companions to aid them in their journey, each with their own personalities and goals. As well as helping in combat and offering opinions on quests, all Fallout 4 companions also have unique perks that help boost certain skills. However, some are more useful than others.

Fallout 4 has 16 companions that can be recruited in the base game along with the game’s DLCs. While some require quests to be completed first to get them to come along on adventures, others will happily join the Sole Survivor as they search for Shaun. Affinity must be maximized to get companion perks, so knowing what each perk does can determine which companion to focus on when playing. Although some companion perks are universally useful,...