Best Avowed Companions, Ranked by Helpfulness

In *Avowed*, Companions are more than just story elements and conversational partners; they offer significant practical advantages, from navigating tricky pathways to bolstering your combat prowess. This ranking assesses each *Avowed* Companion, from least to most helpful.

4. Marius

My experience with Marius revealed limited synergy with my playstyle. While his early-game utility in locating items and plants is undeniable, he quickly becomes outmatched as other Companions join your party. His combat effectiveness lags behind others. Here's a breakdown of his abilities and upgrades:

Blinding Roots: Roots enemies for 8 seconds. Upgrades include stunning, trapping multiple enemies, and inflicting Bleed Accumulation. Heart Seeker: A piercing shot that always hits its target. Upgrades include hitting two enemies, increased damage against low-health enemies, and reduced cooldown. Shadow Step: Marius vanishes and reappears near an enemy, striking with daggers (up to three times). Upgrades allow for instant kills against stunned enemies, increased damage against low-health enemies, and striking up to six enemies. Wounding Shots: Marius' attacks inflict Bleed Accumulation. Upgrades reduce enemy damage reduction, slow enemies, and further reduce their damage.

Marius' abilities primarily focus on crowd control and weakening enemies. While effective against certain enemy types, particularly when combined with a melee-focused Envoy, his overall power falls short for most of the Avowed journey.

3. Giatta

Giatta, a support-oriented Animancer, utilizes magic for healing, shielding, and buffing the party. While not a damage dealer, her utility in protecting the Envoy and party health is invaluable during challenging encounters, such as boss fights. Her abilities include:

Purification: Heals allies for 25% of their maximum health. Upgrades increase healing, interrupt and knock back enemies, and increase ally damage reduction. Barrier: Grants allies a temporary health shield. Upgrades increase shield strength, heal on barrier expiration, and provide protection from attacks. Acceleration: Increases ally movement and attack speed. Upgrades add damage reduction, extend duration, and reduce ability cooldowns. Reconstruction: Giatta's attacks partially heal allies. Upgrades increase healing for low-health allies, grant temporary health at maximum health, and revive incapacitated allies on enemy kills.

Giatta can also activate Essence Generators, opening paths to late-game loot. Although not the strongest in combat, she synergizes exceptionally well with magic-focused Envoy builds.

2. Kai

Kai, encountered early in Avowed, remains a valuable Companion throughout the game. This tank deals significant damage with minimal player intervention. His abilities include:

Fire and Ire: A high-stun attack from his blunderbuss that taunts the target. Upgrades include igniting the target, increased stun, and reduced cooldown. Unbending Defense: Regenerates health and increases damage reduction. Upgrades increase damage reduction, enhance health regeneration, and unleash a damaging shockwave on expiration. Leap of Daring: A powerful area-of-effect stun and taunt. Upgrades increase area of effect, grant temporary health per hit, and increase attack damage per hit. Second Wind: Revives Kai, restoring a percentage of his health. Upgrades increase health restoration, grant a temporary attack speed boost, and reset ability cooldowns.

Kai’s abilities excel against both single, high-health enemies and groups. His self-revival makes him incredibly reliable, and his fire abilities can clear environmental obstacles like spiderwebs and roots.

1. Yatzli

Yatzli, a powerful Wizard, delivers high-damage attacks and excellent crowd control. She's the closest thing to air support in the Living Lands. Her abilities are:

Essence Explosion: An explosive arcane attack. Upgrades increase blast radius, inflict fire accumulation, and reduce cooldown. Minoletta’s Missile Battery: A volley of homing arcane missiles. Upgrades increase fire rate, range, and inflict shock accumulation. Arduos Delay of Motion: Slows enemies. Upgrades intensify slowing effects, create an area-of-effect slow, and inflict frost accumulation. Blast: Yatzli's attacks create a small area-of-effect explosion. Upgrades deal explosive damage to break blocks and shatter frozen enemies, increasing stun and inflicting status effects.

Yatzli's potent abilities and environmental interaction make her an invaluable asset. Although recruited last, she's a worthwhile companion for the remainder of your Avowed journey.

Avowed releases on PC and Xbox on February 18.