Best Sidekicks: Ranked for Utility

Avowed Companions Ranked: From Worst to Best

Beyond their narrative roles and dialogue, Avowed's Companions offer significant gameplay advantages, from pathfinding to combat prowess. This ranking assesses each Companion, from least to most helpful.

4. Marius

Early-game exploration benefits from Marius's item and plant-finding abilities. However, his combat effectiveness quickly diminishes as other Companions join your party. His skills primarily focus on crowd control and weakening enemies, making him a niche choice. While useful against specific enemy types, particularly for melee-focused Envoys, Marius lacks the overall power to justify inclusion throughout most of the Living Lands journey.

Marius' Abilities & Upgrades:

• Blinding Roots: Roots enemies (upgradeable to stun, trap multiple, and inflict Bleed).
• Heart Seeker: Piercing shot (upgradeable to hit two enemies, increased damage vs. low-health enemies, reduced cooldown).
• Shadow Step: Vanishes and strikes (upgradeable to instantly kill stunned enemies, increased damage vs. low-health enemies, strike multiple enemies).
• Wounding Shots: Inflicts Bleed (upgradeable to reduce enemy damage reduction, slow enemies, reduce enemy damage).

3. Giatta

Giatta, a support-focused Animancer, excels at healing, shielding, and buffing the party. While not a damage dealer, her utility is invaluable during challenging encounters, such as boss fights. Her ability to power Essence Generators also unlocks late-game areas. Giatta synergizes exceptionally well with magic-focused Envoy builds.

Giatta's Abilities:

• Purification: Heals allies (upgradeable to higher healing, enemy interrupt/knockback, increased ally damage reduction).
• Barrier: Grants allies temporary health (upgradeable to increased temporary health, healing on barrier expiration, self-protection).
• Acceleration: Increases ally movement and attack speed (upgradeable to damage reduction, extended duration, ability cooldown reduction).
• Reconstruction: Attacks heal allies (upgradeable to increased healing for low-health allies, temporary health for full-health allies, ally revival on enemy kill).

2. Kai

Despite being an early recruit, Kai remains consistently helpful. This tank deals significant damage with minimal player input. His self-revival ability further enhances his value. Kai's skills effectively handle both single, high-health enemies and crowd control situations. His fire abilities also solve environmental puzzles.

Kai's Abilities & Upgrades:

• Fire and Ire: Blunderbuss attack with stun and taunt (upgradeable to ignite target, increased stun, reduced cooldown).
• Unbending Defense: Health regeneration and damage reduction (upgradeable to increased damage reduction, increased regeneration, area-of-effect damage).
• Leap of Daring: Area-of-effect stun and taunt (upgradeable to increased area of effect, temporary health per hit, bonus attack damage per hit).
• Second Wind: Self-revival (upgradeable to increased health restoration, attack speed burst, ability cooldown reset).

1. Yatzli

Yatzli, a powerful Wizard, delivers high-damage attacks and excellent crowd control. Her abilities provide a form of "air support" in combat, making her an invaluable asset. She also clears environmental obstacles, opening new areas. Although recruited last, Yatzli is a top-tier companion for the remainder of the game.

Yatzli's Abilities & Upgrades:

• Essence Explosion: Explosive arcane damage (upgradeable to larger blast radius, fire accumulation, reduced cooldown).
• Minoletta’s Missile Battery: Volley of homing missiles (upgradeable to increased fire rate, range, shock accumulation).
• Arduos Delay of Motion: Slows enemies (upgradeable to intensified slow, area-of-effect slow, frost accumulation).
• Blast: Area-of-effect damage on hit (upgradeable to explosive damage for breaking blocks/walls, shattering frozen enemies, increased stun, status effect chance).

Avowed releases on PC and Xbox on February 18.