Best Avowed Companions, Ranked by Helpfulness

In my time playing Avowed, I found very little compatibility in my play style and the benefits offered by having Marius (pictured above, right) in my party. While Marius’ passive abilities can help with early-game exploration, he’s very quickly outclassed when other Companions join your roster. Marius can help find items and plants when exploring but lacks power in combat. Here’s every one of Marius’ abilities and their upgrades:

• Blinding Roots: Roots enemies in place for 8 seconds. This ability can be upgraded to stun enemies, trap multiple in the area of effect, and deal Bleed Accumulation to trapped enemies.
• Heart Seeker: Marius fires a piercing shot that always hits the target, even if obstacles are in its path. This ability can be upgraded to hit two enemies, do increased damage to enemies below 50% Health and reduce its cooldown by 33%.
• Shadow Step: Marius vanishes in a cloud of smoke before reappearing near an enemy and slashing them with his daggers. This can be done up to three times. This ability can be upgraded to instantly kill most stunned enemies, do more damage to enemies with lower health, and vanish and strike up to six enemies.
• Wounding Shots: Marius’ attacks deal Bleed Accumulation. This ability can be upgraded to reduce enemy damage reduction, slow hit enemies, and reduce enemy damage.

Marius’ abilities mostly keep enemies in place or slow and weaken them. While this can help combat enemies with melee weapons and low health, his abilities are fairly niche. While he can definitely help against certain types of enemies, especially if your Envoy is built to focus on melee combat, he doesn’t have enough power to be worth taking along for most of the journey across the Living Lands in Avowed.

3. Giatta

Giatta is a support-focused Animancer. She taps into magic to heal, shield, and buff the party. She’s certainly not the best Companion for damage, but her moves have other utilities. Her ability to protect the Envoy and their party’s health can be a massive benefit in high-stress situations like Avowed’s infrequent boss fights. Here’s every one of Giatta’s abilities in Avowed:

• Purification: Giatta calls a wave of energy that heals allies by 25% of their maximum Health. This ability can be upgraded to heal up to 50% of maximum Health, interrupt and knock back enemies, and increase damage reduction of allies by 20% for 15 seconds.
• Barrier: Grants all allies a shield that gives temporary health for 20 seconds. This ability can be upgraded to increase the amount of temporary health it gives, heal enemies when the barrier ends, and prevent Giatta from being hit and knock back her melee attackers.
• Acceleration: Increases move and attack speed of all allies for 15 seconds. This ability can be upgraded to give allies 15% damage reduction, increase acceleration for an additional 10 seconds, and reduce any abilities cooldown by 50%.
• Reconstruction: Giatta’s attacks heal allies a small amount. This ability can be upgraded to heal allies below 20% health more, grant temporary health to allies at their maximum, and revive incapacitated allies when Giatta kills an enemy.

Giatta also has the ability to power Essence Generators, which can unlock otherwise inaccessible areas leading to loot in the late game. While her abilities aren’t the best, it’s worth noting that Giatta pairs excellently with Envoys using Wizard builds focused on magic.

Related:Avowed PC Specs: Minimum and Recommended System Requirements

2. Kai

Even though Kai is the earliest Companion you’ll encounter in Avowed, he’s helpful throughout your entire playthrough. Kai is an absolute tank who can deal effective damage to enemies without needing much player input. Here are all of Kai’s abilities and their upgrades:

• Fire and Ire: Kai fires from his Blunderbuss, dealing high stun to a single enemy and taunting them for 10 seconds. This ability can be upgraded to ignite the target, increase the amount of Stun, and reduce the cooldown for Fire and Ire by 50%.
• Unbending Defense: Kai regenerates his health and increases his damage reduction by 25%. This ability can be upgraded to reduce incoming damage by 50%, increase Health regeneration, and unleash a shockwave to damage nearby enemies upon expiration.
• Leap of Daring: Kai crashes down on an enemy, stunning and taunting all nearby. This ability can be upgraded to double its area of effect, gain temporary health per enemy hit, and gain bonus attack damage per enemy hit.
• Second Wind: Kai revives himself by restoring 50% of his maximum health. Second Wind can be upgraded to increase this health to 75%, give Kai a temporary burst of attack speed, and reset all of Kai’s ability cooldowns.

Kai’s abilities are powerful against enemies. Some of these abilities are better against single high-health enemies, while others help with crowd control. He can also revive himself, making him a highly effective combat partner you don’t have to micromanage. Kai can even use his fire to open certain areas, clearing obstacles like spider webs and roots.

1. Yatzli

Yatzli is a Wizard capable of fiery powerful attacks. She has some high-damage attacks, as well as excellent crowd control. In the fantasy world of the Living Lands, Yatzli is the closest thing you can find to air support. Here are all of Yatzli’s abilities and their upgrades.

• Essence Explosion: Arcane power explodes when hitting an enemy, releasing essence and explosive damage. This can be upgraded to have a larger blast, deal fire accumulation to enemies, and reduce its cooldown by 33%.
• Minoletta’s Missile Battery: Yatzli fires a volley of enemy-seeking arcane missiles. This can be upgraded to increase the missiles’ fire rate and maximum range and make the missiles do shock accumulation.
• Arduos Delay of Motion: Slows an enemy for 10 seconds. This ability can be upgraded to intensify its slowing effects, create an area of effect for enemies within the radius, and deal frost accumulation to enemies.
• Blast: Yatzli’s attacks burst into a small area of effect when hitting enemies. This can be upgraded to deal explosive damage to break blocks, destroy walls, and shatter frozen enemies. Other upgrades increase Blast’s stun and give a 5% chance to inflict the Frozen, Ignited, or Shocked status.

Yatzli has an incredible set of powerful abilities, fitting her fierce personality. She can also give access to areas by clearing obstacles. While she will be the last Companion you recruit in Avowed, she’s certainly worth bringing along for the rest of the journey.

Avowedreleases on PC and Xbox on February 18.