Plenty of roleplaying games are solo affairs that let the player explore the world on their own. However, many more give the player one or more companions on their way. This can be one individual they travel with, a party that they assemble over the game, or even a small army at their command.
Most RPG companions have their fair share of supporters. However, some go beyond that and stand out in the entire genre, not just their respective games. Their personalities, storylines, and character development make them characters players enjoy spending time with and sometimes even romancing.
10 Atton Rand
Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic II - The Sith Lords
Atton Rand is the first companion that the player meets in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords. He's an unrepentant scoundrel who treats the Jedi and Sith with a bitter irreverence that is almost entirely unheard of in Star Wars. However, Aaton proves to be far deeper and far more loyal than he lets on.
Throughout Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords, Atton undergoes a long arc of his own. Kreia confronts him with his past as a former torturer for Revan's Sith Empire and a person afraid of his own Force potential. Atton eventually lets go of his past and becomes a Jedi Knight in one of the game's most emotional scenes.
9 Lohse
Divinity: Original Sin II
Each of Divinity: Original Sin II's companions are also Origin Characters whom the player can choose to play as. Anybody they don't choose is available as a party member in the game's first main area. Lohse endears herself to the player initially with an outgoing exterior. However, this hides a deep sense of isolation and inability to trust.
Lohse's plot in Divinity: Original Sin II revolves around a demon, the Doctor, who lives partly inside of her. The player's efforts to help Lohse have a two-pronged approach of both battling the demon itself and enabling her to overcome the effects of years of abuse. Her friendliness and attempts at humor contrast with her literal demons in one of Divinity: Original Sin II's most interesting character arcs.
8 Johnny Silverhand
Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077's Johnny Silverhand is an unconventional companion. Rather than a physical being who has sided with the player, he's a computer program inside V's head who is slowly overwriting their personality. Silverhand and V initially start on an uneasy note due to his unwanted presence inside them.
However, the last two-thirds of Cyberpunk 2077 force V and Johnny Silverhand to work together to save both of them. V and Silverhand grow closer over time, particularly if the player does certain quests. Silverhand's character development, eventual atonement, and undeniable charisma make him a person many players would die for in several of Cyberpunk 2077's endings.
7 Shadowheart
Baldur's Gate 3
Baldur's Gate 3 is only in Early Access, but its companions have impacted players. However, the cleric Shadowheart has risen above the other party members in players' eyes, even other well-liked choices like Astarion and Lae'zel. Shadowheart remains the game's most popular companion and one of its most common romance choices.
Shadowheart's attractive design has helped endear her to players, but it's more than that. She's the nicest of Baldur's Gate 3's more evil companions. Shadowheart tries to see the best intentions in her dark god, encourages kindness to animals, and doesn't reward selfishness and cruelty. Many players enjoy discovering Shadowheart's secrets and getting to know her better.
6 Fall-From-Grace
Planescape: Torment
Planescape: Torment has more unusual companions than most Dungeons & Dragons video games, reflecting Sigil's strange nature. Fall-From-Grace is a succubus who runs the most chaste brothel in the city. Despite her fiendish nature, she's the best healer in the game and a welcome addition to any team.
However, Fall-From-Grace is far from one-dimensional. She constantly fights the temptation to do evil and shows her mettle on more than one occasion. She's also the only companion to wound the Transcendent One in the final dungeon. Her unusual origin, flirtatious and kind personality, and effectiveness in the game make Fall-From-Grace enduringly popular among Planescape: Torment fans.
5 Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Fire Emblem's Lords are the lead characters of most games in the series. However, Fire Emblem: Three Houses continues the recent trend of giving a player-created Avatar character to serve as the protagonist. Instead, the player chooses a house to join, turning that house's Lord into one of Byleth's most vital companions.
Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd is the leader of the Blue Lions house. He's a traumatized, courteous individual who finds violence repugnant but becomes one of the game's most brutal warriors. When he's a companion in the Azure Moon route, Dimitri has some of Fire Emblem's most impressive character development. He first surrenders to his demons and then overcomes them with great effort.
4 Aerith Gainsborough
Final Fantasy VII
Aerith Gainsborough is only one of Final Fantasy VII's very likable companions. Almost every party member in that game has their virtues that make them stand out to audiences. However, Aerith has become immortalized in Final Fantasy fans' hearts for one good reason. She's the game's only romance option and companion to die permanently.
Sephiroth murders Aerith just when she's about to save the day in Final Fantasy VII, robbing the player of a companion. Her death scene remains one of Final Fantasy VII's most shocking and well-crafted moments, delivering an emotional gut punch. Consequently, Aerith has acquired an untouchable reputation among Final Fantasy companions.
3 Kim Kitsuragi
Disco Elysium
Kim Kitsuragi is the player's fellow detective and partner in Disco Elysium. He initially plays the straight man to protagonist Harry du Bois, being job-focused and balanced compared to the player character's eccentricities. However, Kim is much more than a wet blanket who refuses to indulge Harry.
Kim proves his skills as a solid detective throughout Disco Elysium. He comes to be an able ally and a good friend if the player makes the right choices. Unlike many game companions, Kim's his own character and remains unaffected by the player's decisions. He has his own opinions, capabilities, and sense of humor. In this way, Kim feels more alive than most companions in other games.
2 Alistair
Dragon Age
Alistair is the first companion most players will receive in Dragon Age: Origins, and one many players keep with them until the very end. Initially, Alistair is introduced as the only other Grey Warden in Ferelden. He's also an innocent, somewhat timid man with little experience of ruthlessness or the real world.
Dragon Age: Origins gives the player immense control over Alistair's fate. He can remain his innocent self or become "hardened," wherein he becomes more world-wise but less compassionate. Independent of this, Alistair can remain a Grey Warden, become a king, and much more. Alistair remains a likable companion regardless of what path he takes, but players are free to tailor him to their tastes.
1 Garrus Vakarian
Mass Effect
Garrus Vakarian is far from the first companion to join in Mass Effect. He's also only a romance option beginning from the second game onward. Despite this, he's become far and away Mass Effect's most beloved companion, even above other fan favorites like Urdnot Wrex and Tali.
Garrus has an evolving relationship with Shepard throughout Mass Effect, regardless of whether he's romanced. Garrus goes from a subordinate, to somebody who idolizes Shepard, to an honest equal in Mass Effect 3. Shepard and Garrus' relationship is one of Mass Effect's most respectful and satisfying, giving him a truly beloved spot among RPG companions.