Best Avowed Companions, Ranked by Helpfulness

In Avowed, the Companions not only enrich the narrative and dialogue but also play crucial roles in gameplay, from unlocking new areas to enhancing combat effectiveness. Here’s a detailed ranking of every Avowed Companion, from least to most useful:

4. Marius

During my journey through Avowed, I found Marius to be the least compatible with my preferred playstyle. While he does offer some early-game exploration benefits, he quickly becomes overshadowed by other Companions. Marius is adept at finding items and plants during exploration, but his combat prowess leaves much to be desired. Here are his abilities and their potential upgrades:

• Blinding Roots: Roots enemies in place for 8 seconds. Upgrades include stunning enemies, trapping multiple enemies, and inflicting Bleed Accumulation.
• Heart Seeker: Fires a piercing shot that always hits the target. Upgrades allow it to hit multiple enemies, increase damage to low-health targets, and reduce cooldown.
• Shadow Step: Vanishes in smoke and reappears to slash an enemy, repeatable up to three times. Upgrades can enable instant kills on stunned enemies, increased damage to low-health targets, and the ability to strike up to six enemies.
• Wounding Shots: Inflicts Bleed Accumulation with attacks. Upgrades can reduce enemy damage reduction, slow hit enemies, and further reduce enemy damage.

Marius' abilities focus on controlling and weakening enemies, which can be beneficial in specific scenarios, particularly against melee-focused foes. However, his niche utility makes him less valuable for the broader challenges of the Living Lands.

3. Giatta

Giatta, an Animancer focused on support, uses her magical abilities to heal, shield, and buff the party. While she may not excel in direct damage, her utility in maintaining party health is invaluable, especially during Avowed’s intense boss encounters. Here are Giatta's abilities:

• Purification: Heals allies by 25% of their maximum Health. Upgrades can increase healing, interrupt and knock back enemies, and boost allies' damage reduction.
• Barrier: Grants temporary health to all allies for 20 seconds. Upgrades enhance the shield's strength, heal enemies upon expiration, and protect Giatta from melee attacks.
• Acceleration: Boosts move and attack speed of allies for 15 seconds. Upgrades include damage reduction, extended duration, and reduced cooldowns for abilities.
• Reconstruction: Heals allies with attacks. Upgrades focus on increased healing for low-health allies, granting temporary health, and reviving incapacitated allies upon enemy kills.

Giatta also powers Essence Generators, unlocking new areas for late-game exploration. Her abilities synergize well with Wizard-focused Envoys, making her a valuable asset in the right build.

2. Kai

Kai, the first Companion you meet in Avowed, remains a reliable ally throughout your adventure. As a tank, he can absorb damage and deal significant blows without much need for micromanagement. Here are Kai's abilities and their upgrades:

• Fire and Ire: Fires from his Blunderbuss, stunning and taunting an enemy. Upgrades can ignite targets, increase stun, and reduce cooldown.
• Unbending Defense: Regenerates health and increases damage reduction. Upgrades can further reduce incoming damage, enhance health regeneration, and unleash a damaging shockwave.
• Leap of Daring: Crashes down on enemies, stunning and taunting nearby foes. Upgrades expand the area of effect, grant temporary health, and increase attack damage.
• Second Wind: Revives himself, restoring 50% of his maximum health. Upgrades can increase this to 75%, boost attack speed, and reset ability cooldowns.

Kai's versatility in handling both single targets and crowds, combined with his self-revival ability, makes him an essential combat partner. He can also clear obstacles like spider webs and roots, enhancing exploration.

1. Yatzli

Yatzli, a powerful Wizard, brings high-damage attacks and excellent crowd control to the party. Her abilities make her akin to air support in the fantasy world of the Living Lands. Here are Yatzli's abilities and their upgrades:

• Essence Explosion: Explodes upon hitting an enemy, dealing essence and explosive damage. Upgrades increase the blast radius, inflict fire accumulation, and reduce cooldown.
• Minoletta’s Missile Battery: Fires a volley of enemy-seeking arcane missiles. Upgrades enhance fire rate, range, and add shock accumulation.
• Arduos Delay of Motion: Slows an enemy for 10 seconds. Upgrades intensify the slow, create an area of effect, and inflict frost accumulation.
• Blast: Causes attacks to burst into an area of effect. Upgrades can break blocks, destroy walls, shatter frozen enemies, increase stun, and apply various status effects.

Yatzli's powerful and versatile abilities, combined with her ability to clear obstacles, make her an invaluable addition to your party. Despite being the last Companion you recruit, her impact on your journey through Avowed is significant.

Avowed is set to release on PC and Xbox on February 18.