In the famous words of an old man, "It's dangerous to go alone"! Luckily, in Star Wars: The Old Republic, you have plenty of companions to choose from. How do they stack up?

Star Wars: The Old Republic is chock full of memorable class stories involving wise Jedi, powerful Sith, mercenaries, heroes, and everything in between. Joining the heroes on these journeys are a whole crew of diverse characters and companions.

However, not all companions are equal; as an update early in the life of the game made it possible to have companions act as any role you needed them to be (tank, DPS, healer), it all comes down to personality. While some are certainly interesting, there are those companions who simply stand head and shoulders above the rest. 

In no particular order, here are the best two companions for each class from the original class stories, which means sorry Lana, Senya, and Theron (SPOILERS AHEAD)!

8. Jedi Knight

LIght or Dark: The Jedi Knight's companions come from all sides of the Force.

Best Companion for Jedi Knight: Kira Carsen

• A troublemaking human female Jedi Padawan who is placed under your care following your ascension to Jedi Knight
•  As your Padawan early on, you’ll never get enough of her quippy one-liners and a rather spunky attitude for a Jedi
• Thoroughly fleshed out backstory that involves the Jedi, the Sith, and even ties in other class stories
• Amazing voice acting done by the lovely Laura Bailey of Critical Role fame
• One of the best romances of any companions filled with harrowing odds, secrets, and love blossoming across the stars

Second Best Companion for Jedi Knight: Scourge

• A traitorous (or is he?) male pure-blood Sith acting as the Emperor’s Hand who releases the knight from the Emperor’s control
• Fascinating backstory filled with intrigue and higher purposes than originally meets the eye
• Stocky, tall, and foreboding in build, Scourge stands literally head and shoulders above any of your other companions

7. Sith Warrior 

Slaves or Apprentices: Your best companions for the Sith Warrior lie on different ends of the power balance.

Best Companion for Sith Warrior: Vette

• A female Twi’lek thief, assassin, and gunslinging escape artist
• Starting off as your shock-collar wearing slave, you can shape your relationship with Vette early on depending on your mercy or cruelty
• Happy-go-lucky and quirky dialogue
• Romance option can be complicated and complex as the former slave comes to love the master
• Perfect for bringing even the darkest Sith into line and maybe discover some softer aspects of themselves

Second Best Companion for Sith Warrior: Jaesa Willsaam

• A young human female Jedi Padawan, Jaesa is brought into your story as the objective in your early mission for Darth Baras
• Introduced to you as you kill her Master, Jaesa’s relationship is one made for Dark side players as you slowly corrupt her and destroy her belief in the Jedi teachings
• An interesting romantic option that quickly descends in wild passion between a Sith Apprentice and her Master
• A worthy companion to bring the galaxy beneath your boot and fulfill all of your Dark side power fantasies

6. Jedi Consular

Jedi and Hunters: From apprentices to hunters on missions from thier gods, the Consular has all sorts of  companions to join them on their jounrey across the galaxy.

Best Companion for Jedi Consular: Nadia Grell

• A female Sarkhai Force-sensitive and future Jedi Padawan
• Introduced part way through your journey, Nadia is new to the galaxy and space-faring adventures
• Her upbeat attitude and constant positive energy is a perfect companion and Padawan to the knowledge-seeking Jedi Consular; wonderful teacher-student motif 
• Romance option is pure-hearted and sweet, far from the complicated stories of more scandalous romances amongst other Force users
• An ideal companion for Consulars seeking to remember the little people of such a big galaxy

Second Best Companion for Jedi Consular: Qyzen Fess

• A male Tradoshan hunter on a holy mission from his deity
• The first companion for the Consular, Qyzen helps break the classic Jedi/Padawan pattern by accompanying you as a sign from his deity, the Scorekeeper
• While no romance option is available, Qyzen’s loyalty is unshakeable throughout the storyline
• As a lizard of honor, he is more concerned with the honor and integrity of the hunt, meaning there is some wiggle-room for more gray morals than with a strict light side character

5. Sith Inquisitor

Ancient Evils and Fallen Jedi: In their quest for utlimate knowledge, the Sith Inquisitor will take on apprentices, befriend ancient evils, and all sorts who seek out hidden treasures. 

Best Companion for Sith Inquisitor: Khem Val

• An ancient male Dashade warrior
• The Inquisitor’s first companion, Khem is one of the best companions in-game overall
• A backstory full of history and intrigue puts him at odds with you as his new master; he constantly makes quips about your strength, power, and authority over him
• Once he is partially possessed by Darth Zash, hilarity ensues with a Gollum/Smeagol style struggle for control with only the player able to pick the side that prevails
• A former warrior for an ancient Sith Lord, Khem is perfect for Dark side players who aim to acquire all knowledge to triumph over their enemies

Second Best Companion for Sith Inquisitor: Xalek

• A male Kaleesh Sith apprentice filled with hate and vengeance
• The last companion for the Inquisitor, Xalekis an interesting retrospective on the Inquisitor’s journey as a whole; he too is a slave forced into Sith training just as you were
• You can choose to temper his rage (why though?) or feed his anger and thirst for vengeance to craft the perfect Sith assassin
• Evil, angry, and always willing to serve with a hint of possible betrayal always laced within his dialogue make him a joy to converse with

4. Trooper

Havoc Squad: As the Trooper, you will piece Havoc Squad back together over the course of a galactic war.

Best Companion for Trooper: Elara Dorne

• A human female Republic medic
• One of the Trooper’s middle companions picked up on Taris, Elara quickly becomes one of the most useful companions 
• A defector herself from the Empire, Elara adds some complexity to the themes of honor 
• A loyal companion with a hilariously bureaucratic relationship option add so levity and playfulness to her dialogue
• For righteous-minded Troopers, Elara Dorne provides a great companion to keep the Trooper on the right side of the law even in the midst of intergalactic war

Second Best Companion for Trooper: M1-4X

• A male designated Prototype M1-4X Advanced War Droid
• Peppy in programming and overly patriotic, M1-4X is a joy to bring along throughout the campaign
• Hilarious dialogue akin to the Liberty Prime from the Fallout series, 4X will keep you in stitches as he continually praises the Republic, liberty, and freedom

3. Bounty Hunter 

Killer Companions: The Bounty Hunter will see companions join them from all walks of life but who all seek the same things: adventure, coin, and a good fight.

Best Companion for Bounty Hunter: Mako

• A female cyborg slicer and bounty hunter
• Your first companion as a bounty hunter, Mako is already a part of your crew from the beginning, making her feel like a natural companion throughout
• Witty, hilarious, and practical, Mako is well-written and really helps ground the entire bounty hunter storyline
• With a mind for cybernetics and logic, Mako plays well for players who can tread on both sides of the moral line
• A genuinely heartfelt relationship option  
• An excellent backstory that only props up Mako as a unique and strong character

Second Best Companion for Bounty Hunter: Torian Cadera

• A male human Mandalorian bounty hunter
• An honorable warrior spirit to play alongside your bounty hunter
• Perfect for those players looking to play the honorable hunter and warrior
• Relationship options for female characters provide a storyline for two warriors on their own against the galaxy

2. Smuggler

A Motley Crew: From Wookiees to princesses and failed Jedi, the Smuggler will take on a crew fit for any job. 

Best Companion for Smuggler: Risha Drayen

• A female human smuggler, thief, and royal queen
• An early companion for the Smuggler, she hides a deep backstory and pleasantly deep character
• The perfect Leia counterpart for your smuggler - bouncing witty and charming dialogue back and forth with your character
• For male player characters, a sweet and earnest romance option to provide that classic scoundrel/princess romance

Second Best Companion for Smuggler: Languss “Guss” Tuno

• A male Mon Calamari failed Jedi Padawan
• Guss is a hilarious character, charming and full of vices, he is unique in the world of Jedi and Star Wars in general
• Dialogue and quirk is the main reason he stands out from the other Smuggler companions

1. Imperial Agent

Imperial Entanglements: As the Imperial Agent, you'll put together a team that can track down any target and uncover any secret. 

Best Companion for Imperial Agent: Dr. Eckard Lokin

• A human/Rakghoul hybrid Imperial doctor
• A mid-level companion, you’ll stick with him for the rest of your playthrough as a loyal “bro-like” companion
• Mysterious backstory and pragmatic character are perfect for those playing a cold and professional Imperial Agent
• No romance option which means he’s a perfect platonic partner for any kind of player
• Literally, a mad scientist who can transform into a Force monster, what’s not to love?

Second Best Companion for Imperial Agent: SCORPIO

• A female programmed droid of mysterious origins and the final Agent companion
• Cold, calculating, and mysterious SCORPIO fits in nicely with the overall theme of the Agent storyline
• Her constant self-improvement programming makes her background all the more mysterious and makes interactions and conversations with her tense, almost like spy versus spy
• Some decent payoff with her origin in later expansions

You may also be interested in:

• 11 Best Video Game Characters as Your Companions in PC Games
• SWTOR Best Romance for Each Class
• SWTOR Best Class Story