The companion system in Elder Scrolls Online gives solo players a meaningful way to experience content that once felt inaccessible without a group. Each companion comes with a unique personality, questline, and combat role that you can shape through gear and rapport building. Whether you need a healer to keep you alive, a tank to hold aggro, or a damage dealer to speed up farming, the right companion makes a genuine difference. These five rank as the strongest options available in 2026.
| Companion | Role | Best For | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mirri Elendis | Damage Dealer | Experienced solo players | 4.8/5 |
| Bastian Hallix | Tank/Healer Hybrid | Newer players and survivability | 4.7/5 |
| Ember | Damage Dealer | Fast overland farming | 4.7/5 |
| Isobel Veloise | Tank | Sturdy frontline support | 4.6/5 |
| Sharp-as-Night | Damage Dealer | Necrom chapter content | 4.6/5 |
Mirri Elendis - Best Overall Companion
Mirri Elendis, the Dark Elf assassin from the Blackwood chapter, is the most consistently recommended ESO companion across player communities. Her damage output scales well with investment in Companion gear, and her written rapport system rewards players who engage with dialogue and roleplay elements of the game. Mirri’s personality leans dry and sardonic, which resonates with players who appreciate the ESO narrative tone. Her skills lean toward single-target burst damage, making her excellent for quest boss encounters and world boss soloing at higher gear levels. For players who want a companion that feels fully developed both in combat and storytelling, Mirri is the benchmark.
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Bastian Hallix - Best for Survivability and New Players
Bastian Hallix is the more forgiving companion for players still learning ESO’s combat systems. His hybrid tank and support toolkit keeps him alive longer than pure damage companions, which means he stays useful even when you are still learning to manage your own resource bars. Bastian’s rapport system is also more lenient, as he approves of a wide range of looting and exploration behaviors that newer players naturally engage in. His Imperial background gives him decent dialogue across most main story quests. If you find yourself dying frequently in overland content or want a companion who simply keeps the fight manageable, Bastian is the right choice.
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Ember - Best for Fast Overland Farming
Ember, the Khajiit sorcerer introduced in the High Isle chapter, brings the fastest clear speed of any companion for overland zone farming. Her ability to apply area damage effects means she contributes meaningfully to clearing packs of enemies quickly, which matters when you are grinding a specific zone for skyshards, treasure maps, or material nodes. Ember’s rapport gains are tied to theft and larceny, which fits naturally into most players’ resource-gathering routines. Her writing is energetic and enthusiastic, providing a tonal contrast to more reserved companions. Players focused on efficiency and resource accumulation will find Ember earns her place quickly.
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Isobel Veloise - Best Tank Companion
Isobel Veloise brings the most durable frontline presence of any companion in ESO. Her Knight class skills allow her to draw enemy attention and absorb hits reliably, which is especially valuable for players running glass cannon damage builds who need a body between themselves and heavy-hitting world bosses. Isobel’s questline is one of the most praised companion narratives in the game, giving players genuine emotional investment in her character alongside her mechanical value. Her rapport is built through chivalric and honorable choices, which aligns naturally with main story questlines. For players who want to play high-damage builds without constant self-healing, Isobel is an excellent investment.
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Sharp-as-Night - Best for Necrom Chapter Content
Sharp-as-Night, introduced with the Necrom chapter, is the strongest companion choice for players working through Telvanni Peninsula and Apocrypha content. His Arcanist-adjacent skills were clearly designed with the Necrom environment in mind, and his damage output in that content is noticeably higher than companions built for earlier chapters. His rapport system rewards players who interact thoughtfully with the world rather than rushing through content, which suits the slower, lore-rich Necrom zones well. For players who purchased Necrom and want a companion that feels native to that expansion, Sharp-as-Night delivers the most cohesive experience.
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How to Choose the Best ESO Companion
The most important factor is matching the companion’s combat role to your own build. If you play a healer, bring a damage companion. If you play a light armor damage dealer, a tank companion keeps you safer. Beyond combat utility, consider which chapter you already own, since companions require their source chapter to unlock. Rapport gain speed matters if you want to unlock companion outfit styles and achievements efficiently, so read each companion’s approval triggers before committing. Finally, consider narrative fit: you will hear this character speak for hundreds of hours, so picking one whose personality you enjoy makes the game meaningfully more engaging.
For more gaming gear and accessory recommendations, see our best companion Far Cry 5 guide. Review our full evaluation criteria at /methodology.
Frequently asked questions
How do you unlock companions in ESO?+
ESO companions are unlocked through specific questlines tied to each expansion. Mirri Elendis and Bastian Hallix are available through the Blackwood chapter, while Ember and Isobel Veloise come with High Isle. Each companion requires you to complete their introduction quest before they can join you. No additional purchases are needed beyond owning the relevant chapter or base game access through ESO Plus.
Can you use companions in group content in ESO?+
Companions cannot be used in instanced group content like dungeons, trials, or arenas. They function only in overland zones and some story instances. For solo players, they are invaluable for open-world questing and exploration. Their combat role, whether tank, healer, or damage dealer, can be set manually to suit your own class and the content you are running.